If you are traveling through Tokyo, the Yoyogi Park or Yoyogi Koen (代々木公園) is a must-visit place on your trip. Its location is great, situated between Shibuya, Shinjuku, and hachiko and others.
Yoyogi Park is quite peaceful, with plenty of green areas, a pond with light shows and water jets. There are several drink vending machines, cute dogs walking around, and a building of NHK, which might provide the opportunity to see a Japanese artist. The park is gigantic, taking up almost half of the neighborhood with its 540,000m². The park is divided into a forest area with trees that can reach up to 30 meters, with 3 fountains and ponds to enjoy nature. The other part of the park is a location with sports facilities, athletics and baseball stadiums.
In addition to enjoying nature and wildlife, various events are celebrated in the park throughout the year. On weekends, there are many street performers, families, and friends enjoying picnics and sports. It's worth walking through all the trails and feeling nature. Despite being the largest and greenest park, some may find it monotonous and prefer smaller and colorful gardens.
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Facts about Yoyogi Park
The yoyogi park is located where the first plane flight took place in Japan in 1910. Over time it was used as a military area, in 1945 it was used for the Olympic Games and in 1967 it began to be transformed into a park.
If you go to the park on Sunday you will find different types of people, dancers practicing, actors rehearsing a scene, drunk people, parties, lovers making out, tourists with giant cameras, fashion events, dog races, rockers, etc. In the center of the park you will find Chuo Hiroba, a grassy area with a large pond with fountains, a clock tower and a flower garden with more than 30 different varieties.
At the gate next to the park office, you will find a monument with 14 Daito-juku . A right-wing organization that committed group suicide on the spot on August 25, 1945.
The location of the Vila Olímpica remains in the southeast corner of the park. There you will find the Sample Garden with trees grown by the Olympic athletes who brought seeds from their countries. Yoyogi Park is well known for its relaxed and friendly international atmosphere. Here is the place where the Japanese open up and do what they want despite the rigidity of Japan.
My Yoyogi Park Walk
My experience was not one of the best, I was alone and it was raining. I got off at Shibuya station and took a picture with Hachiko, then I went to the busiest crossing in the world, which was empty because of the rain and it was in the morning. I bought some clothes and then made the long journey through the park, through Harajuku until I reached Shinjuku...
I recommend doing this route, so you have the opportunity to see all the places in one day. If you want to quickly access the park, we recommend getting off at Harajuku Station. Have you ever visited Yoyogi Park? What was your experience? We'd love to hear from your comment, and we appreciate your sharing.
