Covering 58 hectares, Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s largest parks. It was opened to the public in 1949, after it had served as a garden for the Imperial Family since 1903.
Shinjuku Gyoen features three garden types: an English landscape garden with wide lawns, a traditional Japanese garden with teahouses and a symmetrically arranged, formal French garden. Furthermore, there are some forested areas and a greenhouse (the greenhouse is being reconstructed until 2011).
Shinjuku Gyoen is home to a large number of cherry trees of more than a dozen different species, making the park one of Tokyo’s most popular and pleasant hanami spots during late March and most of April.- japan-guide.com