A month ago, I went to Yoyogi Park for a quick hanami because I heard the kawazu cherry blossoms started to bloom.
This isn't my first time being in Yoyogi Park, but my 2nd so I am still not so familiar with this park except that I know I can access it from Harajuku Station. When I exited from the station, I almost got lost because I was so distracted by the big torii gate leading to the Meiji Jingu shrine. Luckily I checked the maps and found that there was no way to get to the park from the shrine.
I wasn't expecting a lot of people to be in the park but there were lots of people outside the park's premises. I think there was a concert or an event nearby.
When I arrived at around 3:30 PM, many people were going out. I wonder why.
The first thing you'd notice when you arrive were the food stalls. While in the park, I didn't see any more food stalls other than these in the entrance. It's a pretty wide park so if you're planning to stay long, better get something here. I didn't because I was in a hurry and my friends and I would be meeting to eat pancakes in a short while.
I tried to look down and saw an interesting stuff. It's the map of the park! If you can read Japanese, you'd probably understand but from the colors, I guess you can manage.
Many families and group of friends have spent their afternoon at the park, some were playing with their kids, some were strolling around, and some were taking photos. It was a cloudy day so it wasn't that bad to be outside.
Looking up, there's my favorite sight. I just love how these trees felt like they're frightening but they weren't. It was still winter at this time, almost spring so there were no leaves yet. I actually don't know this kind of tree, but I'm guessing they will have leaves during spring or summer.
I took too much time following the road which will lead me to an "I don't know, I'm not sure where" place so seeing the cherry blossoms where I'd be heading, I took the shortcut leading there. I was surprised I was stepping on a soft area, probably dried leaves covering a moist land..?
The shortcut paid off because I could see the pond now! The pond was near where the kawazu cherry trees were.
I was surprised to see not just one water fountain but 2. There was also a mini wooden bridge.
I'm not an expert on birds but I know these black birds will steal your food. I guess they were looking for prey? 😅 Fortunately, I didn't see someone eating at this area although there were quite a few benches to sit on and have a picnic. Maybe that's why these birds were here?
While the crowd was enjoying the pink flowers, we got distracted because of these cuties. There were a lot of them and different kinds, only being walked by one man. They were behaved though, not running and they knew how to greet people. So polite!
I didn't stay long in the park because it's a long walk back to the station but along the way, I saw some interesting structures: top-like areas for sitting, a toilet that looks like an admin office and the fenced bird sanctuary with no birds in sight. This time, I followed the road because I learned there was another shortcut going back using the road. I didn't know about it earlier. LOL
There was also an interesting history stuff here. There was this grand tree that caught my attention.
Apparently this tall pine tree is called the Pine Tree of Imperial Troop Review. I didn't know that Yoyogi Park was once a military parade ground, and this pine tree here was where they would do the imperial salute. You can refer more in the photo above.
In the park, you will see all kinds of people. While I was reading about the pine tree, I had some background music. 😂 A man was playing an instrument nearby. Actually, the first time I came here, there were also people playing different kinds of instruments, mostly wind instruments. It's nice to practice playing here but maybe better if you're good since it's really loud and might disturb other people if you're not that good yet. 😅
The olive garden was quiet but there was a flower bed at the end of this road. On each sides though it seems there were no flowers blooming but just before this arch, you'd find these pretty pink and purple flowers.
Outside the park, I was surprised to find these group of young men in jump ropes. They were just outside the gate which was also a wide space but I was really wondering why they're doing it here instead of inside the park.
And yep, there were doodles I couldn't decipher on the road.
That was the end of my quick exploration to Yoyogi Park. I stayed there for 20-30 minutes because I still had plans after but for sure, there will be a next time and in that time, I'll be staying in the park longer.
Outside Harajuku station, a crowd was gathering. Because I was curious, I joined the crowd and I witnessed a mini concert. Apparently this group's famous in Tiktok but I actually don't know them. Do you know them? It's nice to see them performing in this area though. It's as if Tokyo has come back to life after the pandemic.
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Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.
