Yakushiike Park
This season's opening
Yakushiike autumn lighting
- Hours
- 17:00–20:00 in 2025
- Admission
- No charge was listed in 2025 (the park itself is free).
- Booking
- No booking
The maples round the pond and the big ginkgo by the Yakushi hall are lit and, on still nights, reflected in the water. A mist effect makes the arched bridge float on 'clouds'; in 2024 it also ran at 17:30, 18:30 and 19:30 during the lighting. In 2025 LED wisteria hung from the trellis as well.
The park is about 30 minutes by bus from Machida Station, so check the return buses before you go. How the mist looks depends on wind and temperature. The lighting is part of the city's autumn programme, which had food trucks in 2025.
About the garden
A park built around an old irrigation pond in the Machida hills, where plum, iris, ancient lotus and maples take turns as the main event. An arched bridge over the pond and a thatched 17th-century farmhouse, Kyu-Nagai-ke, moved here in 1975, anchor the view. Free, open from 6:00.
Where to stand
Stop at the top of the arched bridge and compare the two ends of the pond. Then step into the earthen-floored farmhouse and, from the hearth, look back toward the door; the thatched eaves cut the daylight down to a strip.
Practical notes
Free, open from 6:00 (lotus season in July is worth the early start). Take a bus from Machida Station's north exit, about 30 minutes, to the Yakushiike stop. The two relocated farmhouses can be entered during park hours. Machida is 30–40 minutes from Shinjuku on the Odakyu line.
Tea and food nearby
Small places within walking distance. Check their opening days against the garden's.
- ☾ Open after the evening viewing10 min walk🍽 FoodSanuki Udon Kaito
A Sanuki udon shop near the Notsuda-jinja-iriguchi bus stop, open until 21:30: time for a hot bowl after the lights go off at 20:00.
Order：Udon with tempura
11:00–15:00 (last order 15:00), 17:00–21:30 (last order 21:00)Closed: Evenings of the second Tuesday of each month (first Tuesday in August), and 31 Dec–3 Jan¥1,000–2,000Details ↗ - 3 min walk🍡 SweetsYakushi Chaya (inside the park)
A ten-seat tea stall inside the park. It closes at 16:30, so stop for dango and matcha while it is still light and see the pond by day before the lamps come on.
Order：Mitarashi dango and matcha