Hibiya Park opened in 1903 as Tokyo’s first Western-style park and remains a calm pocket of green beside the city’s business core. In autumn, the star is the legendary “risky ginkgo,” a massive tree estimated to be 400–500 years old that narrowly avoided removal during the park’s construction thanks to the designer’s insistence. As the season deepens, its fan-shaped leaves turn a luminous gold that lights up the surrounding lawns and pathways. Stroll the broad avenues, pause by the fountain, then circle back to the ginkgo for photos from different angles; the canopy reads differently in morning side-light versus late-afternoon glow. With cafés and benches nearby, it’s easy to linger without leaving central Tokyo. If you’re short on time, this is one of the most convenient places in the city to feel the shift of the season.

Best time for autumn colors: Late November to early December

Known for spring cherry blossoms, Ueno Park is just as rewarding in autumn. From the Tokyo National Museum’s main gate, a stately approach lined with ginkgo and zelkova trees draws you toward key viewpoints where colors layer beautifully: crimson maples near Kiyomizu Kannon Temple, golden canopies by the Shinobazu Pond area, and warm tones framing the statue of Saigo Takamori.

The park’s museums make it easy to pair foliage with culture: plan a morning gallery visit, then loop outside for peak light around midday. Broad paths and frequent benches mean you can enjoy an easy, unhurried circuit, and the variety of trees keeps the look changing week to week. Families will appreciate the open spaces for kids to run, while photographers get clean sightlines and classic Tokyo backdrops.

Best time for autumn colors: Early November to early December.

Once a Tokugawa clan retreat, Hamarikyu Gardens offers a quietly dramatic contrast: classical garden design framed by Tokyo’s modern skyline. Tidal ponds, graceful pines, and stepping-stone paths set the stage; when maples and ginkgo ignite in red and gold, reflections ripple across the water with high-rises beyond—an only-in-Tokyo view.

Stop at the teahouse on the island for matcha with a front-row seat to the colors. For photos, circle the pond clockwise to catch foliage with glass towers behind, then pivot to tighter compositions of stone lanterns and fiery leaves.

Because the garden is compact and well signposted, it’s perfect for travelers who want maximum seasonal impact with minimal walking. Combine with a Sumida River cruise or a short stroll to the nearby Tsukiji Outer Market to round out the afternoon.

Best time for autumn colors: Mid-November to early December.

Shinjuku Gyoen blends three distinct styles in one vast green space: a tranquil Japanese garden rich in crimson maples, a broad English landscape lawn dotted with ginkgo, and a symmetrical French formal garden lined with plane trees. The variety means a long, staggered season and different looks in every corner. Pick up a map at the gate and plan a loop: start with the Maple Hill for dense reds, cross the lawns for wide-angle golds, then end by the greenhouse or teahouse. In early November, the Chrysanthemum Exhibition adds another seasonal highlight, and ticketing is now smoother with credit cards and IC cards accepted at the entrance. Despite the central location, it’s easy to find quiet pockets for picnics, reading, or simply watching leaves drift across the ponds.

Best time for autumn colors: Mid-October to mid-December.

Few places say “autumn in Tokyo” quite like Meijijingu Gaien’s ginkgo avenue. From Aoyama-nichome, a 300-meter corridor of 146 ginkgo trees forms a golden tunnel leading the eye straight toward the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery.

The perspective is cinematic: towering trees, blue skies, and a stately landmark anchoring your frame. Visit on a weekday morning for the calmest experience; weekends can be festive but crowded.

For photos without people, step off the main line and shoot diagonals or low angles with fallen leaves filling the foreground.

Cafés around the perimeter make it simple to turn a short walk into a leisurely outing. Pair with nearby Omotesando or Harajuku for a full day that blends foliage, architecture, and fashion.

Best time for autumn colors: Mid-November to early December.

Built in the early Edo period by the Mito Tokugawa family, Koishikawa Korakuen layers classic Japanese garden motifs into a compact stroll garden of ponds, hills, and borrowed scenery. In autumn, maples flare along miniature riverbanks and arched bridges; two viewpoints stand out. First, the Oigawa area, designed to echo Kyoto’s Arashiyama, where scarlet leaves lean over water. Second, Togetsukyo Bridge behind the Kantoku pavilion, which frames a wall of red in perfect balance with stone and pine. Paths are gently undulating and well maintained, making an unhurried circuit easy for all ages. Because the garden is surrounded by the city, you can pair your visit with nearby cultural stops yet feel worlds away inside.

Best time for autumn colors: Late November to early December.

It took seven years to complete this breathtakingly beautiful Japanese garden that was built for the 5th shogun of the Tokugawa clan. Rikugien is home to over 400 individual maple trees, along with many ginkgos and zelkovas.

Best time for seeing the autumn colors:
The vivid park will have its autumn leaves lit up in the evening from around late November to early December, creating an enigmatic, dreamlike scenery.

In addition to the beautiful daytime scenery, Rikugien Gardens offers a special treat with its annual autumn illumination event. For 2025, the garden's vibrant maples, ginkgos, and zelkovas will be lit up from November 22 to December 5, creating a stunning, dreamlike atmosphere for evening visitors. The special nighttime viewing requires a separate ticket, with prices set at 900 yen for advance online purchase and 1,100 yen for same-day tickets at the gate.

Tokyo’s largest riverside park feels expansive in every season, but autumn belongs to its vast groves of dawn redwood (metasequoia). More than 1,800 trees—many over 20 meters tall—turn a burnished copper that reads differently with each change of light: crisp and bright at midday, mellow and almost bronze near sunset. Start at the central square and enter the “Metasequoia Forest,” where straight trunks and feathery leaves create cathedral-like aisles perfect for slow walks and portrait photography.

Ponds around the groves capture painterly reflections when the wind drops. Because paths are broad and flat, it’s ideal for families and casual cyclists, with plenty of space to spread out even on weekends. Bring a thermos and make it a full afternoon.

Best time for autumn colors: Late November to early December.

Showa Kinen Park is autumn on a grand scale. The famous Canal Area lines still water with around 100 ginkgo trees, while the longer ginkgo boulevard forms a 300-meter golden corridor that sheds into a soft carpet underfoot. Maple groves near the Japanese garden shift through crimson and scarlet earlier in the season, so color-hunters can watch the park evolve across several weeks. It’s easy to spend half a day here: rent a bicycle, picnic on huge lawns, then time your walk to catch the ginkgo alleys backlit in late afternoon. Even on busy days, the park’s sheer size helps disperse crowds. If you’ve seen photos of a “Yellow Road” in Tokyo, this is the real-world place that matches the mood.

Best time for autumn colors: Maples late October to mid-November; ginkgo throughout November.

Shibuya’s spacious Yoyogi Park is the 5th largest park in Tokyo’s 23 wards. Once, it was the athletes’ village of the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, but after the games were over, the area was turned into a public park.

The Harajuku Gate of the park is framed by bright yellow ginkgo leaves, while Yoyogi Park's main fountain is surrounded by deep red – a beautiful contrast that is characteristic for autumn in Japan.

Why not rent a bicycle at one of the various rental places in the park and enjoy the clear air of autumn while cycling under the gorgeous foliage? (210 yen per hour for both standard and tandem bicycles.) Because colors peak later here than some areas in northern Japan, it’s a great option for travelers visiting Tokyo toward the end of the season.

Best time for autumn colors: Late November to mid-December.

An hour west of central Tokyo, Mount Takao offers an easy mountain escape with big autumn payoffs. Trails lace the slopes, but the quickest way to color is the cable car or chairlift from Kiyotaki to Takaosan, where windows and open seats carry you through a canopy that glows red and gold at peak. At the summit, views stretch toward the Kanto Plain, and temple precincts add cultural depth to the walk. Weekends can be lively; go early for quieter paths and clearer photos. If you’re hiking back down, choose a route with streams and suspension bridges to extend the foliage experience at ground level.

Best time for autumn colors: Mid- to late November.

Okutama’s Hikawa Valley feels a world away despite being under two hours from Shinjuku. A 4-kilometer riverside promenade traces the Tama and Nippara rivers around Mount Atago, threading suspension bridges, rocky shallows, and quiet bends where maples, ginkgo, and katsura lean over clear water. Start at Okutama Station and walk downstream for easy grades and shifting perspectives; in calm weather, reflections double the impact of the colors. Pair the stroll with a café stop near the station or continue onward by bus to Okutama Lake for broader views. With gentle paths and frequent access points, Hikawa works for first-timers and families who want nature without committing to a full hike.

Best time for autumn colors: Generally mid- to late November (varies with elevation and recent weather).

Kamakura pairs temple architecture with coastal light, and Hase-dera is its most accessible autumn classic. Founded in the 8th century, the temple houses an 11-headed Kannon statue and terraces that step down toward the sea. In late autumn, ginkgo and maple trees set the precincts aglow, lighting gateways, stone paths, and koi ponds in warm tones. After dusk, illuminations bring a fresh mood to the same scenes, with lanterns and reflected color turning corners into quiet stage sets. Combine Hase-dera with a short walk to the beach or nearby temples for a full afternoon that moves naturally from culture to scenery.

Best time for autumn colors: Around late November; evening illuminations typically run during peak.

Perched above the Musashino Plateau, Kyu-Furukawa marries an early 20th-century Western-style mansion and terraced rose garden with a classic Japanese stroll garden below. Autumn here is a two-act show: roses revive for a late seasonal bloom around the upper terraces, while maples and ginkgo ignite around ponds and stone lanterns below. Start at the mansion for wide views over the steps and parterres, then descend into the lower garden to find intimate bridges and water-edge compositions rich with color. The contrast between architectural lines and organic forms makes this a favorite for photographers—and it’s compact enough to enjoy without rushing.

Best time for autumn colors: Foliage late November to early December; autumn roses around mid-October (events may vary annually).

Two hours from Tokyo, Hitachi Seaside Park delivers one of Kanto’s most striking autumn scenes. Miharashi Hill transforms as 32,000 kochia bushes shift from soft green to blazing crimson, creating rolling, otherworldly panoramas under a wide sky. At the same time, millions of cosmos flowers paint nearby fields in pinks and whites, giving you two colorscapes for one trip. Paths are gentle and well marked; walk the hill loop for 360-degree views, then drop to the flower fields for human-scale photos. On clear days, the Pacific glints just beyond the park. Because timing matters, checking the park’s color updates is wise if you’re traveling specifically for kochia at peak.

Best time for autumn colors: Kochia peak mid-October; color shift begins late September. Cosmos bloom through October.

Jindai began as a municipal tree nursery and evolved into Tokyo’s only metropolitan botanical garden, with a renowned rose collection and diverse seasonal beds. Autumn brings a refined palette: second-season roses bloom in deep, elegant tones around the sunken garden while surrounding groves turn warm with ginkgo and maple. It’s a great choice for travelers who like structure—clear labeling, themed areas, and straight paths for easy wayfinding—yet still want classic seasonal color. Events and evening lights often accompany the autumn rose season, adding atmosphere and extending visits closer to sunset. Finish with a stroll to nearby Jindaiji Temple and soba shops to round out a peaceful day in western Tokyo.

Best time for autumn colors: Roses mid-October; foliage generally late November to early December.