Tokyo captivates most visitors. It’s a huge, crowded, exciting city. Exploring it is a thrilling experience; there’s so much to see and do. It can be tiring too, however, especially for older visitors, who may need time out to restore their energy levels. Fortunately, there are loads of cafes and restaurants where you can recharge.

Tokyo also has some wonderful parks that are ideal for relaxing. Visiting them is a pleasure at any time of year. They are immaculately maintained and you’re likely to feel safe in them; Lonely Planet named Tokyo the world’s safest city in 2019 for the third time in five years.

Here’s a look at three of the best parks in central Tokyo.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s most popular parks. Located in the teeming Shinjuku business, entertainment and shopping district, it looks just as a park should, with spacious, gently sloping lawns, ponds and forests.

In addition, it has a top-notch greenhouse, cherry trees that explode into blossom each spring, a traditional Japanese garden and a formal French garden.

The lawns are known as the English Landscape Garden, and do have a feel of a large London park. On sunny days they attract lots of local picnickers.

The word ‘gyoen’ means imperial garden and this is what Shinjuku Gyoen once was. It was rebuilt after being badly damaged in the allied bombing raids of World War II and opened as a public park in 1949.

The park is ideal for walking or simply finding a place to sit. The Japanese Garden is probably the most popular area, with linked ponds, teahouses and a pavilion built in 1928 to commemorate the wedding of Emperor Hirohito.

The greenhouse, near the Okido Gate entrance, is another highlight. It’s large, modern and well laid out, and contains a wide range of tropical and sub-tropical flowers and plants.

And if you find yourself in the park on a cold, wet day, as I did on my most recent visit in late autumn, the greenhouse offers a refuge, enveloping you in warmth.

The park entrance fee is ¥500 (around US$4.50) for adults, or ¥250 for people aged 65 and over. Bring your passport to confirm your age.

The park has three entrances. It’s a short walk from Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station on the Marunouchi Line or Sendagaya Station on the Chūō-Sōbu Line. Or if you want an added adventure, take a ride to Shinjuku Station and a 10-minute walk from there to the main entrance, Shinjuku Gate. 

The massive station is actually a collection of five connected stations run by different companies. Together they form the world’s busiest railway station, used by more than three-and-a-half million people each day. It’s quite something to see.

Ueno Park

Ueno Park in eastern Tokyo is a museum lover’s dream. It attracts a lot of older visitors, both local and foreign, who are drawn to its museums, temples and shrines, and its wide, tree-lined pedestrian avenues. It also has Japan’s oldest zoo.

It opened as a public park in 1873 on spacious hillside grounds that once belonged to a temple.

At the foot of the slope lies a lake, Shinobazu Pond, complete with swan paddle-boats and seagulls. But the heart of the park, and the most crowded part, is the level at the top, where the museums are situated.

They include the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum for Western Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum.

The Tokyo National Museum alone has several buildings, housing one of the largest collections of art and cultural items in the country. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.

For me, the highlight of visiting the park was simply strolling along the avenues that link the museums, enjoying the greenery and doing a bit of people-watching.

It can be crowded at times but, if anything, this just adds to the atmosphere. Among the walkers, you'll see young families, older couples, groups of friends and people on their own. And at weekends, you’ll be able to watch street performers: singers, acrobats, jugglers and magicians.

This is an excellent spot to view cherry blossoms in spring and is an attractive area at any time of year. When I visited in late autumn, some of the trees were shedding picturesque carpets of russet and yellow leaves. 

The park’s main temples and shrines are also in this area. Watch out too for the bronze statue of the 19th century samurai Saigo Takamori and his dog. He played a key part in defeating the Shogun and restoring the rule of the Emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, effectively bringing Japan into the modern era.

The park has many places to eat but the more popular restaurants tend to fill up fast during busy times and you may have to queue.

The easiest way to reach Ueno Park is via Ueno Station, right next door on the Yamanote Line. Entry to the park is free but the museums have entry fees. The Tokyo National Museum fee is 620 yen (about US$5); entry is free for those over 70.

Yoyogi Park

If I had to choose a favourite among the parks I’ve visited in Tokyo, it would be Yoyogi Park.

It’s located in the buzzing Shibuya district and is a great place to escape from Tokyo’s crowds and constant energy.

Admission is free and the park is always open. With its wide lawns, ponds and forested areas, it’s popular with picnickers, joggers and dog owners alike. There’s a long cycling track too, and a cycling centre where you can rent a bike.

At weekends the park bursts into life, playing its role as a people’s park and attracting dancers, musicians, members of clubs and followers of fashion. Watching them is fun, and many of them clearly come to the park to be seen.

But even at busy times, the park is large enough to offer plenty of peace and quiet. If you want to find some space to yourself, you won’t be disappointed. Walking paths lead you throughout the park and you don’t have to stick to them; you can go wandering off wherever you like.

The area the park stands on has a colourful history. It was in turn a parade ground for imperial soldiers, a housing complex for occupying American soldiers after the war and an Olympic village for the 1964 Tokyo Games. 

A bonus of spending time in the park is that you can combine it with a visit to the nearby Meiji Jingu, one of Tokyo’s finest shrines. Established in 1920, it’s located in a large forest consisting of species of trees donated from all over Japan.

The forest separates the shrine from the park, and you are not allowed to walk through it. You need to leave the park by its eastern entrance, Harajuku Gate, and walk a short distance up the road to reach the entrance to the shrine. You can’t miss the towering torii or entrance gate. The shrine’s large grounds contain some excellent walking paths.

Yoyogi Park is a 5-minute walk from Harajuku Station on the Yamanote line. Take the station’s Omotesando exit.

Header image: © Alan Williams