[Autumn 2026] Autumn-Leaf Illuminations and Special Evening Openings in Tokyo and the Kanto Region: Rikugien, Koishikawa Korakuen, Sankeien and More

In autumn 2026, gardens, parks, museums and temples in Tokyo and the Kanto region are holding a series of evening openings and illuminations timed to the autumn-leaf season. At the Tokyo National Museum’s garden, ZEN NIGHT TOKYO began on October 14. To mark the 80th anniversary of its opening, Hama-rikyu Gardens will stay open until 21:00 for five days from October 30. Koishikawa Korakuen opens its garden at night from November 13 and Rikugien from November 25, and both incorporate projection mapping. We have compiled the dates, hours, admission, reservations and access for 10 events whose organizers have announced 2026 editions, in order of their start dates.

Quick guide by start date: from the Tokyo National Museum (October 14) to Sankeien (through December 20)

• Wednesday, October 14 – Sunday, December 6: ZEN NIGHT TOKYO (Tokyo National Museum garden, Ueno) *now on

• Wednesday, October 21 – Friday, October 23, and Friday, October 30 – Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday): evening opening of Hama-rikyu Gardens (Shiodome) *first period now on

• Eight days between Friday, October 23 and Sunday, November 8: Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple “Shoyoen Garden Illumination” (Nikko, Tochigi)

• Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, November 29: Showa Kinen Park “Autumn Night Walk 2026” (Tachikawa)

• Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, December 6: Kencho-ji Temple “VIE presents ZEN NIGHT KAMAKURA” (Kamakura)

• Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum “Special Evening Opening: Building Illuminations” (Koganei)

• Friday, November 13 – Tuesday, November 24: Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens “Enjoy the Light-Lit Leaves of the Deep Mountains” (Bunkyo)

• Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays from Friday, November 20 to Sunday, December 20: Sankeien “Yaso” (Yokohama)

• Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, December 6: Hase-dera Temple Autumn Evening Special Viewing and Autumn-Leaf Illumination (Kamakura)

• Wednesday, November 25 – Sunday, December 6: Rikugien “Rikugien in Autumn Colors: Special Evening Viewing” (Bunkyo)

Because peak foliage varies by year and location, this article does not include forecasts. Showa Kinen Park posts flower updates with photos in its Hana Dayori (flower news), and its October edition also mentions the ginkgo trees. In 2025, the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association announced autumn-leaf information for metropolitan parks on November 4, but the 2026 information had not been released as of October 22.

Temple and shrine events with themes other than autumn leaves, such as the illumination at Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine in Omiya, are introduced in our roundup of evening temple and shrine visits nationwide. Kyoto city is covered in our roundup of evening temple visits and illuminations in Kyoto. Indoors, the autumn-leaf-themed “MOMIJI AQUARIUM by NAKED” was on at Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa until November 8.

Video comes to cultural-property gardens: the background to more evening openings

This season, two gardens in Tokyo with national designations such as Special Place of Scenic Beauty incorporate projection mapping into their evening openings. Rikugien, designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty in 1953, projects images onto the exterior wall of a storehouse built in the Iwasaki family era and onto its bamboo grove. The official guide marks the storehouse and bamboo-grove projection mapping as “NEW.” Koishikawa Korakuen, a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty, projects onto its earthen walls and elsewhere. Hama-rikyu Gardens, designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and Special Historic Site in 1952, extends its opening hours to mark the 80th anniversary of its opening as a metropolitan garden.

National tourism policy is also turning its attention to cultural properties at night. The summary of the fifth Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism-Oriented Country, approved by the Cabinet on March 27, 2026, places “promoting early-morning and nighttime experiences of cultural properties and the like” under “measures against excessive congestion.” The same item also lists entry management in local areas and the introduction of reservation systems. “Yaso” at Sankeien in Yokohama was selected for the Japan Tourism Agency’s “Project to Promote Area-Wide Development of Visitor Reception Environments at Tourist Destinations, Including Preventing and Curbing Overtourism.”

Those running these events span public-interest foundations, companies and local governments. The evening openings of metropolitan gardens are announced by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association, and at Koishikawa Korakuen, Tokyo Dome Corporation joins the association’s event as co-organizer and overall director. Sankeien’s event is organized by Kaze no Heritage Co., Ltd. and co-organized by the City of Yokohama. Both ZEN NIGHT events, at the Tokyo National Museum and Kencho-ji, list VIE and Nikkei among their organizers and receive fiscal 2026 Japan Cultural Expo subsidies.

Evening openings at metropolitan gardens: Hama-rikyu Gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen and Rikugien

[Ended] Hama-rikyu Gardens: “Moon-Viewing Stroll at Hama-rikyu” and “A Leisurely Night Walk in the Garden”

Opening hours are extended to 21:00 in two periods. From October 21 to 23, timed to the “chestnut moon” (the thirteenth night of the ninth lunar month), the paths and trees are softly lit. On the 21st, a moon-viewing offering ceremony is held at the moon-viewing platform, with moon-viewing dumplings and autumn vegetables presented. From October 30 to November 3, the garden is illuminated to mark the 80th anniversary of its opening, with umbrella-inspired touches—a nod to sanju, the traditional celebration of turning 80, whose name is written with the character for umbrella. The Nakajima no Ochaya teahouse serves a limited menu during the evening session (17:00–20:30).

Dates: Wednesday, October 21 – Friday, October 23, and Friday, October 30 – Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday)
Hours: 9:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30). After 17:00, enter from the Otemon Gate entrance (the Naka-no-Gomon Gate closes at 17:00)
Admission: General ¥300, 65 and over ¥150 (free for elementary school children and younger, and for junior high school students living or attending school in Tokyo)
Reservations: The press materials say nothing about reservations for entry (the offering ceremony and traditional performing arts can be watched freely on the day). The guided tour on October 23 (¥500, plus admission) requires advance registration
Venue and address: Hama-rikyu Gardens (1-1 Hamarikyu-teien, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
Access: 7-minute walk from Exit E18 of Tsukijishijo Station on the Toei Oedo Line to the Otemon Gate entrance. 12-minute walk from the Shiodome Exit of Shimbashi Station (JR, Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line)
In case of rain: Each event is canceled in severe weather. In severe or rainy weather, events and some services may be canceled, suspended or changed
Parking: None (parking spaces for tour buses and vehicles of people with disabilities at the Otemon Gate entrance)

Koishikawa Korakuen Special Evening Opening: “Enjoy the Light-Lit Leaves of the Deep Mountains”

Centered on the Daisensui pond, famous spots such as Horai Island, the Hitotsumatsu pine, the Engetsukyo Bridge, the Karamon Gate and the yukitsuri snow supports are staged with light and video. According to the special website, illumination is used at the Hitotsumatsu pine, Horai Island and the Karamon Gate and inner garden, and projection mapping on the earthen walls and the Engetsukyo Bridge. At the Kantokutei, the Biidoro Chaya teahouse opens, serving sweets available only at night.

Dates: Friday, November 13 – Tuesday, November 24, 2026
Hours: 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00). The garden closes once at 17:00
Admission: Special evening viewing ticket ¥1,000 in advance, ¥1,200 on the day (required for junior high school students and older, including those living or attending school in Tokyo). ¥500 per ticket for holders of a disability certificate and one caregiver
Reservations: Advance tickets online only (until November 12; Seven Ticket, KKday, Asoview!). Same-day tickets online and at the West Gate counter (18:00–20:00, cash only, limited number)
Venue and address: Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens (1-6-6 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo). Entry via the West Gate only
Access: 3-minute walk from Exit C3 of Iidabashi Station on the Toei Oedo Line; 8-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Iidabashi Station
Parking: None
Planning and production: Overall direction by Tokyo Dome Corporation (co-organizer)

Rikugien: “Rikugien in Autumn Colors: Special Evening Viewing”

Designed and built under the personal direction of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu in 1695, the garden came into the ownership of Yataro Iwasaki in the Meiji era. At night, the entire Japanese garden is lit, centered on the autumn-leaf areas, and projection mapping is shown on the exterior wall of a storehouse from the Iwasaki family era and on the bamboo grove. Matcha teahouses (Fukiage Chaya and Shinsentei) open, and food stalls and food trucks set up in the plaza beside the storehouse and elsewhere.

Dates: Wednesday, November 25 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Hours: 18:00–20:30 (last entry 19:30). The garden closes once at 17:00
Admission: Advance tickets ¥1,000 (online only); same-day tickets ¥1,200 (online and at the counter; cash only at the counter); ¥500 with a disability certificate discount; free for elementary school children and younger
Reservations: The ticket sale date and sales method had not been announced as of October 22 (to be announced on the official website once decided). The number of tickets per day is limited, and online purchasers can enter via a priority lane
Venue and address: Rikugien Gardens (6-16-3 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo)
Access: 7-minute walk from Komagome Station (JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line); 10-minute walk from Sengoku Station on the Toei Mita Line
Parking: None

Parks, museums and a Yokohama garden: the Tokyo National Museum, Showa Kinen Park, the Open Air Architectural Museum and Sankeien

Tokyo National Museum garden: ZEN NIGHT TOKYO

Held alongside the special exhibition marking the 700th anniversary of the temple’s founding, “Daitoku-ji: The Unrivaled Zen Temple of Japan,” the museum’s garden opens at night. Autumn-leaf illumination and a large sea of clouds that appears over the pond are combined with music placed at various points in the garden. At the Kujokan, “brainwave zazen” sessions are held with participants wearing EEG headsets. Details of the show are introduced in our article on ZEN NIGHT TOKYO.

Dates: Wednesday, October 14 – Sunday, December 6, 2026. Closed Mondays (open November 2, 23 and 30) and November 24
Hours: 17:30–19:30 (until 21:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and November 1, 2 and 22; until 21:30 on November 13. Last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Admission: Same-day tickets: general ¥4,200, university students ¥3,200, high school students ¥2,800 (including admission to the Daitoku-ji exhibition). Entry-only ticket for holders of a Daitoku-ji exhibition ticket ¥1,900. Free for junior high school students and younger, and for people with disabilities plus one caregiver
Reservations: Advance ticket sales ended on October 13; same-day tickets are on sale. Tickets including brainwave zazen (¥5,600) are for a specified date and time
Venue and address: Tokyo National Museum garden (13-9 Uenokoen, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Access: 10-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station or the South Exit of Uguisudani Station
Parking: None

Showa Kinen Park: “Autumn Night Walk 2026”

The Katarai ginkgo avenue, the Canal and the Japanese Garden are lit at night. Along the ginkgo avenue, light is synchronized with music, and in the Japanese Garden the bonsai garden is also lit up. The park notes that the show is a light-up, not an illumination with decorative lights, and lists the Art Festa Executive Committee, Gunma Prefectural Women’s University and Yupo Corporation as production partners.

Dates: Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, November 29, 2026
Hours: Lights on 16:30–20:30 (last entry 20:30, park closes 21:00). At night, entry and exit via the Nishi-Tachikawa and Tachikawa entrances only
Admission: Park admission: adults ¥450, seniors (65 and over) ¥210, junior high school students and younger free. A separate viewing ticket is required for the Japanese Garden: in advance, adults and seniors ¥1,200, elementary and junior high school students ¥600; at the counter on the day, adults and seniors ¥1,300, elementary and junior high school students ¥700. For the first few days, the Japanese Garden can be seen with park admission only (the event information page says October 29–31; the special page says October 29 and 30)
Reservations: Japanese Garden viewing tickets are sold on a dedicated booking site from one week before the visit until the day. Counter tickets are sold at Komorebi House from 16:00 to 20:00 (cash only)
Venue and address: Showa Kinen Park (management center: 3173 Midoricho, Tachikawa, Tokyo)
Access: 2-minute walk from Nishi-Tachikawa Station on the JR Ome Line to the Nishi-Tachikawa Gate
In case of rain: Held rain or shine (canceled if severe weather makes operation difficult)
Parking: At night, the Nishi-Tachikawa or Tachikawa entrance parking lots (¥900 for standard cars; last entry 20:00)
Photography: In the Japanese Garden at night, tripods are prohibited except in designated spots (monopods allowed)

[Ended] Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum: “Special Evening Opening: Building Illuminations”

Lights are lit in the reconstructed buildings. At the tailor’s shop, restored gas lamps are specially lit, and fires are kindled in the sunken hearth of the Tsunashima family farmhouse and the fireplace of the De Lalande House. The Kodakara-yu bathhouse fills its tubs with hot water and is lit up, and in the Entrance Plaza and East Plaza, candles are arranged to depict buildings and other images. Because the grounds get dark, visitors are asked to watch their step.

Dates: Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2026
Hours: 16:30–20:30 (entry until 20:00; the museum opens at 9:30)
Admission: General ¥400, 65 and over ¥200, university students ¥320, high school students ¥200, junior high school students and younger free
Reservations: Purchase of date-specified online tickets is recommended (on sale from October 23). Same-day tickets are also available
Venue and address: Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum (3-7-1 Sakuracho, Koganei, Tokyo, in Koganei Park)
Access: From the North Exit of Musashi-Koganei Station on the JR Chuo Line, take a Seibu Bus (stops 2 and 3) to Koganei Koen Nishiguchi, then walk 5 minutes
In case of rain: Canceled in severe weather
Parking: Visitors are directed to Koganei Park’s paid parking (Parking Lot 1)
Photography: Around the reconstructed buildings and exhibits, only handheld snapshots are allowed

Sankeien: “Yokohama Sankeien Yaso – A Stroll Garden by Night –”

At Sankeien, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, the night garden is staged with color, light and sound on weekends and national holidays during the autumn-leaf season. Seven staging points, “Sankei’s Seven Eyes,” are placed along a route from the Large Pond around the Inner Garden, and the colors of the light are based on the kasane no irome layered color combinations handed down in the Yamashina family. The First Eye (the plaza in front of the teahouse) is given the “yellow autumn leaves” combination and the Fourth Eye (in front of the Choshukaku) the “white chrysanthemum” combination. Details are in our article on Yaso.

Dates: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays from Friday, November 20 to Sunday, December 20, 2026 (16 days in total)
Hours: 17:15–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Admission: Adults (high school students and older) ¥1,000, children (elementary and junior high school students) ¥500, preschool children free. Sankeien admission tickets and annual passes cannot be used
Reservations: Tickets are sold at the Main Gate and South Gate ticket booths. Online tickets (¥100 off) are scheduled to go on sale on the official website in November
Venue and address: Sankeien Garden (58-1 Honmoku-sannotani, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa)
Access: On event days, a free shuttle bus runs about every 20 minutes between JR Negishi Station (stop 9) and the Sankeien South Gate entrance (departures from Negishi Station 16:50–20:10)
In case of rain: Held in light rain; may be canceled in severe weather
Parking: Sankeien South Gate parking lot (in Honmoku Citizens’ Park)
Planning and production: Planning, design and direction by IN-EI

Among museums, six Tokyo metropolitan art museums and museums are holding “Autumn Night Museum 2026” for the first time, staying open until 20:00 every Friday in November. The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum also opens its gardens on evening-opening days, and holds its own evening openings on November 28 and December 4 and 5.

Autumn-leaf illuminations at temples: Nikko and Kamakura

Among temples in the Kanto region, Nikkozan Rinnoji in Nikko and Kencho-ji and Hase-dera in Kamakura open their grounds at night during the autumn-leaf season. Organizers and whether there are staged shows are also covered in our roundup of evening temple and shrine visits nationwide.

[Ended] Nikkozan Rinnoji: “Shoyoen Garden Illumination”

Nikkozan Rinnoji, part of a World Heritage Site, opens its Shoyoen garden for special evening viewing. A marché is also held from November 6 to 8.

Dates: Friday, October 23, Saturday, October 24, Friday, October 30, Saturday, October 31, Sunday, November 1, Friday, November 6, Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2026
Hours: October 23 – November 1: from the regular closing time to 19:00 (last entry 18:30); November 6–8: from closing time to 21:00 (last entry 20:30)
Admission: ¥500 per person; elementary and junior high school students accompanied by a parent or guardian free
Reservations: Not mentioned in the official information. Viewing tickets are sold at the Shoyoen entrance
Venue and address: Shoyoen Garden, Nikkozan Rinnoji (2300 Sannai, Nikko, Tochigi)
Access: Visitors are directed to use the Tobu Bus World Heritage Sightseeing route
Parking: Parking Lots 1 and 2 are free after closing time (paid on November 6–8 because of the marché)

Kencho-ji: “VIE presents ZEN NIGHT KAMAKURA”

A night event held for the second year running at the head temple of the Kencho-ji school of Rinzai Zen. A sea of clouds is created in the Hojo garden surrounded by autumn leaves, and the path to the Sanmon Gate, the Karamon Gate and the Hatto lecture hall, with its ceiling painting “Cloud Dragon,” are staged with light and sound. Visits to the Hatto after 18:30 are limited to October 30 and 31 and November 1.

Dates: Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Hours: 17:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30)
Admission: Adults: weekdays ¥2,400 in advance / ¥2,900 on the day; weekends and holidays ¥2,900 in advance / ¥3,400 on the day. Ages 12 and under: weekdays ¥1,200 in advance / ¥1,450 on the day; weekends and holidays ¥1,450 in advance / ¥1,700 on the day. Ages 6 and under free
Reservations: General tickets are sold on the official website, and same-day tickets at the counter (digital payment only). Tickets including brainwave zazen are sold in advance only, by reservation
Venue and address: Kencho-ji Head Temple (8 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa)
Access: About a 15-minute walk (5 minutes by bus) from Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line

Hase-dera: Autumn Evening Special Viewing and Autumn-Leaf Illumination

A special evening viewing held by Hase-dera in Hase, Kamakura, during the autumn-leaf season. The lights are switched on before dusk, and the temple says the period may be extended depending on the state of the leaves.

Dates: Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Hours: Sunset to 19:00 gate closing (grounds close 19:30)
Admission: Adults ¥400, elementary school students ¥200
Reservations: Not mentioned in the official information
Venue and address: Hase-dera (3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa)
Access: 5-minute walk from Hase Station on the Enoden Line
In case of rain: Held in rain (may be canceled in severe weather)
Parking: 30 spaces for standard cars (¥350 per 30 minutes)
Photography: Tripods may not be used on the paths

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book?

Advance tickets for Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen are online only, and a limited number of same-day tickets are also sold at the counter (cash only). At Hama-rikyu Gardens, events such as the offering ceremony can be watched freely on the day, and only the guided tour requires advance registration. The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum recommends buying date-specified online tickets, and viewing tickets for the Japanese Garden at Showa Kinen Park go on sale one week before the visit.

Can I go by car?

Rikugien, Koishikawa Korakuen, Hama-rikyu Gardens and the Tokyo National Museum have no parking. At night, Showa Kinen Park’s Nishi-Tachikawa and Tachikawa entrance parking lots are available, with last entry at 20:00. Sankeien directs visitors to the parking lot on the South Gate side (in Honmoku Citizens’ Park).

*Information as of October 22, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Autumn-leaf illumination at Rikugien, December 2014 (photo: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and venue (as of October 22, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team