Hikarigaokakoen parkrun takes place every Saturday at 8 am in Hikarigaoka Park on the outskirts of Tokyo. The park is around 8 miles north of central Tokyo.

Getting There

Th start is a ten minute from Hikarigaoka Station, which is on the Oedo Metro Line, so can be reached directly from Shinjuku Station. We boarded a few stops earlier at Kokuritsu-kyogijo Station which took 29 minutes and cost Y272. Detailed instructions on how to reach the start from the station are on the parkrun website. As long as you take the correct station exit, it’s a straightforward walk.

Parking

It’s Tokyo – nobody drives in Tokyo.

Toilets

There is a toilet block near the start.

Course

You run along a short, straight path, then complete two anti-clockwise circuits of the park before returning to the start.

Terrain

All on asphalt paths.

Shoes

Definitely trainers.

Difficulty

It’s 2 flat laps of an asphalt path through a park, so as easy as it gets. The only difficulty, if you’re used to fully marshalled parkruns, was an unmarshalled junction. There were cones indicating the turn, which I didn’t notice.

Fun Factor

We were made to feel very welcome, even without a common language. Parkrun hasn’t been going very long in Japan, so when I whipped off my fleece to reveal my 250 parkruns T shirt, I was treated like a celebrity, which was kind of fun but a little bit embarrassing.

Where we stayed

We stayed at the Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien, which is opposite the National (Olympic) Stadium. It was convenient for parkrun as it was also opposite a Metro Station on a direct train to Hikarigaoka Station, and yet still centrally located for other sightseeing.

Nearby Attractions

Hikarigaokakoen Parkrun was part of our three day visit to Tokyo. Details of the other things we visited during our trip can be found here.