Ginkgo Avenues in Tokyo 2026: Showa Kinen Park, Meiji Jingu Gaien, Hibiya Park and Hachioji Compared

The best time to see ginkgo (ichou) avenues in Tokyo differs from park to park and street to street. Showa Kinen Park turns golden from early to late November, and the Koshu Kaido avenue in Hachioji peaks around the Ginkgo Festival on Nov 21 and 22. This page compares four places, including the ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien and the big ginkgo tree in Hibiya Park, by admission, nearest station and events.

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1. Four ginkgo avenues in Tokyo: timing, admission and stations

Only Showa Kinen Park charges admission (adults ¥450). Meiji Jingu Gaien, Hibiya Park and the Koshu Kaido in Hachioji are free if you only walk. Official dates are published only for Showa Kinen Park’s “Autumn Night Walk 2026” and the Hachioji Ginkgo Festival. For Meiji Jingu Gaien and Hibiya Park, the officials have not published 2026 peak dates.

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The night lighting at Showa Kinen Park is also covered in our Tokyo autumn leaves illumination 2026 page (Japanese), alongside Koishikawa Korakuen and Rikugien.

2. How to choose: crowds, night lighting or a short walk

• For night illumination: Showa Kinen Park (Oct 29 to Nov 29, 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm).
• For a festival atmosphere: Hachioji Ginkgo Festival (Nov 21 and 22; 435,000 visitors in 2025).
• For a short visit in central Tokyo: Hibiya Park (always open, subway exits right at the park).
• For an avenue that leads straight to the Seitoku Memorial Picture Gallery: Meiji Jingu Gaien (about 300 m from the Aoyama entrance).

3. Things to know when choosing in Tokyo

Of the Tokyo ginkgo spots, only Showa Kinen Park is a paid-entry area, and its parking lots fill up if you drive. Parking is ¥900 per car per visit. The park’s official site says roads around the park get very crowded in busy periods and recommends public transport.

Timing differs too. The official site says the Kanal avenue at Showa Kinen Park is at its best in early to mid November and the Katarai ginkgo avenue in mid to late November. Kanal colors first, so you can see yellow leaves whenever you go during the period.

At Meiji Jingu Gaien, the circular road (Gaien Enshu Doro) may be closed to traffic on Sundays and holidays. Walking from a station is more predictable than driving close.

Hachioji gets very crowded on the two festival days. The festival had 435,000 visitors in 2025 and 401,000 in 2024, according to the official site.

4. Showa Kinen Park (Tachikawa): two avenues, Kanal and Katarai

Showa Kinen Park has two ginkgo avenues. As a general guide, Kanal colors in early to mid November and the Katarai ginkgo avenue in mid to late November. The Katarai avenue has 98 trees over 300 m, and Kanal has 106 trees over 150 m. Kanal colors first (Showa Kinen Park: Autumn Night Walk 2026, Japanese).

The night illumination, “Autumn Night Walk 2026”, runs from Thu, Oct 29 to Sun, Nov 29, 2026. Lights are on from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm (last entry 8:30 pm, closing 9:00 pm). Only the Nishi-Tachikawa and Tachikawa entrances can be used at night. You can see the Katarai avenue and Kanal with the regular admission ticket. The Japanese Garden needs a separate viewing ticket.

Admission is ¥450 for adults and ¥210 for ages 65 and over, and free for junior high school students and under. On Sat, Oct 24 and Sun, Oct 25 (already past), admission was free for the “Autumn Green Month” (Showa Kinen Park: visitor guide, Japanese). Opening hours from Nov 1 to the end of February are 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.

By train, it is a 2-minute walk from JR Ome Line Nishi-Tachikawa Station to the Nishi-Tachikawa Gate, or one stop on the Ome Line from Tachikawa Station. Kanal is about 300 m from the Tachikawa entrance and about 1,000 m from the Nishi-Tachikawa entrance. By car at night, park at the Nishi-Tachikawa or Tachikawa lot.

Name	Showa Kinen Park
Address	3173 Midori-cho, Tachikawa City, Tokyo
Hours / Closed	9:30–16:30 (November 1–end of February). Autumn Night Walk lights on 16:30–20:30, October 29–November 29 (last entry 20:30, closing 21:00)
Phone	042-528-1751
Map	Open in Google Maps ↗
Official site	Open the official site ↗

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5. Meiji Jingu Gaien (Shinjuku and Minato): a 300 m avenue leading to the Picture Gallery

The ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien has 146 trees along 300 m, from the Aoyama entrance to the circular road around the central plaza, and faces the Seitoku Memorial Picture Gallery. The trees are planted 9 m apart in order of height, sloping down from the Aoyama entrance, which gives depth when seen from the top of the gallery’s front steps (Meiji Jingu Gaien: ginkgo avenue through the seasons, Japanese).

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The official site has not published a 2026 peak date. Its “Gaien News” page has a record from Nov 17, 2022 saying the ginkgo avenue was at its best (Gaien News, Japanese).

Nearest stations: JR Chuo-Sobu Line Shinanomachi and Sendagaya; Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Gaienmae and Aoyama-itchome; Hanzomon Line Aoyama-itchome; Toei Oedo Line Kokuritsu-Kyogijo and Aoyama-itchome. The Gaien exit of Shuto Expressway Route 4 Shinjuku Line is convenient by car (access map, Japanese). On Sundays and holidays the circular road may be closed to traffic.

Name	Meiji Jingu Gaien
Address	1-1 Kasumigaoka-machi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo
Phone	03-3401-0312
Map	Open in Google Maps ↗
Official site	Open the official site ↗

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6. Hibiya Park (Chiyoda): the 400-year-old “Kubikake Ginkgo”

The “Kubikake Ginkgo” in Hibiya Park is estimated to be 400 to 500 years old, with a trunk 7 m around, and stands out even in the park. The official page says it once stood near today’s Hibiya intersection and was about to be cut down for a road widening, when the park’s designer, Dr. Honda, said “even if I have to stake my head” and had it moved about 450 m over 25 days in 1902 (Meiji 35). The park is always open and free to enter (Hibiya Park guide, Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association, Japanese).

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The official page also says the trees around the Crane Fountain and the Kumogata pond “color beautifully in autumn”. Check the park’s official flower-viewing information for peak dates.

Nearest stations: Kasumigaseki on the Marunouchi and Chiyoda Lines (right at exit B2); Hibiya on the Hibiya, Chiyoda and Toei Mita Lines (right at exits A10 and A14); Sakuradamon on the Yurakucho Line (5 minutes from exit 5). It is an 8-minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station. The large fountain and fountain plaza are under construction and closed.

Name	Hibiya Park
Address	Hibiya Park, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
Hours / Closed	Always open
Phone	03-3501-6428 (Hibiya Park Service Center, 8:30–17:30)
Map	Open in Google Maps ↗
Official site	Open the official site ↗

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7. Hachioji Koshu Kaido (Hachioji): 770 trees over 4 km, festival Nov 21 and 22

The Koshu Kaido in Hachioji has about 770 ginkgo trees on both sides over nearly 4 km, from Oiwake-cho to the Takao Station entrance. The 47th Hachioji Ginkgo Festival is on Sat, Nov 21 and Sun, Nov 22, 2026. This year marks 100 years of the Koshu Kaido ginkgo avenue, with a bazaar, a local products fair and a checkpoint orienteering game (47th Hachioji Ginkgo Festival site, Japanese, about the festival, Japanese).

GO TOKYO, Tokyo’s official tourism site, lists the hours as 9:00 am to 4:30 pm on the 21st and 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on the 22nd. Taking part is free; the travel pass (tsuko tegata) for the orienteering costs ¥700 each (GO TOKYO: Hachioji Ginkgo Festival, Japanese). The festival committee said advance sales of the passes began on Oct 1, 2026.

Nearest stations: Nishi-Hachioji and Takao on the JR Chuo Line. The festival program will be announced on the official site once decided. Inquiries go to the Hachioji Ginkgo Festival committee.

Checked with official pages on Oct 18, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.

Sources

10 pages we checkedShow

• Showa Kinen Park: Autumn Night Walk 2026, Japanese
• Showa Kinen Park: visitor guide, Japanese
• Meiji Jingu Gaien: ginkgo avenue through the seasons, Japanese
• Gaien News, Japanese
• access map, Japanese
• Hibiya Park guide, Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association, Japanese
• 47th Hachioji Ginkgo Festival site, Japanese
• about the festival, Japanese
• GO TOKYO: Hachioji Ginkgo Festival, Japanese
• Japanese version of this page (日本語版)

Checked with official pages on October 18, 2026 (Japan time).