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Hi, this is Hiroshi.
Over the past year, my Shiba Inu Momiji and I have walked parks and small mountains all over Kanagawa Prefecture, just south of Tokyo. Somewhere along the way, Momiji became the official field inspector — she always walks in front. I carry the bags at the back.
This is a list of ten places we actually walked, not a roundup scraped from the internet. The parking confusion, the slide that defeated a man in his 50s — all of it was field-tested in person.
Who this post is for
- Anyone looking for places to walk with a dog in Kanagawa (an easy day trip from Tokyo or Yokohama)
- Anyone who wants to know about parking and crowds before going
- Anyone who wants walks that are easy on a 50-something body
The answer first: all ten at a glance
| Spot | Area | Parking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izumi no Mori | Yamato | Free, 122 spaces | Waterside paths and old farmhouses |
| Atsugi Kodomo no Mori Park | Atsugi | Free | Satoyama woods and a 106 m slide |
| Serizawa Park | Zama | Free, 173 spaces | Open lawns and wartime history |
| Mt. Ono | Yamakita | Free | Easy hike with a Mt. Fuji panorama |
| Yokohama Kodomo Shizen Park | Yokohama (Asahi Ward) | Paid (300 yen / 2 hours) | Mt. Fuji views, ducks, firefly habitat |
| Ninomiya Orchard Park → Sodegaura Beach | Ninomiya | Free, 28 spaces | A half-day walk from hills to the sea |
| Oyamada Green Space | Machida | See article | A quiet morning reset |
| Chigasaki Satoyama Park | Chigasaki | Paid | Wide grassy fields and open sky |
| Yakushiike Park (Shikisai no Mori) | Machida | Several lots — choose carefully | Seasonal flowers with your dog |
| Sagami Giant Kite Festival | Sagamihara | Very limited — take the train | A May-only riverside event |
The rules are the same everywhere: dogs on a leash, and always take droppings home. More on etiquette near the end of this post.
Contents
- The three to start with (free parking classics)
- Three for Mt. Fuji and big views
- Three for quiet days
- Seasonal bonus: the giant kites of the Sagami River
- Dog-walking etiquette in Japanese parks
- Wrapping up: Momiji always leads
The three to start with (free parking classics)
Izumi no Mori, Yamato — this much for free feels unfair
Free entry, free parking (three lots, 122 spaces in total). A water wheel, a pond, and preserved old farmhouses let you walk your dog through a landscape of old Japan. I went there with a head full of worries about people, and walked out lighter. It is that kind of place.
→ Full story: Izumi no Mori, Yamato: A Free Dog-Friendly Walk
Atsugi Kodomo no Mori Park — I underestimated a "children's park"
Free entry and free parking. Open 9:00–17:00 from April to September, 9:00–16:00 from October to March. The name means "Children's Forest," so I let my guard down — and found a proper satoyama woodland, an elevated walkway, and a 106-meter slide that quietly defeated a man in his 50s. Weekends get busy, so go early.
→ The full confession: Atsugi Kodomo no Mori Park
Serizawa Park, Zama — open lawns above wartime tunnels
Free entry, free parking with 173 spaces (note the lot hours). Bright open lawns for the dog, and underneath, the remains of a WWII underground naval factory. Aircraft from nearby Atsugi Base pass overhead, so this is less a "perfect silence" park and more a "walk and think" park.
→ Details: Serizawa Park and the Underground Factory
Three for Mt. Fuji and big views
Mt. Ono, Yamakita — the easiest Mt. Fuji panorama I know
Free parking; the only cost is getting there. Dogs are welcome on a leash, and from the top, Mt. Fuji fills the sky. If you are in your 50s and worried about whether your legs are up to hiking in Japan, this is the mountain I would hand you first.
→ Trail details: A 50-Year-Old's Gentle Hike up Mt. Ono
Yokohama Kodomo Shizen Park — fireflies inside Yokohama
Parking lots 1–3 (300 yen for 2 hours, then 50 yen per 20 minutes). There is a spot with a Mt. Fuji view, ducks on the pond, and even a genji-firefly habitat. For a park inside Yokohama city, the nature here is surprisingly deep.
→ Details: Yokohama Kodomo Shizen Park
Ninomiya Orchard Park → Sodegaura Beach — hills to sea in half a day
Park free at Ninomiya Orchard Park (28 spaces) and walk down to Sodegaura Beach. Fishermen hauling nets, black kites overhead, waves. Getting hills and ocean in a single short walk is what this western Shonan coast does best.
→ The route: Ninomiya to Sodegaura Hiking
Three for quiet days
Oyamada Green Space, Machida — the luxury of nothing
There is nothing flashy here, and that is exactly the point. On Sunday mornings my feet take me there before my brain decides. A slow walk with Momiji, and the week's noise settles. A prescription for tired weeks.
→ A Peaceful Sunday at Oyamada Green Space
Chigasaki Satoyama Park — wide grass, wide sky
Parking is paid. Leashes are required, but give your dog a little extra line on the wide grassy fields and watch them light up — Momiji certainly did. The sky feels bigger here.
→ Chigasaki Satoyama Park: A Quiet Retreat
Yakushiike Park (Shikisai no Mori), Machida — do your parking homework
A park of seasonal flowers that turned out to be a hidden gem on a year-end Sunday. But the parking situation has real traps, and there are rules about where dogs can go — read the guide below before you drive over. My mistakes are in there so yours don't have to be.
→ A No-Regret Walking Guide to Yakushiike Park
Seasonal bonus: the giant kites of the Sagami River
Every May, kites the size of a house rise over the Sagami riverbed in Sagamihara. We stumbled onto one being built during an ordinary walk with Momiji. Parking is unpaved and very limited, so take the train.
→ The Sagami Giant Kite Festival
Dog-walking etiquette in Japanese parks
- Leash required, always. Keep dogs on the paths and out of plantings
- Take droppings home (carry more bags than you think you need)
- In summer, touch the ground with your hand before letting your dog walk on it
- Some areas are off-limits to dogs — follow the signs on site
Basic stuff, I know. But these small basics are what keep parks dog-friendly in Japan.
Wrapping up: Momiji always leads
Looking back over the photos from all ten places, I noticed something: Momiji is always at the front, my wife next, and me at the back. The order has never changed once.
I will keep updating this list as we walk new places. If even one of these spots helps you answer "where can I take my dog this weekend?", writing it was worth it.
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