Cherry blossoms are one of Japan’s most famous attractions of spring and can be seen all over the country – from the northern tip to the southern islands, in the mountains and by the water, among the busy skyscrapers and…
The Expat's Guide to Japan
Everything you need to know about living and working in Tokyo & Yokohama
Arisugawa-no-Miya Memorial Park
Arisugawa-no-Miya Memorial Park (有栖川宮記念公園), originally the urban villa of feudal lord Minonokami Nambu, is now a tranquil park located within central Tokyo. Surrounded by foreign embassies, and located behind Hiroo station, the park provides a wide variety of natural scenery,…
Chidorigafuchi, Kitanomaru Park
Chidorigafuchi (千鳥ケ淵) is one of the most famous cherry-blossom viewing spots in Central Tokyo. A part of Kitanomaru Park (北の丸公園), north side of the Imperial Palace.…
Hama-rikyu Gardens
Though it is rare to see fields carpeted in bright yellow blossoms in the middle of the city, the 300,000 nanohana plants in bloom in mid-March, against the background of Tokyo high-rise buildings.…
Inokashira Park
Outside of the center of the city, this park offers the same hanami experience with a little less crowding. There are a number of universities nearby, and so most hanami partiers will be student groups. There are facilities that rent…
Jindai Botanical Gardens
Japan’s first botanical garden, the are located about Jindai-ji Temple on the Musashi plain and house approximately 4,500 varieties of plants. The garden displays a flower show every month of seasonal blooms.…
Koganei Park
The second largest park in the Metropolitan Tokyo. Inside the park there is an Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum where you can enjoy restored buildings and scenes of daily life from Edo-period to post-WWII period.…
Shinjuku-Gyoen National Garden
One of Tokyo’s foremost parks, the , former residence of the daimyo noble Naito family, is one of the most popular places in Tokyo for cherry blossom viewing. Aside from the cherry trees, the park has over 20,000 varieties of…
Showa Kinen Park
The largest park in Tokyo area (165.3 hectares / 408.4 acres). So many areas to explore, including the entire 14km of cycling course, many sporting activities, outdoor barbeque, and variety of kids playground equipments such as giant bouncing domes.…
Ueno Park
This is one of the most popular locations for hanami in Tokyo. If you can handle the crowds that gather here, you are in for a real treat. While Ueno is a beautiful sight at any time of the year,…
Yoyogi Park
This lush and green park offers the grandest panorama of Tokyo’s sky and is also famous for its cherry blossom viewing. The area was first used as a US army housing site and then as the grounds for the Olympic…
