Yoyogi Park: A Green Getaway in the heart of Tokyo

Intro

Tokyo is one of the most spectacular, biggest, and busiest cities on earth, packed with sights, sounds, and experiences you’ll never forget, but when you want a relaxing break from urban life, what could be better than a beautiful park nestled between some of the city’s coolest districts? Tokyo has a surprising amount of green spaces and of all the city’s parks, Yoyogi is arguably the most famous thanks to its reputation as being lively and quirky, as well as beautiful and relaxing. From picnics to performers, street food to music festivals, rockabilly dancers to cycling, Yoyogi Park has it all. We’ll tell you how to get there, the best things to do in the park, nearby attractions, and much more. Grab your picnic blanket and get ready for a green getaway in the big city.

A Brief History of Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi Park has a past as lively and as eventful as its present. More than 100 years ago in 1909, the area that is now Yoyogi Park was a military training ground. The following year in 1910, it became the historic location of Japan’s first ever powered flight (by Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa). After the Second World War, the grounds became US army barracks from 1945 onwards. And in 1964, the space took on another life yet again when it became the official Olympic Village for the athletes of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which went on to transform and revitalise Japan. The 1964 Olympics also saw the construction of the Yoyogi National Stadium, which was designed by renowned architect Kenzo Tange to stage swimming and diving events. It remains an architectural attraction in its own right as well as a venue for sports and music. Since 1967, Yoyogi has been one of Tokyo’s best loved city parks and green spaces, and today it is famous for the huge variety of things to see and do in the park as well as being ideally located next to Meiji Shrine, trendy Harajuku, and bustling Shibuya. In some ways, Yoyogi is to Tokyo what Central Park is to New York - a beautiful, sprawling green space in the heart of the city. 

Everything You Need to Know About Yoyogi Park

Tokyo’s fourth biggest park, Yoyogi, is next to Meiji Shrine. Together, the two combine to form the city’s largest public green space. Meiji Shrine is arguably Tokyo’s best known shrine and is definitely worth visiting. Built in 1920 and surrounded by 100,000 trees that form a vast forest in the centre of the city, the Shinto shrine celebrates the life of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. We’ll have more on this famous shrine further in the article. 

Yoyogi Park itself is divided into two main areas, separated by a long tree-lined pedestrian road called Zelkova Avenue. One side is the forest park, with open fields that are perfect for picnics, barbecues, outdoor activities such as jogging, cycling, skating, and of course, relaxing too, and the other part has an outdoor stage, stadium, and other facilities that make it ideal for events. The latter is known as Yoyogi Event Plaza. Yoyogi is well known for staging events and festivals almost every other weekend, which makes it one of Tokyo’s liveliest city parks. Events like Tokyo Rainbow Pride, Outdoor Day, Earth Day, St Patrick’s Day and a whole host of music and food festivals take place in Yoyogi. The park also has a reputation for attracting colourful people from all walks of life - expect to see cosplay enthusiasts, trendy fashionistas from nearby Harajuku district, 1950s style rockabilly dance crews (dressed like early Elvis!) and more. 

Festivals also mean food, specifically street food. You’ll find food stalls in Yoyogi Park, both for specific events, and on many other occasions too. Japan is famous for the incredible quality of its cuisine and that extends to its street food sellers as well. From okonomiyaki to yakitori, tomorokoshi to takoyaki, there is something for every taste. 

Of course, if you’re after something a little more relaxing than parades, dancers, and street food stands, Yoyogi is also a great place to walk, jog and cycle. With wide lawns, ponds, open green spaces, and forested areas, it’s an ideal environment to stretch your legs, fill your lungs with fresh air, and enjoy the outdoors. There are lots of places to hire bikes for the day too if you fancy taking to two wheels. Yoyogi Park Cycling Centre offers bikes for hourly rental with a special cycling track for adults and children, making it great for families. There is also a special dog area close by where pet owners can safely let their dogs run free. 

Unsurprisingly, Yoyogi is also a well known spot for ‘flower gazing’ - the art and practice of enjoying flowers, trees, and nature. Hanami, as it is known in Japan, is closely associated with the Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) and the world famous Cherry Blossom Season. Yoyogi has more than 500 Somei-Yoshino cherry blossom trees, which bloom each spring, but the park is best known for its beautiful ginkgo trees, which make a particularly beautiful sight in Autumn’s ‘koyo’ season.

Autumn is a great time to visit Japan generally as it tends to be quieter than spring and cooler than summer. Yoyogi has a central plaza with water fountains (some of these are very powerful and quite famous in their own right for spraying water in the air), a clock tower, and a flower garden. There are also relics from Yoyogi’s colourful past to be found including the ‘Airplane Cradle’ - a monument to Japan’s first powered flight which took place here, and the ‘Sample Garden’ in the south-east of the park with trees grown from seeds brought over by Olympic athletes. There is also a bird sanctuary near this location in the park. One important thing to remember about Yoyogi is that, like most public parks in Tokyo, it closes overnight with typical open times of 5am to 8pm in the summer and 5am to 5pm in winter. 

Yoyogi is in a brilliant location and is easily accessible. It’s a five-minute walk from Harajuku station on the JR Yamanote Line - a loop line that connects and passes through all of Tokyo’s main districts. Helpfully, travel on this line is covered by the Japan Rail Pass, which can be used on the vast majority of trains across the country if you plan to visit more than just Tokyo during your stay. It’s also worth noting that, alongside this, a prepaid travel card such as an ICOCA, PASMO or Suica card, is highly recommended for inner city subway travel. 

Things To Do Nearby Yoyogi

One of the most immediate things to do near Yoyogi Park is to visit Meiji Shrine, which is a short walk away. The shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife. You will find a large and impressive Torii at the entrance to the grounds of the shrine (see the photo below), which features a large and tranquil forest that offers a leafy haven from the surrounding city. Meiji Jingu Museum is also worth a look and was designed by superstar architect Kengo Kuma.

Yoyogi is also located in Shibuya - home to the world famous landmark, the Shibuya Scramble crossing and a fantastic district generally for shopping, dining, local attractions, and much more. It's almost hard to believe that a green oasis like Yoyogi Park is so close to this, one of the busiest and most dazzling street crossings in the world...

Across the road from Yoyogi Event Plaza is the Jinnan district of Shibuya and one of the first things you will come across is Shibuya Shopping. Shibuya is a special ward in Tokyo and a major commercial and business center, the area is known as one of the contemporary fashion centers of Japan, as well as a booming nightlife area. 

Yoyogi is also a 10-minute walk away from the trendy, youth fashion area of Harajuku, which is known as being home to everything cool, and many of Japan’s youth subcultures. Harajuku is just a few stops away from Shinjuku on the JR Yamanote line. Once you arrive, walk down Takashita-dori, the main shopping street of Harajuku lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Many of which are unique independent shops. Once at the end of Takashita-dori, turn right and go to Omote-sando. Often named 5th avenue of Tokyo, Omote-sando is a modern luxury shopping destination with upscale brands, souvenirs and Japanese craft items. And if these two amazing districts weren’t enough, you have the rest of Tokyo to explore after that - one of the biggest, most spectacular, and unforgettable cities in the world. 

Tokyo’s Best Parks and Green Spaces

Yoyogi Park might be one of the most famous and popular parks in Tokyo, but it’s not the only one - far from it. Here is our selection of our great city parks in Tokyo if you’re in the mood for fresh air and green space.

Ueno Park

Home to many beautiful temples, shrines and ponds. Ueno Park is also home to various museums, like the Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science, and Shitamachi Museum. Not to forget Ueno Zoo, which is great when traveling with kids. 

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

A large park in three distinct styles - Japanese traditional, French formal and English landscape, Shinjuku was once owned by the Naito family of feudal lords and now serves as a National Garden to Japan under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment. 

Imperial Palace East Garden

Just 10-15 minutes from Tokyo station, the Imperial Palace Garden gives visitors the chance to explore the ruins of the former Edo Castle and see more than 9,500 artworks owned by the Imperial family in the Museum of Imperial Collections.

Kiyosumi Teien

Located in Fukagawa, Kiyosumi Teien is a trail park that dates back to the Edo period when it was a private residence. It was donated to the city of Tokyo and now makes a beautiful garden to explore. It is known for its stone paths set in the water called ‘isowatari’.

Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden

A green paradise with towering skyscrapers in the distance, Kyu Shiba Rikyu is a beautiful landscaped garden with a circular walking trail and ponds. It has been open to the public since 1924.

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