Yoyogi Koen on fine spring day (Photo: Elena Lisina)

Tokyo Walks: Yoyogi Park

Spacious park great for picnics and a day off

Elena Lisina   - 1 min read

When the day is warm and sunny, it’s a pity to waste it staying indoors. I always spend it outdoors. One of my favorite places in Tokyo is Meiji Jingu and Yoyogi Koen. The park is free and is open till late in the night.

Yoyogi Park, or Yoyogi Koen, is one of Tokyo’s largest city parks featuring lawns, ponds, and forest areas. It is a great place for jogging, picnicking and other outdoor activities. It’s famous for its ginkgo tree forest, which turns intensely golden in autumn. Before becoming a city park in 1967, the area where Yoyogi Park is located served as the site of the Olympic Village for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964.

It’s really nice just to sit down or lie on the grass and listen to the birds. I have a thing for trees, and there are lots of amazing trees in Yoyogi park. Forming trees is an important part of Japanese garden culture.

Yoyogi Park is a 5-minute walk from Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line, JR. It is located next to Meiji Jingu.

More info

Find out more about Yoyogi Park.

Elena Lisina

Elena Lisina @shiroi.tenshi

I am interested in Japanese art, crafts, history and Shinto religion. Photography is my hobby, and there are many amazing places to capture in Japan.