Feb 24, 2016

The Whimsical World of Japanese Playgrounds




Wander off the main road in any Japanese city and into the residential areas and you're bound to find a small, somewhat sad, sandy lot with a few bits of playground equipment, often a couple of animal-shaped rocking horses and a swing set. Look a little harder and you might come across a concrete fantasy land full of whimsical sculptures to excite a child's imagination and stir an adult's sense of nostalgia.

There is perhaps no other country that has such an incredible variety and number of such playground equipment as Japan. Thanks to people like b-spot enthusiast あさみん (Asamin) and photographer Kito Fujio, many of these incredible playgrounds have been thoroughly documented. Here are some of the most interesting.

Feb 8, 2016

Japanese Mascot of the Week - #2 Nukamura-kun

A weekly series introducing the strangest yuru-kyara mascots Japan has to offer.

source

Hometown: Ogura, Kita-Kyushu
2015 Yuru Kyara Grand Prix Ranking: 1690th of 1727

Nukamura-kun is the embodiment of Ogura's local specialty, nukamisodaki, rice bran-pickled headless fish. Perhaps the busiest half a fish in all Japan, Nukumura-kun is constantly rushing around on trains, traveling back and forth between his hometown and Tokyo to spread the word about nukamisodaki.