Bureau of Construction
Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association

Evening illumination of cherry blossoms in daimyo's garden

The weeping cherry tree lit up (2016)

The weeping cherry tree at Rikugien Gardens will be lit up each evening while it is in peak blossom. The weeping cherry tree is a well-known symbol of the gardens, and is 15 meters tall and 20 meters across. The blossoms are equally beautiful viewed in the daytime sunshine or the evening light. During the period, the gardens will remain open until 9:00 p.m. Come and enjoy the magical atmosphere at Rikugien this spring.

Dates

March 16 (Thu) – April 2 (Sun), 2017
9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (last admission 8:30 p.m.)^*

Events

1. Illumination

The gardens will be lit up daily, from dusk until 9:00 p.m.

2. Sakura-chaya tea stall

Snacks, drinks and souvenirs on sale

• Opening hours:
  9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Place:
  Keyaki Hiroba area

3. Matcha green tea service

• Items for sale:
  Green tea and Japanese sweets
• Opening hours:
  • Fukiage-chaya: 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., last order 8:00 p.m.
  • Shinsen-tei: Noon – 8:00 p.m., last order 7:30 p.m.
    (Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays, 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., last order 7:30 p.m.)

4. Guided Tour in English

Volunteer guides take you through the sights of the gardens in spring.

• Dates and times:
  The first and third Sunday of the month, 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. (cancelled in bad weather)
• Meeting place:
  In front of the Garden Office
• Fee:
  Free (park entrance fee is required)

^*Note
The special late opening hours are for the illumination event period only
The Somei-mon gate, a two-minute walk from Komagome Station, will also be open during this period
For security reasons, some areas will be off-limits after 4:30 p.m.

Rikugien Gardens

Designated as a national site of scenic beauty, Rikugien was built by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a retainer of the fifth Shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Yanagisawa's fondness for classical poetry formed the key concept for the gardens' layout, which features recreations of well-known scenery from traditional Chinese stories and Japanese poetry. Featuring walking paths, hills and a pond, this is a prime example of a daimyo's garden from the Edo Period. In the Meiji Era, the gardens became the property of Iwasaki Yataro, founder of the Mitsubishi conglomerate.

Opening Hours	9:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. (last admission 4:30 p.m.) During the light up event period, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (last admission 8:30 p.m.) The gardens are closed from December 29 – January 1
Address	6-16-3 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku
Access	7-minute walk from Komagome Station (JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line); 10-minute walk from Sengoku Station (Toei Mita Line) No parking is available During the illumination event period, the Somei-mon gate, a 2-minute walk from Komagome station, will also be open
Admission Fee	300 Yen; Seniors (65 and older): 150 Yen Free entry for primary school children or younger and junior high school students living or attending school in Tokyo
Contact	Rikugien Garden Office Tel: 03-3941-2222 (Japanese only)
Website	"Let's go to the Gardens" http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/rikugien/index.html( External link )
Guided tours (Japanese)	Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays, 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. 60 minutes, cancelled in bad weather Meeting place: In front of the Garden Office (during the event period, there will also be a meeting place at the Somei-mon gate entrance) Fee: Free
Guided tours in English	The first and third Sunday of the month, 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. 60 minutes, cancelled in bad weather Meeting place: In front of the Garden Office Fee: Free

ACCESS

MAP OF THE GARDENS

Inquiries

Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association Phone:+81-3-3232-3038 (Japanese only) kouhou@tokyo-park.or.jp (Japanese, English) Management Section, Park Division, Bureau of Construction Phone:+81-3-5320-5365 (Japanese only) S0000378@section.metro.tokyo.jp (Japanese,English)