Tokyo's Ginkgo Avenue Has a Hidden Design Trick

Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue in Tokyo: 146 ginkgo trees, planted taller at the Aoyama-dori end and lower toward the gallery, so the view pulls you down the avenue. Best in late November to early December.

A golden avenue with a design trick

Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue in Minato, Tokyo, turns into a golden tunnel every late autumn. What most visitors miss is the design: the trees and the ground are higher at the Aoyama-dori end and get gradually lower toward the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery at the far end. It is forced perspective, planned so the gallery looks its best.

By the numbers

146 ginkgo trees, in four rows spaced 9 meters apart, running about 300 meters from Aoyama-dori. Growing began in 1908 and the avenue was completed in 1923, planned by Yoshinobu Orishita, a pioneer of modern Japanese landscape design.

How to enjoy it

Start at the Aoyama-dori end and walk toward the gallery: that is the view the designers had in mind. Peak color is usually late November to early December.

It has become hugely popular with visitors from Japan and abroad, so it gets very crowded at peak. Early morning is the calmest time.

Getting there

Gaienmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is a few minutes' walk away. Aoyama-itchome Station is also close.

Key info

Best time	Late Nov - early Dec (typical)
Access	Gaienmae Sta. (Ginza Line), few min walk

Info as of writing. Check official sites for current hours and prices.

Sources

Photo credits

Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY 2.0 — Wikimedia Commons