Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen's story begins in the Edo period when the land was granted to Lord Naito, a daimyo who served the Tokugawa shogunate. His residence occupied this vast space, which served as a strategic point on the Koshu Kaido highway. Following the Meiji Restoration, the government converted the estate into an agricultural biological station to promote modern farming techniques before it eventually transitioned into an Imperial garden in 1906 under the supervision of the Imperial Household Agency. The garden was designed by French landscape architect Henri Martinet, who masterfully blended three distinct styles: a formal French garden, an expansive English landscape garden, and a traditional Japanese garden complete with large ponds and bridges. During World War II, the grounds suffered significant damage from air raids, which destroyed many of the original structures. However, the garden was painstakingly restored in the years following the war to preserve its unique horticultural diversity and historical significance. In 1949, Shinjuku Gyoen was redesignated as a National Garden and opened to the public, allowing citizens to enjoy the once-private Imperial grounds. Today, it serves as a vital green lung for the densely populated Shinjuku district, hosting over 10,000 trees. It remains one of the most popular destinations in Japan for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and koyo (autumn foliage viewing), symbolizing the harmony between urban development and natural preservation.