Parking on Parks?

The Postcard View.
The Not-Rated-for-Postcard View.

What better way to enjoy the waning days of warmth than on a bed of soft grass in the sunshine? Nestled between Shinjuku and Shibuya, Yoyogi Park provides Tokyo a rare refuge from the built environment. Compared to other major cities, Tokyo rates poorly when it comes to dedicated park space per person. In fact, Tokyo residents have only 5 square meters of park space per person, compared with New York City's 25 square meters per person, for example. See The Trust for Public Land and Tokyo Planning sites for more info.

Sunbathing Cars?
When space is at such a premium, why is grass in one of Tokyo's prime parks used for parking? Try imagining this in New York's Central Park or London's Hyde Park! Whether you think as an economist or naturalist (or both), the situation is mindless.

To be fair, Yoyogi Park has Meiji Shrine - one of the city's most important shrines - and some nice woodland. Additionally, its park status was only established in 1967 after serving as a residential area for U.S. military and later as a site for the Olympics. Still, Tokyo's paltry park system needs to catch up with other world class cities.

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