Hibiya Park

Park

Prefecture

Tokyo

Type

Park

N/A

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Restaurant Train Access

Plan a trip with Hibiya Park

About This Destination

Sixteen hectares of lawns, ponds and flowerbeds across the moat from the Imperial Palace, opened in 1903 as Japan's first Western-style park. Free and open around the clock.

Hibiya Park sits on what was an army parade ground, itself built on filled-in bay, across the moat from the Imperial Palace. It opened on June 1, 1903, to a plan led by Honda Seiroku, and it is usually called Japan's first modern Western-style park: flowerbeds, fountains and wide gravel paths rather than a stroll garden. Matsumoto-ro, the Western restaurant in the middle of the park, opened the same year and still sits under the Kubikake ginkgo, a huge old tree that Honda is said to have staked his neck on moving. Kumogata pond, with its crane fountain, is the classic photo when the ginkgo turn yellow. Near Shinji pond, stretches of the old Edo-period moat and stone walls survive. At lunchtime the benches fill with office workers from Kasumigaseki and Yurakucho, and on weekends the plazas often host events. The park is free and never closes.

Location

Prefecture: Tokyo

Address: Tokyo, Japan

Nearest Station: Hibiya Station

Closed: The Great Fountain plaza is closed during a long-term redevelopment; check the official site.

Hours note: The park is open at all times. The service center is open 8:30 to 17:30 except over the New Year holidays.

Best time to visit: Late November to early December for yellow ginkgo; spring for the flowerbeds

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an entrance fee or closing time?

No. The park is free and open at all times; only some facilities inside charge. The service center is staffed 8:30 to 17:30.

Is anything left from before the park opened?

Yes. Near Shinji pond, stretches of the Edo-period moat and stone walls survive. The land was an army parade ground on reclaimed bay before the park opened in 1903.

When do the ginkgo trees turn yellow?

Usually from late November into early December. The Kubikake ginkgo beside Matsumoto-ro and the trees around Kumogata pond are the ones most people come to see.