Tokugawaen: A Great Place to See the Fall Colours in the City

One great thing about fall in Japan besides the relief from the hot, muggy summer and the seasonal foods, are the momiji trees. The Japanese maple is beautiful in autumn when the leaves change to a vibrant red splash of colour. One activity that many Japanese do is take an outing just to enjoy this scene in the crisp outdoor air. Most well-known momiji viewing spots are located a little farther away from the big cities, in the mountains or countryside where there is vast land for trees to grow. However, inside Nagoya, there is a Japanese Garden that can give one a taste of autumn right in the city.

Tokugawaen was actually originally made in the 17th century, for private land. It only became open to the public in the 1940s. When December comes along, the garden, which usually closes late afternoon, is kept open until 8:30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for two weekends in order to let people see the momiji trees at night under lamps and laterns. This year, wanting to stay in the city, I decided to visit Tokugawaen for my annual momiji viewing. It seemed almost magical with lanterns lining the paths and brightly lit red and green leaves reflecting on the pond below. There aren't many skyscrapers surrounding this garden so it didn't even really feel like I was in the city.

Venue: Tokugawaen 徳川園
Where: a 10-25 minute walk from Ozone Station 大曾根駅 (Meijo Line 名城線), or hop on the city's sightseeing Meguru Bus which stops right at the entrance of the Garden
Website: https://www.tokugawaen.aichi.jp/english/
Admission Fee: 300 yen