Catch the Last of Tokyo's Autumn Colors at Four Beautiful Gardens

When asked by foreign friends and relatives "What is the best time of year to visit Japan?" I always answer "in the autumn" because the weather is generally bright and warm with low humidity.

While you will miss the famed sakura that blossom in late March and peak in April in the Tokyo area, in the autumn you can see a spectacular display of bushes and trees. Ginkgo and maple turn bright yellow, red, and purple. When backlit by the sun, they can be truly kaleidoscopic.

Autumn colors at Mount Takao in the far west of Tokyo are already past their peak. But in Tokyo itself, the display only started a week ago and the venues described here should be worth visiting for another week or more.

*Tokyo was still in peak autumn on December 5. (©EH Kinmonth)*

1. Kyu-Furukawa Gardens

A week ago, I visited the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, which are an easy walking distance from my SOHO. There were only hints of the autumn colors that would be coming. But on December 5, the display of red and yellow leaves was spectacular with a small number of roses from the fall bloom as a bonus.

The gardens and their striking English-style mansion are a seven-minute walk from the Kami-Nakazato Station on the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and the Nishigahara Station of the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line.

Admission is ¥150 JPY (about $1 USD) for adults. Except for year-end holidays, the gardens are open every day. The mansion itself is being refurbished. Viewing the interior requires prior application by mail.

*A view of the rose garden. (©EH Kinmonth)*

2. Rikugien Gardens

Located along the same street as the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, the Rikugien Gardens were also owned at one time by a Meiji-era entrepreneur.

Rikugien is an 18-minute walk from the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, a 7-minute walk from the JR and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line Komagome Station, and a 10-minute walk from the Toei Mita Line Sengoku Station.

Admission and open hours and days are the same as the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. A joint ticket is available.

*Rikugien Gardens feature a large pond. (©EH Kinmonth)*

3. Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

Of the three garden parks taken up here, Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens had the most electric display of autumn colors when my wife and I visited it on Sunday, December 1.

The gardens occupy part of a site that was once the Edo residence of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa dynasty that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867. The last shogun came from this branch of the Tokugawa.

*Autumn foliage in various shades of red at Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens in Tokyo's Bunkyo area. (©EH Kinmonth)*

Unlike either Rikugien or the Japanese-style garden at the Kyu-Furukawa Gardens, the Korakuen Gardens have several overt features reflecting formal garden design in the Ming period. A Chinese Confucian scholar was involved in the original design.

*Maple colors with a Chinese gate in the background. (©EH Kinmonth)*

Getting There

The overall setting is very different from the other two gardens which are backed by quiet residential areas. Korakuen Gardens are adjacent to the Korakuen amusement complex. At times, the sound of rock concerts and other events being held at the Tokyo Dome is quite audible in the gardens.

*High-rise office building and Tokyo Dome seen from Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. (©EH Kinmonth)*

The Korakuen Gardens are two minutes walk from the Iidabashi Station on the Toei Oedo Line and eight minutes from the JR Sobu Line Station.

Open hours and days are the same as the other two park gardens but the entrance fee is ¥300 (around $2) for adults.

*The restaurant dining room in Korakuen Gardens. (©EH Kinmonth)*

There is no food service within the park, but just outside the west entrance, a restaurant has a dining room with two sides giving views into the west end of the garden.

*View from the restaurant. (©EH Kinmonth)*

*Our seasonal lunch, ¥4000 (about $27) each, including handmade craft chopsticks.*

4. Jindai Botanical Gardens

In contrast to the other three locations taken up here, the Jindai Botanical Gardens are a teaching and research facility. They offer a number of ongoing exhibitions, a large hothouse with exotic plants from all over the world, as well as large open spaces suitable for picnics and just "chilling out."

*Panorama of large grassy area for relaxing. (©EH Kinmonth)*

We have visited the botanical gardens on numerous occasions and have always enjoyed our time. After hours spent outdoors and in the tropical hothouse, we always come away refreshed. Our visit on December 1 was no exception.

Although the autumn colors section is a relatively small portion of the gardens, there was a glorious mix of yellows and reds, both isolated trees and mixed clusters.

In the early afternoon, the sun was at an angle that provided backlighting more dramatic than the nighttime light-ups offered by some parks and gardens.

*Bright autumn colors at Jindai Botanical Gardens. (©EH Kinmonth)*

Tsubaki (camellia) had started to bloom in a grove dedicated to them, and numerous bushes in the rose garden still had well-formed flowers.

*A tsubaki grove in the botanical gardens. (©EH Kinmonth)*

*Views of the rose garden. (©EH Kinmonth)*

Within the gardens, there is a grove of metasequoia (dawn redwood) surrounding a pond. Their autumn color is brown, giving an interesting and attractive contrast with the more common reds and yellows.

*Metasequoia in Jindai Botanical Gardens. (©EH Kinmonth)*

Getting There

We have cycled to the botanical gardens, but for those not so inclined, using the Keio Line to Chofu or the JR Chuo Line to Mitaka and taking a bus to the gardens is the less calorie-burning option.

We used the Keio Line and then walked to the gardens passing through the Jindai Soba Restaurant Street. The walk is mostly flat, first along a street featuring replicas of the GeGeGe no Kitaro yokai manga series, and then through a quiet residential area.

Just before the Fuda Tenjin Shrine made famous by the GeGeGe no Kitaro and the forest that is said to have inspired Shigeru Mizuki, there is a small temple (Taishoji) with an exquisite garden. Always photogenic, it was especially good for autumn colors when we visited in December.

*Taishoji temple in Chofu. (©EH Kinmonth)*

Conclusion

There are numerous venues for autumn color viewing within the 23 Tokyo wards and adjacent suburbs such as Mizumoto Park and Showa Kinen Park. More can easily be reached by frequent commuter train services such as Mount Tsuku and Shinrin Park, which I have dealt with in previous articles.

The four park gardens taken up here are, however, doubly attractive. They require only a small investment in travel time for those living within the 23 wards, coupled with memorable displays of autumn colors.

Author: Earl H Kinmonth

Photographs by EH Kinmonth.

Find other stories about Tokyo and nearby areas by Dr Kinmonth.