TRAVEL. JAPAN
Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo
10 Reasons To Visit this Urban Oasis
Having lived in Tokyo for several years I have seen many of the tourist sites on offer but I am always drawn back to Shinjuku Gyoen. Every time you visit the gardens have a new side to show. Hopefully, the below list helps to explain why I keep returning!
1. Urban Escape
Shinjuku Gyoen (Imperial Garden) is located in the largest urban metropolis on the planet and is only a 5-minute walk from the busiest station in the world (Shinjuku Station handles an estimated 3.6 million people a day)!
However, once you pay your entrance fee (currently ¥500) you are transported to a green oasis in this Mega City.
The gardens were officially opened in 1906 and since then have been allowing both residents and visitors to Tokyo the luxury of breathing space in a city where this is normally at a premium. Over the years they have been used for many things, (even as a 9 hole golf course for a while) but since 1950 the garden has officially been a Public Space for all to enjoy.
2. Starbucks
Ok I know Starbucks is not exactly a rare and mythical place worth travelling the globe for its hot nectar, but in Japan, they have a good selection of both ‘standard’ coffee shops and also aesthetically pleasing and interesting examples of how everyday necessities can be integrated sympathetically into their location.
A great example of this is the Shinjuku Gyoen Starbucks which was created in March 2020 from an existing rest area and turned into a Frank Lloyd Wright style building overlooking the Nakanoike pond.
It also has the honour of being the first privately owned business allowed to set up in the Gardens and is predictably very busy at all times of the year, such is the popularity of coffee in Tokyo!
3. Tropical Greenhouse
Hidden away by the Okido Gate is the opportunity to briefly enter a new climate, which may or may not be welcome based on the time of year you visit. The large curved greenhouse has many tropical plant species and even a waterfall! You can get very close to desert cactuses and round the next corner come face to face with lily pads and banana trees.
Entrance is included with your garden ticket and there are many unique photo opportunities that will confuse anyone you show your holiday photos to!
4. Seasonable Flowers
As with all gardens, the view changes based on what time of year you visit and luckily, there are no bad times to visit — Typhoons withstanding! However, the most extreme example of this is Sakura season (Cherry Blossom) in Japan.
This is when the normally reserved, mild-mannered, and polite Tokyoites become crazed by the beauty of the pink flowers and will do anything to get the perfect photo or position their picnic spot under the most aesthetically appealing tree….. so go with great caution!
5. Soft Grass
This may seem like an odd point but never have I walked on a more lush and bouncy lawn than here! The feeling is like walking on a trampoline which keeps you from getting tired whilst walking around the nearly 60 acres of park.
It is also the perfect grass to lay a blanket down on, take in the blue sky and tree-lined lawns of this more European feeling section of the garden.
6. Vending Machines
No Japanese Top Ten list would be complete without mentioning vending machines, and of the 5 million Japan has to offer there is a good selection located in the park. They are thoughtfully located in the covered rest areas so you can take a break and get out of the sun to plan where you will head to next.
7. Skyscraper Views
Due to the park’s central location, you can often see glimpses of the City from within. The most famous views are of the Skyscraper District in Shinjuku where you can see the fragile-looking Cocoon Tower or the other direction towards the NTT DoCoMo Building that bears more than a similar likeness to the Empire State Building. These views improve even more at dusk when all the buildings slowly light up and compete with the gardens for your gaze.
8. People Watching
As with all major Cities, people-watching is a very popular pastime and this is very true here. You get a great mixture of locals and tourists doing all manner of things. From the painters capturing that moment's beauty to the nursery children playing games with their teachers, the salarymen getting some lunchtime fresh air, or young couples on first dates pretending they haven’t been here on the exact same first date a few other times 😉
9. Tearooms & Pavillions
Apart from the Starbucks you can also visit several tea rooms in the park and have a nice traditional meal whilst looking out at the landscaped scenery.
There are also several Pavillions from which you can get a different take on the area as they allow a view out from a covered space (you can even pretend they are your own house)! The best example of this is Kyu-Goryo-Tei (Taiwan Pavilion) which was a gift from the Japanese residents living in Taiwan in the 1920s back to their homeland.
10. Toilets
This may seem like a strange item to have on a list that is meant to celebrate nature, but coming from the UK, toilets in parks are not the best places and must only be visited in an emergency! But with nearly all public toilets in Japan, they are very well maintained and the buildings themselves are appealing to the eye.
This community sense and care mean there is no vandalism or graffiti and everything works as expected and makes you wonder why this cannot be the same all over the planet.
I hope this list was interesting and will encourage you to take time out of your urban adventure in Tokyo to recharge here. I have definitely missed other items from the list (mainly because the Top 17 didn’t sound so good) so please let me know which are your favourites.
If you want to see more of my travels in Japan please check out my Instagram (Where some of the images in this article are taken from).
