Showa Kinen Park

Park

Prefecture

Tokyo

Type

Park

N/A

0 reviews

¥450

Entry Fee

Restaurant Train Access Cafe

About This Destination

A 180-hectare national park built on the site of the former US Tachikawa air base, with seasonal flower fields, a Japanese garden and two long ginkgo avenues. Adult entry is 450 yen, and the West Tachikawa Gate is a 2-minute walk from Nishi-Tachikawa Station.

The flat, wide-open ground gives away the history: this was the US Tachikawa airfield, and the national park that opened here in 1983 now covers 180 hectares across Tachikawa and Akishima. Most people come for one flower at a time. The tulip garden along the stream plaza peaks from late March to mid-April, at the same time as about 1,500 cherry trees in 31 varieties. Nemophila turns a hillside blue from mid-April to mid-May, and from September to early November the cosmos fields, pink 'Sensation' and yellow cosmos, are the park's best-known sight; the fields move from year to year. Late October to late November is ginkgo season, when the Canal avenue (200 m) and the Katarai avenue (300 m) turn yellow. In between there is Minna no Harappa, a huge open lawn, a Japanese garden with a bonsai court, and a lot of walking. The park is too big to cover on foot in one visit, so rent a bicycle or take the park train. On autumn weekends the car parks fill up; the train is the easier option.

Location

Prefecture: Tokyo

Address: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

Nearest Station: Nishi-Tachikawa Station

Closed: Closed December 31 and January 1, and from the third Monday of January to the Friday of that week. Bad weather can close it at short notice.

Hours note: The paid area opens at 9:30 and closes at 17:00 from March to October (18:00 on weekends and holidays from April to September) and at 16:30 from November to February. The car parks close their entrances 30 minutes before the park closes.

Best time to visit: Late March to mid-April for tulips and cherry blossoms; September to early November for cosmos; late October to late November for the ginkgo avenues

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Visitor Information

Credit Cards: Unknown

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is admission to Showa Kinen Park?

Adults (high school age and up) pay 450 yen and visitors 65 and over pay 210 yen; junior high school students and younger are free. You can leave and re-enter on the same day if you ask the gate staff for a re-entry ticket.

When do the main flowers bloom?

Tulips and cherry blossoms peak from late March to mid-April, nemophila from mid-April to mid-May, cosmos from September to early November, and the ginkgo avenues turn yellow from late October to late November. Peaks shift from year to year, so check the park's weekly flower report.

Which gate should I use?

The West Tachikawa Gate, 2 minutes from Nishi-Tachikawa Station, is the quickest and is close to the water bird pond and the Katarai ginkgo avenue. For the Japanese garden and the flower hill, the Sunagawa Gate on the north side is closer but is a 20-minute walk from Musashi-Sunagawa Station.