Shiba Park: Picnic Spots & Tokyo Tower Walking Course
Tokyo Mate
Tokyo Shiba Park sits right under Tokyo Tower — a representative Tokyo park where you can picnic, see cherry blossoms, and walk for free. Here's a half-day route through Shiba Park → Zojoji → Tokyo Tower, plus picnic spots, cherry blossom timing, cafés, and recommended walking courses, all in one place.
Shiba Park Basics: Location, Admission & Access
Shiba Park, designated in 1873, is one of the very first public parks in Japan.
What makes it unusual is that the park forms a doughnut shape around Zojoji Temple and the Prince hotels.
Roads divide it into multiple sections (No. 1 ~ No. 25).
| Item | Details |
| Admission | Free |
| Hours | 24 hours (always open) |
| Address | Shibakoen 1–4 chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 📍 View on Google Maps |
💡 There are two hotels with similar names inside the Shiba Park area, easy to mix up.
The Prince Park Tower Tokyo: the hotel right next to Prince Shiba Park
Tokyo Prince Hotel: the hotel right next to Zojoji Temple
The most convenient stations are Shibakoen Station or Onarimon Station.
Both are about 2 minutes from the exit to the park.
| Station | Line | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Shibakoen | Toei Mita Line | 2 min |
| Onarimon | Toei Mita Line | 2 min |
| Daimon | Toei Asakusa / Oedo Line | 5 min |
| Akabanebashi | Toei Oedo Line | 2 min |
| Hamamatsucho | JR Yamanote Line | 12 min |
Tokyo Tower Right Above You: Best Picnic Spots in Shiba Park
The biggest draw of a Shiba Park picnic is being able to look up at the massive Tokyo Tower while taking it easy. Sit down on the green grass with a mat and the red Tokyo Tower feels like it's directly overhead.
1️⃣ Minato City Shiba Park (Section No. 1)
The first open space you meet as you exit Shibakoen Station. Easy to access, with a wide lawn — perfect for a casual picnic.
Highlights: The plum garden (bairin) blooms first in early spring, followed by cherry blossoms and seasonal flowers.
Facilities: Restrooms available
⭕️ Picnic mats OK
2️⃣ Prince Shiba Park
One of the best picnic spots, with the most open view of Tokyo Tower. It sits on slightly higher ground, so you get this fantastic composition where you and Tokyo Tower seem to be sitting side by side.
Location: A wide, well-kept lawn behind The Prince Park Tower Tokyo (open to the public)
Highlights: Cherry blossoms in spring and bright roses in May — a quietly photogenic spot
⭕️ Picnic mats OK
3️⃣ Nobi-Nobi Plaza (Section No. 18)
Located right at the foot of Tokyo Tower — the closest section to the tower. With a slide and sandpit, it's a popular family picnic spot.
Highlights: A powerful angle looking straight up the red steel framework of Tokyo Tower
⭕️ Picnic mats OK
4️⃣ Maple Valley (Momijidani)
A natural picnic space with a quiet, woodland feel. You can catch a partial glimpse of Tokyo Tower through the dense trees — a tucked-away kind of view.
Highlights: True to its name, in autumn it turns into one of the city's best-kept maple-leaf spots in the heart of central Tokyo
Facilities: Restrooms available
❌ No picnic mats
5️⃣ Assembly Plaza (Section No. 23)
The largest plaza in Metropolitan Shiba Park. The open space is great for spreading out a mat, and the upper part of Tokyo Tower rising above the thick trees makes for a great photo.
Highlights: A four-season photo spot — cherry blossoms in spring, red maples and yellow ginkgo in autumn
Facilities: Restrooms available
⭕️ Picnic mats OK
Practical Picnic Tips
- Eating allowed: Bringing in food is OK — convenience-store bento and drinks are a good pick
- No fire: BBQs and burners are not allowed
- No tents
- No trash bins: Take your trash with you
Shiba Park Cherry Blossom Season Guide
There are about 140 cherry trees throughout Shiba Park.
The mix of varieties — Somei Yoshino, Yamazakura, Satozakura, and others — means you can enjoy cherry blossoms over a long stretch from mid-March to mid-April.
| Section (Location) | Bloom Period | Variety & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Section No. 1 | Late March – early April | Somei Yoshino + plum garden (Ginsekai) Reopening April 1, 2026 after construction Picnic mats allowed |
| Section No. 4 | Late March – mid April | Somei Yoshino + Kanzan (double-flowered cherry) Late-cherry walking path to enjoy after Somei Yoshino has fallen |
| Sections No. 17 & No. 23 | Late March – early April | Somei Yoshino (main spots) Picnic mats allowed |
| Section No. 18 | Late February – mid March | Kawazu-zakura · Kanhi-zakura The earliest cherry blossom spot |
Note: Shiba Park does not do nighttime cherry blossom light-ups.
🌸 For a full comparison of Tokyo cherry blossom spots:
👉 2026 Tokyo Cherry Blossom Spots: Top 10 Roundup
🌸 For detailed bloom dates and forecasts:
👉 2026 Tokyo Cherry Blossom Forecast
Cafés Near Shiba Park
There are no kiosks inside Shiba Park itself, so it's best to grab drinks and snacks from a nearby café or convenience store before heading in.
Shiba Park Café
Le Pain Quotidien Shibakoen is an all-day bakery restaurant right in front of Tokyo Prince Hotel. The terrace seats are a nice spot to take in spring (54 terrace seats).
⏰ Hours: Daily 07:30 – 21:00
Convenience-store picnic
The most practical option: pick up a bento, onigiri, and drinks at a konbini near the station and head to the lawn. There's a convenience store on the way from Daimon Station to Shiba Park.
For meals, head toward Daimon Station
Right next to Shiba Park, the area around Daimon Station is packed with good-value ramen, udon, and teishoku spots.
Shiba Park has no admission fee and is open 24 hours, so it's easy to walk past on your way to Tokyo Tower. But sitting on the grass and looking up at Tokyo Tower is one of the most relaxed moments you'll get on a Tokyo trip.
During cherry blossom season especially, the view of Zojoji together with Tokyo Tower feels even more special. If you're heading to Tokyo Tower, work Zojoji and Shiba Park into the same walking course.
🧡 Related Shiba Park Guides
👉 Tokyo Zojoji Temple Guide: Sangedatsumon, Jizo Statues & Tokyo Tower View