Every morning of the Japan trip, before Mikey was awake and before we had any plans, I'd lace up and just run. No route. No destination. It was how I found some of the best spots of the whole trip.
I've always run when I travel — it's the most efficient way to get your bearings in a new city and the only time you genuinely stumble across things rather than searching for them. Japan took this to another level entirely. The parks are extraordinary. The streets are clean and safe to run at any hour. And there's something about being in motion at 7am in a Japanese city, while it's just waking up, that you don't get any other way.
The Parks Are the Thing
What I wasn't expecting was how good the parks would be for running specifically. They're well maintained, the paths are smooth, and in November with the autumn leaves they were genuinely stunning to move through. I'd be mid-run and just stop to look at something.
Japanese parks also have a different feel to parks at home — they're quieter, more purposefully designed, and people use them with a kind of intentionality that's hard to describe. Elderly people doing tai chi, groups of school kids in formation, the occasional serious cyclist. Everyone doing their thing, nobody in anyone else's way.
The Practical Bit
A few things that made running in Japan easier than expected:
You don't need a route. Download an offline map before you go and just run toward green space. You'll find something good. Getting slightly lost in a Japanese city is never stressful — it's well-signed, the grid makes sense in most places, and someone will help you if you need it.
Vending machines are everywhere. This sounds trivial but when you're 40 minutes into a run and need water, finding a vending machine on literally every other block is a genuine blessing. Cold water, sports drinks, hot green tea — all at about 150 yen.
Go early. The parks and streets before 8am belong to you and the locals. After that, especially at tourist sites, it gets busy quickly.
Why It's Worth Prioritising
There's a version of a Japan trip where you eat and drink your way through every day without any movement beyond walking between restaurants. That version is also completely valid. But getting a run in — even 30 minutes — meant I was consistently eating more, sleeping better, and arriving at each day with more energy than the alternative.
It also meant I saw things Mikey didn't. Which I'm still using as leverage.
Kit tip: Pack light running shoes even if running isn't your main plan. You'll thank yourself at 6:30am when the city is quiet and you've got nowhere to be for two hours.