We waited until today because the water park finally opened for the season today. Toshimaen, a theme park we already frequent, has a water park tucked away in the corner of the park. Since we purchased annual passes that include entrance into the water park, we knew we had to check it out.
We arrived shortly after opening and it already had a ton of people inside. I was shocked to see all the pop up tents everywhere. The families and groups were quick to stake out their spots in any shade available. We found a spot in the back corner, that was shaded by trees all day long. We didn't mind that it was a short distance from the pools, as we prefer to have the cool place to relax between dips in the water.
I took our son in first. I wanted to get wet and then sit in the shade for a bit. We found a small stream area to dip our feet into and splash around. After a few minutes, we returned to our mat so my husband could go. I stayed behind, cooled from my wet bathing suit, and worked on a crochet project. It was nice to sit in my quiet area, away from the bustle and noise of the water park, and just relax.
My husband and son played and played in the water. They explored the play structure and went down the slides. They also went to the wave pool.
Periodically, they would come back and grab a snack or just check on me. At some point, I offered them lunch and they happily accepted. Although there were plenty of options at the water park for food, we had brought a picnic - onigiri, tamagoyaki, ginger pork, namasu (julienned carrots and daikon radish in a vinegar marinade), and cucumbers from our garden. It was just stuff from the fridge that we had tossed into picnic containers!
After lunch, we put everything into lockers and went back to the wave pool. This was by far my son's favorite pool. Otousan (daddy) went on a couple of the big kid water slides while we played in the waves. He reported that they were very fun despite only 7 of the 20 slides being open. (There are three types of water slides - body ride mountain, innertube hill, and thrill slide tower. Innertube hill costs extra, but the others are included in the price of admission.) His favorite was the slide that sent him into pitch darkness for a bit. Despite it being pretty crowded, he was able to find us in the wave pool. We played for a short time until we decided to relax in the lazy river.
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There are smoking ladies in this photo, because they are in the
smoking section of the water park. There are actually 3 or 4 places to light up.
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The lazy river is a bit of a misnomer, because it is a pretty fast current that takes you around in a large circle. It is so large that there is actually another pool in the center of the lazy river that houses huge inflatable bouncy toys in it. We didn't pay the extra fee for that pool, in part because our son is too short, but also to leave something for another day. We went around the lazy river several times. It is really relaxing to have the current gently (albeit swiftly) take you down river without any effort.
In the afternoon, it was time for a snack. We could pick from Baskin Robbins, Ben and Jerry's, Dippin Dots, or a couple crepe places. Instead of picking one of these, we went inside the locker area and bought three frozen treats for the same price as one scoop of Ben and Jerry's.
After ice cream, we took another dip. The water park was great fun. I wouldn't say there was anything really unique or new to me there. It was just a fun, relaxing day. When we left, I couldn't believe we had spent over 6 hours there! The time just flew by while we were splashing away.
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