Gyosen Park (行船公園) is a free neighbourhood park in Kita-Kasai, Edogawa City, with a proper Japanese strolling garden — the Heisei Garden — a sukiya-style tea house and a small free zoo. In autumn, the maples around the garden pond usually peak from late November to early December, and you will share them mostly with local families rather than tour groups. This guide to Gyosen Park and Heisei Garden covers what to see, the best seasons, how to get there from Nishi-Kasai, Funabori and Shinkoiwa, and how to combine it with other plans in Edogawa.
Updated October 2026 — reviewed by Sunny Pham Sensei (Lệ Nhật Sensei), Japan National Acupuncture License No. 196186 (鍼師) / 195591 (灸師). Written by the Fuji Wellness team, based locally in Edogawa City, east Tokyo.
What is Gyosen Park?
Gyosen Park is one of Edogawa City’s oldest parks. According to the ward, it began when a local landowner donated the site to Tokyo in 1933, and it has been a gathering place for residents ever since. Today it is managed by Edogawa City and combines three things in one compact area:
- Heisei Garden (平成庭園) — a Japanese pond garden with stone lanterns, bridges and seasonal planting.
- Genshin-an (源心庵) — a traditional sukiya-style building used for tea ceremony, flower arrangement and haiku gatherings.
- Edogawa City Natural Zoo (江戸川区自然動物園) — a small, free zoo with red pandas, penguins and a petting area.
There is also a large lawn and cherry tree plaza, a playground with a wide stone slide, and a pond where locals fish for carp. It is not a sightseeing landmark in the way Shinjuku Gyoen is — and that is the point. If you want to see what a weekend in residential east Tokyo looks like, this is a good place to start.
Address: 3-2-1 Kita-Kasai, Edogawa City, Tokyo 134-0081 (東京都江戸川区北葛西3-2-1). Admission to the park, garden and zoo is free.
Heisei Garden and Genshin-an: the Japanese garden
The Heisei Garden opened on April 16, 1989 — the first year of the Heisei era, hence the name — on the north side of the park. It is a pond-centred strolling garden with an artificial hill (tsukiyama chisen kaiyu-shiki), designed to be walked around so the view changes at every turn. Three small pavilions stand by the water — Genshin-an, Rinsen-tei and Tsutsuji-tei — and the path around the pond passes cherry trees, azaleas, Japanese irises and maples. The sukiya-style Genshin-an looks out over the pond, and its entrance is framed by a small dry landscape (karesansui) garden.
Genshin-an is mainly used for cultural activities rather than as a café, and its rooms can be booked by groups for tea ceremony or other traditional arts (the ward lists 9:00–21:00 for room use, by reservation). As a visitor, you can enjoy it from the garden paths. If you would like to try a tea ceremony during your trip, ask at the garden or check the Edogawa City website — occasional public events are held, but they are not daily.
Garden hours: 7:00–19:00 from April to September, and 8:00–18:00 from October to March. Entry is free (Edogawa City Kasai walking course, Weathernews spot page).
When to visit: Gyosen Park through the seasons
| Season | What to see | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Cherry blossoms in the plaza, then azaleas in the garden | Late March to early April; azaleas from late April |
| Early summer | Japanese irises and fresh green maples | June |
| Summer | Shade around the pond; children’s water play at the fountain | July–August |
| Autumn | Maples around the pond and tea house | Late November to early December |
| Winter | Quiet garden, clear skies, short zoo hours | December–February |
Autumn maples in 2026
The Heisei Garden’s autumn colour comes mainly from Japanese maples (momiji) planted around the pond and the tea house. Local koyo guides list the typical peak as late November to early December. For 2026, Japan Meteorological Corporation’s first forecast puts central Tokyo’s maple peak around November 29 (nippon.com summary), so the last days of November and the first week of December are a sensible target. The garden is small, so even at peak it takes 30–45 minutes to walk around slowly and take photos.
We have not found a regular autumn light-up at Gyosen Park in recent years — this is a daytime garden. For evening illuminations, see the light-up section of our Tokyo autumn leaves forecast 2026.
Edogawa City Natural Zoo: free, small and good for kids
Next to the garden, the Natural Zoo is one of the reasons local families love Gyosen Park. It is small — you can see everything in an hour — but it keeps animals you rarely find in a free zoo, including red pandas, Humboldt penguins, South American sea lions, giant anteaters, wallabies, spider monkeys and prairie dogs. A petting corner with rabbits, guinea pigs and goats has been a favourite with children; check the zoo’s current schedule for it before you go.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | Weekdays 10:00–16:30; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9:30. From November to February the zoo closes at 16:00 |
| Closed | Mondays (or the next day if Monday is a public holiday), and December 29 – January 1 |
| Admission | Free |
Source: Edogawa City, Natural Zoo facility page. If you are travelling with children, our guide to Tokyo with kids beyond Disney covers more free parks in Koto and Edogawa.
How to get to Gyosen Park
Gyosen Park is in a residential area, so most visitors arrive on foot from the subway or by Toei bus.
- From Nishi-Kasai Station (Tokyo Metro Tozai Line): about 15 minutes on foot from the North Exit. Nishi-Kasai is about 20 minutes from Otemachi on the Tozai Line.
- By Toei bus 新小21: this route runs between Shinkoiwa Station and Nishi-Kasai Station via Funabori. Get off at Ukita (宇喜田) or Kita-Kasai 2-chome (北葛西二丁目), a short walk from the park. Make sure you board a bus that continues to Nishi-Kasai — some 新小21 buses terminate at Funabori.
- From Funabori Station (Toei Shinjuku Line): take the 新小21 bus towards Nishi-Kasai, or walk. Funabori is one stop from Ichinoe on the Toei Shinjuku Line, so it is convenient if you are coming from Shinjuku or Kudanshita.
- By car: there is no parking at the park itself; paid parking is available nearby.
As always, Google Maps’ transit mode shows live bus departures. Toei buses accept Suica and PASMO and charge a flat fare in the 23 wards.
Combining Gyosen Park with a visit to Fuji Wellness
Gyosen Park and Fuji Wellness are both in Edogawa City. The clinic, at 1-21-14 Matsushima, is about a 5-minute walk from the Keiyo-kosaten (京葉交差点) bus stop, which is served by the same 新小21 route that runs south through Funabori towards Nishi-Kasai. That means you can travel between the clinic area and the park on a single bus, without changing — allow roughly 25–35 minutes door to door depending on connections, or around 15 minutes by taxi.
Some sample plans:
- Saturday or Sunday: a morning session at the clinic (open 8:00–12:00 on weekends and public holidays), lunch near Funabori, then the Heisei Garden and the zoo in the early afternoon, before the zoo closes at 16:00 in winter.
- Tuesday to Thursday: the garden and zoo in the morning (the zoo opens at 10:00 on weekdays), then an afternoon session between 14:00 and 17:00. Avoid Mondays if you want to see the zoo, as it is closed.
The clinic is closed on Fridays and works by appointment only. Many visitors book a session after several long walking days in Tokyo — see our step-by-step guide to getting to Fuji Wellness and our Edogawa page, or send a message through the contact page.
Nearby: more to see in Kasai
If you have extra time, the ward’s Kasai walking course links Gyosen Park to the Kasai Shiki-no-michi, a long, tree-lined waterway path with sculptures and seasonal planting, and onwards towards the riverside parks of the Arakawa and the bay. Kasai Rinkai Park, with Tokyo Sea Life Park and its giant Ferris wheel, is a short bus or train ride south — a good option for a full family day in Edogawa.
For a broader list of quiet gardens across east Tokyo — Kiyosumi Teien, Sarue Onshi Park, Mukojima Hyakkaen and Shibamata — see our guide to autumn leaves in east Tokyo.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gyosen Park free?
Yes. Gyosen Park, the Heisei Garden and the Edogawa City Natural Zoo are all free to enter. Only room bookings at the Genshin-an tea house, made by groups for cultural activities, are charged separately.
When are the autumn leaves best at Gyosen Park?
The maples in the Heisei Garden usually peak from late November to early December. In 2026, with central Tokyo’s maple peak forecast around November 29, the end of November and the first week of December are the best bet.
What are the opening hours of the Heisei Garden?
The Heisei Garden is open 8:00–18:00 from October to March and 7:00–19:00 from April to September. The Natural Zoo has shorter hours and is closed on Mondays and from December 29 to January 1.
How do I get to Gyosen Park from central Tokyo?
Take the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line to Nishi-Kasai and walk about 15 minutes from the North Exit. Alternatively, take the Toei Shinjuku Line to Funabori and change to Toei bus 新小21 towards Nishi-Kasai, getting off at Ukita or Kita-Kasai 2-chome.
Is Gyosen Park good for children?
Yes. The free zoo has red pandas, penguins and sea lions, and there is a playground with a stone slide and a large lawn. Note that the zoo is closed on Mondays and closes at 16:00 from November to February.
Related reading
- Autumn leaves in east Tokyo 2026: quiet koyo spots near Kinshicho and Kameido
- Tokyo autumn leaves forecast 2026: peak dates and best spots
- How to get to Fuji Wellness from Kinshicho, Kameido and Shinkoiwa
- Acupuncture in Edogawa
- Acupuncture near Tokyo Disney Resort
Reviewed by Sunny Pham Sensei, Japan National Acupuncture License (鍼師 / 灸師). Travel information is approximate and may change; please check official sources before your visit. Health content on this site is educational and not medical advice.