On a scenic autumn trail

Parks in the capital city of Japan offer unforgettable scenic views, writes

Praying words at Meiju Jingu; A garden of Hibiya surround the city; Nice weather for a walk in Tokyo; Meiju Jingu inside Yoyogi area: Gingku Avenue; Rikugien wonders.

JAPAN is really beautiful in spring when the sakura trees blossom in every corner but I am quite surprised autumn is similarly picturesque. Bright-hued leaves colour the landscape. Walkways under trees are thickly covered with the fallen golden leaves. Oh, it’s such a scenic sight.

I have two nights in Tokyo before I head back to Malaysia, and all I want to is do is go on an autumn trail sightseeing.

YOYOGI PARK

What better way to kick it off by visiting one of the largest parks in the city, Yoyogi Park.

Located in Shibuya, the park is relatively near to the buzzing Harajuku — the popular art and fashion scene. Perfect! I can do a morning walk and then straight for the shopping tour.

Geared up with Wiyo portable WiFi and my smartphone, I search Google Map apps for the best walking route to Yoyogi Park from my Homeaway apartment (Read the review on Page 10).

As luck would have it, my stay is located not too far away — just less than half an hour walk.

In this crisp autumn air, I don’t mind if the walk is much longer.

Leisurely, I stroll towards one of the park gates. The park has a number of giant tori gates (leading to the entrance) and Google Map helps to figure out the nearest one.

You need a few hours to explore the park because it’s huge! The 54-hectare Yoyogi Park features wide lawns, ponds and ginko tree forest, which turns intensely golden in autumn.

Visitors are free to jog, rent a bike, picnic and relax on the lawn in the park. On Sundays, you may catch street art and music performances.

Within the park, there’s also the Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken — the first emperor of modern Japan.

Eight years after their passing, the shrine was constructed in 1915 using primarily Japanese cypress and copper, a traditional nagare-zukuri style.

It’s a basic shrine with a spacious panoramic open yard. It’s interesting to see the details of the wooden construction.

RIKUGIEN

For a more spectacular autumn experience in the evening, I head to Rikugien in Bunkyo-ku. It is located 45 minutes away from my HomeAway stay, but it’s worth to travel to see it. To go there, you can either take the JR Yamanote Line or Namboku Subway Line, stopping at Komagome Station. It then takes another 10 minutes to walk to the park.

It opens in the evening only during autumn, so of course I can’t miss my chance to visit it. Go before sunset so you can catch a different feel of the park during the day and night.

Admission is 300 yen (RM11). It’s a reasonable price considering that it’s a huge park and may take more than an hour to cover it.

During the Edo period, the garden was called Mukusa-no-sono, but it changed to