Showa Kinen Park Autumn Leaves — photo by すしぱく via PAKUTASO, PAKUTASO licence, cropped

Showa Kinen Park Autumn Leaves 2026 Confirmed

国営昭和記念公園の紅葉 — Tachikawa, Tokyo (Kanto)

✓ No booking needed

In Tokyo in November? See all 22 events in Tokyo that month →

Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa is western Tokyo's big-canvas autumn spot: a vast national park where two grand ginkgo avenues — the 300-meter Katarai avenue and the canal-side rows — turn into golden tunnels, while the Japanese garden's maples supply the reds. The season runs early to late November, with the ginkgo peaking mid-month. During the Autumn Night Walk event, from late October to the end of November, the Katarai ginkgo avenue, the Canal and the Japanese garden are illuminated after dark; the ginkgo avenue and the Canal need only park admission, while the Japanese garden takes a separate evening ticket. Daytime admission is ¥450 for adults.

Background

The park opened in 1983 on the former site of the Tachikawa air base, converted to parkland to commemorate the 50th year of Emperor Showa's reign. Its ginkgo avenues, canal, and Japanese garden were laid out as part of that transformation from military field to national recreation ground.

Getting there

Take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku to Tachikawa (about 30 minutes), a ten-minute walk to the main Akebono gate — or ride one more stop on the Ome Line to Nishi-Tachikawa Station, which sits directly beside its own park gate. The park is enormous; note which gate is nearest your targets.

Tips

• Admission is ¥450 for adults and covers the lit ginkgo avenue and Canal; the Japanese garden after 4:30pm needs its own light-up ticket (¥1,300 at the gate in 2026, cash only, or a cheaper advance set ticket including park entry), so plan a twilight handover if you want both.
• The two ginkgo avenues peak in mid-November, usually a week or so before the Japanese garden's maples — mid-to-late November catches both in one visit.
• Rent a bicycle inside the park: the foliage spots are spread across a huge site and cycling between them saves an hour of walking.
• The canal-side ginkgo rows with the fountain line are the signature symmetrical shot; go on a weekday morning before school groups arrive.

Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Sat, September 12, 2026