The Japan Times ( Sunday , Dec . 6 , 2009 ) Painting Tokyo red and goldBy CHRISTOPHER JOHNSONSpecial to The Japan Times In times past , some Native Americans believed the autumn colors were made when the Great Hunter finally shot the Bear , whose blood spilled across the landscape in the form of red leaves . Nice rug : A crimson carpet of fallen Japanese maple leaves covers Yoyogi Park in Shibuya . CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON PHOTOIn my view , as I cycle around Tokyo , the trees appear to be more like well - preserved bottles that finally let forth their red and golden wines to celebrate the end of a glorious year . Of all the seasons , perhaps the best time to be in Tokyo is during koyo , which means " red leaves . " Reminiscent of the U . S . state of Vermont , the Gatineaus in Canada or northern England ' s entrancing Lake District , Tokyo is a natural wonder of the world for a few weeks at this time of year . Yet surprisingly , millions of people run away from Tokyo , thinking they have to climb Tsukuba , Takao or other mountains to get drunk on the wine - colored foliage . This is just perfect for cyclists in Tokyo . While hoards of koyo - seekers are waiting in line for trains or cable cars , or jostling for camera positions in crowded mountain temples , central Tokyo at this time of year is quiet — but bursting with a cornucopia of color . In contrast to the bacchanalian rites of spring ' s cherry - blossom season , the solitude of autumnal cycling seems perfectly suited to the mood of koyo . Alone on a bike or in a small group of cyclists , it ' s possible to cruise silently to quiet corners of parks and temple precincts in parts of town well away from the crowds . If the leaves aren ' t peaking in one park , we can spin over to another spot where they are . If the leaves are falling , it feels like a dream to glide through them on an empty sidestreet . Best of all , cycling helps the senses to open up and appreciate the world around , and to transcend the boxed - in feeling created by cars , trains and canyons of concrete . Golden voyage : A line of golden ginkgo trees lines Icho Namiki ( Gingko Avenue ) near the Meiji Jingu Outer Gardens . CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON PHOTO The hypnotic rhythm of pumping legs and spinning wheels can also induce the type of meditative state achieved by ancient wandering haiku poets , who didn ' t have urbanites bumping into them as they paused on a mountain path to pen their thoughts . To explore the autumn colors of Tokyo , I cycle east and north from Shibuya , up and down Roppongi - dori , to the national Diet , where trees sprinkle leaves onto empty streets , and then around the Imperial Palace , where the boulevard is open only to bicycles ( which can be rented near Nijubashimae Station ) until 3 p . m . on Sundays . Avoiding the masses enjoying koyo on the palace grounds , I circle around north to the adjacent Kitanomaru Park . Once a part of Edo Castle , this park , rebuilt after a fire in 1657 , has a science museum , 400 - year old gates , and a martial arts arena , the Nippon Budokan , which also hosts huge music events . The moats and ponds are important habitats for mandarin ducks and winged winter emigres from Siberia , as well as lovers seeking a getaway from bigger , busier parks . In addition to the oak and camphor trees , this area features the most well - known autumnal tree , the Japanese maple , or momiji . More delicate than its North American cousins , the momiji has a broad palette — from lemon orange to fiery red to burned purple — and its brilliance changes depending on the sunlight and time of day . A few minutes further north , the Koishikawa Korakuen gardens ( next to Tokyo Dome ) feature ponds reflecting incredibly red momiji . Along with other urban oases such as Hamarikyu and Rikugien ( which is lit up until 9 p . m . during koyo season ) , a ¥ 300 entrance fee at Koishikawa helps to downsize the crowds — and to pay for the preservation of one of Japan ' s highest art forms , landscape gardening . Heading west along Yasukuni - dori , past Yotsuya and Akasaka Palace , we go uphill toward the Meiji Jingu Outer Gardens , or Gaien , and a spectacular avenue of golden ginkgo trees named Icho Namiki ( Ginkgo Avenue ) . Two rows of trees form an Acropolis devoted to the worship of golden leaves , which resemble Japanese fans or elephant ears . Avoiding the pedestrians strolling under the tunnel of branches , a cyclist can meander up and down the street to find the best camera angles against the sharp blue sky of a cold day . Like many of Tokyo ' s venerable trees , the ginkgos were planted in the Taisho Era ( 1912 - 26 ) in memory of the previous Meiji Emperor . From Nov . 16 to Dec . 14 , the area hosts an Icho Matsuri , with food and drink stalls in the nearby sports ground . For cyclists , this area is great all year on Sundays , when cars are forbidden along a circular route — though caution is needed among children on training - wheels near the National Stadium . Just beyond that sports mecca we pass under the tracks outside Sendagaya Station , to the free bike - parking area at Sendagaya Gate on the southwest side of Shinjuku Gyoen ( entrance fee ¥ 200 ) . Perhaps one of the most inspiring and well - manicured city parks in the world , Gyoen boasts more than 20 , 000 trees , including about 1 , 000 maples and 500 ginkgos , as well as majestic Himalayan cedars and crown - shaped bald cypress . It ' s a good place , too , to learn about other trees that grace the urban landscape , among them keyaki ( zelkova ) , hazenoki ( wax tree ) , hanamizuki ( dogwood ) , as well as that national emblem , sakura . A forest within a city , the Gyoen ' s fountain of flora has supplied cuttings and seeds to source many of the sycamores , tulip trees and others seen along the roads of Tokyo . Birds , including green Amazonian parakeets that have surprisingly adapted to the Kanto climate , often visit here on their tours of the city . With a circumference of 3 . 5 km , the park as a whole is a 58 - hectare work of art , a masterful display of Japanese , French and English gardening philosophies , full of symbolic rocks , spellbinding shapes and optical illusions — and all this backed by the Docomo Tower and Shinjuku ' s skyscrapers . Designed with French assistance in 1906 to be an Imperial garden , it was burned to ash in 1945 but it was then replanted and reopened in 1949 as a national garden for the public . I could live in this park , and grow vegetables among the bushes — except for the fact that it closes at 4 : 30 p . m . every day ( and all day on Mondays ) . From there , however , climbing up Aoyama - dori and then whizzing down Omotesando past the zelkova trees toward Harajuku Station , we reach the heart and lungs of Shibuya ' s youth culture , Yoyogi Park . With bicycles for hire , its cycling path around the park provides a good workout any time of year , but just now takes us past psychedelic fields of gold and crimson . People roll around in the leaves like children in the year ' s first snowfall , or take pictures surrounded by koyo carpets . Then , in the evenings , DJs or drum circles often fill the park with music and laughter . From here , with the right bike and ample energy , it ' s only an hour ' s ride along canals and backstreets to Inokashira Park , or a 50 - km one - way trip along the Tamagawa River to the visual feasts of Okutama . But even that can get overcrowded . During the craze for koyo , it ' s better to stay in Tokyo . Christopher Johnson ' s Web sites are at www . globalite . posterous . com and www . myspace . com / globalite ) .