Showa Kinen Park

This is the misty park

Neve in the Misty Park

This was a plastic slippery slide!

The Rainbow Hammock

The grass and leaf blowing

The Dragon Dunes

Felix infront of the Bouncy Domes

Felix in his new 'crunky choc' T-shirt!






It was very very hot!

Today, Felix didn't have rugby, so we had decided to go on a day trip. Maryanne (whose party it was yesterday) had told us about 'the grandaddy' of all parks, so we decided to go there.

We caught the express train up to Nishi-Tashikawa, about 50 minutes North-West of our apartment, and walked over the bridge to this 120-hectacre park. We hired bikes (which were far too small for Ross and I who looked like we were riding the kids' bikes!) and cycled to the 'Forest Area'. Here there was this amazing field of 'bouncy domes' - imagine enormous space-hoppers half buried into the ground, covered over with a huge sheet of elastic - it was like the most enormous trampoline! We all had a fab time, and spent the best part of an hour jumping around. You'll see in the photos we're all wet - it was very very hot, and we had to stick our head under the tap to cool down - but as it's so humid, the water doesn't dry, so we were wet for ages!

...and yes, I did have pants on!

Next we went to the rainbow hammock - an enormous 'spider's web' type contraption on which the kids had lots of fun. We visited the misty gardens, and then the 'grass blowing' seminar which happens only once a month (complete fluke this). It was great - there were about 6 old Japanese guys playing this amazing music with grasses and leaves! So they showed us how to make leaf flutes, and we had lots of fun playing with these.

We then went to the Dragon Dunes - these large concrete dragons (the Japanese love their concrete!) which you could climb on and in. We finished the day by cycling up to the Japanese garden (complete with pond with turtles in it - they like their turtles too!) and looking around these amazing bonzai trees (one was 300 years old!).