Researched guide · Checked on Oct 19, 2026
Tachikawa and Kunitachi, 30 minutes west of Shinjuku, are home to Showa Kinen Park, Tokyo’s biggest park, where you can easily spend a whole day. Add a recreated Edo-period farming village, an aurora dome at the Polar Science Museum, a walk inside a real sewer pipe, and Kunitachi’s tree-lined University Street.
Quick answer
Getting there: Tachikawa Station (JR Chuo, Ome and Nambu lines)
Time needed: A full day
Best time: Spring for flowers and cherry blossoms; autumn leaves on Daigaku-dori
Good for: Families, picnics, cycling, quirky museums
Plan Your Visit to Tachikawa and Kunitachi
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Overview
| Getting there | Tachikawa Station (JR Chuo, Ome and Nambu lines) |
| Time needed | A full day |
| Best time | Spring for flowers and cherry blossoms; autumn leaves on Daigaku-dori |
| Good for | Families, picnics, cycling, quirky museums |
Best Things to Do
Showa Kinen Park
Tokyo’s biggest park, built to commemorate Emperor Showa, with broad flower fields, a Japanese garden, cycling paths, paddleboats and playgrounds. The Tachikawa Festival fireworks, around 5,000 of them, are held here each year: check the date online.
Kodaira Furusato Mura
An outdoor park recreating a pre-modern farming village, where you can learn how farmers lived in the Edo period.
Polar Science Museum
Run by the National Institute of Polar Research, a short train ride from Tachikawa, with exhibits on Antarctic and Arctic research and aurora images on a 4-meter dome.
Kodaira Fureai Sewerage Museum
Free entry: walk inside a real, unused sewer pipe and learn how waste water is treated.
Daigaku-dori, Kunitachi
“University Street” runs south from Kunitachi Station past Hitotsubashi University, lined with cherry trees in spring and autumn leaves in fall.
More museums
The Tamashin Museum of Art (Tama-region artists, modern Japanese painting and antique ceramics), the Musashino Art University Museum & Library (check visitor rules first) and the Bridgestone Innovation Gallery for car fans.
Food & Drink
- Bring a picnic for Showa Kinen Park.
- Tachikawa Station has many places to eat: use our restaurant finder.
Find places to eat with our restaurant finder.
Best Restaurants in Tachikawa and Kunitachi
Affordable eel rice bowls near Tachikawa Station, with an English menu.
- English menu
- Reservations: see details
Shopping
- Shops and department stores around Tachikawa Station.
Where to Stay
Most visitors make this a day trip from central Tokyo. Shinjuku, the starting point for trains west, has the widest choice of hotels: see Best hotels in Shinjuku.
Search hotels in Tachikawa and Kunitachi
Getting There
- Tachikawa Station: JR Chuo Line, Ome Line and Nambu Line.
- From Shinjuku: about 30 minutes on the JR Chuo Line Special Rapid. From Tokyo Station: about 50 minutes.
- From the airports: about 1 hour 25 minutes by train from Haneda, or about 2 hours 15 minutes from Narita.
New to Tokyo trains? See Trains in Tokyo and How to use Suica.
Suggested Itinerary
- MorningShowa Kinen Park: flower fields and cycling
- Walk
- LunchPicnic in the park
- AfternoonDaigaku-dori in Kunitachi
- Train
- OrKodaira Furusato Mura or the Polar Science Museum
Travel Tips
- Showa Kinen Park is very large: allow plenty of time.
- Check the fireworks date if you visit in summer.
- The Sewerage Museum is free and unusual.
FAQ
What is the biggest park in Tokyo?
Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa, according to GO TOKYO.
How far is Tachikawa from Shinjuku?
About 30 minutes on the JR Chuo Line Special Rapid.
Is Tachikawa good for families?
Yes: Showa Kinen Park, Kodaira Furusato Mura and several hands-on museums.
Travel Essentials
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Sources
Information comes from the official sources below (checked October 19, 2026). Hours and prices change, so please check before you go.
