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Rikugien Japanese Garden in Tokyo

Japanese garden Autumn Color Cherry blossom Park Tokyo illumination Light-up Walk

Kouyou - autumn leave viewing

styled trees on the island in the pond

Japanese maple turning autumn red

There are a number of old Japanese gardens in Tokyo that have survived fast city development and natural disasters. Rikugien is one of them and an especially nice park in Tokyo.

See the autumn leaves at night

This is the Japanese Garden Rikugien at night. I visited it for the first time last evening and it was lovely. Under a bright moon and with no wind noticeable, the trees and stones of the landscaped areas reflected in the big pond. It was a great evening for kouyou （紅葉） - autumn leave viewing. You can understand why the word is written with the red leave. Rikugien Gardens has been the best park I visited this autumn in Tokyo.

Parks, gardens, and scenic views are some of the most beautiful attractions in Japan. In November and December it is customary to go out to watch the autumn leaves. This might not sound like much, but at some places this can be spectacular.

Mountain views and foliage are best viewed during the day, some gardens are even more beautiful in the dark. Check the schedule for parks, gardens, temples, and shrines for special illumination （イルミネーション） or light-up （ライトアップ） events. If you are in Japan a little later and the autumn leave events are over, you can see some of the fun winter illuminations.

Sakura - cherry blossoms

Photo by Marufish, from Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0

Rikugien is a nice place for a walk in the city anytime of the year. The over 300 year old garden is one of nine historical parks in Tokyo that have survived fire, war, floods, and construction. Visit one of them to see a little bit of the old Japan as well as beautiful flowers and plants.
http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/index.html

Spring cherry blossoms

I will be back to visit Rikugien Gardens in the spring to see the cherry blossoms. Rikugien is famous as a beautiful landscape garden and also has beautiful cherry trees. For the sakura time in the spring, the garden usually does a special evening light up. Make sure to see the large weeping cherry trees near the main entrance. The park closes around 17:00, but during the special evening light up it is open until around 20:00.