Nestled in the forested valley just north of Osaka's urban sprawl, Minoo Park is a popular destination for nature lovers and those seeking a break from the city.
Emperors, empresses, princes and concubines lived for centuries behind the walls of Kyoto-gosho. Today the former imperial palace welcomes visitors and transports them back in time.
While Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, its atmosphere remains particularly peaceful and welcoming, in part thanks to its many green spaces.
Yoyogi Park in Shinjuku is the ideal stop after a studious morning spent visiting temples and shrines. You will feel carefree upon leaving the park, which has a festive atmosphere.
Ueno Park, in Taito ward, is home to Tokyo's most famous cherry trees, art galleries, museums, temples, a zoo, street entertainers, the odd proselytizer, and more than the odd crow.
The Pure Land Gardens at Shitennoji Temple in Osaka are a representation of a landscape called a Pure Land, a mythical landscape common to Mahayana Buddhism in East Asia.
This small neighborhood in the town of Takamatsu on the island of Shikoku is home to some 270 bonsai specialists who alone produce 80% of the country's bonsai pines.
Nikkô is very famous for its Tôshô-gu temple, but it is above all a very vast mountainous natural area, with multiple hiking trails. Ideal destination for a one or two day excursion near Tokyo.
When the cherry trees of Tokyo are about to blossom, it is then that the Tohoku region awakens, from Sendai to Aomori, the progression of "sakura" moves slowly from the beginning of April to mid-Ma
One of Japan's three most famous gardens, along with Kenroku-en in Kanazawa and Koraku-en in Okayama, Kairaku-en displays its abundance of flowers in Mito, Ibaraki prefecture, just
Tsukuba Botanical Garden in Tsukuba, Ibaraki is the botanical research center of the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo with wonderful clematis.
Shirakami-Sanchi is a UNESCO World Heritage site of ancient Beech forest that straddles Aomori and Akita prefectures in the Tohoku region of northern Japan.
Meeting the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay and a stone's throw from the old Tsukiji fish market, the Hama-Rikyu Onshi Teien is an iconic garden of the Japanese capital.
Kasai Rinkai Park is located on the shores of Tokyo Bay, across from Odaiba and Disneyland. Picnic, aquarium, and Ferris wheel await you for a fun-filled afternoon!
Tegarayama Central Park Himeji is a large hilltop park with quite a range of facilities and some unusual sites including museums and an amusement park.
Viewing the blushing leaves, or koyo, is a must-do when visiting Japan in the fall. In and around Tokyo, there are many parks that offer stunning scenery every year.
In Tokyo, near the bustling Shibuya district, the Meguro Sky Garden offers a small piece of nature, suspended over a highway. It's a unique place to enjoy the calm...
Whether you are looking for a nature break, a sports afternoon or a spiritual walk, Daisen Oki National Park, which covers more than 350 km 2 , between mountains and the Sea of Japan (the park inde
In the center of the city of Kobe, the Sorakuen garden, which literally means “the pleasure of feeling good together”, is a Japanese-style garden open to the public since 1941.
Located south of the vibrant Umeda district, Utsubo Park is one of Osaka's green lungs. A popular destination for families, sports enthusiasts and... rose lovers.
Tottori Prefectural Flower Park is a sprawling, modern garden park seasonally beautiful all year round, in the countryside of Tottori Prefecture, Japan.
Gifu Koen (Gifu Park), at the foot of Mt. Kinka in Gifu city, is a public park with several museums, ornamental gardens, statues and the ropeway station to the summit of the mountain.
Sankeien Garden in Yokohama is a traditional Japanese strolling garden with a collection of historic buildings including temples and residences collection from other parts of Japan.
Mukojima Hyakkaen Gardens are a beautiful natural-style flower and strolling garden in Sumida ward, Tokyo, created in the Edo period of Japanese history and one of the few surviving to this day.
Away from the city of Kumamoto, the Suizen-ji garden Joju-en transports visitors to another place and another time, that of the Tokaido Road that once connected Edo and Kyoto via Lake Biwa and Mou
Fugan Canal Kansui Park in Toyama city is a large water park near Toyama Station with spacious lawns, a beautiful Starbucks cafe and a wildlife observation post.
From Mount Katsu, this medieval castle majestically overlooks the city. The opportunity for a nice walk between military remains, gardens and cherry trees.
On the hills to the east of Kyoto is the discreet Shugaku-in. Built between 1655 and 1659, this imperial villa near the palace city spreads its three levels of gardens in a beautiful setting.
At the heart of Yokohama, a cosmopolitan city where East meets West, the traditional Sankeien Garden bursts with a beauty that can only be described as typically Japanese.
A discreet and elusive beauty, harmony between pavilions and compositions master gardeners characterize this architectural masterpiece occupying an important place in Japanese arts.
In the western part of Tokyo, Inokashira Onshi Koen and central lake surrounded by cherry trees and adjacent to the Ghibli Museum is the site of many activities.
At the heart of the Roppongi district, an institution untouched by the frenetic pace of the capital, the International House, preserves knowledge and an elegant garden.
Within the confines of the Nezu Museum in the fashionable district of Omotesando, a narrow paths run through a garden leading to a pond from a natural source.
South of the small town of Takayama, a wooded hill overshadows the houses of the old quarter. Shiroyama Park promises an invigorating stroll and aching calves!
The Keitakuen Garden of Tennoji Park offers an invitation to travel. Unknown to tourists, this little green sanctuary is, however, home to one of the most beautiful gardens.
This vast park, a few Hakone stations, charm the senses of its visitors with its various gardens and greenhouses with thousands of colors and perfumes.
Plants, meandering paths near tiny bodies of water, old women with weather skin and big hats, and elegant gentlemen sitting for hours on the benches in the park: Welcome to the Kyoto botanical gar
In the district of Bunkyo, the Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden is viewed as one of the most beautiful gardens in Tokyo and is the oldest as well. The flowering of the prunus, then the cherry trees,
It's been several centuries since the country's emperors walked these paths. Since the transfer of the capital to Tokyo in 1868, now regular folk can enjoy the charms of the park.
Nature is dear to the heart of Japanese people. Strongly present in this mountainous archipelago, natural surroundings gave rise to the worship of the seasons by its people.
Flower Park Kagoshima, on the southern tip of Satsuma Peninsula, is the largest flower theme park in Japan with around 400,000 plants from 2,400 species laid out on a large, spacious site.
Kyu-Yasuda Teien Gardens: Read about these gardens that became a permanent fixture of Tokyo only in the twentieth century, but whose old-world charm has its roots in 17th century Japan and its samu
Peace Memorial Park Okinawa: the Peace Memorial Park in the south of Okinawa Island is a memorial to the over 200,000 people who died in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Read a guide to the Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary (Karuizawa Yacho no Mori), a forest that is a wildlife sanctuary, near the resort town of Karuizawa in Japan's Nagano Prefecture.
Read a guide to Shiba Park, Tokyo. Shiba Park, one of Japan's oldest parks, is a quiet valley, and former temple grounds, located right next to Tokyo Tower.
Kiba Koen Park. Read a guide to Kiba Koen Park, a large multi-purpose recreational space in Tokyo's Koto ward. A relaxed park surrounded with sights worth seeing.
Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Onshi Teien. Read a guide to Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Onshi Teien, or the Shiba Detached Palace Garden in Tokyo's Hamamatsu-cho business district.
Read a guide to Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park, Tokyo. Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park is a woodland-style park in Tokyo's Hiro-o district, near Roppongi.
Read a guide to Kiyosumi Teien Garden, Tokyo. Kiyosumi Teien Garden in Koto ward is a perfect example of traditional Japanese landscaping, and a quiet retreat.
Shonai Ryokuchi Koen in the west of the city is one of Nagoya's largest parks. Shonai Ryokuchi Park's large lake is a popular location for summer picnics.
Ninomaru Garden Nagoya Castle 二之丸庭園 - The lovely Ninomaru Garden in the grounds of Nagoya Castle in Nagoya, central Japan, is a traditional Japanese strolling garden.
Utsubo Park Osaka is a fashionable and popular park in Osaka with an alley of pines, tennis courts, a rose garden, and even a large open space with grass.
