FAMILY LAND / KAPPA WATER SPRITES

Water slides are more fun than just ordinary swimming pools, and more expensive too. The speed, the excitement and of course the cool water in the middle of the summer heat make it worth even a long trip to one of the playlands that hosts the city's water slides. Try the steep, really fast ones that make the butterflies in your stomach take wing, the winding one sitting on a huge deck, ride a "train" together with friends -- the variations are many.

And it's not all just for the kids, either -- parents can't resist climbing up and sliding down. Creations like these monster slides didn't exist in their "good old days." As with most activities here, we don't recommend going to any water slides at the weekend. Anyone with the experience of a Tokyo Disneyland on a Saturday knows what we're talking about.

Fujikyu Highland
Great Zaboon is the world's largest water chute, with an 18m high splash on impact. Kids under six and 120cm, and people over 60 are not allowed to board. 800 yen. Tel: (0555) 23-2111/fax: (0555) 24-6882. Keio Bus from Shinjuku Sta. W. Exit take you there. Keio Bus Yoyaku (Reservation) Center (03) 5376-2222. (URL: http://www.fuji-q.com).
Mukogaoka Yuen
Closed March 31, 2002. Mukogaoka Yuen Sta. (Odakyu Line). 2-8-1 Nagao, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken. Tel: (044) 911-4281. (URL: http://www.d-cue.com/leisure/mukou/index.htm) in Japanese only.
Seibuen Yuenchi
Artificial wave pools and slides. Seibuen Sta. (Seibu-Shinjuku Line). 2964 Yamaguchi, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama-ken. Tel: (042) 922-1371.
Tokyo Summerland
	Tokyo Summerland "Adventure Lagoon" has the Rock Beach, 54m x 20m Cobalt Beach with 4m high waves, Coconuts Beach with hills, fountains and slides and 8m high, 4m long and three-lane Palm Slide and much more. Higashi Totsuka Sta. W. Exit (JR Yokosuka Line), by bus to Gorufujo Shita. Tel: (042) 558-6511. (URL: http://www.summerland.co.jp/) in Japanese only.
Yomiuri Land
Water Amusement Island (WAI) at Yomiuri Land hosts three waterslides. The most thrilling is the 386m long "Giant Sky River" where four people ride in a rubber boat. Beginners or people who don't care for breakneck speeds can ride the 107m &qout;Slalom Slider." The fastest is the 41.5m "Straight Slider." Also Anpanman-go water fountain and Viking Castle Waterfall. Swimming pools and waterslides are open from mid-July. Yomiuri Land-mae Sta. (Odakyu Line), by bus 10 min. or Keio-Yomiuri Land Sta. (Keio-Sagamihara Line from Chofu Sta.), 6 min. by Sky Road. 1294 Yanokuchi, Inagi-shi, Tokyo-to 206-0812. Tel: (044) 966-1111. (URL: http://www.yomiuriland.co.jp) in Japanese only [copyright (c) Yomiuri Land]
Yuenchi Toshimaen
Seven swimming pools include ones with artificial waves and 40x50m "Niagara Pool." Thirty one slides of nine kinds such as "Giant Slider," "Triple Aquatwist" (three 88m long pipes, 17m slide) and others, are included inthe "Hydropolis," one of the world's largest complexes of water slides. Open from July 1. Toshimaen Sta. (Seibu-Ikebukuro Line). Tel: (03) 3990-3131. (URL: http://www.toshimaen.co.jp/) in Japanese only