Volume 04, Number 10
Kids
A Little Bit of the Shire in Tokyo
By S. Z. Cairney
"Give me space" I yell to the heavens, "and trees, flowers, and grass". Yes lots of grass, where my kids can run barefoot willy-nilly and do what kids do best! Well, there is a God. Tokyo has an abundance of glorious parks and the one I always seek sanctuary in is Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa.
Incredibly spacious and conveniently located for most Tokyoites, the Showa Kinen Park has to be the crème-dela- crème of parks. Built for the Emperor Showa—hence its name—to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his reign, the park is divided into four different zones: A, B, C and D. It is an understatement to say that the D zone is everything and much more the epitome of all those childhood fantasies we ourselves savored during those long gone playtimes. Whoever designed this area obviously still retains a wonderfully child-like imagination, enriched with generous helpings of magic and mystery. Feel yourself pulled back into a time where fairies, elves and other such fantastical beings still roamed the earth.
Be a dare-devil and venture into the Children's Forest; brave a walk through the Foggy Woods (see the website below for fog times), holding tightly to your little one's hand for fear of what beastie may lurk round the corner; jump up to the sky and reach for the stars in The Sea of Clouds—a word of warning though, don't jump up too high or you might find yourself landing in the Dragon's lair right next door. And please be quiet, we don't want to wake them up as they have been known to roar if their slumber is disturbed. There are caves to explore for hidden gold—delve a little deeper and you'll happen on the Forest House, a wooden structure housing medical facilities, baby changing, and a sweet shop all there to serve you. The house also hosts hobby and craft activities for kids to join in on (please check the schedule for times and availability).
As well as being home to a Waterfowl Lake, B Zone is complete with restaurant, a bird sanctuary, and a tree garden which also includes fantastic water play facilities for all age groups. Rainbow Pool and Water Playland boast a large variety of differing pool areas with something for all ranges of size and age. An absolute must during those hot summer days. Or, if you fancy looking at the water from a drier angle, why not rent a boat and pop out for a mini-cruise on the lake?
C Zone has a fabulous barbecue area for those great outdoor types. You don't even need to take anything along. Full equipment can be hired including barbecue food packs! There is also a Sports Area where 'Horse shoe tossing', 'lawn bowling' and delights of all delights 'Croquet' can be enjoyed.
A Zone sets the scene for the Exhibition Plaza complete with restaurant and the canal walk with its very pleasing-on-the-eye fountains.
After all this intrepid exploring, if you find your tootsies giving up on you, catch the choo-choo train back to your entrance! Stops can be found all around the park and the kids will love waving at anybody and everybody even if you feel like you are on the verge of collapse!
I cannot recommend this park highly enough. It truly is a wonderful place. So, shrug off that giant bag you've been stuffing full of adult responsibilities and woes, beat those cobwebs aside, and walk through that long forgotten threshold to freedom and magic... for a few hours at least!
Showa Kinen Park
Nishi Tachikawa Station on the Chuo Line.
Children age 6 and up: ¥80, 15 and up: ¥400.
www.showakinenpark.go.jp/english/index.htm
Kites for Kids
Fresh Air and Old-School Fun
by Rob Goss
Now that spring is about to give way to early summer there can be no excuses for staying indoors. After all, you will have plenty of time for staring out the window or wiling away the day with a Wii when rainy season hits. So get up, get out, and try something that has been popular in Japan for centuries—kite flying.
Since kites came to Japan from China about 1,500 years ago, they have been used in religious ceremonies, they have seen military action, and they have even been employed as primitive human flying devices, most famously by 16th century thief Kakinoki Kinsuke who had the not-so-clever idea of tying himself to a giant kite to try and get to the gold dolphins atop Nagoya castle.
Although Kinsuke botched his crime and ended up being boiled in oil for his troubles, kite flying as a hobby has proven to be far more successful, as shown by the popularity of events such as the annual Kasukabe Giant Kite Festival and National Kite Fly in Saitama. The Japan Kite Association's website (www.tako.gr.jp) lists a host of other major events, while the people at the JKA will happily give you advice about local kite festivals and kite clubs, and kite making classes for both kids and adults (tel. 03-3273-0575).
For anyone interested in trying kite flying, buying a cheap, flyable kite is easy. The JKA-run Kite Museum in Nihonbashi, besides housing a collection of 3,000 kites ranging from imitation birds and insects to exquisite portraits and paper canvases retelling mythical tales, sells small kites decorated with highly stylized nishiki-e paintings for under ¥1,000 that can be put together without too much cursing and that can fly.
Once you've bought yourself a kite and assembled it, all you need is a dry day and enough enthusiasm to run around a park dragging your kite behind you while you wait for a gust of wind to send it soaring. While flying may not be guaranteed, fun most definitely is.