Tokyo's quiet spaces.

Whenever I ask Japanese people who don't live in Tokyo whether they like it or not, the answer is often 'no'. And the usual reason is that it is 'too crowded, and too noisy'. I certainly wouldn't argue about the number of people that are usually out and about in Tokyo, and that some places seem almost perpetually busy, but I have found a few quiet places, even some that are worth visiting in their own right.

Just outside of Ueno Park, the Kaneiji Temple makes a good subject for drawing class. This important building was the temple of the Tokugawa family, yet gets few visitors.

Certainly, if you get dragged into the melee of Shinjuku station, or have reason to visit the backstreets around the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku at night, you will experience wall to wall people, and noise, like no other place in Japan. And if you get on the Yamanote line train, or some of the subway lines into Tokyo or Shinjuku station at morning peak hour, you will know what a sardine feels like. And special events, like the Tokyo Christmas light show, or summer fireworks festivals, attract huge crowds. Very orderly, well behaved crowds, that pose no threat at all to life and limb, or property. People in Tokyo do know how to behave in crowds. But there are pleasant, easily accessed escapes from Tokyo's crowds.

Although Tokyo's crowds know how to behave,  they  can still be wearing at times.  Asakusa is usually crowded, especially on weekends,  and these days Harajuku  streets are  very difficult to navigate. The Sunday Harajuku crowd stops short of the entrance to Meiji jingu garden, and the Kabukicho evening crowd is just getting warmed up.

Nishi-Shinjuku, the skyscraper business district on the West side of Shinjuku station, home to the government offices, and other tall buildings, has  extremely wide streets, large, open spaces, and many modern buildings worth seeing. And the wide streets are usually almost empty, even during weekday working hours. It is easy to move around, and it is relatively quiet, even from motor car noise. There are numerous cafes and restaurants in the area, a great view of Tokyo from the lookout on top of the government offices, and several parks to take a quiet rest in. Shinjuku Central park, just behind the government offices, has been home to a few otherwise homeless citizens of Tokyo, but I believe that they have been moved into shelters. Anyway, it is always a safe park, and has a very nice children's playground area, with a fun flying fox, and other equipment. There is also the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, a national park originally created for the royal family. It is a mixture of both Japanese and European styles, and is usually a quiet place.

Nishi Shinjuku, although built up, is a good spot for a quiet, easy walk amongst the skyscrapers. The park behind the government offices even has a nice children's playground, complete with flying fox.

Another spot to be wary of if you don't like crowds is Shibuya, and Harajuku. Shibuya is the weekend shopping site for the young, and Harajuku is the Sunday home of the girls who dress in outrageous fashions, now attracting very large crowds of foreign tourists, as well as locals. The main street from Harajuku station down to Aoyama, Omotesando, is now so crowded on Sundays as to feel like a Kyoto bus (and they are crowded!).

But escape from that crush is simple. Meiji jingu, the number one Shinto shrine in Tokyo, is just behind Harajuku station, and features a very wide walking road through the park to the very spacious shrine, that even on a busy Saturday has plenty of space to see the action - usually a procession of traditional Japanese weddings, well worth seeing. And the shrine park also has beautiful gardens, especially in the Spring and Autumn, but in early summer the huge iris gardens are also worth a look. There is also a lovely lake, overlooked by a superb tea house. I have been in there several times, and it is almost like it is a secret.

The government tower lookout offers a good view of the city, and is unusually quiet most days. The gardens in the Meiji shrine park are beautiful, and almost always peaceful.

Two more gardens that are good havens from the bustle are Ueno Park, and Hamarikyu Gardens. Ueno park can be busy, although it is spacious, and has quite a lot of wide avenues to walk along. It is to be avoided at cherry blossom time though, as it is one of the places for Hanami, and gets very crowded for those couple of weeks in April. Just beyond Ueno Park, walking from the station end, there are some leafy boulevards that contain some very quiet shrines of historic note.

Hamarikyu is one of my favorite places in Tokyo, and certainly my best quiet place. It is an easy walk from the Ginza, and is very close to the Tsukiji fish market. It was originally the duck hunting grounds for the Tokugawa shogun, fell heavily into disrepair after the war, and was resurrected by the Mitsubishi company, and given to the people of Tokyo. It is a stunning garden in any season. It has a full field of nanohana in early Spring, a plum blossom orchard, beautiful cherry trees, maples for the autumn, the last remaining tidal ponds in Tokyo, a superb teahouse where you can gaze over the lake whilst sipping macha.

The Meiji shrine is a busy place, but big enough that you can stand back and watch what goes on there on a busy wedding Saturday, and the Hamarikyu Gardens near the Ginza is always nearly empty, and is a beautiful garden with great views.

Another amazing feature of Hamarikyu is that its northern boundary is skirted by the new skyscraper district of Shiodome, a bladerunner looking area if there ever was one! And the skyscrapers seem to sit up straight out of the garden. Quite a unique backdrop, yet situated so it does not overshadow the gardens, or provide extraneous noise. The contrast is superb. And yet Hamarikyu is usually very, very quiet. A beautiful, very peaceful place. A good way to get there is by ferry after visiting the bustle of the Asakusa temple and shrine complex. You can take the ferry from Asakusa bridge, 35 minutes ride right into the gardens. And the elevated walkways through the Shiodome area are usually quiet, and sparsely populated. A good walk around, after the natural beauty of the garden.

Ueno Park is a nice place to sit and relax, and feed the pigeons, and the surrounding area is very beautiful, and peaceful. This is the main gate of the Kaneiji Temple.

Another place free of people, although hardly quiet, is to walk over Rainbow Bridge, from the Yurikamome (driverless train) station in the pylon on the Shimbashi side, towards Odaiba. You can catch the Yurikamome part of the way, walk across the bridge, especially beautiful at night, and catch the train back. The walking part is about 30 minutes, and takes you into the middle of the bridge over Tokyo bay. Quite a view! The noise is provided by the fact that you are walking beside the roadway, and the steelwork of the bridge sets up quit a hum. But the place is deserted most nights, and worth the noise.

Of course, these are just a few places, and there are many more gardens, galleries, parks and open spaces that you can get somewhere near alone in. The places I have listed are a few of my favorites, and worth visiting for themselves. Or maybe you do like the crowds, and noise, and the liveliness of this city. Me too! But I do need to escape from it occasionally.

Comments

[Ben Forster]

Ray!

Andy H. pointed me at your site. Great to see you're still weilding a camera with such skill. I still think back fondly to lessons learnt at Swine. Drop me a line if you have a mo' I'd love to catch up.

Ben

[Ray Kinnane]

Thanks Ben. Great to hear from you! Andrew told me you had dropped in, and that you might get in touch. Thanks for doing that. What a nice surprise! I will email you directly, very soon.

Ray Kinnane

[Rasmus]

Can't thank you enough for this post, I went to the Hamarikyu Park and it was just amazing.. A great break from a city that can be incredibly stressful at times. Thanks!!

[Ray Kinnane]

Thankyou, Rasmus. It is very nice to get this kind of feedback to a story. I don't live in Tokyo, but I love it as a visitor. But I can imagine that it can get to you, and the quiet places are worth keeping in mind. Try the little park in Nishi-Shinjuku sometime, too. It is easy to get to from Shinjuku, and is quite relaxing. Much smaller than Hamarikyu, but still a nice oasis.

Ray Kinnane

[PA]

Great post! Lovely pictures and nice commentry.
Personally, Yanaka, the area around Nippori cemetry was my fave get-away whilst I lived in Tokyo. It's a lot like a mini-Kyoto - loads and loads of temples and shrines, little cafes, little art galleries, traditional shops etc. It's truly lovely. On my last night in Japan, although I lived close by, I stayed at a ryokan in Yanaka (http://www.katsutaro.com/annex_index.html) and walked around late at night in the deserted streets. I'd recommend Yanaka for anyone who likes a bit of quite Tokyo along with their neon.
(Sorry for the long comment - your inspired me :-))

[Karen McIntyre]

Hi,
I am writing on behalf of Sublime magazine - www.sublimemagazine.com

It is a new international ethical lifestyle magazine, London-based. I am writing an article about quiet spaces in busy cities around the world... the article will pick some quite spots, gardens, public squares where city-goers can go and find rest and peace amidst the bustle of city life.

I am interested in the quiet spaces aricle posted on this site...particularly the reference to the garden at Hamarikyu..the contrast between the peaceful looking garden and the sky-scraper backdrop is great. Would it be possible to use this photo in our magazine, along with a couple of comments from the author?
If you could send me a high-res photo, and the name of the author that would be great.
Any further comments that conjure up this quite spot from people who live in Tokyo would be really appreciated.
I have to finish the article by Monday so a speedy response would be great.

Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.
Karen McIntyre
(freelance writer, London-based)

[Ray Kinnane]

Thanks for your enquiry post,Karen. I have sent you an email. Ray Kinnane

[Japanese words]

Great article. I can agree with people thinking that Tokyo is too crowded. I often felt that way myself. It is possible to find less crowded places, but near impossible to get away from it for long. I don't think I have ever been to Hamarikyu, but it loos very nice.