Rikugien (六義園) is an Edo-period strolling garden in Bunkyo, Tokyo. Each autumn it holds a special event called Nighttime Autumn Foliage Viewing (庭紅葉の六義園 夜間特別観賞), when the garden's maples and central pond are lit up after dark. Most people just call it the Rikugien autumn illumination.
In 2026 it runs from Wednesday, November 25 to Sunday, December 6. The Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association announced the dates on September 3.
The 2026 evening viewing runs November 25 to December 6, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with last entry at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are ¥1,000 in advance and ¥1,200 same day, and daytime admission does not cover it.
For other autumn-foliage spots in the city, see our roundup of Tokyo autumn-leaves spots.
Dates and Hours in 2026
The evening viewing runs twelve nights, from November 25 through December 6. Hours are 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and last entry is 7:30 p.m.
Worth knowing before you plan the day: the garden closes at 5:00 p.m. after the daytime session and reopens at 6:00 p.m. for the evening viewing. You cannot stay on from afternoon into the evening. If you want both, you will need to leave and come back in.
The evening viewing is timed to the garden's best color. The Park Association has not published a 2026 peak forecast.
Daytime vs. Evening
Rikugien is normally open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.). Regular admission is ¥300, ¥150 for visitors 65 and over, and free for elementary-school children and younger and for junior-high students who live or go to school in Tokyo. The maples are worth seeing by day, too.
The evening viewing runs on a separate schedule, and regular daytime admission does not cover it. You need a separate evening ticket.
For 2026 the garden is running projection mapping on the storehouse wall and in the bamboo grove (billed by the park as new this year), along with the maples reflected in the pond. Tea houses (Fukiage Chaya and Shinsentei) are open during the event, and food stalls and kitchen cars are planned. Which days each vendor appears has not been published, so check on the day if you are counting on food.
Tickets and Prices
The 2026 evening ticket is ¥1,000 in advance and ¥1,200 same day, tax included. Visitors with a disability certificate pay ¥500, and elementary-school children and younger enter free.
Ticket | Price | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|
Advance | ¥1,000 | Online only |
Same day | ¥1,200 | Online and the main gate (gate is cash only) |
Disability certificate | ¥500 | Not specified officially |
Elementary school and younger | Free | — |
Note the cap: to control crowding, the number of tickets sold per night is limited across advance and same-day sales combined, so same-day tickets can sell out. The Park Association recommends buying online, because online buyers use a priority lane at entry. If you do buy at the gate, the window sells from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. only.
One gap remains: as of October 9, 2026, the Park Association has not announced when advance tickets go on sale or which site will sell them, and says the details will be posted once decided, so keep an eye on the official 2026 notice. In 2025 they went on sale November 1 through Asoview, but that could change.
Getting to Rikugien
The nearest station is Komagome (駒込) on the JR Yamanote and Tokyo Metro Namboku lines, about a 7-minute walk. Sengoku (千石) on the Toei Mita line is about 10 minutes away.
During the evening viewing, entry is through the main gate (Seimon 正門). Gate arrangements can change from year to year, so follow the official signs on the day.
The official notice says nothing about what happens in bad weather.
The garden gets especially cold after sunset from late November into early December, so dress warmly. For a guide to seasonal clothing, see what to wear in Japan in autumn.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
