Daibutsu, Kamakura

Daibutsu, Kamakura
Daibutsu in Kamakura, June 2010. There were thousands of school kids visiting that day. It was still great fun.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Japanese Playground

For some reason most playgrounds in Japan are dirt rather than grass. I'm not really sure why. Below is a small neighborhood playground in Otawara Tochigi-ken where I take my two boys to often. Although it is dirt it is still a nice little playground for them to have fun at.


10 comments:

  1. I have also wondered why, and at schools too.

    Our yard was all sand (like 99% of others), but I've been weeding it & letting what looked like grass grow. Everyone's saying "it's gonna be hard work ใงใ™ใ‚ˆ".

    I don't own a mower, so I cut our grass with a hedge trimmer! It is hard work, but I & my kids've got grass under our feet.

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  2. Yes, a hedge trimmer does sound like it would be a lot of work. But grass is better than dirt in my opinion.

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  3. I have assumed that it was because of the cost. A few years ago there were discussions of making the school playgrounds/fields grass because it would lower the heat island effect. Seems like they should get on that.

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  4. I wonder how much more heat is produced from dirt versus grass.

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  5. Anonymous6:12 AM

    As sixmats said, the Tokyo metro government are implementing the plan to change fields grass in public school.

    It is said that about 8.3℃ is different from dirt versus grass.

    http://www.kankyo.metro.tokyo.jp/nature/green/school_grounds_lawn/summary/about.html

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  6. Very interesting cocomino, thank you. I think they definitely should plant grass. But of course, like my playground above, that would require someone to cut and water often which costs money. The playground above was built with the relatively new housing development around it. Maybe there could be a small homeowners association fee to maintain the playground.

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  7. Yes, most are like this. Its been this way for years and years in Japan. Low cost and easy maintenance. I have managed to find a few grassed areas but it is rare.

    Japan Australia

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  8. Cost is an issue in America too but few would suggest replacing grass with dirt.

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  9. Anonymous9:12 PM

    I like the slide, I want something like that to get to the river here.

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  10. That's a great idea. I think you should build it. :)

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