Inokashira Park is located in Kichijoji, a chic suburb in western Tokyo. The awesome Ghibli museum takes ownership of one corner of the park, but today we are here to enjoy its other offerings.
The park is already pretty popular on Sundays, and with spring in full swing lots of people take advantage of the nice weather.
Performers and hawkers set up under the trees while people mill about in the shade.
Rebels disregard the warning signs and throw caution to the wind by parking their bikes in a no parking zone.
Paddle boats and row boats cruise up and down the pond.
A small shrine awaits repairs to its charred structure.
The main shrine nestles itself between the lake and a thicket of trees.
Inokashira park also has a small zoo with a focus on indigenous species, plus a few exotic animals.
This duck is king of the castle in his respective pin.
Penguins waddle around in groups.
Goats and pigs live together in the farm animal area.
A tanuki (I think?) takes a nap after a long day.
The honey badger and fennec join the tanuki for nap time.
One raccoon rummages through his exhibit, trying to find an escape route. Or food.
This Hokkaido fox is a long way from home.
The Asian elephant waits inside for feeding time.
The squirrel sanctuary allows you to get up close with these nervous creatures. If they aren’t eating from the plentiful food trays, they zip back and froth across the array of squirrel towers.
In the aviary a cute little green bird eats from the orange slice it’s perched on.
Inokashira Park makes for a great day trip in Tokyo, even if you don’t have Ghibli tickets. The surrounding area is great for strolling and exploring as well. Go when the weather’s nice and you won’t regret it.