Ikejiri

About Hibiya Park

Hibiya Park is a public park and gardens located in Chiyoda City, Tokyo.

The park is surrounded by the east gardens of the Imperial Palace to the north, the Shinbashi district to the southeast and Kasumigaseki government district to the west.

During the Edo period the land that makes up the park was occupied by the estates of the Mōri and Nabeshima clans.

During the Meiji period the space was used for army manoeuvres, however it was converted to a park and opened to the public on June 1, 1903.

Hibiya Park is also home to Shisei Kaikan, a gothic style building built in 1929 that has been home to multiple Japanese news outlets, as well as the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall.

The park is also home to a famous Ginkgo tree named "Risky Ginkgo".

The tree got its name when it was set to be cut down to make way for expansion of Hibiya Street in 1901, as Seiroku Honda, the main designer of the park, wanted to relocate the tree even though it may put his career in danger by failing to do so.

It took 25 days to move the tree 450 meters in the park and the Ginkgo survives to this day.