I like to think of Yoyogi Park as Tokyo's living room. As houses in Tokyo are usually small and packed together, people need open space to practice musical instruments, sports, dance and generally hang out and Yoyogi Park is such a suitable place for it. If you go there at the weekend, you will see all kinds of activities, people walking dogs, and other animals, I once saw someone with a rabbit in their bicycle basket, bikes can be hired, and many people are just there to relax in the sun.
On Sunday 27 January, 2013, the sun was shining and the air was cold but fresh and I went to see what was happening in the park.
A man with a lot of bubbles was keeping the kids of all ages entranced.
But he didn't keep all the fun creating the bubbles to himself (although the little girl seemed to enjoy chasing the bubbles more than making them).
I'm not sure why this guy was videoing the other two but they seemed to be enjoying their walk through the park
I loved this couple who were enjoying a picnic in the park in their matching bobble hats.
It is possible to hire bikes and there are dedicated cycle tracks around the park. Great for a photographer like me if you want to get some practice on panning shots.
Kids on bikes are great for panning shots as usually they, and their bikes, are brightly coloured.
It isn't just people that meet in the park. This crow caught my eye as you could see he was calling out, then listening for a reply from across the park. This one was well behaved but I've seen the crows in the park stealing food... perhaps I will be able to photograph that sometime...
This lady was practicing her drumming with her sensei (teacher). Japanese taiko (drums) have a lovely sound and she sounded good.
I liked the look of the empty benches, in the shade it was a bit too cold to sit on them on a winter's day, but they just looked like they were waiting for the coming spring when they will be used again.
According to Wikipedia, Yoyogi Park was once the site of the first successful powered aircraft flight in Japan, on December 19, 1910, it has also been a military parade ground and the site of the main athletes' village for the 1964 Olympic Games and now it is a valued open space in an otherwise bustling metropolis.
Over the year, I plan to revisit Yoyogi Park and see it throughout the seasons, and I hope to share more of the people and views of the park.
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