The changes that have already come to the city in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has served as an opportunity to reflect on the first Olympic games in 1964. This includes the development, convenience, and beautification that were brought to the city, in addition to the more gloomy side that the Olympics brought such as the destruction of entire neighborhoods.
The famous area known as “Cat Street”, a short walk from Yoyogi, is one such symbol of both the bright and dark side of Olympic development. Construction related to preparation for the games paved over a river that was running through the area, and in its place is now a shopping street with world famous brands.
In some cases hosting the games had a hand in preserving nature rather than destroying it. Yoyogi Park was originally the Olympic village where the athletes stayed, and thus after the closing ceremony it was logical to continue to utilize the large land mass for public purposes.
The history of Yoyogi park follows the history of wartime Japan. Prior to the war it was used as a ground for training, and was the location of the first manned flight in Japan. After the Japanese surrendered it was then used as the living quarters of many American military members, and during the time came to be known as Washington Heights. Spread out over this area was a school, housing, a hospital, and a church. Can you imagine this scene before you?
On the Yoyogi park grounds almost every weekend of summer is a festival from one of the growing foreign communities of Tokyo. During the spring you can see a wave of blue sheets thrown over the grass as people enjoy the cherry blossoms, while during fall people come to see the changing leaves. Yoyogi is always changing both from year to year and season to season.
Although it seems like just another park, for people of Tokyo it can be a respite from the city. Located on the very edge of Oku-Shibuya, you can escape the tall buildings, concrete, and backgrounds of steel. In Tokyo it is rare to see a piece of land the size of Yoyogi, as the city has some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Escaping to the few places of greenery in the city (Yoyogi, Ueno, Shinjuku Gyoen), you can still see the large buildings jutting out into the sky. I love scenes like this, and it reminds me that “Tokyo, is a city where buildings grow out of trees”.