Garden · Akatsuka

Akatsuka Botanical Garden 赤塚植物園

A free, hillside botanical garden on the edge of the Musashino plateau, with a Man'yoshu garden of plants from ancient poetry, a woodland of native trees and a spring-fed slope that feels miles from the city.

Hours9:00–16:30

ClosedDec 28–Jan 4

PriceFree

Getting thereNarimasu Station (Tobu Tojo Line) / Chikatetsu-narimasu Station (Yurakucho/Fukutoshin), 20–25 min walk or bus

Time needed1 hour

Best timeSpring; February–March for nearby plum blossom

Address5-17-14 Akatsuka, Itabashi City, Tokyo

About

Akatsuka Botanical Garden is a local favourite in the green north-west of Itabashi, where the Musashino terrace drops away in a wooded escarpment. The main garden is laid out on the slope with about 600 species, from cherries and camellias to wildflowers labelled for school groups. A separate Man'yo garden displays plants mentioned in the Man'yoshu, Japan's oldest poetry anthology, each with its poem. Nearby are the Akatsuka Castle ruins on a hill planted with plum trees, the Akatsuka Tameike Park pond and the Itabashi Art Museum, which is famed for its annual international picture-book illustration exhibition. Together they make a peaceful half day in a part of Tokyo almost no visitor sees.

Highlights

About 600 plant species on a wooded escarpment of the Musashino plateau
Man'yo garden of plants from Japan's oldest poetry anthology
Free entry and quiet trails
Next to the Akatsuka Castle ruins plum grove and Tameike pond
Combines with the Itabashi Art Museum picture-book exhibitions

Tips

It is a bus or longer walk from stations, take the bus from Narimasu Station toward the botanical garden.
February–March is lovely for plum blossom at the neighbouring castle ruins.
Bring snacks; there are few shops nearby.
Closed only at year-end and New Year.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

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