Otaguro Park
This season's opening
Otaguro Park autumn illumination
- Hours
- In 2025: Mon–Thu 17:00–20:00 (last entry 19:45), Fri–Sun 17:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30). Daytime visitors are cleared at 16:30.
- Admission
- In 2025, ¥300 adults, ¥100 children, preschoolers free (daytime is free).
- Booking
- No booking
The century-old ginkgo avenue and the maples reflected in the pond and stream, lit after dark. In 2025 it also opened on Wednesday, the usual closing day.
Friday to Sunday it stays open until 21:00, so you can have dinner first. The ginkgo avenue is just inside the main gate; the pond is at the back.
About the garden
In a residential corner of Ogikubo, a 70-metre avenue of century-old ginkgos leads to a free stroll garden made from the estate of Otaguro Motoo, a music critic. His 1933 Western-style studio still holds his piano and gramophone.
Where to stand
Stand in the middle of the ginkgo avenue and look down its length: this straight line is the garden's overture. Beyond it the view opens onto the pond and a pavilion. A stream from a well circles the tea house before reaching the pond; follow it upstream to its source. Finish in the memorial hall with the piano.
Practical notes
Free, closed Wednesdays. Ten minutes on foot from Ogikubo, one of the Chuo line's ramen towns. During the autumn illumination the park stays open into the evening, but photo shoots and location filming are not permitted then. Kadokawa Garden, another free former residence, is a five-minute walk.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- ☾ Open after the evening viewing12 min walk🍶 BarTomisho (seasonal food and sake)
A 14-seat sake bar by the north exit, open late: one of the few places to sit down properly after the 21:00 close on Fridays to Sundays.
Order：Seasonal small plates and a sake of the owner's choosing
Tue–Thu 18:00–24:00, Fri, Sat and holiday eves 18:00–2:00Closed: Sundays and Mondays (extra closures are posted on the shop's Instagram)¥4,000–6,000 (cash only, table charge)Details ↗ - 8 min walk☕ CafeYoimachiya Coffee
A one-person coffee house full of old furniture near the south exit; wait for the 17:00 lights in a place whose name means 'waiting for evening'.
Order：Hand-dripped coffee