Nothing But Words

As promised, I’m going to keep blogging about Japan for a while, even though I’m back in the US now. I have a big backlog of things to write about. However, while Maria is still in Japan and I’m at home taking care of the boys and working, my posts for the next few weeks will probably be longer on pictures and shorter on words, as I don’t have a lot of time to write.

The many slides of Robot Park. That’s Maria in the blue jacket, with Eidan next to her. View at Picasa The many slides of Robot Park. That’s Maria in the blue jacket, with Eidan next to her.07-Apr-2007 14:08, Canon Canon PowerShot S230, 2.8, 5.40625mm, 0.002 sec

Kai and Kento riding the robots at Robot Park View at Picasa Kai and Kento riding the robots at Robot Park07-Apr-2007 14:06, Canon Canon PowerShot S230, 2.8, 5.40625mm, 0.003 sec

Sakura Zaka Koen is a tiny gem of a park, tucked away on a small street a short walk from the mind-bogglingly massive 27 acre, $4 billion Roppongi Hills shopping and entertainment complex (you can see the exact location on this map). It’s a ridiculously small park, but packed with slides. It’s nice that some space was made for it, given that the area is home to some of the most expensive real estate in Tokyo.

The play structures at Japanese parks are typically old, rickety, and dangerous, which makes them a striking contrast to everything else in Japan. So Robot Park is unusual for a Tokyo playground in that everything is new, and it was designed with safety in mind: most of the ground is covered with a giant rubberized mat, and all the slides are contoured plastic. The only thing remotely dangerous is the long roller slide. These kinds of slides are common in Tokyo but rare in the US (the slide is covered with little rolling pins, so you need to be careful with little fingers and long hair).

The robot theme also gives it real charm. We visited for an hour or so with Maria’s friend Shiho and her son Kento. The boys loved it, as it provided a nice break from our strolling through Roppongi.

Robot totem pole at Robot Park View at Picasa Robot totem pole at Robot Park07-Apr-2007 14:07, Canon Canon PowerShot S230, 2.8, 5.40625mm, 0.002 sec

Kai and Eidan on the long slide at Robot Park View at Picasa Kai and Eidan on the long slide at Robot Park07-Apr-2007 14:46, Canon Canon PowerShot S230, 2.8, 5.40625mm, 0.005 sec