Anyway, I have been meaning to post about the park across the street from us ever since we got here, and finally I've taken the necessary photos. So here we go:
I call this piece of equipment the Stegosaurus. It is pure Evil. It's made entirely out of concrete and is very slippery, having been worn smooth through years of use. And that's just plain ol' dirt ground underneath to cushion your fall if you haven't already been knocked unconscious on the way down.
The angle of this photograph does complete justice to the steepness of the (entirely concrete, very slippery) slide.
The top of the steps and slide is about two metres high. Did I mention this thing is pure Evil?
And just in case your child doesn't kill him or herself on the Stegosaurus, s/he can have a go on this Concrete Forest instead.
It's not all bad though. This see-saw is as benign as it looks.
And these animals, although also concrete, are low to the ground.
It took quite a while for me to catch on that the dirt in this area is softer and finer than the dirt elsewhere, which officially makes it a sandpit. I think the (concrete, of course) barrier is supposed to represent the crater of Mount Fuji.
The swings are also pretty normal. You can't tell in this photo, they're also about 30 cm off the ground which makes it virtually impossible for adults to swing in them. Even short adults. So yeah, this playground isn't so much fun for the parents.
This is about as much graffiti as I've seen anywhere. These characters are from a popular childrens' series. "Exile" means nothing - as do most random English words you see around here.
The park is teeming with stray cats. These ones were kittens in October. They get fed regularly by a woman who lives nearby.
Pansies. Because they can.
Not too many kids as cute as this one frequent the park, but I seem to be lucky enough to spot her every time I go there.
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How to get to Takazawa Koen: Take the north exit out of Numazu Station and cross over the road. Turn left and walk about four blocks. You're there. It's on your right. If you haven't spotted it yet, you haven't walked far enough, because you simply can't miss it. It's the only large green thing for miles.
