Institute for Nature Study

The Institute for Nature Study is situated in Shirokanedai, a region created 200,000-500,000 years ago by marine erosion (land erosion caused by ocean waves, tidal currents, and various forms of oceanic movements). Registered among Japan’s Natural and Historical Treasures and Monuments in 1949, the institute was opened to the public as a national educational garden. In these spacious 20-hectare (about 50-acre) gardens you’ll find deciduous trees like konara oak and Japanese zelkova, pines, and massive Japanese chestnut trees as well as wetlands, ponds, streams, and a botanical garden. Here, you'll be able to observe a wide variety of flowers, insects, and plants up close all throughout the year. It's hard to believe that a place dedicated to such a precious richness of greenery exists in the middle of central Tokyo! To deepen visitors' understanding of the natural world, the institute also offers a wide range of events, including Sunday nature observation and nature classrooms for children. Getting here is a 9-minute walk along Meguro-dori Street from Meguro Station or a 7-minute walk from Shirokanedai Station.