Chrysanthemum Flower Beds Exhibition 菊花壇展

Note: The 2023 installment of this event has already taken place.

The chrysanthemum flower beds exhibition at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a series of flower displays arranged under the shelter called Uwaya. Walk along the winding paths and enjoy the wide variety of colors and unique patterns of the chrysanthemum displays in Japanese Traditional Garden.

Chrysanthemums are said to have first arrived in Japan sometime from the late eighth century to the early ninth century. They were developed over the centuries, and in 1878, the Imperial Household Ministry organized the first chrysanthemum exhibition at Akasaka Palace, mainly for the Imperial Family. Exhibition-quality chrysanthemums were first grown at Akasaka Palace, but in 1904, Shinjuku Gyoen also began cultivating them. Renamed "Kangikukai", the chrysanthemum-viewing party was moved from Akasaka Palace to Shinjuku Gyoen and held there between 1929 and 1936. After WWII, the event was renamed and opened to the public, where it remains to this day.