Shinjuku Gyoen hosts chrysanthemum exhibition from 1 November

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden hosts the Shinjuku Gyoen Chrysanthemum Exhibition in Tokyo from 1 to 15 November 2026, bringing a long-running imperial horticultural tradition to the Japanese Garden. The Ministry of the Environment announced the programme on 6 October 2026, giving visitors a specific autumn event rather than a general seasonal display.

Seven flower beds shape the November exhibition

The exhibition is arranged beneath seven shelters known as Uwaya, with two additional alley beds. The Ministry of the Environment says the beds show different chrysanthemum varieties in a display designed to work with the surrounding Japanese garden landscape. Visitors follow a route between the beds rather than viewing a single indoor show.

The exhibition runs from 1 to 15 November 2026, including Mondays. The official programme lists the Japanese Garden as the venue and gives the exhibition hours as 9am to 4.30pm, with the gate closing at 4pm. A separate Guide of Chrysanthemum display runs at the Information Center art gallery outside the Shinjuku Gate during the same period. The Ministry programme for November provides the event date, venue and layout.

Chrysanthemums connect the garden to its imperial past

The exhibition links directly to the site’s history. The first event in this tradition was held for the Imperial Family at Akasaka Palace in 1878, and the exhibition moved to Shinjuku Gyoen in 1929. The display has continued since the garden opened to the public as a national garden in 1949.

The present garden also reflects a period of horticultural exchange. A large redesign carried out from 1902 to 1906 formed the basis of today’s layout, after Fukuba Hayato commissioned Henri Martinet, a professor at the Versailles horticultural school, to prepare a Western-style garden scheme. The Japanese Garden therefore places the November chrysanthemum beds within a site shaped by both Japanese imperial tradition and European landscape design. The official garden history records these stages of development.

November access changes during the exhibition

The event also changes the normal weekly rhythm of the garden. The official November calendar states that the garden remains open every day from 1 to 15 November, including Mondays, while 16 November is listed as a closed day. The same calendar places the Orchid Exhibition in the greenhouse from 17 to 23 November, giving visitors a later autumn alternative within the same grounds.

Visiting Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Shinjuku Gyoen Chrysanthemum Exhibition takes place from 1 to 15 November 2026 in the Japanese Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
• The garden is open on Mondays during the exhibition period; the official schedule lists 16 November 2026 as a closed day after the event.
• The garden is at 11 Naito-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, and the Ministry of the Environment is the custodian named in the programme.
• Japanese is the official language of Japan, and the national currency is the yen.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

When does the Shinjuku Gyoen Chrysanthemum Exhibition take place?

The exhibition runs from 1 to 15 November 2026 in the Japanese Garden at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

Why does Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden open on Mondays?

The official calendar keeps the garden open on Mondays throughout the 1 to 15 November 2026 exhibition period.

Where is Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden?

It is at 11 Naito-machi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.