Attractions

Hibiya Park

Hibiya Park

Travel Guide

 Hibiya Park  Hibiya Park

Introduction

Hibiya Park is a 16 hectare (40 acre) public park bordering the southern moat of the Imperial Palace. Hibiya Park is Japan's first public Western-style modern park.

This park is about as close to the center of Tokyo as it’s possible to be, but the wide open spaces and beautiful landscaping give travelers the chance to escape the city should they want some peace and quiet. Hibiya Park also has tennis courts, though reservations are a must if you wish to play there.

Hibiya Park’s flower beds bloom with colorful seasonal flowers throughout the entire year, making the park a place of relaxation for people working in the nearby business district.

The park is bicycle-friendly, making it a great place to spend time outdoors if you’re visiting Tokyo in the warm weather.

The park is famous for the Shisei Kaikan, a brick building built in Gothic style in 1929, which once housed the Domei Tsushin state wire service and its postwar successors Kyodo News and Jiji Press.

The park is also known for its open air concert venue, Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, and for its tennis courts (for which reservations are hotly contested due to their proximity to the financial and government districts). In Doraemon, Here is the meeting place of Nobi Nobita parents.

It’s possible to spend an entire day exploring Hibiya Park, and with half a dozen restaurants, a museum, the outdoor stage, and a few onsite shops to boot, you won’t go hungry or run out of things to do.

History

The land was occupied by the estates of the Mori clan and Nabeshima clan during the Edo period, and was used for army maneuvers during the Meiji period. It was converted to a public park in 1903.

On September 5th 1905 the park was the scene of the Hibiya Incendiary Incident a major city-wide riot that erupted in protest of the terms of the Treaty of Portsmouth which ended the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

During World War Two, nearly all the trees in the park were cut down for timber and the fences, etc. melted down for steel. Post-war restoration work was crowned in 1961 with the construction of the big 30m-(90 ft) diameter fountain.

 Hibiya Park Hibiya Park Hibiya Park

 
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Travel Advice

Sightseeing

- Hibiya Park has a number of cafes and restaurants within the park premises, from the very casual and inexpensive Green Salon Cafe and Hibiya Saroh (which doubles as a popular outdoor beer garden in the summertime) to the posh Hibiya Palace (which is usually closed on weekends I believe, as it is booked up for weddings and other private functions). Among them, Matsumotoro, a French restaurant is popular. This restaurant has been operating at its Hibiya Park location since 1903 making it one of the oldest western-style restaurants in Japan. 

- Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary, first president and founding father of the Republic of China, Rashbehari Bose, a revolutionary leader against the British Raj in India and was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Revolution and later, the Indian National Army, Hu Jintao, the paramount leader of China between 2002 and 2012, have visited the restaurant. Matsumotoro also was described in the literary work from Koutaro Takamura, Souseki Natsume and many others. These make Matsumotoro special and became the symbol of Hibiya Park.

Autumn Leaves

Hibiya Park is a spot to see autumn leaves. Please see Autum Leaves in Hibiya Park.

Events

Events in 2019
Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Chrysanthemum Exhibition This Exhibition which has been held since 1914 is known as Japan's foremost chrysanthemum exhibition for the quality and amount of its flowers among these held in Japan. The exhibition features approximately 2,000 masterpieces in one building. Nov 1(Fri)~
17(Sun)
Yamanashi Nouveau Festival Over 30 wineries from Yamanashi where is the biggest wine produing region in Japan will present more than 60 different new wines for tasting and purchase. Nov 3(Sun)
 
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Visit

Address Hibiya Park, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone 03-3501-6428
Admission Free  
Hours Free time  
Closed Open 7 Days a Week
Duration 50 minutes
Getting There By Train
2 minutes walk from Kasumigaseki Station on subway Marunouchi Line or subway Chiyoda Line.
2 minutes walk from Hibiya Station on subway Hibiya Line.
8 minutes walk from Yurakucho Station on JR Keihin-tohoku Line or JR Yamanote Line.

By Car
Take Shuto Expressway to the Kasumigaseki exit. It is approximately 5 minutes from exit.
Parking Paid parking available
 
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Attractions in Japan

 
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