# Hibiya Park: Tokyo's first Western-style park and its events

Hibiya Park events fill the green square between the Imperial Palace and Ginza: food fairs, a free music festival, a gardening show and a small Christmas market. It opened in 1903 as Japan's first Western-style park and is now in the middle of a long, area-by-area rebuild, so some of its best-known corners are behind fences for now. The list below is updated daily with events in and around the park.

## What Hibiya Park is

In the Edo period this ground was covered with the mansions of feudal lords, and in the early Meiji years it was an army parade ground. Designed by the forestry scientist Dr Seiroku Honda, Hibiya Park opened on June 1, 1903. It was Japan's first Western-style park: Western flower beds with tulips and pansies, which most visitors had never seen, laid out alongside Japanese ponds and stone walls.

Today the park is open all day and free to enter. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is rebuilding it area by area, aiming to finish by 2033, the park's 130th year. In the city's plan, the Great Fountain and the small music stage around it are due back around 2027. The Hibiya Yaon, the open-air concert hall that was a landmark of Japanese rock and folk, closed at the end of September 2025 and is being rebuilt, with a new hall planned around 2029. Hibiya Public Hall is also closed for lengthy earthquake-proofing work. Dates can change, so check the [park's notices](https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/hibiya/index.html).

- → [Imperial Palace: East Gardens, moat walks and palace tours](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/imperial-palace.md)
- → [A year of events in Tokyo, month by month](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/tokyo-year.md)
- → [Events in Chiyoda](https://eventstokyo.com/en/chiyoda.md)

## What to see

Coming in from the Hibiya crossing, the first thing you meet is [Shinji-ike](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92%20%E5%BF%83%E5%AD%97%E6%B1%A0%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921), a pond kept from the moat of Edo Castle, with the rough stone walls of the old [Hibiya Mitsuke](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E8%A6%8B%E9%99%84%E8%B7%A1%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921-6) gate, built in the early Edo period. Next to it is the [First Flower Bed](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92%20%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E8%8A%B1%E5%A3%87%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921-6), the park's original Western garden, with the pelican fountain that has stood there since 1953.

In the middle of the park, the [Kubikake Icho](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92%20%E9%A6%96%E3%81%8B%E3%81%91%E3%82%A4%E3%83%81%E3%83%A7%E3%82%A6%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921) is a ginkgo thought to be 400 to 500 years old. In 1902 it stood in the way of road works at the Hibiya crossing, and Dr Honda saved it by moving it about 450 metres, saying he would stake his neck on it surviving, which is where the name, the 'neck-staking ginkgo', comes from. Beside it, [Matsumoto-ro](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E6%9D%BE%E6%9C%AC%E6%A5%BC%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921-2), a restaurant with a mansard roof, opened in 1903 along with the park. Further in, [Kumogata pond](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92%20%E9%9B%B2%E5%BD%A2%E6%B1%A0%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921) has the crane fountain that has been a symbol of the park since it opened, and its trees colour well in autumn.

[Shibaniwa Hiroba](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92%20%E8%8A%9D%E5%BA%AD%E5%BA%83%E5%A0%B4%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921-6), the former Second Flower Bed, reopened in 2024 as a lawn you are free to walk and sit on, and [Nireno-ki Hiroba](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92%20%E3%81%AB%E3%82%8C%E3%81%AE%E3%81%8D%E5%BA%83%E5%A0%B4%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%921-6), the elm tree square, is where many events set up their stalls.

- Construction fences move as the works go on. The park's [map and notices online](https://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/hibiya/index.html) show which paths are open.
- The park service centre lends wheelchairs free of charge.

- → [Autumn leaves in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/autumn-leaves.md)
- → [Taking photos at Tokyo events](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/photography.md)
- → [Free events in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/free.md)

## The year at Hibiya Park

Spring brings cherry blossoms and then azaleas on Tsutsuji-yama, the small hill near Matsumoto-ro. Usually in late May or early June, the [Hibiya Music Festival](https://hibiyamusicfes.jp/) puts on two days of free concerts across the park, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya and the [Tokyo International Forum](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E5%9B%BD%E9%9A%9B%E3%83%95%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%83%A0%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E4%B8%B8%E3%81%AE%E5%86%853-5-1). Through the warmer months the park hosts food fairs of many kinds, from meat festivals to fairs for regions of Japan, most of them free to enter with food paid per dish. Oktoberfest has also been held here in some past years, though it now usually sets up in Shiba Park and Toyosu.

In October the Hibiya Park Gardening Show fills the lawns with display gardens, container gardens and hanging baskets from a public contest, and the park's own event, Hibiya Park Terrace, brings workshops, markets and outdoor art. In late October and early November the [Tokyo International Film Festival](https://www.tiff-jp.net/en/) takes over the cinemas around Hibiya. The ginkgo trees turn yellow in late November, and in recent years the area around Shinji-ike has been lit up in the evenings in late autumn. In December, Hibiya Park Terrace returns with a Christmas edition and a market. The big Tokyo Christmas Market began here in 2015 but has since moved to other parks, so check where it is each season.

- Most food fairs here take cash or tickets bought at a booth. Bring coins and 1,000-yen notes.
- Weekday lunchtimes are quiet at events; weekend afternoons are the busiest.

- → [Food festivals in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/food-festivals.md)
- → [Beer gardens and beer festivals in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/beer-gardens.md)
- → [Christmas in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/christmas.md)
- → [Flower festivals in Tokyo through the year](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/flowers.md)
- → [Cinema and film festivals in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/film.md)
- → [Food & Drink events in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/food-drink.md)
- → [Live music in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/music.md)
- → [This weekend in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/this-weekend.md)

## Timing, crowds and etiquette

On weekdays Hibiya Park is a lunchtime park: office workers from Kasumigaseki and Marunouchi fill the benches between noon and one. Mornings and late afternoons are calm. On event weekends the paths around the stalls get crowded, but the park is big enough that a few minutes' walk takes you back to quiet lawns.

Smoking is only allowed at marked spots, dogs must be on a lead, and you take your rubbish with you. A picnic is easy: the food halls of the department stores in Ginza and Yurakucho are a few minutes away, and Shibaniwa Hiroba is the obvious place to sit. The park's official X and Instagram accounts post event dates and closures first.

- Shinji-ike and the First Flower Bed are best in the morning light, before the lunch crowd.
- If an event says 雨天中止, it is cancelled in rain. Check its page on wet days.

- → [Going to events in Tokyo: the basics](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/event-basics.md)
- → [Tokyo on a budget: free things to do](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/budget.md)
- → [Tokyo events with a wheelchair or access needs](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/accessibility.md)
- → [Today in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/today.md)
- → [Free events in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/free.md)

## Getting there and nearby

[Hibiya Station](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%A1%E3%83%88%E3%83%AD%20%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%E9%A7%85%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%9C%89%E6%A5%BD%E7%94%BA1-5-1) (Hibiya, Chiyoda and Toei Mita lines) has exits A10 and A14 right at the park, and [Kasumigaseki Station](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%A1%E3%83%88%E3%83%AD%20%E9%9C%9E%E3%82%B1%E9%96%A2%E9%A7%85%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E9%9C%9E%E3%81%8C%E9%96%A22-1-2) (Marunouchi and Chiyoda lines) exit B2 opens onto its west side. [Sakuradamon Station](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%A1%E3%83%88%E3%83%AD%E6%9C%89%E6%A5%BD%E7%94%BA%E7%B7%9A%20%E6%A1%9C%E7%94%B0%E9%96%80%E9%A7%85%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E9%9C%9E%E3%81%8C%E9%96%A22-1-1) on the Yurakucho Line is about five minutes away, and [JR Yurakucho Station](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=JR%20%E6%9C%89%E6%A5%BD%E7%94%BA%E9%A7%85%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%9C%89%E6%A5%BD%E7%94%BA2-9-17&query_place_id=ChIJ1UxPReWLGGARagE2MSfXh7g) about eight.

[Tokyo Midtown Hibiya](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E6%97%A5%E6%AF%94%E8%B0%B7%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%9C%89%E6%A5%BD%E7%94%BA1-1-2), the tower across Hibiya-dori that opened in 2018, has a free terrace garden on its sixth floor, Park View Garden, open from 8am, with a wide view down over the park. The [Imperial Palace Outer Garden](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E7%9A%87%E5%B1%85%E5%A4%96%E8%8B%91%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E7%9A%87%E5%B1%85%E5%A4%96%E8%8B%911-1) begins just across the road to the north, past the moat, and [Sakuradamon](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%A1%9C%E7%94%B0%E9%96%80%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E7%9A%87%E5%B1%85%E5%A4%96%E8%8B%91) gate is a short walk. The theatres of Hibiya, including the [Takarazuka Theater](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E5%AE%9D%E5%A1%9A%E5%8A%87%E5%A0%B4%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E6%9C%89%E6%A5%BD%E7%94%BA1-1-3) and the Nissay Theatre, are on the park's east side, Ginza is a few minutes' walk beyond them, and Marunouchi's [Naka-dori](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=%E4%B8%B8%E3%81%AE%E5%86%85%E4%BB%B2%E9%80%9A%E3%82%8A%20%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E5%8D%83%E4%BB%A3%E7%94%B0%E5%8C%BA%E4%B8%B8%E3%81%AE%E5%86%852%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE), lit up in winter, is a short walk north.

- → [Imperial Palace: East Gardens, moat walks and palace tours](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/imperial-palace.md)
- → [Ginza, Yurakucho and Hibiya: events and tips](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/ginza.md)
- → [Tokyo Station, Marunouchi and Nihonbashi](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/marunouchi.md)
- → [Winter illuminations in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/winter-illuminations.md)
- → [Kabuki, noh and rakugo in Tokyo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/kabuki.md)
- → [Events in Chiyoda](https://eventstokyo.com/en/chiyoda.md)
- → [Events in Chuo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/chuo.md)

## All events, soonest first

- **[Hibiya Art Park 2026 - Timeless Phenomena: Things That Seem Real -](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/hibiya-art-park-2026-timeless-phenomena)** — Fri, Nov 13, 2026 09:00 – Sun, Nov 29, 2026 (JST) · Hibiya Park (Chiyoda) · Free entry
- **[Musical: Maybe, a Happy Ending (November Performances)](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/musical-maybe-a-happy-ending-november-performances)** — Fri, Nov 20, 2026 18:00 – Fri, Nov 27, 2026 (JST) · Theatre Creation · ¥12,500–¥13,500
- **[Autumn Foliage at Hibiya Park](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/autumn-foliage-at-hibiya-park)** — Sat, Nov 21, 2026 – Thu, Dec 10, 2026 (JST) · Hibiya Park (Chiyoda) · Free entry
- **[Musical: 'Maybe, a Happy Ending' (e+ Exclusive Performance)](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/musical-maybe-a-happy-ending-e-exclusive-performance)** — Tue, Dec 1, 2026 13:00 – Sat, Dec 5, 2026 (JST) · Theatre Creation · price on the official site
- **[Musical: La Cage aux Folles – The Clowns in the Cage](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/musical-la-cage-aux-folles-the-clowns-in-the)** — Wed, Dec 9, 2026 18:00 – Tue, Dec 29, 2026 (JST) · Nissei Theatre (Chiyoda) · ¥2,000〜¥16,000
- **[Musical: La Cage aux Folles (e+ Exclusive Performance)](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/musical-la-cage-aux-folles-e-exclusive-performance)** — Sun, Dec 13, 2026 13:00 (JST) · Nissei Theatre (Chiyoda) · ¥6,000–¥16,000
- **[Naoto Kaiho Concert “ever after” (December Dates)](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/naoto-kaiho-concert-ever-after-12)** — Sat, Dec 19, 2026 18:00 – Wed, Dec 23, 2026 (JST) · Theatre Creation · price on the official site
- **[Musical: Finding Neverland](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/musical-finding-neverland)** — Fri, Jan 8, 2027 18:00 – Sat, Jan 30, 2027 (JST) · Nissei Theatre (Chiyoda) · price on the official site
- **[15th Anniversary Rakugo Performance at Chiyoda Hibiya Library & Museum: Enjoying Edo's Food, Literature, and Beauty through Rakugo](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/15th-anniversary-rakugo-performance-at-chiyoda-hibiya-library)** — Sat, Nov 7, 2026 (JST) · Hibiya Library & Museum, B1 Hibiya Convention Hall (Large Hall) (Chiyoda) · price on the official site
- **[CROSSCUT ASIA+ Symposium: SIDE BY SIDE in Time and Place – Evolving Archives and Cinema Reexamining History](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/crosscut-asiaside-by-side-symposium-side-by-side-in-time-and-place-archives-in-becoming-cinema-reopens-history)** — Thu, Oct 29, 2026 17:30 (JST) · LEXUS MEETS... (Chiyoda) · Free entry
- **[[Emergency Rally] Woof for One – Demonstration at Hibiya Park on November 1](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/111-for-one)** — Sun, Nov 1, 2026 14:00 (JST) · Hibiya Park (Chiyoda) · Free entry
- **[Tokyo Front Runners - 5K Imperial Palace Beer Run](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/tokyo-front-runners-5k)** — Sun, Nov 15, 2026 16:00 (JST) · Tokyo Midtown Hibiya (Chiyoda) · Free entry
- **[No9_See Gardens Differently! The History and Appreciation of Japanese Gardens](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/no9-see-gardens-differently-the-history-and-appreciation-of)** — Sat, Dec 5, 2026 10:00 (JST) · Midori to Mizu no Shimin College (Chiyoda) · ¥1,580
- **[FREEDOM OF CHOICE (Private e+ Event)](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/freedom-of-choice-e)** — Sat, Jan 16, 2027 12:30 (JST) · Theatre Creation · price on the official site
- **[Everything You Want to Know About Tokyo's Groundwater: From Life-Giving to Dangerous Waters](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/everything-you-want-to-know-about-tokyos-groundwater-from-life-giving)** — Thu, Oct 29, 2026 (JST) · Hibiya Library & Museum, B1 Hibiya Convention Hall (Large Hall) (Chiyoda) · price on the official site
- **[24th Cherry Tree Conservation and Management Seminar](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/24th-cherry-tree-conservation-and-management-seminar)** — Thu, Nov 12, 2026 13:00 (JST) · Hibiya Library & Museum, Hibiya Convention Hall (Chiyoda) · price on the official site
- **[No. 18 Evening Class: Tully’s Coffee College – How to Brew Delicious Coffee, Part 2](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/no18-tullys-coffee-college)** — Fri, Feb 26, 2027 18:00 (JST) · Tully's Coffee Hibiya Park Store (Chiyoda) · ¥1,200
- **[Exclusive Career Networking Event for 2026 & 2027 Graduates: Challenge Yourself in a 4-Hour Session with the CEO of a 13 Billion Yen Company (Includes Social Gathering)](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/2829130jpy4)** — Sun, Nov 8, 2026 14:00 (JST) · Hibiya Park Front (Chiyoda) · ¥3,000
- **[HIBIYA CINEMA FESTIVAL 2026](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/hibiya-cinema-festival-2026)** — Fri, Oct 9, 2026 – Sun, Oct 25, 2026 (JST) · Tokyo Midtown Hibiya (Chiyoda) · Free entry
- **[24th Hibiya Park Gardening Show 2026](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/24th-hibiya-park-gardening-show-2026)** — Sat, Oct 17, 2026 – Sun, Oct 25, 2026 (JST) · Hibiya Park (Chiyoda) · price on the official site
- **[Musical: 101 Dalmatians](https://eventstokyo.com/en/events/musical-101-dalmatians)** — Tue, Oct 13, 2026 18:00 – Thu, Oct 29, 2026 (JST) · Nissei Theatre (Chiyoda) · ¥10,000〜

## Questions people ask

**Is Hibiya Park free and open at night?**
Yes. The park is free and open all day; only some facilities, like the tennis courts, charge or keep hours.

**Is Hibiya Yaon open?**
No. The open-air concert hall closed at the end of September 2025 for rebuilding, and the city plans a new hall around 2029.

**When will the Great Fountain reopen?**
The fountain and the small music stage around it are being rebuilt, and the city's plan has them back around 2027. Check the park's notices for updates.

**Is there a Christmas market in Hibiya Park?**
The big Tokyo Christmas Market started here in 2015 but now runs in other parks. In recent years Hibiya Park Terrace has held a smaller Christmas market in December.

**What events are held in Hibiya Park?**
Food fairs through the warmer months, the free Hibiya Music Festival in late spring, the Gardening Show and Hibiya Park Terrace in autumn, and a Christmas edition in December.

**Is the rooftop garden at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya free?**
Yes. Park View Garden on the sixth floor is free and opens from 8am, with a view over the park.

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Tokyo Events: https://eventstokyo.com/en/guides/hibiya-park