MarchAutumn Leaves · Tokyo & Around
Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens
Central TokyoGarden🍁 Typical peak: Late Nov – Early Dec✦ Illumination
Overview
Overview
A stroll-style garden with artificial hills and ponds, created in the early Edo period at the residence of the Mito Tokugawa family. One of the gardens in central Tokyo where you can enjoy autumn leaves, it also has special evening openings in autumn 2026.
- Address
- 1-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0004
- Closed
- New Year holidays (12/29–1/1)
- Time needed
- About 1 hour
- Official website
- https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/koishikawakorakuen/index.html
Tours & tickets for this areaPR
Peak Time
When to See the Leaves
Typical peakUsually late November to early December
September
October
November
December
The Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association’s Koishikawa Korakuen news posts updates on the colors
This year’s special openings & events
The 2026 special evening opening, Enjoying the Lit Leaves of the Deep Mountains, runs 11/13 (Fri)–11/24 (Tue)
Peak times are typical guides. The timing shifts with each year’s temperatures.
Highlights
Highlights
The garden has about 900 trees that turn red or yellow, 500 of which are Japanese maples that turn bright red. Centered on the Daisensui pond, its paths recreate mountain, river and village scenery, and you can enjoy the autumn leaves as you walk them.
📷 Best views
Daisensui
The pond at the center of the garden, with a wide view of the colored trees around it
Engetsukyo Bridge
A stone bridge named for its reflection in the water, which looks like a full moon
Oigawa
A stream modeled on Kyoto’s Oi River. The Tsutenkyo Bridge upstream is being rebuilt and cannot be seen in autumn 2026 either
Illumination
Illumination & night viewing
- Period
- 11/13 (Fri)–11/24 (Tue), 2026
- Hours
- 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00)
- Admission
- Advance ¥1,000, same day ¥1,200
Illumination of the Hitotsumatsu pine, Horaijima island, Karamon gate and more, with projection mapping on the earthen wall and Engetsukyo Bridge
Hours
Opening hours
Opening hours9:00–17:00
Entry until 16:30
Special evening opening (11/13–11/24, 2026)18:00–21:00
Last entry 20:00
Hours can change by season and for events. Check the official website before you go.
Admission
Admission
AdmissionGeneral ¥300, 65 and over ¥150
Free for elementary school students and younger and for junior high school students living or studying in Tokyo
Special evening opening (2026)Advance ¥1,000 (online, 10/1–11/12), same day ¥1,200 (online)
A limited number are also sold at the counter on the day, 18:00–20:00 (cash only)
Prices may change. Check the official website before you go.
Tips
Tips for travelers
- ✓Tsutenkyo Bridge is being rebuilt, so in autumn 2026 you cannot see the autumn leaves framed by the bridge
- ✓From 10/10 to 12/6 an autumn leaves stamp rally is held across 9 metropolitan gardens
Access
Getting there
- Nearest station / bus stop
- Iidabashi Station (Toei Oedo Line)About 3 min walk (West Gate)
- Suidobashi Station (JR Sobu Line)About 5 min walk (East Gate)
- By car & parking
- No parking. Use public transportation
- Getting back
- Iidabashi Station on the West Gate side is convenient, with several lines
Crowds
Crowds & best times
- Busiest
- The garden paths get crowded on weekends at the peak
- Quieter times
- Weekdays, right after opening
Weather
Temperature & what to wear
- Typical temperatures
- November normals for Tokyo: high 16.7°C, low 8.8°C (Japan Meteorological Agency). December: high 12.0°C, low 3.8°C
- What to wear & bring
- It gets cold during the evening opening, so bring a coat or other warm outerwear
Rules
Photography & visitor rules
- !Because of the Tsutenkyo Bridge rebuilding work, the path from Ryukyuyama via the site of the Kiyomizu Kannon Hall and Tsutenkyo Bridge to Tokujindo is closed (detour via a temporary path at Sawatari)
Facilities
Facilities
- Payment
- Cash only at the counter for same-day evening tickets
Where to Stay · Agoda
Places to Stay near Koishikawa Korakuen GardensPR
PR8.8ホテル サードニクス 上野
★★★Check rates on Agoda23,937 reviews2.4 km from center
PR8.6アパホテル 京成上野駅前
★★★Check rates on Agoda20,017 reviews2.2 km from center
PR8.9東京ドームホテル
★★★★★Check rates on Agoda14,314 reviews0.4 km from center
PR9.0トーセイホテル ココネ上野御徒町
★★★Check rates on Agoda11,279 reviews2.1 km from center
PR8.7アパホテル 上野駅前
★★★Check rates on Agoda15,387 reviews2.6 km from center
PR8.8三井ガーデンホテル上野
★★★★Check rates on Agoda12,301 reviews2.7 km from center
Prices and availability are shown on Agoda.
Events
Events & festivals in Central Tokyo
March
AprilBunkyo Azalea Festival
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Usually around April 1–30 (the 55th festival was held April 1–30, 2026). Peak bloom is usually mid- to late April
MaySanja Matsuri
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Usually mid-May, on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday around the third Saturday of May (May 15–17 in 2026, with the ceremony to install the deities in the mikoshi on the Thursday evening before)
JulySumida River Fireworks Festival
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Usually the last Saturday of July (19:00–20:30)
JulyShiman-rokusen-nichi / Hoozuki Market
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Every year on July 9 and 10
Every year on July 9 and 10 (same dates in 2027)
AugustTokyo Koenji Awa-Odori
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Usually the last Saturday and Sunday of August (around 17:00–20:00)
NovemberTori-no-Ichi
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Usually on the Days of the Rooster in November (2–3 days, 12 days apart). At Otori Shrine in Asakusa, it runs from midnight to midnight (0:00–24:00) on each Rooster Day
2026: two days, Ichi-no-Tori on Nov 7 (Sat) and Ni-no-Tori on Nov 19 (Thu) (no market on the days in between)
November–FebruaryMarunouchi Illumination
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Usually mid-November to mid-February of the following year (about 3 months)
2026: Nov 12 (Thu) – Feb 14, 2027 (Sun)
DecemberHagoita-ichi (Battledore Market)
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Every year December 17–19 (Senso-ji explicitly states "the three days from December 17 to 19")
2026: Dec 17 (Thu) – Dec 19 (Sat)
Attractions
Attractions in Central Tokyo
Theme parkTokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo Disneyland / Tokyo DisneySea)
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
Located in Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, this resort centers on two theme parks: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. It’s about 20 minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Keiyo Line, close enough for a day trip from central Tokyo. Park tickets are date-specific with variable pricing and must be bought in advance on the official website or official app.
Advance, date-specific tickets required
Studio tourWarner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter
Tokyo & Around ・ Central Tokyo
This indoor walk-through attraction takes you behind the scenes of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series. It opened in June 2023 on the former site of Toshimaen. There are no rides; instead, you explore sets, props, and costumes on foot at your own pace.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendlyAdvance, date-specific tickets required
Theme parkSanrio Puroland
Tokyo & Around ・ Tokyo / Tama
A fully indoor theme park where you can meet Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, and other Sanrio characters. Parades, musical shows, rides, and character greetings are packed into a four-story building, so you can enjoy a full day regardless of the weather.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendlyAdvance, date-specific tickets required
ExperienceteamLab Planets TOKYO DMM
Tokyo & Around ・ Tokyo / Toyosu
An immersive museum by the art collective teamLab where you walk barefoot into the artworks. It's a series of vast spaces, including works you wade through water to experience, where your whole body becomes one with the art. It's scheduled to run until the end of 2027.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendly
ZooUeno Zoological Gardens
Tokyo & Around ・ Tokyo / Ueno
Japan's oldest zoo, located inside Ueno Park. With affordable admission, it's a central Tokyo zoo that's easy to combine with Ueno's art galleries and museums.
AquariumSumida Aquarium
Tokyo & Around ・ Oshiage / Tokyo Skytree Town
An urban aquarium on the 5th and 6th floors of Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi. It's entirely indoors and directly connected to the station, so you can drop by whatever the weather. It stays open into the evening, making it easy to pair with the Skytree observation decks or sightseeing in Asakusa.
☂ Mostly indoors · rain-friendly
AquariumKamogawa Sea World
Tokyo & Around ・ Kamogawa, Chiba
An aquarium on the Pacific coast of the Boso Peninsula where you can see performances by four species: orcas, belugas, dolphins, and sea lions. Admission includes all performances. It's about 2 hours from Tokyo Station by the Limited Express Wakashio or the direct Akushi-go highway bus (アクシー号), so it works as a day trip.
Amusement parkYomiuriland
Tokyo & Around ・ Inagi
An amusement park in Inagi, Tokyo, with something to enjoy year-round: pools in summer and illuminations in winter. Inside the park is PokéPark KANTO, an area where more than 600 Pokémon live. It's about 10 minutes from Keio-yomiuri-land Station by the Sky Shuttle gondola.
AquariumSunshine Aquarium
Tokyo & Around ・ Ikebukuro
An urban aquarium on the roof of the World Import Mart Building in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City. Themed as an oasis in the sky, it consists of indoor exhibits on two floors and the outdoor Marine Garden. It's within walking distance of Ikebukuro and Higashi-Ikebukuro stations, making it easy to drop by between other Tokyo sightseeing.
Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves in Tokyo & Around
Park🍁 Typical peakKochia at Hitachi Seaside Park
Tokyo & Around ・ Hitachinaka, Ibaraki
🍁 Typical peak: Mid Oct – Late Oct
Lake🍁 Typical peak
Lake🍁 Typical peakMomiji Corridor, Lake Kawaguchi
Tokyo & Around ・ Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi
🍁 Typical peak: Late Oct – Mid Nov
✦ Illumination
Park🍁 Typical peak
Garden
Mountain & highland
Garden
Temple
Park
Temple
Garden
TempleHasedera Temple (Kamakura)
Tokyo & Around ・ Kamakura & Enoshima
🍁 Typical peak: Late Nov – Mid Dec
✦ Illumination
Peak periods, hours, prices and access are based on official sources such as the spot’s own website, local governments and tourism associations. Colors and event details can change, so check the official website before you go.
Last checked: 2026-10-05
