Introduction

Welcome to my first blog post about life in Japan, where I will be sharing what I get up to in this great country during my free time. I wanted to introduce one of my favourite relacxing spots in Tokyo!

To kick things off, I wanted to share somewhere that is often overlooked, but I find to be one of the easiest places to relax, exercise or even enjoy a picnic with your special person when the weather is doing its thing and you feel like enjoying a bit of fresh air. Let me introduce you to the Arakawa River, located on the east side of Tokyo!

Finding relaxing spots in Tokyo

Many of the places I frequent in Tokyo are usually more secluded and quiet areas where I can enjoy a bit of peace and quiet outside. Today’s location fuses this relaxation with a nice bit of gentle exercise for the perfect Sunday morning/afternoon outdoors. The paths along the Arakawa River located on the east side of the city continue all the way out of Tokyo. There are no traffic lights, meaning it is a haven for walkers, cyclists and runners alike.

A Local Paradise for everyone

I always take my trusty steed down for a gentle cycle along the river and usually find a shaded spot under a tree to enjoy a nice nap. Along the very wide and grassy areas running adjacent to the river, you can find groups and individuals of all ages enjoying the outdoors and fresh, fairly pollution free air. Kids baseball teams fighting for victory, groups of friends enjoying some badminton or frisby, cyclists, runners and other fitness enthusiasts working hard and even the odd guy with his shirt off just soaking up the rays (a fairly rare sight in Japan).

The need for speed

Thanks to the fact that there are no traffic lights or disruptions along the path, you can really get some good speed and cover some decent distances out along the Arakawa River. I usually go for a 50km round trip ride with a good nap or some cloud counting on a patch of green grass in between. This is my go-to place when I need to do some low impact exercise and and just not feeling my local pool. There are plenty of other runners and cyclists out and about too, which gives it somewhat of a community vibe.

Beautiful countryside vistas

Not only is this area a great space for exercising and relaxing, but some of the views of the river at different times of the day are reason enough to pay this place a visit. Check out these photos I took as the sun was beginning to set! I know that its a bit cliche, but you really have to do find time to enjoy the simple things in life, especially when they are happening right in front of you. I wonder how many of you reading this have enjoyed a good sunrise or sunset recently? If you have then let me know down in the comments!

If you are on the look out for clean and crystal clear blue skies, then Tokyo during the winter months is definitely the best time to visit and bring your camera! The air is cool and crisp, there is much rainfall compared to other months meaning the skies are usually dyed a brilliant blue. Perfect conditions for skydiving! Though that will be another post. 😉

Complete body circuit anyone?

While I don’t see many people doing this, the grassy banks along this river offer ample space to get a good bodyweight workout in. Sprints, squats, press ups, sit ups, commando crawling, you name it, you can do it here with only a few members of the public giving you strange stares (and when you’re in Tokyo, finding a place where only a few people are staring at you is a rare thing indeed!).

Counting Clouds

I find at times like this, where I am just existing in the world with little else on my mind other than the number of clouds in the sky, I delve deepest into my own thoughts. The epiphany I had this time while diving into the deep recesses of my mind was that, no matter where in the world, the differences in culture and custom, religious beliefs societal norms, people really aren’t all that different. It is easy to get caught up in the seemingly endless differences between people that I often forget that we all share some very basic similarities. We all love to laugh, we all have people who are important to us, we all like to eat, sleep and watch Lord of the Rings (well most of us do anyway).

I would like to share with you an image that I feel really drives this message home, which I took along the Arakawa River. Now this may say too much about my upbringing, but a tastefully drawn penis on a big signboard can be appreciated in all languages and cultures!

That concludes my first blog from life in Japan section, and my introduction of a great spot for relaxing outdoors in Tokyo. TO enjoy a different slice of life in Japan, check out my Japanese bar experience here!