Tokyo Day 3 Part 1 — Yoyogi Park, Harajuku
Yesterday, we were at Tsukiji Market (Tokyo Day 2 Part 1), Ginza (Tokyo Day 2 Part 2) and Odaiba Marine Park (Tokyo Day 2 Part 3).
We started the day with a visit to Yoyogi Park. Train Station: Harajuku
First stop for today — Harajuku Station. Attractions around the area include Yoyogi Park, Takeshita Dori, Omotesando, Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine) and Jingu Bashi (Shrine Bridge) where cosplayers hang out.
Just as we stepped into the park, Dar had the urge to poop and, as if to confirm his theory on the correlation between dirty toilets and places of nature, the toilet at Yoyogi Park was not very clean.
Anyway, the park was pleasant and the rich colours of autumn beautiful.
We were there to see the ginkgo (often misspelled as “gingko” or maidenhair tree) trees. Most of the leaves had not turned bright yellow yet.
Nevertheless, it was a magical sight, funky smell notwithstanding.
Ginkgo fruits, when crushed, emit a putrid smell, not unlike beer vomit. I couldn’t avoid stepping on the nasty things while we were there, rendering my shoes disgustingly smelly for the rest of the day.
Oh the crows – there were so many of them! Their cries varied from the standard “Ahk-ahk-ahk!” to sarcastic cackles of “Ah-hak, ah-hak, ah-hak!” and even a horror-struck “Ai-yuck, ai-yuck, ai-yuck!” I swore each time I trampled on a ginkgo stink-bomb, they were mocking me!
The Japanese maple, red as can be, contrasting beautifully against the cloudless blue sky.
There were bright orange ones too. (^_^)
The sun was shining brightly at 10 am. Vagabonds were lying on the grass soaking in the warm pockets of rays that sifted through the leaves, but after being outdoors for more than three hours, we were feeling rather cold, so we quaffed down cans of hot coffee and cocoa bought from a vending machine.
There were a lot of people playing muscical instrument in the park. A girl was playing a gentle song on her flute beautifully, while a boy was struggling with his trumpet. A decent-looking chap strumming his guitar fervently. A teenage boy tinkled on his keyboard. A group of men were grooving to the beat of their Brazilian drums. There were also two bands performing side by side near the park entrance. These guys were very good actually:
When we exited the park to go to Jingu Bashi, we saw a couple of men in rockabilly get up, hair coiffed tall with 12 cans of hairspray. But they were not dancing or anything.
Next we watched cosplayers at Jingu Bashi (Tokyo Day 3 Part 2).
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[...] we checked out the beautiful autumn colours at Yoyogi Park (Tokyo Day 3 Part 1). We then took a stroll to the nearby Jingu Bashi to check out the [...]
[...] next day, we checked out Yoyogi Park(Tokyo Day 3 Part 1), Harajuku kids cosplayers (Tokyo Day 3 Part 2), Maid Cafe cosplayers at Akihabara Electric Town [...]
[...] Yoyogi Park, Harajuku – Autumn colours (kouyou/momiji) of maple and ginkgo Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine), Cosplayers, Harajuku Kids, Jingu Bashi (Shrine Bridge) Akihabara Electric Town, authentic Kaiten-Zushi experience Aerial View of Tokyo at night from Tokyo City View, Mori Tower, Roppongi Hills [...]
[...] we visited Yoyogi Park (Tokyo Day 3 Part 1), saw cosplayers strutting their stuff at Jingu Bashi, Harajuku (Tokyo Day 3 Part 2), watch maid [...]