Inokashira Park is less than a five minute walk from my apartment. Anybody that has lived in West Tokyo would probably have heard of it especially since during hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season it is one of the best spots in Tokyo to have a beer and see the sakura. The above photo was taken during sakura season earlier this year but it was a gloomy day and I am a crap photographer so in real life the park is 100 times better!
When i go for my walk/jog (I can say “my walk/jog” now since it has actually happened more than once this week!) I head down the street to the park. The first time I went Shumpei came with me to suss out whether it would be safe enough to go there by myself after 9pm (first night it was about 11pm). We came to the conclusion that because there is a police box on the edge of the park and if I have my phone that the chances of something bad happening are pretty slim (I told him that before we went….the park is still packed that time of night anyway). It is perfect for a walk/jog because there are paths going around the park, and the paths are wide enough for more than once person. There is a shrine in there, you have the lake, music coming from the cafe, bridges ( I love mini bridges) plus all the intresting people to see!
Some of the things in the park on a Friday night between 9pm and 10pm
-dog walkers
-joggers/walkers (like me!)
-couples, couples and more couples. Even girls wearing high heeled shoes and carrying gucci bags were walking through the park. Older couples going home. Couples making out.
- Friends sitting and catching up on their weeks.
- some uni students spray painting “staff” amoung other things and drying them on
- a couple of muscians practising together
- Kichijojis homeless
- Nomikais (drinking parties)
- People playing on the playground equipment like swings and slides.
It is a popular place for couples…even on Wednesday & Thursday nights there were couples everywhere making out, studying together, sitting and talking, drinking wine. Last night there were even more. I do hope they were not on their first date (It is bad luck to go to inokashira park on a first date…there is some kind of legend…I have heard different versions but it is especially bad if you go on a weekend and ride in one of the row boats or swans)
After last night as I was doing my rounds I came up with a brilliant idea. My friends & I haven’t had a drinking party/picnic in the park for a couple of months (the last one was in yoyogi too!) so three weeks from today on the saturday afternoon/night I will be hosting a party in Inokashira park and it will be great weather, too soon to need a coat but cool enough so that the ice keeping your drinks cold doesn’t melt quickly. Anybody welcome!!
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
I just realized it is quite a dull post. I am not sure what I was thinking…
LOL! Lulu it’s fine, but I do the same thing. I often think “That’s crap, no one wants to read that”
I’d love to live close to a really nice park, I’m not one for the outdoors really, but parks are about the closest I get to nature. I also love little bridges.
It’s so cute Shum wanted to check it was safe for you, what a lovely boy. I’m fairly sure my Ex would have just sent me off and told me to shout loud if I got attacked
I can’t imagine hanging around a park at 11pm here, not if you liked living anyways. It’s good to know Japan is so safe, I’m almost positive I’ll move there when I graduate.
was in your gorgeous park today…have not been up your way for the longest time – it is very lush i must say
infact inokashira park was the first place masao and i had a kissy date..but, and i didnt know this until after ‘making out’ by the water, japanese legend has it that there is a girl ghost who lives in the water there. she is so jealous of all the lovers kissing around her that she somehow haunts their relationships and they will eventually breakup (what a hideous legend!!) so all those kissing and kanoodling couples are in for strife if the jealous girlie ghost spots them! I like to think she was busy scaring other couples the night masao and I were there so we will always be free of her evil wishes.
3 weeks from today you say? Cool. I’ll see what I can do.
I do love this blog, I’ve learnt heaps more about Japan from reading here than when I was actually there. I always think to write about things that happen to me, but I never just think to explain my life or the things around me. You’re a little bit inspiring young lady.
P.S) They really should put up signs in that park “Don’t ride the Swans on the first date.”
That sounds like a great place!, it must be wonderful during the festival!
Hmmm, all I ever see after dark in the park near me is drunk russian men pissing in the bushes. Which, believe it or not, is semi-entertaining.