30. Garden Review: Koishikawa Botanical Garden (Bunkyo-ku)

The Koishikawa Botanical Garden was first established in 1684 as the Koishikawa Medicinal Herb Garden by Tsuneyoshi Tokugawa, the 5th Tokugawa Shogun. In 1877, shortly after the Meiji Restoration, it became a garden of the Tokyo Imperial University (now Tokyo University) and has been (and still is) used for botanical research. There are over 4000 plant species here, and the greenhouse still contains medicinal plants dating back to the Edo Period.

The garden is especially famous for its plum and cherry blossoms. It is not a well known garden, so crowds are usually minimal. I found it to be a very lovely park, well worth a visit.Admission: 330 yen

Closed on Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday) and Dec. 29 - Jan. 3.
The greenhouse is only open from 13:00 - 15:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hours of Operation: 9:00 - 16:30 (last entry at 16:00)

Address: 3-7-1 Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku

Transportation: A short walk from Myogadani Station (Marunouchi Line) or Hakusan Station (Toei Mita Line).