Stumbling upon a park in Asakusa

With my cousins in tow, we headed to Asakusa today.  I wanted to show them one of the most famous temples in Japan.  From now on whenever they see a photo or shot in a movie of the big red lantern, they will be able to say "I've been there!"  It was also here that I was able to give them a quick lesson on the importance of Buddhism in Japanese culture.

Although I have been to Sensoji Temple several times, I am always discovering something new in the area.  Today's find was a small play park right next to the temple.  We were taking a less crowded stroll back to Asakusa Station, when I spotted a climbing structure right next to a bell tower perched on a retaining wall.

It turns out that the retaining wall held Benten-do (another Buddhist Temple) and just beyond it was Bentenyamajido Park.  The park consisted mostly of climbing structures and monkey bars, but also had swings, a three person rocker, and a random plastic hippopotamus that children can climb through the mouth.

For my five year old, it was the perfect way to burn some energy after dealing with the crowds of tourists.  He didn't care that there were huge puddles from yesterday's rain under the swings and single bars.  He chose to scale the various climbing apparatuses instead.

It is so nice to stumble across these small parks when you have a young kid.  It gives them the mental and physical break they need to keep trekking in this huge city.  I still struggle with the appearance of hard dirt ground, as I'm so used to American parks with shock absorbing materials covering the ground, but I still appreciate the place to let out some steam.

Next time we share this landmark with visitors, I will definitely stop by this park with my son.