Numakage Ice Rink – Each year, the summer pool in Numakage park, Minami Ward, is transformed into an outdoor ice rink during the winter months. The rink opens late on weekends. If you just want to observe people skating you can enter the rink area for free. There are other facilities of interest in the park such as an indoor pool and yoga and pilate classes. In 2021 several of the usual seasonal ice rinks didn’t open, moreover we lost at least two permanently during the pandemic. But Numakage and Kasa Skate Rink (the only natural ice rink in Saitama) did open and will open again for the 2022 – 2023 season.
New information: Numakage Ice Rink is scheduled to be demolished at the end of March 2024. Thus, this is the second last year of the rink.
Numakage Ice Rink Information
Winter 2022 – 2023 dates: the ice rink will be available, all things equal, from Saturday December 17th 2022 until Sunday February 12th 2023. However, they close the rink on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day. Otherwise, the ice rink is generally open daily. But in the event of particularly bad weather the rink may either be closed for the whole day or they may change their opening hours. Also, if there are any confirmed cases of you-know-what related to the ice rink, they may choose to close the rink temporarily. You can check on the official site for any changes.
Hours: Open 9 am to 6 pm on weekends and until 8.50 pm on weekends and public holidays throughout the season. Last year, they shortened the hours when the State of Emergency came into play. If another State of Emergency is announced it is possible the same will happen again.
Cost: the adult price is 660 yen. The children’s price is 320 yen for primary and high school students, children under 7 are free. Skate rental costs were also raised last year to 400 yen per person.
Skate lessons
This rink does provide skating lessons on select dates during the season. However, they have not released the dates for the 2022 – 23 season yet. Generally, the lessons are on Thursdays during the month of January. Beginners lessons are generally in the afternoon around 4 pm. It costs 1000 yen per person.
Numakage Ice Rink Access
The rink is a ten minute walk from JR Saikyo Line Musashi Urawa station. If you come by car, there is free parking for up to 150 cars.
For more ideas what to do in Winter in Saitama:
First published November 23rd 2016, R211122. Last republish November 28th 2022.
so strange to think of my old home going into winter right now…