Best Summer Picnic Spots in Tokyo

Jun 26, 2024

Best Summer Picnic Spots in Tokyo

With the weather becoming a lot nicer, many people are ready to get out and enjoy the warm weather, and having a picnic is an excellent and cheap way to get out into the city and enjoy it. I know a few places from small squares to riverside glens that are good to have an afternoon picnic.

Large Parks

Tokyo’s large mega parks are perfect spots for getting your outdoor om-nom-nom on.

Yoyogi Park
Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo

Ueno Park
Uenokoen, Taito, Tokyo

Shinjuku Gyoen
Naitocho 11, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Riverbanks

Tokyo also has an abundance of small and large rivers that almost always have a green belt esplanade, doubling as a park and providing a pleasant respite close to home.

Sumida Park
Taito-Ku, Tokyo

Tsukuda Park
Tsukuda 1-1-18, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo

Hyogojima Park
Tamagawa 3-2-1, Setagaya, Tokyo

Sotobori Park
Fujimi 2-9,Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo

Odaiba

Of course, this artificial island on the edge of Tokyo Bay has plenty of green spaces and shoreline to warrant a category of its own.

Odaiba Seaside Park
Daiba 1, Minato-Ku, Tokyo

Shiokaze Park
Higashiyashio 1, Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo

Far Far Away

If you feel the need to “rough it”, by getting a little more open space and fresher air for a bit, these locations are 30 minutes to an hour’s train ride away from central Tokyo in the suburbs.

Inokashira Park
Goten-yama 1-18-31 Musashino-Shi, Tokyo

Yamashita Park
Yamashitacho 279, Naka-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Showa Kinen Koen
Midoricho 3173,Tachikawa-Shi, Tokyo

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In Japan, alcohol at a picnic is perfectly legal (unless the park itself specifically forbades alcohol), but please always remember to enjoy in moderation when in public. For last-minute preparations, the ubiquity of the convenience store really helps out during those forgetful days. If the park you are visiting is known for having public BBQ or picnic spaces, check out if there is a supermarket nearby the park. Sometimes these supermarkets will stock foods and items meant for BBQs or picnics and can really save your hide.

As always, please remember to follow the rules each park has laid out. Many parks, especially inside the city, explicitly ask for people to refrain from lighting fireworks. Always be a considerate public space user and bring home any garbage from a fun day out.

Lastly, the summer heat and humidity are no joke! Consider how to have reprieve from the sun and take more water than anticipated. Any idyllic day can be ruined by even minor heatstroke.

Daderot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons