Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine
Yoyogi Park is one of Tokyo’s popular green spaces with wide open areas, cycling tracks, grassy picnic areas and lakes.
Yoyogi park was used for the military barracks for US officers during the allied occupation of Japan. It was later used as the Olympic village during the Tokyo Olympic games, before becoming the now very popular Yoyogi park.
Yoyogi park has a number of cherry blossoms, which makes it popular in Spring for Hanami or cherry blossom viewing. It is also known for its ginkgo forest and stunning display of yellow leaves in Autumn.
Yoyogi park has cycling paths and even a bike hire service with adults and kids bikes as well as tandem bikes. It’s a great way to hang out in the park with kids and fill in an afternoon.
There are a few food options in the park from hot meals and Yoyogi park dogs (hot dog) to ice creams.
Adjacent to Yoyogi park is Meiji shrine. Meiji shrine was built in 1920 as a memorial to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The shrine celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020.
The path up to the shrine is lined with sake barrels and wine barrels. The sake was donated by local sake brewers as sake is often used in Japanese shrines for festivals and ceremonies, however the wine barrels are unusual. The wine and barrels were donated by wineries from Burgundy in France as Emperor Meiji was known to embrace western culture and was fond of a glass of wine.
Who would enjoy this…
If you or the kids need some space to run, if you feel like a bike ride in the middle of Tokyo or you just want to enjoy some green space, then Yoyogi park is the place to go. It’s free and has no closing days!
Tickets
Entry to Yoyogi park is free and open every day!
Meiji Shrine entry is free and it’s always open, however entry to the Meiji museum is ¥1000 and inner garden ¥500.
How to get here
Yoyogi park is five minutes from Harajuku station on the Yamanote line.
While you are here…
Harajuku is near Yoyogi park and sometimes the cosplay and alternative fashion that Harajuku is known for spills out into Yoyogi park.
Check out our other posts on Tokyo, in particular Shibuya and Shinjuku Gyoen.
Need more information?
Official Yoyogi Park Website
Japan Guide
Tokyo Cheapo
Meiji Shrine
