Big Walk 2024 Tokyo Station to Shinjuku
Another year, another Big Walk. If you follow this blog, you’ll know I started it in 1997. It has been an ongoing project of mine. My wife and I walk from one station on the Yamanote Line to Ginza or Tokyo Station every year. We made a change in 2024.
What was the change for the Big Walk?
There were no more stations to leave from. Well, there were two, Kanda and Yurakucho. They were on either side of Tokyo Station. That hardly seemed the effort. Ten-minute walks didn’t seem like fun. After some thought, we decided to flip things around and do things in reverse. Shinjuku was our destination.
How was the walk?
It was good. Blue skies graced us and it wasn’t cold. A few people on the streets even wore shorts. That should give you some idea of Tokyo’s recent weather. We had a good start.
What did we do?
We didn’t do much because the walk was easy. From Tokyo Station, we headed straight to the Imperial Palace. Many tourists were around Main Gate getting their photos. Tents were up too.
They are needed for January 2 when the Emperor appears on Chowaden Hall’s balcony. The public is allowed into the palace for the event. They pass through the tents for a security check.
We looped around the palace to the Hanzo Gate. With deep blue cloudless skies, the views towards the Marunouchi were great. Then we entered Shinjuku-Dori, the road to our destination.
From the palace to Shinjuku isn’t very interesting. I hope I don’t upset anyone with that statement. Commercial and retail establishments lined it. You’ll find the occasional temple and shrine, though.
Once we entered Yotsuya, I saw Sophia University for the first time. It’s known for its language programs. I’ve met many of its students and they speak good English. Maybe I’m generalizing, but it has been my experience.
After that, the walk to Shinjuku was uneventful. It took less than two to finish. The weather made it memorable, though.
We finished our Big Walk at 3d Cat Billboard. Do you know it? The photo does the talking. It’s a huge Shinjuku drawcard. Many people stop in front of it to take photos or videos.
Anyway, I wish you all a Happy (and safe) New Year. Hopefully, you did something fun, too. Leave your questions and comments below.
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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