It’s quickly becoming clear that there’s just no way of escaping the crowds in Tokyo. The main entrance to Sinjuku Gyoen was backed up for a couple hundred meters due to the draconian “security” check and the lack of manned counters.
Insider Tip: To skip the long lines at the main gate, head to the Sentaguya entrance instead.
The trees are in various stages of the bloom cycle, so the garden should be a good place to go if you’re coming a couple days after the full bloom.
Unlike Ueno Park, there was plenty of space to stroll around, and the crowd density was noticeably lower.
I’d still recommend coming right when the garden opens or arriving at 4:00 PM, as the crowds start heading for the exits.
Afterwards, we headed back to central Tokyo to stroll around the Chidorigafuchi area near the Imperial Palace.
There was an event going on nearby, and as a result pedestrian traffic came to a standstill due to the sheer mass of people trying to cross.
At night, the blossoms are illuminated, making this an extra special place to take a loved one. As you keep walking down the path lining around the Imperial Moat, the crowds do slowly thin out.
We even spotted a local painter enjoying the landscape.
Various couples were braving the wind and rented out paddle boats to row around the moat
30 minute rentals are 800 yen, and the line looked quite reasonable.
Most people turn around after the boat entrance, but I’d recommend walking further down the river towards Hanzomon Station.
Japanese Ingenuity
As the sun began to set, we headed to the famous Shibuya pedestrian crossing to warm up.
Overall, the Chidorigafuchi is by far one of the most picturesque places for Sakura spotting. I’ll definitely head back in a few days when the blossoms are in complete full
bloom.
