When you come to the Shibuya and Harajuku areas in Tokyo, Yoyogi Park near the Meiji Shrine is the best place to take a rest or a picnic. Yoyogi Park is one of the largest public parks in Tokyo and it is a huge playground used for early morning jogs, dog walks and outdoor yoga. On weekends, many people are coming to special events, such as Asian countries Festivals and Farmers Markets.
When I joined a track and field club at high school, we ran around Yoyogi Park every week. You can run and walk surrounded by nature in the center of Tokyo. You can spend from 30 mins to 2 hours at Yoyogi Park and enjoy various kinds of flowers from spring to summer. There is an old house on the right side at the main entrance near the Harajuku Station. It was a dormitory for Dutch athletes for Tokyo Olympics in 1964. The accommodation is now surrounded by trees standing calmly. Near the Harajuku Gate, there are forest areas with tall trees. I used to run in a zigzag line in the forest avoiding trees, that was a good training to strengthen my muscles and instantaneous power. I saw some runners doing the same training in the forest.
Huge fountains are located in the center of Yoyogi Park. Around the fountains, there are Yoggies, runners, and walkers with their dogs. There are also some groups taking photos, doing English lessons, relaxing for picnics or just spending time in their own ways. You can also borrow a bicycle at the Cycling Center in Yoyogi Park. Many types of bicycles for adults and children are available. It is a good place to practice riding a bicycle.
I took many photos of seasonal flowers at a small garden in Yoyogi Park. Some volunteers plant and maintain various kinds of flowers there. If you want to visit Shinjuku from Yoyogi Park, Odakyu Line’s Sangubashi Station is convenient from Sangubashi exit 7.
Meiji Shrine
At Meiji Shrine, you might see many families wearing a Kimono. In Japan, we celebrate the growth of children with milestones at ages of 3, 5 and 7 years. When I was 7 years old, my parents took me here and I have since brought my own kids too.
