Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Famous for its appearance in Makoto Shinkai’s hit anime ‘The Garden of Words’, the expansive Shinjuku Gyoen was originally a private estate before opening to the public in 1946. It boasts some of the most beautiful gardens in the city. Each sector in the park has a different theme – there is a French garden, an English landscape garden, a botanical greenhouse and amomiji-yama (maple mountain) – to showcase each of the four seasons. As such, the park offers a different experience as the season changes, but it’s especially popular for hanami (flower viewing) gatherings during cherry blossom season.