walk in the park(s), Tokyo Japan
I love the fact that in Japan, there's plenty of gardens and shrines in the middle of the city. It's the perfect town planning to make sure you get that opportunity to escape the city's hustle and bustle just for a while. So this post, it's all about the parks.
Before you start judging on my selection criteria, hear me out (or rather read me out). This place is located next to Harajuku, one of the most popular shopping district in Tokyo YET when you're here, it's as if you're somewhere 5 hours drive away from civilisation. And! If you go early enough (not sure about summer), you may even be caught walking in the midst of a fog.
So this is me back in March 2016 before the renovations started. Phew~
However, don't be put off by the construction work! It's just the main shrine that's undergoing a facelift and I'm sure they will be smart enough to slowly rotate around the things they are working on to make sure there will always be plenty to see. Like the trees (I'm serious).
Just look at this huge ass tree with wooden wishing plagues (also known as "ema" in Japanese) hanging around it.
Also, the usual "wall" of sake barrels are still around.
It's free entry for all but bear in mind there's opening hours. Seems to be quite common for large parks in Japan to have a restricted visiting hours. Don't quote me on this but I think they are open from 5am-8pm during summer and 5am-5pm during winter.
Oh! One thing that really surprises me is the fact that you're allowed to have alcohol in parks. Let me repeat that, having alcohol in public spaces is legal #ftw. I guess I know what will be on top of my picnic list.
Tips. The grass at Yoyogi park can be quite unruly during summer and it is a given to get bug bites. So it will come in handy if you have a picnic mat.
Fun fact, Shinjuku gyoen was the setting for the anime titled "Home of The Garden of Words". The Infinite Zenith did a really amazing job in comparing the shots between the anime and the actual scene in the garden itself. Click here to read his/her write-up.
As green as it looks in summer, the few shots below is how it looks like in March. Still quite cold but nearing Sakura season.
I can only imagine how beautiful this place is when it's blossoming with flowers!!!
Hamarikyu Garden
As a continuation from my previous post, let me start with Hamarikyu Garden. This one is ideal after your visit at the Tsukiji Fish Market since it's only 10-15 minutes walk away. It was originally built as the feudal lord's Tokyo residence and duck hunting grounds before it became a strolling garden and an imperial detached palace which eventually became a public park.
You'll get to see a bunch of flora, duck hunting site (even the duck grave mound to console the spirits of killed ducks) and a tea house by the lake for you to chill. Entry fee is 300 yen but definitely plenty to see! We spent easily a few hours just roaming in there.
Please don't repeat our mistake by missing out on the tea house (because we were rushing off to The Ghibli Museum, story for another time). Now I'll never know what is it like having tea and afternoon snack by a quiet lake.
Meiji Shrine
Next up, we have Meiji Shrine. As the name suggests, it's obviously not a park but it's not the shrine that caught my attention, it's the trees. For that, I think it still fits my title.
Before you start judging on my selection criteria, hear me out (or rather read me out). This place is located next to Harajuku, one of the most popular shopping district in Tokyo YET when you're here, it's as if you're somewhere 5 hours drive away from civilisation. And! If you go early enough (not sure about summer), you may even be caught walking in the midst of a fog.
Ok fine, for customary sake, let's talk about the shrine because the name itself has indicated that the shrine is meant to be the main point. I didn't know this beforehand but Meiji Shrine was actually dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the first emperor of modern Japan and Empress Shoken (his wife, yes).
Unlucky if you're planning to visit in the next few months (or even in the coming years). Meiji Shrine is undergoing renovation work in preparation for the shrine's 100th anniversary in 2020 and estimated to be completed only by October 2019.
So this is me back in March 2016 before the renovations started. Phew~
However, don't be put off by the construction work! It's just the main shrine that's undergoing a facelift and I'm sure they will be smart enough to slowly rotate around the things they are working on to make sure there will always be plenty to see. Like the trees (I'm serious).
Just look at this huge ass tree with wooden wishing plagues (also known as "ema" in Japanese) hanging around it.
Also, the usual "wall" of sake barrels are still around.
Yoyogi Park
After you're done with Meiji Shrine, just next door it's Yoyogi Park. From Meiji Shrine, head towards the gate that's nearest to Harajuku and before crossing the pedestrian bridge and actually walking towards Harajuku, turn right. Yoyogi park is just around the corner.It's free entry for all but bear in mind there's opening hours. Seems to be quite common for large parks in Japan to have a restricted visiting hours. Don't quote me on this but I think they are open from 5am-8pm during summer and 5am-5pm during winter.
Oh! One thing that really surprises me is the fact that you're allowed to have alcohol in parks. Let me repeat that, having alcohol in public spaces is legal #ftw. I guess I know what will be on top of my picnic list.
Tips. The grass at Yoyogi park can be quite unruly during summer and it is a given to get bug bites. So it will come in handy if you have a picnic mat.
Shinjuku Gyoen
Another park nearby is Shinjuku gyoen. Admission fee is 200 yen. Similarly, they have a fix operating hour between 9am-4.30pm (last entry is at 4pm). So if you want to make full use of what you're paying, then you better go in earlier.
As green as it looks in summer, the few shots below is how it looks like in March. Still quite cold but nearing Sakura season.
I can only imagine how beautiful this place is when it's blossoming with flowers!!!
Ueno Park
Following Shinjuku Gyoen, another park worth exploring is the Ueno park. The reason to visit varies depending on individuals and definitely depending on season. If you're a zoo person, there's Ueno Zoo and from what I know, there are pandas in there? If you're going during summer, there's a lake just next to it and it's filled with lotuses! If you're going during sakura season, well there's sakura (obviously). |
| August'17 |
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| March'16 (you'll only see dead lotus) |
Tokyo Imperial Palace East Gardens
The next one I'm going to be sharing is a hidden gem or at least I feel so. Not many are aware that you can actually visit the Tokyo Imperial Palace East Gardens. This is especially true if you're visiting with tour groups, they most likely will just bring you to the main gate, take a group photo and call it a day.
FYI photos below will all be dated to March 2016, spring season.
As usual, there's restricted opening hours, even being there 1 minute late, you'll be denied entry (which is what happened to us). It is open from 9am-4.30pm (until 5pm from mid April through August; until 4pm from November through February) and admission ends 30 mins before closing.
Another extra thing to take note, it is not open on Mondays, Fridays and Public Holidays which is something I found out on my first visit. Yes, out of 3 attempts to this place, I've only succeeded once.
Hikarigaoka Park
Last but not least, let me introduce you to Hikarigaoka Park. There's nothing special about this park. It doesn't have a flashy history being established back in the Edo period nor it has pandas like the Ueno Park. Hikarigaoka park is really just your normal neighbourhood park which is why I fell in love with it.
I sat there, enjoying the tranquility, surrounded by the children's laughters and friendly chatters.
Coming to the end of this post, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed my walk in the park(s).
