Tokugawaen Garden Autumn Leaves 2026 Confirmed
徳川園の紅葉 — Nagoya, Aichi (Tokai)
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- Typical peak
- Fri, Nov 20 – Sat, Dec 5, 2026
- Venue
- Tokugawaen Garden, Higashi-ku, Nagoya (徳川園)
- Illumination
- “Tokugawaen Autumn Festival” evening opening, typically in late November, until 8:00pm (last entry 7:30pm). On ordinary days the garden is lit from 4:00pm.
- Official site
- www.tokugawaen.aichi.jp
Tokugawaen is a compact strolling garden on the site of a Tokugawa retirement residence in central Nagoya, laid out around a pond fed by an artificial gorge and a three-tiered waterfall. The maples turn in the last third of November and the garden lights them from 16:00 through the foliage season, with late openings to 20:00 on the busiest weekends. Admission is 300 yen, free for junior-high age and under; the garden opens 9:30 to 17:30 and closes on Mondays.
Background
The grounds were laid out in 1695 for Tokugawa Mitsutomo, the second lord of the Owari domain, on his retirement. Most of the garden was destroyed in the wartime bombing of Nagoya, and the present version was rebuilt and reopened in 2004. The adjoining Tokugawa Art Museum holds the Owari Tokugawa family collection, including the 12th-century Tale of Genji handscrolls, a National Treasure shown only briefly each year.
Getting there
Ten minutes on foot from JR Ozone Station, or fifteen from Ozone Station on the Meijo subway line. The Meguru sightseeing loop bus from Nagoya Station stops outside. There is paid parking on site.
Tips
- Closed Mondays, or the following weekday when Monday is a public holiday.
- The Ryusen-ko waterfall and the slope above it hold the densest maples; the pond edge is the illumination view.
- Lighting begins at 16:00 even on days without a late opening, so a mid-afternoon arrival gets you both daylight and lit colour on one ticket.
- The Tokugawa Art Museum next door is a separate ticket and easily worth an hour on a cold afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to see Tokugawaen Garden Autumn Leaves?
- Autumn color here usually peaks Nov 20 – Dec 5. Color depends on how cold the nights have been, and peak can land a week either side of the usual window, so check a foliage forecast about a week out.
Last verified against the official source: Sat, August 22, 2026