Spring is generally the time of year people associate with “sakura,” the Japanese word for cherry blossom. Their bloom brings a flood of visitors from around the globe, marking the busiest time of year to visit Japan. But don’t sleep on fall, the best time of year to leaf-peep, even for Japanese flora — and you don’t have to head to East Asia to see it. As TripAdvisor lays out, there are a bunch of incredible Japanese gardens around the United States — and some of them are pretty popular, too.
Located in San Francisco’s famed Golden Gate Park, the Japanese Tea Garden is a four-acre refuge dedicated to showing off Japanese foliage, architecture and gardens. It has 4.5/5.0 stars on TripAdvisor with more than 3,300 reviews. You can choose to walk the gardens, take a Segway tour, or explore the grounds as part of a guided tour around the city.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden — Brooklyn, New York
When you think about Brooklyn, you probably don’t think “beautiful outdoor space and gardens.” But that’s where you’re wrong: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a whopping 52 acres of beauty smack dab in the heart of the borough. With a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor, this garden is a great place to check out no matter the time of year. It’s also known for being a jaw-dropping spot for weddings, events and parties of all kind.
Portland Japanese Garden — Portland, Ore.
Rated as one of the top-20 best things to do in all of Portland on TripAdvisor, the Portland Japanese Garden is well worth checking out if you’re in town. This garden is so well put together, in fact, that it’s widely considered the most authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan. Year-round, this garden offers unparalleled beauty and picturesque backdrops for you to journey through and truly absorb the Japanese culture.
Anderson Japanese Gardens — Rockford, Ill.
Ranked on TripAdvisor as the second best thing to do in all of Rockford, the 5-star-rated Anderson Japanese Gardens are a surprising gem in the middle of the country. These incredible gardens strive to show visitors the natural beauty of Japan, and pride themselves on offering programs, events, and opportunities ot anyone who wants to experience Japanese culture.
Missouri Botanical Garden — St. Louis, Mo.
Rounding off this list of five of the best Japanese gardens in the country, the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis has a perfect 5-star rating on TripAdvisor. This 160+ year old Japanese garden is actually a National Historic Landmark and considered one of the three best botanical gardens in the world. That’s any garden, in the entire world — not just among Japanese gardens. If you get the chance to visit, the 79-acre garden is worth spending an entire day at!
These are just a few of the top options to consider. If you want to see more, check out the rest of TripAdvisor’s best Japanese gardens in the U.S.