The area around Meiji Jingu is packed with many other interesting places to check out, which is why I suggest you devote an entire day around this area. In fact, if I had more time, I would have gone to Takeshita Dori too, but I didn’t and I also didn’t want to have to breeze my way through it since I am pressed for time. There are things that are meant to be savored, and this is one of them. So is a visit to Yoyogikouen, also called Yoyogi Park.Before that, however, I decided to take a peek at the famous Omotesando area.
Straight out of Meiji Jingu, there is this intersection. On your right is the crosswalk headed to the Yoyogi area, on the left leads to Harajuku Station and Takeshita Dori. Straight ahead is Omotesando avenue.
The tree-lined avenue of Omotesando still holds autumn colors. I spotted shops and establishments of luxury brands in the area, proving that it is a high-end shopping district. It stretches one kilometer long.
I just walked through halfway of it when I realized I had much more interesting fish to fry. Haha!
It was interesting to see it, though. It’s considered to be Tokyo’s version of the famous Champs Elysees. (And a random sighting that made the fangirl in me perk right up. I’m random like that.)
So I retraced my steps, crossed the streets and walked up the bridge/overpass to head to the National Yoyogi Stadium. The bridge is a good place to reassess your surroundings (re: reorient yourself in case you have no idea where you’re supposed to go. :))
Turn one direction and you can see the street headed down Omotesando. Quite a busy intersection, but this was relatively mild, I suppose.
Turn a bit sideways, and you’ll see this street. On the left is where the National Yoyogi Stadium is located. On the left is where Yoyogikouen is.
The National Yoyogi Stadium was the venue for various swimming competitions during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Today, it remains to be a prime spot for concerts and sporting competitions such as volleyball and ice skating.
It was designed by architect Tange Kenzo. It is notable for its design, particularly that of the suspension-style roof. I am not fully versed in the intricacies of architecture, but I was in awe of the structure while walking around its side.
Also spotted this sculpture in front of the gymnasium. I assume it’s got something to do with the Olympics and the primary reason this place was built.
I caught the tail-end of a rehearsal of a group of students with ribbons. If I’d been there a few minutes earlier, I would have seen their performance.
I then recrossed the bridge to go to the other side of the road, where Yoyogi Park (kouen, by the way, is Nihonggo for “park”) is located.
Yoyogikouen (Japanese website here) is the 5th largest urban/city park in Tokyo. I already thought it was vast (I did not even explore its entirety in the one hour I spent there!), so imagine what the other four were like. It was the former site of the Olympic Village back in 1964, which is fitting since it is adjacent the National Yoyogi Gymnasium.
I suppose this is typical of a city park: people having a picnic, just hanging around. There were even groups who were playing with frisbees (and they were soooo darn good at it, too!).
I sat down for quite a length of time beside the “pool”, to rest my feet and to just soak it all in. There were others who were seated beside me, reading a book, watching their kids play… I wonder if this is a typical afternoon in this place. According to some blogs and sites I’ve read, it most likely is.
There was a rose garden, a lake, and several forested areas. The ginkgo trees around the place made it awash with autumn colors. I can only imagine how gold and red it would have looked like during the early weeks of November.
There were also street performers in various areas of the park, especially around the fountain. I spotted a lady dancing flamenco as a group of male musicians played with their respective instruments. After her turn, another lady stepped forward with a wooden board, and started tap-dancing away.
Too bad, by this time, my camera battery drained. *le sigh*
This is, hands down, my favorite part of the Park. The pond area. There were crows flying overhead, making noise. But the people below are simply sitting around, relaxing and simply being idle. 🙂 It’s the perfect date spot, I suppose, since I saw several couples of all ages hanging around.
This drove home my opinion of what city parks should be about: a respite from the hustle and bustle “outside”. When you get inside Yoyogikouen, it is easy to forget that you are in Tokyo, one of the busiest and most bustling metropolis areas in the world. It’s a great place to get in touch with nature, spend a few hours in, until you are ready to step back into that cutthroat environment, otherwise known as a “concrete jungle”.
No doubt about it, Tokyo has some of the best urban planners.