Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo
Once an imperial garden, Shinjuku Gyoen is a tranquil escape in the heart of bustling Tokyo. It uniquely combines three distinct styles: a traditional Japanese landscape, a formal French garden, and a sprawling English landscape. This diversity makes
it a year-round destination, but it truly shines in spring and autumn. For cherry blossom season, the park boasts over a thousand trees of 65 different varieties, ensuring a long blooming period from late March to early April. The wide lawns of the English garden are perfect for picnics under the pink canopy. Come mid-November, the park transforms into a canvas of autumnal colours, with the maple trees in the Japanese garden and the towering ginkgo trees offering spectacular shades of red, orange, and gold. The teahouse near the pond provides a serene spot to sip matcha while admiring the foliage reflecting in the water.
Maruyama Park, Kyoto
As Kyoto's oldest public park, Maruyama Park holds a special place in the city's cultural life. Located next to the famous Yasaka Shrine, it's a hub of activity, especially during cherry blossom season. The park is renowned for its magnificent weeping cherry tree, or 'Gion no Yozakura', which is illuminated at night, creating a magical and iconic springtime scene that draws huge crowds. During the first half of April, the entire park becomes a sea of pink as hundreds of cherry trees come into bloom. But its beauty isn't limited to spring. From mid-November to early December, the park offers a stunning display of autumn leaves, with the vibrant colours providing a beautiful contrast against the traditional ponds and stone bridges of its Japanese garden. Its blend of natural scenery and proximity to the historic Gion district makes it an essential stop in any season.
Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa
Justifiably ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful landscape gardens, Kenrokuen is a masterpiece of horticulture. The name means "Garden of the Six Sublimities," referring to the six essential attributes of a perfect garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, water features, and broad views. In spring, around mid-April, over 400 cherry trees of various types bloom, turning the landscape pink. The garden even offers free admission and nighttime illuminations during the peak blossom week. In autumn, usually from mid-November to early December, hundreds of maple trees set the garden ablaze with fiery colours, particularly around Yamazaki-yama Hill. Special light-up events also showcase the autumn foliage, allowing visitors to experience a different, more enchanting atmosphere after dark. No matter the season, the garden's iconic Kotoji-toro lantern and ancient Karasaki Pine are sights to behold.
Nara Park, Nara
Famous for its population of free-roaming, friendly deer, Nara Park is a vast and historic landscape that offers much more than just its charming animal residents. Covering a huge area at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, the park is home to several of Japan's most important temples and shrines, including Todai-ji Temple. This unique blend of nature, wildlife, and priceless cultural heritage makes it a spectacular destination for seasonal viewing. In spring, the park's cherry trees bloom in abundance, creating picturesque scenes with deer resting under canopies of pink. The areas around the Ukimo-do Pavilion are particularly beautiful. In autumn, the park becomes a tapestry of colour, with the leaves of the many maple, ginkgo, and cherry trees turning brilliant shades of red and gold. Strolling through the park during this time offers countless photo opportunities of deer set against a stunning backdrop of fall foliage.
