Yoyogi Park

Originally the site of the first powered aircraft flight in Japan what is now Yoyogi Park was also a Japanese military residence and later used by the American forces after World War II.

In the early 1960’s much of the area was developed for the Olympic Village for Tokyo’s 1964 Olympic games then opening as a huge park in 1967.

Today the park is a beautiful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of this vibrant city. There are walking cycling and jogging tracks grasslands and woodland and in April the park comes into colour with the magnificent cherry blossoms where thousands flock to see the prettiest sight in Tokyo. The park covers over half a million square metres and has over 15000 tall trees, 92000 shrubs and 200000 square metres of grass.

There is plenty of seating artwork and fountains to make a visit worth while and the area is a great place for that photo opportunity with breathtaking views of the nearby Shinjuku skyscrapers.

The park is a very popular gathering place especially on Sundays where thousands flock to listen to music or practice sport including several types of martial arts. There are several places to grab a drink or a bite to eat and several bicycle hiring kiosks.

Over recent years the park has also become a home for the many homeless in the area with a few camps setup around the park. The people here keep to them selves and keep the area fairly orderly.

Yoyogi Park is also a popular place for unsigned pop bands or potential models to be seen. Sunday afternoon brings out the ones who want to see and be seen. There have been several successful signings from posers found in the park.

Tokyo is again thinking of an Olympic bid, they currently have their eyes set on the 2016 summer games. The Tokyo Governor has recently announced plans for a huge 100,0000 stadium to be built in Yoyogi Park as part of the Olympic bid.

Yoyogi Park is about a 3 minute walk from Harajuku (JR line) or Yoyogi Koen (Chiyoda line), or 6 minutes walk from Yoyogi Hachiman (Odakyu line)