Autumn Foliage at the Meiji Jingu Gaien (Outer Garden)

The Meiji Jingu Gaien Park outside the Aoyama Itchome Station on Ginza Line is one of the most beautiful place in Tokyo for autumn foliage. Ginkgo Biloba trees lined on both sides of the street turn into stunning yellow colors (I went a bit early this year) as below. The street with the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery in the center and the pin pointed trees on the side makes it for the best spot in my personal view, a balance of architecture and nature.Meiji Jingu Gaien Autumn ColorsAccess is just outside the Aoyama Itchome Station on Ginza Line, just a minute walk from the exit point. Follow the sign Meiji Jingu Gaien and you will be able to reach the street where the autumn foliage attracts quite some crowds on weekends.
Meiji Jingu Outer GardenLocation is as below

The trees are peculiar in their structure more pointed in form on either sides of the streets and the weekends of late November are mostly crowded with the Ichyou Matsuri (Ginkgo Biloba Festival) and you can see cars lining up on either sides of the street as the day progresses, where people get down to take a quick snap and zip away. Parking in the street has become more difficult with red markers discouraging drivers from stopping there.Tokyo Gaien-Mae autumn colorsSome trees on the sunny weekend were in full colors and contrasted with the blue sky were truly a sight to watch. Had bought a Starbucks Coffee outside the station, so sipping it as me and my family made our way through the colors will remain in memory. A good weekend.
Tokyo Gaien-Mae autumn colorsThanks to the drivers not allowed to park, very less vehicles this year, mostly had to use the P60 parking on adjacent streets, we did so too.Tokyo Gaien-Mae autumn colorsA lone cyclist goes past with the autumn colors in the background. I like this idea of actually biking in these streets. I should stop coming in a car and do this thing more. Tokyo Gaien-Mae autumn colorsIt is always so nice to contrast the views of a location on a timeline and I was simply blown away with how Meiji Jingu Gaien looked in 1927 and then in 1988. Photographs really preserve memories and a record of how we evolve. Snaps taken today will be very different when you see the same location in a couple of decades. The snaps we take today, we have no idea how they will be perceived in the generations that follow. The fact that there are too many people taking too many snaps these days is a different issue too though.
Meiji Jingu Gaien historical imagesYou can make your ways through the streets on the either side watching the leaves and I think the best time to visit is the last week of November, which is NOW.Meiji Jingu Gaien Autumn ColorsQuite a few couples we noticed trying to take their snaps with full wedding dress and autumn foliage to contrast it. Meiji Jingu Gaien Autumn ColorsWalking back to the parking area, I noticed a fence with pictures of trees covering an area where construction work was ongoing. The NTT Docomo Tower in the backdrop looked magnificent. Nature (trees) and Culture (Buildings) can they coexist?Tokyo Gaien-Mae autumn colorsThe morning skies were near perfect for photography and this autumn colors sandwiched between two green trees was the last memory as I got into our car with a Subway sandwich for my Saturday breakfast. A two hour morning well spent.Tokyo Gaien-Mae autumn colors

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