One of Japan's First Public Parks
Shiba Park was designated in 1873, making it — together with Ueno, Asakusa, Asukayama and Fukagawa — one of the first five public parks in Japan. It wraps in a green ring around Zojoji Temple, and since 1958 it has doubled as Tokyo Tower's front garden: the wide lawns give the closest unobstructed, completely free view of the tower anywhere in the city.
Locals jog it, office workers lunch in it, and photographers stake out its ginkgo-lined paths at dusk. If the observation decks show you Tokyo from the tower, Shiba Park is where you admire the tower itself.
What's in the Park
- The lawn plaza — the postcard spot: open grass, the full 333m tower filling the sky behind it. Golden hour and the 8:00 PM illumination change are the money shots; more angles in our photography guide.
- Maruyama Kofun — a 5th-century keyhole-shaped burial mound, the largest in Tokyo, hiding in plain sight as a wooded hill. The path up takes two minutes and the top is an underrated elevated tower viewpoint.
- Momiji-dani ("Maple Valley") — a landscaped dell with an artificial waterfall on the park's west side, blazing red in late November–early December.
- Shiba Toshogu — a small shrine enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu, with a giant ginkgo tree said to have been planted by the third shogun, Iemitsu, in 1641.
Visiting Shiba Park
Cost & hours: free, open around the clock — it's a public park. Restrooms and vending machines are scattered throughout; convenience stores line the perimeter for picnic supplies.
Seasons: cherry blossoms arrive in late March–early April (the mound and the paths near Zojoji are the best spots); Momiji-dani peaks in late autumn; on New Year's Eve the park fills with people waiting for Zojoji's 108 bell tolls with the tower glowing overhead.
Getting there: Shibakoen or Onarimon (Mita Line) put you straight into the park; Akabanebashi (Oedo Line) is five minutes from the tower side. The park, the temple and the tower form one compact triangle — comfortably a half-day on foot.
See It With a Guide
Shiba Park is a stop on one of the city's best-reviewed small-group rides:
Tokyo Top Highlights 3h Guided E-bike Tour
★ 4.8 (397 reviews) · from $59
Three hours by e-bike through the headline sights — Shiba Park and Zojo-ji included — effortless even in summer heat.
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TokyoAfternoon Bus Tour Imperial Palace, Asakusa,Tokyo Tower
★ 4.5 (373 reviews) · from $39
The afternoon bus loop covering the Imperial Palace, Asakusa and the Tokyo Tower district — an easy overview if you'd rather ride than walk.
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