We spent today at the Toshimaen. They were having a community festival, something that always interests our family. We were able to visit lots of booths and learn quite a bit about the community - from services to the popularity of daikon. There was an entire area dedicated to "eco" (or sustainability), another area featuring local businesses and products, an open market, and amusement. The theme park felt like it was closed due to rain because most of the rides were not operating.
We started in the eco area and learned more about proper disposal of garbage/recycling. My son got to put on a miniature version of a garbage man uniform and sit in the garbage truck. This is a dream for many 4 year olds, and my son is not an exception. Interesting fact about garbage trucks in Japan: they never stink. I don't know how, but they really don't. (In Osaka, you know a garbage truck is near by the ice cream truck type music it plays. Luckily a friend notified me of this phenomenon before I ever embarrassed myself by running after it with cash in hand. They don't seem to play music in Tokyo. I should have asked about it today.)
As we travelled from booth to booth, they were all playing games of some sort and giving away prizes. As a former marketing professional, I know they do this to get you to come to their booth. But why do they all hand out the same thing? We walked away with 10 packs of tissues and 6 new washcloths. Washcloths are very popular here. People carry them around like handkerchiefs in the 50s. They are used to dry freshly washed hands in bathrooms that don't have paper towels, dry your face when it is super humid, and other things you might need a little cloth for. My son's favorite thing was a (really nice) toy garbage truck.
In the local business area we were impressed with some of the businesses showing off their wares. There was a lifelike robot that was bigger than my kid that helps with caring for seniors and people with disabilities. Several artisan booths showed off neat products like jewelry made from old kimonos and photo frames with beautiful mattes. Many of the booths were letting people try building and making things. Unfortunately it was so crowded that we didn't participate. Instead we just looked and pointed. I regret not waiting to make marbled paper, where you swirl paints in liquid and lay the paper on top to create a beautiful design.
The open market had lots of food booths. We ate some delicious fish on a stick, imoni (soup with satoimo/mountain potato), yakisoba, currypan (fried bread with Japanese curry inside), and konnyaku (devil's tongue) on a stick. Unfortunately, our stomachs have limits, because there were so many other things to try. As I looked around, I suddenly thought of the movie "There's Something About Mary". At one point in the movie she says something like "There should be more food on sticks." Obviously, she had never been to Japan. It is the capital of food on sticks.
For amusement, we let our son do two activities. The first was a balloon "room" where he ran around with balloons for 30 minutes. I don't think my description is very enticing, but it was a huge hit with him and the other children enjoying the balloon time. The second activity was a newly opened ride where children get to operate their very own train. There were train stations to stop at and they could blow the horn as much as they desired. It was really impressive and was a huge hit. If we ever head back to Toshimaen, it will be at the top of our list to go on.
Although it rained on us all day, it was a lovely family activity. We learned a bit about our new ward and had a good time together.
Do you know (Naive American asking), is Toshimaen named for the anime company, Toshi? I remember seeing their logo at the end of imported anime shows...
ReplyDeleteNever underestimate the power of a room full of balloons and a fan.
Actually not. Toshimaen means Toshima Park. Toshimaen was built where Nerima castle once stood. The castle owner's name was Toshima and the park was named after him. Also, the park has been around much longer than the anime companies - 93 years versus 59 years.
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