Tokyo Yoyogi Park served as one of the Olympic villages in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. It’s a park where national and international festivals take place all year. The park is also famous as a gathering place for martial arts, Japanese rock music fans, people who love costume play, and dance groups.
Besides, it’s the first place for Japan’s First Powered Flight which took place on December 19, 1910. The park has green fields, lovely gardens, fountains, and picnic areas.
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Location:
Yoyogi Park is one of Tokyo’s most popular public parks with many glorious pasts, located in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the most famous parks near the Meiji Shrine.
The park has a vast area measuring around 134 acres which is rare in such a busy business area like Shibuya.
The park has easy access. It is only a 2- minute walk from Kawaii Culture Birthplace Takeshita Street, Harajuku Station, and Meiji Jingumae Station.
History:
Yoyogi Park has a proud background. Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa was the first person in Japan who fly a successfully powered aircraft in the same place on December 19, 1910. This aircraft flight took place only seven years later, the Wright Brothers’ first flight in the United States.
The park witnessed how Japan arrived from military power to democracy. But, first, it became military barracks during the Allied Occupation of Japan in 1945, and the name of the barrack was Washington Heights.
Later, this Washington Heights was used as Olympic Village in Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. After the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, the area became one of the famous open spaces for recreation for the public.
The name became Yoyogi Park in 1967, taking some of the southern parts of Meiji Shrine and the northern part of the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
Features:
Yoyogi Park has several public facilities. It has many types of valuable trees, including more than 600 Cherry trees, fountains, ponds, flower gardens, BBQ spots, a Birds Sanctuary, an Observatory, and cycling trails.
Yoyogi Park becomes more beautiful from late March to the first week of April because of the Cherry Blossoms. Cherries start blooming from Mid-March and last till April’s first week.
More than 600 Cherry trees bloom all over the park. As a result, the park gets more active, with thousands of visitors every day.
The park has two major sections- A and B Section. A section is a forest park (area) where people usually spend their time because the section contains gardens, fountains, a Bird sanctuary, etc. But the B section is only the Stadium and outdoor event stage.
Moreover, Tokyo Yoyogi Park is one of the best places for Cherry Blossom Viewing in Tokyo.
Garden:
The park has several flowers, including a beautiful rose garden, where various roses are produced. Rose-loving visitors are always pleased to see different kinds of roses in the rose garden at Yoyogi Park.
It is the gate of the Rose Garden. On both sides of the gate, several kinds of roses are produced.
The image of the park changes in autumn and get busier than usual. Hundreds of golden autumn leave lovers gather to enjoy autumn leaves during this time. It’s one of the most famous spots to enjoy Autumn leaves in Tokyo.
Besides, there is an Olive Garden in front of the Olympic Memorial House, where school and college students usually love practicing their games.
From the round gate to the Olympic Memorial House, many beautiful Olive trees are on both sides. Besides, there are Cherries and other trees too.
In addition, between the round gate and the memorial house, there is a round square where children love playing and biking.
Fountain:
The park has several fountains. Many visitors come to relax by watching the beautiful fountains.
Most people like sitting in front of the fountains or around the fountains. Besides, Cherry blossom trees give nice shadows. It is worth mentioning that Cherry blossom trees are everywhere at Yoyogi Park.
However, most visitors like to stay near the fountains and spend their time. Lovely Cherry blossoms make shadows in the park during Cherry season when people love sitting.
Before arriving at the big fountain, a long fountain was made in the middle of the park street where nature-loving people like sitting nearby the fountain wall too.
Picnic and Barbeque:
The park has a good facility for picnics and parties. It is also a perfect place for barbeques with friends and family members.
Moreover, many people like doing Cherry blossom parties and picnics here. It is one of the most popular and crowded public places during the Cherry blossom season in Tokyo.
However, the park is enormous, and you do not have to worry about a place to sit. The park is always suitable for picnics and sports, as there are plenty of green spaces, picnic areas, sports courses, dog run, bicycle paths, fountains, and benches.
No matter which season, the park is perfect for visiting. It will always please you.
However, the best season to visit is during the Cherry season. It’s a great place for outdoor activities, like jogging, walking, and cycling.
Bird Sanctuary:
Luckily, Yoyogi Park in Tokyo has a big bird sanctuary where bird lovers stand for their long-range cameras or binoculars. The bird sanctuary reminds me of Mizumoto Park in Katsushika.
Most visitors like Yoyogi Park because of its vast greenery lawns and bird sanctuary. Usually, keeping a bird sanctuary in a park is impossible for some parks because of space scarcity.
Monuments:
Not only the first flight monument, but there are also several important monuments between Bird Sanctuary and Olive Garden.
The Peace Monument and Statue of Happiness are worth mentioning among these monuments. Besides, Hachiko Statue and the world-famous Hachiko Statue are only one kilometer far from the park, which takes a 10-12 minute walk.
Imperial Pine Tree:
In addition, there is a vast Pine Tree where Imperial Troops camped. It has a big signboard explaining the details.
According to the signboard, it was the site of the Yoyogi Military Parade Ground during the reign of Emperor Meiji in 1909.
The first troop review took place in the presence of Emperor Taisho on the occasion of the Emperor’s birthday on October 31, 1917. Besides, Emperor Showa was still Crown Prince and also attending an Emperor’s Birthday.
Seasonal Yoyogi Park:
The location of Yoyogi Park is the central area of Tokyo, and with rich in green nature. The park becomes golden yellow in autumn by autumn leaves in the autumn and flourishes in the spring with Cherry Blossoms.
The park has lots of Ginkgo trees. For example, the park’s ground is covered with golden Ginkgo leaves in the autumn. Besides, it has Japanese zelkovas, camphor trees, honey locusts, etc.
Mapple and Momiji autumn leaves around the central fountain of the park attract hundreds of people in the autumn (mid-November to December).
Yoyogi Event Plaza:
On the side of the Yoyogi Park observation tower, next to NHK, there is Yoyogi Event Plaza, with a vast outdoor stage where annual events and annual festivals take place. For example, it hosts Flea Markets and Food Fairs almost every week.
Some of the cultural festivals, which are also called annual festivals, are very famous, such as the Cambodian Festival, Brazilian Samba Dance Festival, Earth Day, Antique Market, Indian Food Festival, Thai Festival, Okinawa Festival, Laos Festival, Namaste India, etc.
Sakana and Japan Festival take place in the last week of February ( Feb-23-26, 2023). It’s part of the Japan Fisherman Festival that takes place at Hibiya Park.
There is a good store inside the park where visitors can buy coffee, tea, snacks, and outdoor activities materials.
Note: There was a report of a dengue fever outbreak at Tokyo Yoyogi Park in 2014, and 200 cases were confirmed. But it’s safe now.
Surroundings:
Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street, Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Yoyogi National Stadium, and Meiji Shrine Inner Garden are famous.
The park is barrier-free, and a wheelchair or baby chair is useful for families with small kids. The public facilities are also good.
Besides, Shibuya is only a few minutes on foot from the park. If you have enough time, you can walk to Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho.
Hotel nearby:
Some of the tremendously famous Tokyo hotels are located near Yoyogi Park. These Tokyo hotels offer great deals every season. A few good hotels, such as
- Shibuya Park Residence Yoyogi Park
- Millennials Shibuya (400 m from Hachiko Statue)
- Hotel Emit Shibuya
- Park Hyatt Tokyo
- Dormy Inn Premium Shibuya-Jingumae
Opening hours: 24 hours
Admission: Free
Note: Nippon Foundation, Shibuya City Government, and Shibuya Tourism Association work together for public facilities.
Access:
Nearest Station:
1) Yoyogi-Koen Station
2) JR Harajuku Station
3) Yoyogi-Hachiman Station or Meijijingu-Mae Station,
Train Lines:
1) JR Yamanote Line
2) Odakyu Line
3) Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line
4) Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line
3 minutes walk from each station
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