Jindai Botanical Gardens

Chofu, Japan, Japan

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Jindai Botanical Gardens, located in Chofu City in western Tokyo, Japan, is the largest botanical garden in the Tokyo area and the only one operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Sprawling across approximately 105 acres (425,433 square meters) at the edge of the Musashino plateau just above the historic Jindai-ji Temple (the second oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo), the garden houses over 100,000 trees and plants representing about 4,800 different varieties. The grounds are divided into 30 distinct areas, each featuring just one kind of plant, including world-renowned rose gardens (the biggest in Tokyo and selected by the World Federation of Rose Societies), azalea gardens, plum gardens, cherry trees, irises, peonies, and chrysanthemums that bloom beautifully throughout all four seasons. A large, recently renovated greenhouse showcases tropical plants and aquatic species, including tropical water lilies, while a spacious lawn area surrounded by cherry blossoms in spring provides a perfect spot for family picnics. The garden opened in 1961 as Tokyo's first professional botanical garden on land that was once a medieval post from 1537 and later a nursery for Tokyo's street trees.