Institute for Nature Study
Meguro, Tokyo
1 May to 31 Aug
- Tue to Sun
- 9:00 to 17:00
- Mon
- Closed
Rest of the year
- Tue to Sun
- 9:00 to 16:30
- Mon
- Closed
Last entry 16:00. When Monday is a public holiday, it opens that day and closes on Tuesday. Also closed the day after a public holiday (unless that's a weekend) and 28 December to 4 January.
Source: ins.kahaku.go.jp, checked 9 Oct 2026.
The Institute for Nature Study is a 20-hectare protected piece of wild Musashino forest near Meguro Station, run by the National Museum of Nature and Science as a living record of what Tokyo looked like before the city. More than 200 native plant species, dragonfly ponds, birds and even tanuki.
More photos of Institute for Nature Study
Insider tip
Visitor numbers are capped to keep it calm, and it's cash only, 320 yen. Closed Mondays. Pair it with the Teien Art Museum next door. Autumn brings the foliage, spring the birdsong.
What's on near Institute for Nature Study
Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Institute for Nature Study, from the weekly Tokyo events calendar.
Marimekko: The Power of Pattern
マリメッコ展 模様のちから
Time 10:00 to 18:00 Station Meguro (JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line), 7 min walk
This exhibition explores the world of Marimekko design through color and pattern. The show runs at the Art Deco former Asaka family residence and continues into late December, giving visitors a final chance to see it before the new year.
TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋), CC BY 2.0 Spinning Love, Carving Prayers: Lithuanian Handcraft
愛を紡ぎ、祈りを刻む―リトアニアの手仕事―
Time 10:00 to 18:00 Station Meguro (JR Yamanote Line, Namboku Line), 7 min walk
Lithuanian folk craft in the Art Deco rooms of the former Prince Asaka residence: carved spinning boards that men gave the women they loved, textiles, and the wooden crosses and saint figures that once stood at village entrances and crossroads. It's part of the cultural programme for Lithuania's 2027 presidency of the Council of the EU.
TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋), CC BY 2.0 Hyakudan Kaidan special opening (Hotel Gajoen's listed hundred-step building)
東京都指定有形文化財「百段階段」 文化財建築特別公開
Time 11:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30); closed Wednesdays and 28 Dec to 1 Jan; limited 17:00 to 18:00 evening and guided slots by booking
The 1935 wooden staircase building of the former Meguro Gajoen, with painted ceilings and seven decorated rooms, opened almost empty so the building itself is the exhibit.
Meguro SUN Matsuri (Meguro Citizens' Festival)
Station Meguro (JR Yamanote Line, Tokyu Meguro Line), 9 min walk
Meguro ward's annual festival, best known for charcoal-grilled sanma (Pacific saury) sent from Kesennuma in Miyagi and handed out free, a nod to the classic rakugo story Meguro no Sanma. Around the fish there are regional food stalls, a flea market, and stage performances by the Meguro River. Check the ward site for how the grilled-fish tickets are allocated.
Smaller local events nearby
Institute for Nature Study guided tour Garden
Sat 24 Oct · Institute for Nature Study, Shirokanedai
A guided tour of the Institute for Nature Study, the National Museum of Nature and Science's woodland garden in Shirokanedai.
Map · Source: 国立科学博物館 · 自然教育園ツアー10月24日 (土)
Nearby
Good to know
- What is the address of Institute for Nature Study?
- 5-21-5 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo (in Japanese: 東京都港区白金台5-21-5).
- What are the opening hours of Institute for Nature Study?
- 1 May to 31 Aug: Tue to Sun 9:00 to 17:00; Closed Mon. Rest of the year: Tue to Sun 9:00 to 16:30; Closed Mon. Last entry 16:00. When Monday is a public holiday, it opens that day and closes on Tuesday. Also closed the day after a public holiday (unless that's a weekend) and 28 December to 4 January.
- How do I get to Institute for Nature Study?
- The nearest station is Shirokanedai (Namboku / Mita Line) or Meguro (JR Yamanote). Institute for Nature Study is in Meguro, Tokyo.
- How much does Institute for Nature Study cost?
- Institute for Nature Study is cheap, marked ¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Institute for Nature Study?
- Plan for 1-2 hours.
- When is the best time to visit Institute for Nature Study?
- Autumn.
Stay near Institute for Nature Study
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