More about Shinjuku Gyoen
Shinjuku Gyoen was originally created as a garden specifically for the Imperial family. The Old Western-style Imperial Rest House was build for recreation and guests of the family, and was designated as an Important Cultural Property. Shinjuku Gyoen boasts a size of 58 hectares and consists of 3 types of gardens: English Landscape Garden known for its spacious and flat lawns, French Formal Garden with sycamore trees and Japanese Traditional Garden with a central pond.
Cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen
Shinjuku Gyoen is also reputed as one of the top spots for cherry blossom viewing in Japan and it has been selected as one of the top 100 in Japan. The garden has over 1100 cherry blossom trees and during the spring bloom, the flowers draw in huge crowds to the garden.
The garden is also considerably popular during the autumn season, when sightseers visit to appreciate the fall foliage. There are the maples at the English Landscape Garden and the reflection of the leaves in the Japanese Traditional Garden pond. Visitors can enjoy the change in color of the leaves of trees such as dogwood and gingko biloba during the mid-October up until mid-December. During the year, there are numerous events held at the garden; there are participatory events such as photography lessons and contests in addition to Chrysanthemum exhibition and Orchid exhibition. Once every month, the Edo Tokyo vegetable market and Shinjuku Gyoen flower market are also held. It is prohibited to bring alcohol into the garden and drinking it there is prohibited. Using toys, sports equipment and the like is also prohibited in the garden. These rules ensure that the peace and calm is kept at Shinjuku Gyoen. A visit to the garden is highly recommended during the cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons, but in general it truly is the ultimate place to take a break from the noise and bustle of the hectic Tokyo.