Shinjuku Gyoen

Shinjuku Gyoen's gardens are fit for an Emperor. They were the Emperor's private park until the end of WWII when the Americans encouraged Japan's royal family to relinquish a few of their expansive properties for the public good.The gardens were designed in 1906 at the height of Emperor Meiji's power. The Meiji-era was a time of rapid industrialization and westernization in Japan.