The newly opened Sea Forest Park aka Umi no Mori Park (海の森公園) is a curated forest park just off of Odaiba on one of the new islands built by landfill in Tokyo Bay. There are many places to relax and just enjoy the natural scenery and large airplanes flying in and out of neighbouring Haneda Airport. If you are looking for a condensed version of natural Japanese forests before they were cut down to create the cedar wonderland that takes up most of the Japanese countryside today, then this is for you.
Information about Tokyo Sea Forest Park | Umi no Mori
Address:
〒135-0066
3-3-76 Uminomori, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Contact:
03-5962-4560
Open hours:
8:00 am – 19:00 pm (entry until 4pm)
Closed:
The sidewalk is closed on the third Tuesday of every month and the first Tuesday of December (or the following day if that date falls on a national holiday).
Use may be restricted during bad weather, snow, or ice.
For more information , please see the official Port and Harbor Bureau website here.
Entrance fee:
There is no fee to enter the park but if you come by car then regular cars (length 5.0m, width 2.0m, height 2.0m or less):
500 yen per day on weekdays, 1,000 yen per day on weekends and holidays.
*Payment is made after the fact. Fees are charged for each entry. Cash, credit card, and PayPay are accepted. Payment cannot be made with electronic money such as public transport money.
Large buses, etc.: 2,000 yen per day
Rising from a former landfill site in Tokyo Bay, Umi no Mori Park (海の森公園), or Tokyo Seaside Park, stands as a testament to urban renewal, environmental conservation, and the power of community collaboration. This expansive green space, a project of monumental scale, transforms a mountainous pile of waste into a lush, vibrant forest, offering a tranquil escape from the bustling city and a new model for sustainable urban development.
History and Development
The story of Umi no Mori Park is one of transformation. The land it now occupies was once a massive landfill, a “mountain of garbage” created from 12.3 million tons of waste and construction debris collected between 1973 and 1987. The visionary “Umi no Mori Project,” led by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, aimed to turn this desolate landscape into a verdant forest. The project’s core philosophy was based on two key principles: “resource recycling” and “citizen collaboration.” Instead of importing soil, the project ingeniously used a “sandwich structure” of alternating layers of garbage and construction soil. To create the fertile ground necessary for a forest, they developed a unique topsoil by composting pruned branches and leaves from Tokyo’s street trees, effectively closing the loop on a massive waste stream.
Construction began in the early 2000s, but the grand opening was a long-term vision. While a portion of the park, including the Umi no Mori Waterway, was opened for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games (held in 2021) to host rowing and canoeing events, the full park officially opened to the public on March 28, 2025. This gradual development allowed the young forest to take root and mature, a patient process that reflects the park’s long-term environmental goals. The project was not only a government initiative but a massive community effort, with countless volunteers participating in tree-planting ceremonies and environmental events over the years. This collective ownership is a defining feature of the park’s identity.
Ecology and Biodiversity
The ecological success of Umi no Mori Park is its most remarkable achievement. The park’s landscape architecture was designed to foster a self-sustaining ecosystem from the ground up. To protect the nascent forest from strong sea winds and salt damage, a “Wind Forest” (Kaze no Mori) was established as a natural windbreak. This sloped forest is dominated by hardy, salt-resistant evergreen trees like Japanese chinquapin (shii) and Japanese evergreen oak (tabunoki). As these trees matured, they created a protective canopy, allowing other plant species to flourish.
Today, the park is a mosaic of different habitats. In addition to the Wind Forest, there are areas like the “Forest of Observation and Conservation” (Kansatsu to Hozen no Mori), where a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, including the Japanese bayberry (yamamomo) and Oshima cherry (oshimazakura), provides a rich food source for wildlife. The park is quickly becoming a haven for a diverse range of animals. Birdwatchers can spot numerous species, from common urban birds to migratory species that use Tokyo Bay as a stopping point. Insects, small mammals, and various amphibians have also made the park their home, contributing to a growing, biodiverse ecosystem. The park’s management employs specific conservation efforts, such as using biochar from pruned branches to improve soil quality and sequester carbon, a testament to its commitment to sustainability and “carbon-minus” initiatives.
Amenities and Facilities
Umi no Mori Park is designed to be a recreational hub, seamlessly blending natural landscapes with modern facilities. Its vast expanse offers a variety of attractions for visitors of all ages. Central to the park is the “Gathering Meadow” (Tsudoi no Sogen), a large, open grassy field perfect for picnics, sports, and large-scale events. For families, the “Children’s Plaza” (Kodomo Hiroba) and “Lively Plaza” (Waiwai Hiroba) feature multi-purpose lawns and unique, universal-design playground equipment, including a 14-meter-tall tower-like play structure.
The park is crisscrossed with well-maintained walking and cycling trails, offering stunning panoramic views of Tokyo Bay and the urban skyline, including the Tokyo Gate Bridge and Odaiba. The “Western Hill” (Nishi no Oyama) provides a particularly popular vantage point for these scenic views. For water-based activities, the world-class Umi no Mori Waterway offers a venue for rowing and canoeing. Restrooms and other basic services are available, and the “Umi no Mori Visitor Center” serves as an educational hub, providing exhibits and environmental learning programs. The park is designed with accessibility in mind, though its vast size and hilly terrain mean some areas may present challenges. The park’s primary challenge lies in its current lack of extensive commercial facilities; visitors are advised to bring their own food and drinks, as cafes and restaurants are not available within the park itself.
Activities and Events
Beyond its recreational offerings, Umi no Mori Park serves as a dynamic space for community engagement. Regular activities and workshops are a staple of the park’s calendar, including guided tours led by volunteers, hands-on craft events using natural materials, and “living creature discovery” sessions for children. Seasonal events like the “Tree-Growing Festival” (Ikujusai) celebrate the park’s continued growth and encourage public participation. The park’s design, with its sprawling lawns and unique venues like the Gathering Meadow, is intended to host large-scale events like festivals and concerts in the future, further cementing its role as a cultural destination. The park encourages activities like running, cycling, and birdwatching, promoting health and wellness.
Design and Cultural Significance
The design philosophy of Umi no Mori Park is deeply rooted in naturalism and sustainability. The key architectural element is not a building, but the landscape itself. The design team, comprised of various landscape architects and environmental planners, focused on creating a self-sufficient ecosystem. The pathways are carefully integrated into the natural contours of the land, and the park’s aesthetic is shaped by its very history as a landfill. It stands as a powerful symbol of Tokyo’s commitment to environmental responsibility, demonstrating that even the most polluted and misused land can be reclaimed and transformed into a place of beauty and value. The park’s existence reflects the character of Tokyo—a city that embraces both tradition and modernity, and is always looking to the future.
Future and Challenges
The park’s opening is a significant milestone, but it is still in its early stages of development. The primary challenge remains accessibility. While public buses service the area, and an automated bus is being tested, access from the nearest train stations is not yet seamless. The park also faces environmental pressures, particularly from the summer heat, as the young trees do not yet provide extensive shade. Visitors are advised to take precautions against the heat. In the long term, the vision for Umi no Mori Park is to become a major recreational and cultural asset for Tokyo, a vibrant green space that not only provides respite for its citizens but also stands as an international example of successful large-scale ecological restoration.
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