LET’S GET OUT FOR A WALK

Exploring Tokyo on Foot Cheap Fun and Good Exercise

If you have got cabin fever from all this Coronavirus avoidance that is going on or you use want to go for a short walk around town then this post has you covered… for exploring Tokyo. Here is the basic information to go outdoors and roam the city while still basically doing Social Distancing. Just remember to practice the three Cs: No Crowds, No Closed Spaces, and No Close Conversations. And don’t to forget to bring along a medical mask for good measure. Let’s go walking some Tokyo walking courses!

THERE ARE TWO CHOICES

CHOICE ONE – PAN-TOKYO WALKING COURSES

These courses are all over Tokyo and take in the natural and cultural spots of the city. This system of walking courses was created by the metropolis of Tokyo twenty or more years ago, before it was felt to have a web presence. Even the guide materials have run out a long time ago. There are markers all around with huge beginning and ending placards talking about the courses and maps for trekking in Tokyo. Here and there are descriptions about the place and its history. This course system goes between and connects the different wards in a web of urban hiking in Tokyo paths. It is pretty old and well-established.

However, it is all in Japanese and the current government information, even the most up to date information on the internet, seems a little minimalistic. So if your Japanese is fluent and you don’t mind getting a little lost from time to time, but are confident you can find your way back without much trouble, then this is the best option or exploring Tokyo on foot. But if your Japanese is not so great, then be ready to fire up your smartphone’s Google Translate, because you are in for the best slow moving walking adventure that Tokyo has to offer.

TOKYO WALKING COURSES SITE COURTESY OF THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUREAU OF CITIZENS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS

TOKYO WALKING MAP SITE WITH GOOGLE MAPS OF THE OFFICIAL WALKING COURSES ALL AROUND TOKYO COURTESY OF E-SAMPO

CHOICE TWO – WARD SPECIFIC TREKKING IN TOKYO COURSES

These courses are a great way to get to know the history, nature, and culture of specific wards in Tokyo. And it seems that just about every ward has their own fairly well maintained web sites giving a lot of information about their courses as well as a huge pan-Tokyo site in multiple foreign languages including English. So wherever you are in Tokyo, check out your local ward’s Walking Course site and you should find something interesting nearby. Get ready to find something interesting in areas you hadn’t thought to look at before or something new about an area that you have been to many times.

These courses are usually part of the wards’ attempts to market themselves for outside Japanese visitors, so English is sometimes available, but usually not. It just depends on the ward. Just be ready to fire up your smartphone’s Google Translate before you go.
The ward hiking courses do not always cross into other wards. So get ready to get to know one at a time, really, really well!

Map of the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo Thanks to Tokyoship / Public domain

Related Articles on Trekking in Tokyo and Kanto

Image thanks to

Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash

Related Items on Amazon.co.jp

Related Items in Amazon.com