Showa Kinen Park in the Spring

    One of the nicest things about Tokyo is the many parks around the city. Not that it helps reduce crowding; there is never enough of a good thing to go around at once in this metropolis. So while we love exploring new parks, the question holding us back is: will it be too crowded? Alas, we can't afford to think too much about it, or we would be sitting at home most of the time. 

    Last weekend we visited Showa Kinen Park for the second time. The first time was last summer, at the peak of summer. It was sunny and scorching hot then. We drank water constantly and ate shaved ice just to stay cool. Despite the heat, it was still fun. Since the spring weather has been nice lately, a return to Showa Kinen had been on my mind. So when I saw a cool and cloudy projection for Saturday, we decided to visit again. 

    Last time, we went by metro, which took an hour with one transfer. This time, we drove, which took about the same time. The kids prefer the metro, which is more fun and engaging. We also avoid sitting in traffic this way, so it will probably be our transportation of choice in the future. 

    The Tulip Garden was the main attraction last month. Sadly, all the tulips had faded and the main flower attraction were these little blue things (I've no idea what they are called).  

The kids, as soon as they saw the pedal boats, wanted to ride on them. Last year, M was too little. This year, she got to go along the ride as well. The rental is for half an hour, and though the kids are on the boat, their legs are not long enough to actually pedal. Nor would they have had enough strength even if their legs were long enough. The pedaling was hard work. Definitely two adults' worth of work. Half an hour of fun for the kids, half an hour of moderate exercise for the parents. 

    There are at least two large play areas for kids. Each area has multiple play structures for a wide range of ages. This was nice - it allowed us to keep an eye on both kids even as they could play with different things. We stayed in the first area for over an hour. We actually had to use lunch to bribe the kids away. We knew they would like the second play area even more, and it was already past 1 pm. 

    There are plenty of eating options inside the park. There are sit down restaurants, food trucks, and numerous stands all around. Last time, we ate at a sit down restaurant by the lake. This time, I brought plenty of food with us, and we supplemented with snacks from stands. The stands sell things like hotdogs, yakisoba, karaage, french fries, and of course soft serve. The restaurant we tried has your standard Japanese/modern Japanese fare (soba, curry, ramen, etc.). We got a doner kebab from the food trucks, which offer more variety. As with most public Japanese facilities, prices are reasonable. 

    After lunch, we finally make it to the area called the Children's Forest. This includes a massive playground with multiple tornado slides, a network of nets on which kids can climb and jump, and a series of bouncing domes. At this point, M was deteriorating without her usual nap, though E was still going strong. What a difference a year makes. E shied away from the intense slides last year and loved them this year, lining up to go again and again. On the nets, she managed to climb up different levels whereas last year, she only bounced around here and there. 

    Even after two hours, E had not gotten to the bouncing domes that she had loved last year. M, by then, was in no condition to try anything else. So we bought shaved ice for an afternoon treat and called it a day. 

    In the summer, the park opens up a section for water play. This was not open last year due to Covid but will likely be open this summer. Even though we did not get to everything on this trip, we will surely be back soon for the water park. We focused on kid friendly activities, but there is also a lot for adults, including a woodworking shop, a Japanese garden, and special events. This week, for example, there is a special Bonsai exhibition. It's truly a day trip destination. 

    As we had hoped, the kids fell asleep in the car just as they had last year on the train. Whatever effort it takes to get to here, you are nearly guaranteed a good nap afterwards! Goodbye and see you in a few months, Showa Kinen Park. 

Showa Kinen Park & Lunch at Takashimaya

Hisashiburi! It's been a while. The last week has been hectic with both kids at home. E had her last day of school and celebrated with burgers (very good ones) and friends. She was home during the one week gap between the end of school and the beginning of summer camp. Her sister was also at home with an ear infection. We didn't know it was an ear infection until today. For the past six weeks, she has been sick about four times, each time with a fever and congestion. Each time, we took her to get tested for Covid-19. This has been exhausting. 

By the third time, we suspected an ear infection. The pediatrician was unable to give us a diagnosis, citing too much ear wax to see anything. I was surprised he didn't clean it out on the spot. The very same thing had happened with E as a baby, and her pediatrician had whipped out a plastic wand with a small loop at the end and cleaned her ear before examining them. This time, the pediatrician just referred us to an ear doctor to get her ears cleaned and examined. According to my husband, this is standard in Japan. It seems it is also normal to see the ear doctor for a deep clean of your ears. Maybe you think I misunderstood the information, but I confirmed many times, also thinking that I misunderstood. People do go to the doctor to get their ears cleaned. 

Anyways, we made another appointment and sure enough, she had an ear infection. Hoping the next few months, at least, will be healthy ones. 

While it is still rainy season here, it has become hot. We went to Showa Kinen Park, an expansive public park about an hour away from our home via metro. The park has numerous play areas for kids, water play, sports facilities, seasonal flower gardens, picnic areas, a lake, and much more. We spent most of Saturday there and still did not see everything. It was 96 F, and we drank tons of water and ate multiple servings of shaved ice to survive. A true summer experience in Tokyo. 

Section of park that looks like Parc Güell 

Trampoline Park

Picnic area

So hot!

E played so much that she fell asleep on the crowded metro on the way home. If you visit Showa Kinen Park, remember to bring cash. I am still getting used to using mostly cash in Japan. Most places inside the park, including park admission, is cash only. 

I also recently made a trip to Takashimaya, a department store with a grocery and foods section in the basement and restaurants on the top floors. This is a great place to go if you are overwhelmed by picking a restaurant in the city. We chose Breizh Cafe, which makes Breton crepes and galettes. The location in Shinjuku Takashimaya has a nice outdoor patio overlooking a small garden. They have another location in the Omotesando neighborhood of Tokyo and one in Paris. 

Seasonal special - the mozzarella salad galette.

Enjoying her apple juice.

The kids set came with a chocolate crepe for dessert.

After lunch, I picked up groceries in the basement. I bought these bamboo shoots, as the bamboo season is just about over. 

I also chose a salad in the takeaway/prepared foods section. They have a wonderful and interesting variety of salads - most are also very substantial and satisfying enough to constitute a light lunch. 

Takashimaya is close to our home, but I cannot enter it without spending at least two hours inside. This was the rare trip. The summer heat has made me want to eat salads more than usual. And with M on the mend and E at summer camp, I might have time to get ingredients to create one of these this week. 

For now, I have to study for my Japanese class tomorrow. I missed class last week because M was sick. Time to return to a routine this week!