Spring 2026 / Tokyo and just outside it
Thirty-eight places we walked with a dog before writing about them: how large the off-leash runs are, what the ground is made of, where the water taps are, and what each café asks of you.
How this guide works
Before a place goes in, an editor visits it with a dog and notes the time of day and how busy it was. Every photo is from that visit.
Entry fees, weight limits and vaccination requirements are written exactly as the park office or the café told us on the day.
For dogs who would rather not meet others, we always note the quiet hours and whether there is a perimeter path you can walk on lead.
Parks
Areas are the figures published by each park office; ground and busy hours are what we recorded on the day. All of them are free to enter.
SPOT 01
The large-dog and small-dog areas are fenced apart. The turf was relaid this spring, and it held up without mud the day after rain.
SPOT 02
One of the larger free runs in Tokyo. Plenty of dogs tear around here, so smaller or more careful dogs do better on a weekday afternoon.
SPOT 03
A sand run facing the runways. The sand gets hot in summer, so go before eight in the morning or once the sun is low.
Cafés
| Café | Area | Seats with a dog | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aozora Coffee, Sangenjaya | Setagaya | Terrace, 6 seats | No size limit, lead required |
| Bake Stand, Kiyosumi | Koto | Indoor 4 / terrace 8 | Up to 10kg, cart or crate |
| Nohara Shokudo, Kunitachi | Kunitachi | All indoor seats | Vaccination record shown |
| Seaside Parlour, Jonanjima | Ota | Terrace, 12 seats | No size limit, water bowl |
Before you go
Put the licence and vaccination tag on the collar. Photograph the vaccination record — some cafés ask to see it.
Do not go straight in. Walk the perimeter once first; after that, meeting other dogs tends to go more calmly.
Watch from inside the gate with the lead still on. If the day is full of runners, wait at the edge or come back later.
Bring a belly band and a towel to lay down. Dogs who settle on the floor do well on a terrace; restless ones are happier in a cart.
Wash the paws and check the pads. After a sand run, dry between the toes by pressing a towel around each paw.
FAQ
Only inside a fenced dog run. Leads must stay on along park paths and open lawns. All 12 off-leash places in this guide are fenced runs.
Nine of the 38 have a single enclosure. Those entries say "no small-dog area" on the page.
Three runs are covered. For the rest we list a café nearby that takes dogs indoors, so you can switch plans.
Use the form below. An editor visits before it goes in, which takes about six weeks on average.
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