A walking tour will be held Oct. 1 in Showa Kinen Park, a large park that opened in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, in 1983 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enthronement of Emperor Showa.

The nationally run park includes a forest, a pond, a bonsai garden and a Japanese garden containing a traditional structure with a tea room. One of the tour's destinations is the Green Culture Zone, which will soon open inside the park.

Shinji Yamanobe, a park official, and Yoshitaka Takahashi, an authority on herbs, will serve as guides. Some of the participants will speak English.

The fee is 4,735 yen, including lunch. Those interested should send e-mail to [email protected] by Tuesday.

Participants are to gather at 11 a.m. in front the entrance of the park close to the Showa Kinen Koen Exit of Nishi Tachikawa Station on the JR Ome Line.

An optional party costing 5,000 yen will be held at Takane, a sardine cuisine restaurant, near JR Tachikawa Station, after the tour.