Spocha, Round1 Ageo – I’ve been talking favorites on the In Saitama Facebook page recently and today’s showcase is very much up there on the best of the best list. Indeed, Kids Spo-cha is actually my children’s favorite indoor play area in the whole of Saitama. I love it, because itRead More →
Named after the flower of Okegawa, Benibana Walk is a mall by the supermarket Apita. They have a better known sister mall in Higashimatsuyama called Peony Walk. Benibana is lesser in every way: smaller, less shops, fewer play areas and services. Benibana Walk It opened in November 2014 and weRead More →
We’ve been hanging out in Shiroyama park quite a lot recently. Thanks to the Family Walker magazine featuring the new piece of playground equipment (the red and white pirate ship pictured below) and suggesting it as a hanami location. We had visited a few times in the past, but it didn’t make that much ofRead More →
Kodomo no Shiro Ageo – Saitama has a large number of superb free children’s (community/ play) centres, called jidokan or jido centre “jidose” (児童館・児童センター）. Many mothers agree that Ageo’s kodomo-no-shiro, “children’s castle”, is among the best. Ageo Kodomo No Shiro In terms of size, equipment and diversity, I would personallyRead More →
Hiratsuka Park – Ageo has some really great parks, but Hiratsuka Park is not one of them! The probably sounds a bit harsh, but it pales in comparison to the other parks in Ageo such as Maruyama Park and Kamihira Park. It is grand for a quick visit or if youRead More →
Disaster Prevention Day and Disaster Training centers, Saitama Japan 2020. One could say this whole year has been a disaster. And we certainly couldn’t have foreseen what this year had in store for us. Prevention? Yes, we could have done better to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, but hindsightRead More →
I was suitably impressed with Ario mall in Ageo when it first opened. However, over the years the mall has gone completely downhill and lost most of the attractions that once made it one of Saitama’s most family friendly malls. Ario Ageo The only thing that really remains that isRead More →
Enomoto Dairy Farm – family run, amiable dairy farm in rural Ageo, Saitama, but close to big cities and even Tokyo itself. The Enomoto Dairy Farm reminds me of the farms at home in Ireland. Its most famous acclaim is its delicious ice-cream, or as they call it ‘gelato’, which hasRead More →
February 1st 2013, Okegawa Children’s Park, 桶川市子ども公園わんぱく村 Today’s play-a-day was a new park for us, but I’m guessing Okegawa Children’s Park has been around a long time. The “monster” in the center of the park is a giveaway; it could do with a lick of paint. I don’t think itsRead More →
Kamihira park is located in Ageo City in the central area of Saitama Prefecture. It has lots of sporting facilities, playground equipment, water play and some seasonal flowers too. There is also a shop / café in the park at the baseball stadium. Maruyama Park is, in my opinion, theRead More →