Rainy Day in Tokyo? What Happens to Your Garden Tour, and Why Japanese Gardens Shine in the Rain

Oct 3

3 min read

September is ending and the autumn rain season (akisame) has arrived in Tokyo. The air is soft and damp, and the mornings are finally cool.

One of the questions we hear most often when guests book a tour is: "What happens if it rains?" It's one of the questions on our FAQ, and today I'd like to answer it in a bit more detail. Then, as a gardener, I'll share why a rainy day might be one of the best days to see a Japanese garden.

Tour guests with umbrellas beside the pond at Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Tokyo on a rainy day — A rainy-day tour in September: umbrellas up beside the pond at Koishikawa Korakuen.

This photo is from a rainy morning in early September, when I walked through Koishikawa Korakuen with our guests. We put up our umbrellas and took our time around the pond.

The wet paving stones glistened, and the water lily leaves and the trees looked far greener than on a sunny day. It's hard to believe Tokyo Dome is right next door. Only the sound of the rain... this is a side of the garden you only see on a rainy day.

What happens to the tour if it rains?

We're flexible and respond to the weather on the day.

Light rain: After checking with you, we go ahead with the e-bike tour in rain gear. The electric assist makes wet slopes easy.
Heavier rain: Depending on the conditions, we switch to a walking tour.
Typhoons or anything unsafe: If safety can't be ensured, we'll talk with you about rescheduling or cancelling.

If you're worried about the forecast, just get in touch. We're happy to talk it through.

Rain-soaked stone path leading through a garden gate into a green Japanese garden in Tokyo — A rain-soaked stone path through a garden gate. The green beyond looks deeper than ever.

Why a gardener loves Japanese gardens in the rain

Moss comes alive

Moss loves rain. On dry days it curls up and looks brownish, but after a shower it opens up, soft and full, in the brightest green you'll see all year.

Bright green moss and wet stepping stones in a Japanese garden after rain — Rain-soaked moss and dark, glistening stepping stones.

Wet stones show their true colors

Stones deepen in color when wet, and their patterns stand out. In the tea ceremony, the host sprinkles water over the roji (tea garden path) before guests arrive, a custom called uchimizu. Japanese people have long treasured the look of wet stone and moss.

Wet stone path lined with ferns and plants after rain in Tokyo — A stone path and ferns just after the rain.

Mossy stone lanterns and stone steps on a shady green garden path — A mossy path of stone steps and lanterns, cool and green.

The sound of water

Rain tapping on your umbrella, ripples spreading across a pond, a stone water basin (tsukubai) slowly filling. Stand still for a moment and you'll notice how many quiet sounds a garden holds.

Stone water basin (tsukubai) surrounded by rocks and a stone lantern in a Japanese garden — A tsukubai water basin. On rainy days, watch the ripples on the surface.

There's a Japanese phrase, uki seikō, that comes from a poem by the Chinese Song-dynasty poet Su Dongpo. It means that a landscape is lovely in sunshine and wondrous in the rain. That's exactly how I feel about Japanese gardens.

Things to do in Tokyo's gardens on a rainy day

Walk through a shrine forest

On a rainy day, Meiji Jingu is quieter than usual and the forest smells even richer. Inside the Inner Garden (Gyoen) is Kiyomasa's Well, a peaceful spring where clear water flows.

Wooden torii gate and tall trees at Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo after rain — Meiji Jingu after the rain, its gravel approach still damp.

Kiyomasa's Well spring and wet stepping stones in the Meiji Jingu Inner Garden — Kiyomasa's Well in the Meiji Jingu Inner Garden.

Take a tea break

When the rain gets heavier, shelter in a garden teahouse. Koishikawa Korakuen, the garden in the first photo, has one too. Sipping matcha with a Japanese sweet while you look out at the garden is a little luxury.

Matcha green tea and a Japanese sweet at a teahouse overlooking Koishikawa Korakuen Garden — A matcha break at the teahouse in Koishikawa Korakuen, with the garden just outside the window.

Watch the garden from a tatami room

Some gardens in Tokyo still have traditional Japanese houses where you can sit inside and look out. Sitting on the veranda or a tatami floor, simply watching the rain fall on the garden... people in old Japan surely spent rainy days just like this.

View of a green garden from a tatami room in a traditional Japanese house — A garden framed by a tatami room. On a rainy day, sitting and watching is enough.

Rainy days also mean fewer visitors, and sometimes you'll have a garden almost to yourself. The guests in the photo above enjoyed the quiet, rain-washed garden too. If it's just a light rain, I hope you'll give it a try.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Do tours run on rainy days?

Yes. In light rain, after checking with you, we run the e-bike tour in rain gear.

Q. What if the rain is heavy?

Depending on the weather, we switch to a walking tour.

Q. What happens if a typhoon is coming?

If safety can't be ensured, we'll discuss rescheduling or cancelling with you.

Q. Which gardens are best on a rainy day?

Gardens with beautiful moss, and gardens with a teahouse or a traditional house, where you can take shelter. Koishikawa Korakuen is a good example: its pond and stones look lovely in the rain, and you can wait out a shower at the teahouse.

Q. When does it rain most in Tokyo?

During the rainy season (tsuyu) in June and July, and during the autumn rains and typhoon season in September and October.

For bookings, please contact us through the Contact page on our website or by email, or check available dates on our booking page.

Besides e-bike tours, bikeTKgardens also offers walking tours and tours using public transportation, tours for families with small children, private charters and tea ceremony experiences in Japanese gardens.

bikeTKgardens | Tokyo Garden Tours Guided by a Professional Gardener