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| FAMILY LAND TOP | UENO PARK | Fishy
World |SANRIO
PUROLAND & others | |
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Hangers-out Hachiko Square in Shibuya is the hangout for the young and trendy, but a few minutes away lies a much better place for our younger "hangers-out." Tokyo-to Jido Kaikan (Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall) is a gray 1960s concrete building that does not look so play-friendly from the outside, despite some colorful decoration. But this impression changes immediately once you enter the play paradise. The hall was built in 1964 with the goal of improving children's health and imagination. |
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If you feel like creating something, B1 has a spacious, pungent woodworking workshop where you get assistance in realizing your carpentry dreams. Step up to the second floor to move your body at the Athletics Corner. Soft mats for gymnastics, a climbing structure decorated with animals and more is enough for energetic children. The floor above has a Mini Theater which shows animated films. You can also play and communicate on PCs and our next Nobel Laureates can put their brains to the test at the Scientific Craft Corner. During my visit, many junior high and high school students were on the fourth floor rehearsing with their pop/rock bands in the sound studios. Amuro-chan's (popular singer Amuro Namie who hails from Okinawa) successor might have been around. This floor also offers ceramic courses, and there were many creations drying on the shelves that would go for about 10,000 yen in Takashimaya's kitchenware department. In the middle of busy Shibuya which really is getting a bit out of control 24 hours a day (there is a new hotel, a new complex in front of the station housing Tsutaya and Starbucks Coffee -- Hachiko is still around though), the only outdoor space for playing is on the roof, of course. Here you can ride unicycles, roller skates, and more. The library has everything from picture books for toddlers to glamorous magazines for high school students. |
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But the great thing about metropolitan-run facilities is that they charge nothing or else are wonderfully cheap. For example, the pamphlets state that a fee is charged for the ride on the B1 Flight Simulator -- happy surprise when you buy your 10 yen ticket. Then you enter the small, earth-moored craft, and two fantasy figures take you on a ride to see Tokyo from above. The vehicle "moves" realistically, without turbulence, and we imagine spotting Shinjuku skyscrapers "down there," the waterfront, a barely recognizable Tokyo Station, and we "land" on the Children's Hall roof again. |
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Many non-Japanese children frequent this place, as children play their intricate games together regardless of any language barrier. Ask for the English-language monthly schedule, available from the 20th of the previous month. With the restaurant and cafe, rooms where you can eat your o-bento and more, it is highly probable you will spend an entire day at the Children's Hall. It will seem like an hour to the kids.
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TOKYO
METROPOLITAN CHILDREN'S HALL
1-18-24 Shibuya, Shibuya Sta. walk 7 min.
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