Water Play Area Opens at Minamiashigara City Sports Park on Saturday, April 25

In Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, we have been developing the City Sports Park as part of a project to create attractive outdoor play spaces. In March 2025, the first phase of construction was completed, featuring a renewal of the playground area with inclusive play equipment.

We have now completed the second phase of construction: a water play area near the gateball court.

【A Water Play Area for Safe Fun with Water】 A "water play area" has been completed near the gateball court, allowing children to enjoy water safely. It is designed with a shallow depth, making it easy for even small children to use. It is a relaxing space where you can easily feel refreshed on hot summer days.

○ Overview of the Water Play Area 1. Facilities (1) Length: Approx. 30 meters (2) Width: Approx. 1.5 meters (3) Water depth: Approx. 4 centimeters (4) Number of fountains: 8

2. Usage Period From the fourth Saturday of April to the end of September each year *Excluding park holidays

3. Usage Hours 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

4. Fee Free

5. Precautions (1) Preschoolers must be accompanied by a guardian. (2) Use while naked, in diapers, or in underwear is prohibited. Please wear swimwear or water play pants (swim diapers). (3) Pets are not allowed in the area. (4) Usage may be suspended or restricted due to bad weather, low temperatures, facility inspections, or other reasons. (5) Please follow the facility's rules and be considerate of others while using the area.

【Water Play Area Opening Ceremony】 1. Date and Time Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 1:00 PM 2. Location Minamiashigara City Sports Park Water Play Area 3. Content Ribbon cutting, greetings from the Mayor and guests *The water play area will open for use after the ceremony concludes.

【Renovation of the Second Parking Lot Restrooms】 To ensure the restrooms near the water play area are comfortable to use, we have updated aging equipment. We have also created an environment that park users can enjoy with peace of mind, such as by adding a new nursing room.

○ Main Renovations for the Second Parking Lot Restrooms - Renovated 2 existing urinals. - Renovated 5 existing toilet stalls. 4 Japanese-style toilets were converted to Western-style, and all stalls are now equipped with bidet toilets. - Added a new nursing room inside the women's restroom. - Changed hand-washing faucets to sensor-operated types. - Installed fixed chairs for infants in some of the men's and women's toilet stalls. - Updated the ostomate equipment in the multipurpose restroom (Everyone's Toilet) and added a diaper changing table, renewing it as a multifunctional restroom.

【The Nickname for the Outdoor Play Area is "Minna no Hiroba 'Asobo~'"】 We held a vote for citizens to decide on a nickname for the new outdoor play area, which includes the playground area from the first phase and the water play area from the second phase. As a result of the voting, the name of the outdoor play area has been decided as "Minna no Hiroba 'Asobo~'" (Everyone's Plaza 'Let's Play').

Just as the nickname implies, we will work to ensure that "Minna no Hiroba 'Asobo~'" becomes an outdoor play space loved by everyone.

○ Thoughts Behind the Nickname - Easy for everyone to say and easy for children to remember. - Expresses the coexistence and warmth of Minamiashigara. - "Asobo~" (Let's play) acts as an invitation, naturally bringing smiles to faces.

About Minamiashigara City Sports Park For more details about the Minamiashigara City Sports Park, please visit the official website. [Click here for more information about Minamiashigara City Sports Park]