Enjoying Tokyo’s Open-Air Spaces

If you love open-air spaces and the great outdoors, Tokyo has plenty to offer. Japan’s capital offers many exciting experiences in airy outdoor settings.

Popular open-air spots ―― reload, JINGUMAE COMICHI

Two noteworthy facilities in Tokyo combine the best of the city’s culinary and shopping experiences with open-air settings. Established in 2021, reload is a complex in Shimokitazawa, a vibrant shopping and dining destination known for its funky music, antiques, vintage toys and second-hand clothing shops. Built on the former site of the Odakyu Line tracks near Shimokitazawa Station, reload is a two-story complex with a distinct tropical atmosphere: its plain, boxy form hides a group of linked courtyards, exterior stairways and rooftop terraces that feel almost Mediterranean. Reload brings together independent local businesses providing everything from artisanal furniture and eyewear to fragrances, bespoke coffee and delicious vegan food.
reload

Opened in late 2020 a few steps away from Harajuku Station, JINGUMAE COMICHI is a gourmet’s delight. One of the most striking features of this complex is its enormous two-story open-air entry hall, which facilitates ventilation among its 18 restaurants and bars that represent eating and drinking traditions from across Japan and overseas. A number of establishments also have outdoor seating. While the lineup of shops is usually in flux, offerings you might find include Kagoshima pork, Hakata-style gyoza and yakitori, hamburgers made with fresh organic vegetables and Ishigaki beef, ramen and soba noodles, as well as Japanese craft beer and whisky. There’s truly something for everyone.
JINGUMAE COMICHI

Get outside and play ―― Tokyo Tower, Sumida River Walk

If you’re looking for a workout with eye-popping views, head to Tokyo Tower. The 333-meter-tall landmark built in 1958 has been promoting the use of its open-air staircase to avoid congestion in elevators. Visitors can climb about 600 steps to the 150 meters high main deck. The breezy climb takes some 12 to 13 minutes for adults and 15 minutes for preschool children. In addition to the exercise, you’ll be rewarded with increasingly impressive panoramas of the city as you climb higher and higher.
Tokyo Tower

Not to be missed by visitors to Tokyo, Sensoji Temple and TOKYO SKYTREE® are two iconic sights separated by the Sumida River, a storied waterway that has been the setting for pleasure cruises and fireworks displays for centuries. Sensoji Temple and TOKYO SKYTREE are linked via a refreshing open-air stroll that includes the SUMIDA RIVER WALK. This 160-meter-long pedestrian walkway spanning the river features glass areas in the floor through which you can see watercraft passing below. You can also get a close-up view of trains on the adjacent TOBU SKYTREE Line. Other nearby attractions include TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN®; Sumida Aquarium; TOKYO Solamachi®, a mall with more than 300 shops; and TOKYO mizumachi, a shopping and dining complex beneath the railway.
SUMIDA RIVER WALK

Enjoy the great outdoors ―― Outdoor Sports Club ZAC, Okutama River Terrace

Tokyo has many waterways. A novel way to experience them is by kayak. Outdoor Sports Club ZAC organizes small-group daytime and nighttime tours along the Kyu-Nakagawa River that provide stunning views of the TOKYO SKYTREE and surrounding cityscape. Paddlers of all abilities from ages 4 and up are welcome; participants should don sportswear and sandals in case they get wet during the 90-minute tours. The meeting point for the kayaking tours is in the Ojima Komatsugawa Park parking lot, which is an 8-minute walk from Higashi-Ojima Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line.
Outdoor Sports Club ZAC

Okutama is a mountainous region in western Tokyo that has long drawn people looking to get away from the frenetic pace of the capital to unwind in nature. It abounds with forested hiking trails, refreshing waterfalls and sparkling rivers—all perfect for melting away stress. Okutama River Terrace is a unique collection of furnished wooden decks where you can relax and enjoy food and drinks along the Tama River. Barbeques are also available. Located between Kori and Hatonosu stations on the JR Ome Line, Okutama River Terrace is within easy reach of several rewarding hiking trails and river walks. Reservations are necessary and limited to four groups per day.
Okutama River Terrace