Parks & gardens
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
新宿御苑
Shinjuku · near Shinjuku-gyoenmae Station (Marunouchi Line) / Shinjuku Station
One of Tokyo's largest and most beautiful gardens, blending expansive English landscape lawns, a formal French garden and a traditional Japanese garden with ponds, plus a large greenhouse. Vast open lawns make it a rare central-Tokyo spot where kids can freely picnic and run.
Why children love it: Huge grassy lawns for running and picnicking, big ponds, a tropical greenhouse, and gorgeous cherry blossoms in spring.
Honest drawbacks: Modest admission (unlike free parks); no ball games/bikes/alcohol; peak sakura weekends require advance reservation and are very busy.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
- Best for
- Babies (0–1), Toddlers (2–4), Primary (5–11), Teens (12–17)
- Time to allow
- 3h
- Opening hours
- Roughly 09:00-18:00 (extended to 18:00/19:00 in peak seasons; last entry 30 min before close)
- Price
- Adults ¥500; seniors 65+ and high-schoolers ¥250; junior-high and younger free.
- Booking
- Usually walk-in
- English
- ★★★☆☆
- Indoor / weather
- outdoor
- Confidence
- Verified
Seasonal — check your dates. Cherry blossoms ~late Mar-late Apr 2026. Advance reservation required to enter 10:00-16:00 on the busiest sakura dates (e.g. Mar 28, 29 and Apr 5, 2026).