If you want to indulge yourself in viewing autumn foliage of beautiful red and yellow leaves during your stay in Japan, please be noted that Kyoto is not the only place to visit: there are several great places in Central Tokyo for such indulgence . Actually, this model plan is more than just enjoying autumn foliage in Central Tokyo: the tour will take you to two different types of Japanese gardens and a Shitamachi downtown shopping street, finishing a visit to a shrine shining in gold.

Estimated Best Season for Autumn Foliage in Central Tokyo

Nature only knows but it would be from late November throughout mid December when the peak of autumn foliage can be observed in Central Tokyo. Even if your visit happened to be a little bit earlier than the peak, you’d be able to enjoy a stroll in Japanese gardens, viewing leaves which show a beautiful gradation of changing from green to yellow or red. If your visit were later than the peak, you’d enjoy yourself in walking on fallen red and yellow leaves, hearing a comfortable rustling sound made by the leaves.

One-day Model Plan

Rikugien Gardens

The garden is a representative of a strolling style garden with Tsukiyama (man-made hills) a pond created from a flat land. It was the early 18th century when the construction completed after seven-year works. The garden boasts beautiful flowers and blossoms from early Spring throughout late Autumn.

Kyu-furukawa Gardens

The garden brings a beauty of fusion of West and Japan: a western-style rose garden and a residence designed by an English architect Joan Conder built on a slope & a traditional Japanese strolling style garden around a pond on a lower land, taking advantage of a natural terrain of the Musashino Plateau.

Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street

Yanaka Ginza in Taito-ku is the opposite of “true” Ginza in Chuo-ku which is a higl-class shopping district. Yanaka Ginza is for local people in Shitamachi (Tokyo downtown) with a history of over 70 years, leaving a nostalgic ambiance of an old Japanese view. Cats are the other resident in the town.

Ueno Park & Ueno Toshogu Shrine

Ueno Park, the 1st city park in Japan, is very famous for Sakura cherry blossoms in spring but should be noted as one of the best places of autumn foliage of Gingko, Zelkova and Tulip trees.

Toshogu Shrine in Nikko is famous for its size and number of architectures on the precincts but Toshogu Shrine in Ueno Park is a must-see, too. It’d be a great idea to conclude the tour of autumn foliage of shining yellow leaves by viewing the golden shrine.