Showa Kinen Park is the most beautiful in autumn, with the maple and ginkgo trees blushing in fiery red and yellow respectively. The ginkgo trees are the first to turn and you can see one of the two boulevards of golden yellow trees as soon as you enter the park’s Tachikawa gate. These trees are expected to turn full yellow in mid-November. The momiji and kaede trees, however, present their signature vermillion hues a bit later towards the end of November.
During this season, the park stays open after dark, with special light-ups taking place at the Katarai no Icho Namiki Ginkgo Tree Avenue (near the futsal and basketball courts), the canal ginkgo avenue by the Tachikawa park entrance and the traditional Japanese Garden from 4.30pm until 8.30pm.
While you can enjoy the light-ups at Ginkgo Tree Avenue with just the park's regular admission fee (¥450, free for junior high school students and younger), you need an extra ticket to enter the Japanese Garden for the evening light-up (advance ticket online ¥1,200, primary and junior high school students ¥600; same-day tickets sold at Komorebi House (cash-only) close to the Japanese Garden ¥1,300, ¥700).
Tickets to enter the Japanese Garden are available for purchase online from October 22, including park admission and Japanese Garden bundle pass for a discounted price of ¥1,600 (¥600).
Admission into the Japanese Garden is waived on October 29 and 30.
