Maioka Park is my most favorite park in Yokohama area. It is very special, and well worth the visit. No matter you are a local or a tourist, as long as you love nature and quiet environment, you will definitely have a good time there.
The park is not one of the those usual crowded parks, with many kids running around, people barbecuing or camping, having concrete roads and recreational facilities. It is a nature park surrounded by trails, woods, farmlands and ponds. There are some people enjoying bird-watching, photography, quiet walks, kids catching inserts or visiting tradional farmhouses, but not so many visitors even during holidays.
Maioka Park is indeed a park combining both nature and traditional Japanese farmlands. There are many private farmlands and farmers working inside the park. They also welcome volunteers to help maintaining the parks and they also provide free farming trial lessons. There are old-style farmhouses inside the park for visitors.
There are also natural trails between woods and farmlands all the way from Maioka Station from Maioka Park, so the area is much bigger than it shows on google map (about 0.285km2). I heard that some lands are private-owned, but the owners donate/allow the land for public use. That’s why they do not show as part of Maioka Park, but it feel like part of Maioka Park if you walk inside.
Inside the Park you can find any sitting/sheltered areas, picnic tables, toilets and water taps. You can enjoy a quiet lunch or snack in front of the beautiful ponds or farmlands.
The trails are mostly flat, with soft soil ground, not much tree roots or big rocks, surrounded by ancient trees, beautifully-made fences. It is such a pleasure to practice trail run there. I constantly hear birds singing, occasionally even see some squirrels or ducks there.
I was surprised to even find some traditional wild vegetables (such as bamboo shoots, senmai, Japanese butterbur…) on roadside, and old-style wooden lamp posts that you can no longer see on the streets!
Also, if you climb up some stairs to exit the park, it is almost one straight wide road leading you to Totsuka Station. Either way you take, it is just 2-3km walking distance.
It has 3 entrances at the North, South and East, open at 8:30-19:00 in April-October, 8:30-17:00 in November-March, and Free for all visitors!
Please pay a visit if you have chance~~
