Yoyogi Park

Yoyogi park is the perfect place to see Japanese life beyond the shopping centres. Wandering through the park, especially on a Sunday, you'll see families, couples and groups eating, playing baseball, walking the dog or even dancing.

The Home of the Rockabillies

The Yoyogi park is where Tokyo's rockabillies meet to dance and entrance the hundreds of visitors who carefully observe their every movement. Think leather jackets, worn boots, and sky-high quiffs, the style that defines this urban tribe.

The rockabillies can normally be found on Sundays at the park entrance closest to the Jingu-bashi bridge (next to the JR Harajuku station). This is not to be confused with the entrance which takes you to the Meiji sanctuary

The Meiji Sanctuary

The Meiji Sanctuary is one of the most important religious centres in Tokyo. On public holidays such as New Year, up to a million people head to this shrine. It's also where a number of festivities take place, such as on the Day of Adulthood.

The original sanctuary, destroyed by the American bombardments during the Second World War, was constructed in 1920 in honour of the Meiji emperor and the Shoken empress. The current building dates from 1958.

If you've got time, you can also visit its gardens, although we're not sure if it's worth your while. Although they're more historical than some others such as Hama Rikyu or Kyu Shiba Rikyu, they're not especially surprising.