Parks & gardens
Inokashira Park
Inokashira Park is a park which straddles Musashino and Mitaka in western Tokyo, Japan. Inokashira Pond (井の頭池) and the Kanda River water source , established during the Edo period, are the primary sources of the Kanda River.
What it is
Inokashira Park is a pond-centered park in western Tokyo, built around Inokashira Pond, which was developed as a water source for the Kanda River during the Edo period. Paths circle the water and continue into surrounding woodland, and there's a small zoo section with a modest aquarium. It's a place to walk, rent a rowboat on the pond, or sit by the water rather than a single-attraction sight — the kind of park locals use on weekends more than a landmark tourists cross town for on its own.
Getting there
The park sits near Kichijoji Station, reachable from central Tokyo by train — Kichijoji is on the JR Chuo/Sobu lines and the Keio Inokashira line, generally 20-30 minutes from Shinjuku or Shibuya. From the station it's a short walk, around 5-10 minutes, to the park entrance.
Time to allow
An hour or two covers a walk around the pond and a look at the zoo/aquarium area. Add more time if you want to rent a boat, linger at a café nearby, or combine the visit with the Ghibli Museum.
When to go
Weekends and holidays bring noticeably more people, especially around the pond and boat rental area. Cherry blossom season draws large crowds since the pond is lined with trees, and autumn foliage is another busy stretch. Weekday mornings are quieter for a calmer walk.
Combining with nearby sights
The Ghibli Museum is right next to the park, about 0.2km away, and is the natural pairing — many visitors do both in one outing. Other nearby attractions like Tokyo Mosque, Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, and Yoyogi Park are all over 10km away, so they're better treated as separate trips rather than combined with this one.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
