What is the admission fee for Higo Hosokawa Garden?

Entry to Higo Hosokawa Garden is free of charge during regular daytime hours. However, during special illumination events held between November 25 and December 3, there is an admission fee of 300 yen for the nighttime viewing experience.

What is the best time of year to visit Higo Hosokawa Garden?

The garden offers distinct seasonal beauty throughout the year. Spring features pastel-pink cherry blossoms, early summer showcases Japanese irises, and autumn (late November to early December) displays vibrant crimson maple leaves and colorful foliage from hazenoki and enoki trees. Winter visitors can observe traditional yukitsuri ropework protecting the trees.

How do I get to Higo Hosokawa Garden?

The garden is located at 1-1-22 Mejirodai in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, near the Kanda River. It is easily accessible by public transportation, though specific station details should be confirmed before your visit as the garden is situated in a residential area of Tokyo.

What can I see and do at Higo Hosokawa Garden?

Visitors can explore a traditional Japanese stroll garden featuring a circular hill-and-pond design with multiple natural springs and waterfalls. The garden includes Shouseikaku, a historic residence that can be toured alongside the pond-centered landscape. The experience involves leisurely walking around the ponds while enjoying the sounds of running water and seasonal plantings.

Higo Hosokawa Garden, Bunkyō

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Last updated Jul 19, 2026

Higo Hosokawa Garden, formerly known as Shin-Edogawa Garden until March 18, 2017, is a Japanese garden located near the Kanda River in Bunkyo, Tokyo. The garden was formerly the second home of Hosokawa, the head of Kumamoto Domain at the end of the Edo period, and later became the main residence of the Hosokawa family. The site has been used as a residential location since the mid-Edo period, initially serving retainers of the Shogunate before becoming the suburban residence of the Shimizu family, one of the three counts of the Tokugawa family.

The garden is recognized as one of the 100 best historical gardens in Japan and represents the traditional Japanese stroll garden style. The park features a circular hill-and-pond garden that makes clever use of changes in elevation and natural topography with multiple springs. This strolling garden with pond was built in the mid-Edo period and stands on the grounds of what was the mansion of the Hosokawa Clan from Kumamoto.

Visitors can experience seasonal transformations throughout the year. The garden showcases pastel-pink sakura (cherry blossoms) in spring, Japanese irises in early summer, crimson momiji (maple trees) in fall, and yukitsuri ropework in winter. Autumn colors are visible on the leaves of hazenoki (wax trees), enoki (Chinese hackberry), and momiji (maple trees) around late November to early December. The garden includes Shouseikaku, a traditional residence that visitors can explore alongside the pond-centered landscape. Guests can take a leisurely stroll around the ponds and enjoy the sound of running water at the waterfall.

The garden is easily accessible in Bunkyo Ward and is located at 1-1-22 Mejirodai. Admission to the garden is free during regular hours. Special illumination events are held between November 25 and December 3, with an admission fee of 300 yen for the nighttime viewing. The garden reopened in April 2008 following redevelopment and offers a compact yet authentic Japanese garden experience near the bustling Tokyo center.

Traveler reviews

It's a beautiful garden to sit and admire nature in a busy week.

Aline Perrotti

Jun 3, 2026

This is the best place to escape the busy city life. If you love spending time in nature, this place is perfect for you, but it closes after 4 PM. Please check the time as it may change💙✌️

Hadn't been here in a good long while, but it is as beautiful and peaceful as ever. (Although, and I have no idea how typical it is, a few busloads of elderly Japanese tourists crowded things a little while we were there.) There wasn't much blooming (only one beautiful shidare ume), but it is a beautifully designed park, with lots of trails and places to sit, and even more surprisingly, it is free to enter!

Gorgeous traditional Japanese garden amid the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo. I entered via the cycling path along the Kanda River. The garden made for a wonderful rest area while on a bike ride to Inokashira park. It has beautiful trails and water features. The park is immaculately maintained. There are facilities to get refreshments. Entry is free. An absolute delight, and one that is well hidden.

Very nice space, lovely garden and lake with a few paths to walk around. Lots of good places to take photos. I notice some people have included photos of the Sakura lining the canal nearby so have included also.