All the signs

Shortly after moving to Tokyo, I walked into the DLC (Driver's License Center) and walked out with a valid Japanese drivers license.  Thanks to a special agreement between Washington state and Japan (also available for Hawaii and Maryland), I didn't have to take an exam or anything.  I still can't believe they do that.  Whenever I see a traffic sign I don't know, or think about the craziness of driving in Tokyo, I am floored that they just hand them over.

I have not used my license to get behind a wheel at all since obtaining it.  The thought of driving in Tokyo simply freaks me out.

Today I actually got a lesson in traffic safety when we took our son to the Oizumi Traffic Logical Park.  It was a 45 minute bike ride to get there, which resulted in a bit of complaining right before we arrived.  He gets tired of being on the back of the bike for anything longer than a half hour ride.  I can't blame him.  It gets tedious and his seat isn't exactly cushy.

He had no idea what to expect, and frankly, it wasn't what I was imagining either.  As soon as we arrived, my husband registered our son by completing a short questionnaire with our son's name, what level of school he s in, gender, and what type of bike he wanted to use.

The day was cold (10°C/50°F), but beautiful blue skies.  The park had lots of families there, but it wasn't crowded by any means.  My son immediately ran up to the pedal cars and hopped on.  Pedaling similarly to a bike, he moved the car with ease around the track winding its way around playground equipment.

Getting a lesson from dad about the meaning of different signs.

He had to follow the traffic signs and stay in his lane.  Within minutes of getting behind the wheel, my son exclaimed with glee, "The ride here was so worth it!"

After completing a couple loops, he was ready to switch vehicles.  There is a small parking lot filled with various sized children's bikes.  Some had training wheels, other did not.  There were also several bins filled with helmets in case kids didn't bring their own.  (I'm pretty sure kids cannot ride their own bikes at the park.)

The bike path consists of a lot more signs, including electric traffic signals.  Kids get to choose right or left and to go on this route or that one.  Paths wind around and lanes merge and veer off.  I loved how there were staff at every intersection with a traffic light to ensure the kids stopped when the came upon a red light.  For some reason, this one seemed to be the hardest traffic rule for the kids to deal with - the changing light.

The crossings in the park are so realistic!  

Good thing the staff are there to help the kids follow all the rules.

They had a game for kids to play in addition to riding around on bikes and go cars.  The kids had to pay extra attention to find frogs tucked near various signs around the park.  I loved how the game encouraged the kids to pay extra attention on the road.

This park was incredible.  My son loved it and so did we.  Not only did he get to learn about traffic signs, I did too.  But, I'm still not going to get behind a wheel here!