The Best Children's Sports Park and Obstacle Course in Tokyo!

I found a most wonderful place to take the kids for a day out in the sun and for some great excitement, fun, sports and adventure. It is called Heiwa no Mori Koen Field Athletic Course (平和の森公園 フィールドアスレチックコース)  and it's about a ten minute walk from Keihin Kyuko Heiwajima station or a ten minute bus ride from JR Omori station. 


The Heiwa no Mori Koen Field Athletic Course is an obstacle course for kids. The entire course, from start to finish has 40 obstacles that the kids have to challenge. There's climbing giant rope and wood jungle gym types of structures to climbing over walls using ropes to jungle bars and rowing across ponds full of deadly piranhas (oh, and I'm kidding about the piranhas part). You and your child could have a wonderful time at this fun park.


I'd say that it is best for children between the ages of 6 to 12 but younger ages will also have a blast at this park as mom and dad can help them out with the obstacles that are too scary!


Yesterday, I went there with a bunch of 8 and 9 year olds to chaperon for a birthday party and I also wanted to check out the facilities. I was very impressed. The Heiwa no Mori Koen Field Athletic Course is run by the local government (please don't get me started on what the heck the local government is doing running an athletic course for kids, as that's another story) but admission for children was an incredibly low ¥100! Adults are ¥360!


Okay. I've found the best and cheapest place to enjoy a Saturday or Sunday in Tokyo for under ¥500! Parking is available and dirt cheap (I parked for more than three hours and it was only ¥600).


This place is a real diamond in the rough, folks! I think this is one of the best and most refreshing and healthy places you could take your kids to on a day and have some real fun!


The kids love it!... (Thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Humphrys) 

Here is a map of the park at the entrance featuring all the obstacles. See a larger map online here.

Looks daunting. It is, but safe. Kids start at the left, climb over the log, up the ramp, 

then climb down the rope ladder on the other side.

In the west they might call this the Tom Sawyer ride. In Japan it's like Issun Boshi.

There were about 5 huge structures like this that are fun to look at as they 

are to challenge and climb! Take your child and have them bring a few friends! 

Great for a kid's birthday party!

Heck, this one looked so fun even I wanted to ride it... (But I'm afraid of heights!)

Not quite as tough as the Marines or Navy Seals, but pretty darned tough for an 8 year old... 

What kid wouldn't go crazy over riding in a basket over the dangerous valley?

Speaking of danger, watch out for the crocodiles and piranhas! Moms! Dads! 

Definitely need to bring extra clothes & shoes two kids fell in when I was there! 

The kids would get to the top of one of these and want to stay there. 

I had to tell them to hurry to the next obstacle.

This area kind of reminded me of Disneyland's Adventureland... 

It just looked like fun and the obstacles didn't disappoint! At this obstacle

kids had to help each other to get across. Team work!

Running across the floating logs? Yep. Scary and a distinct possibility of getting wet!

Older kids can do this... But I even saw parents with 3 or 4 years old kids 

and the moms and dads carried their kids while they challenged 

the obstacles... A great time together!

Great fun. Exercise. The Outdoors. Camraderie. 

What more could a parent want for their child?

I give Heiwa no Mori Koen Field Athletic Course (平和の森公園 フィールドアスレチックコース) 5 stars for a great cheap place to take your children where they can spark their imagination with adventure and get a day out and some great exercise. It's fun, cheap and a wonderful memory!

NOTES:

1) Definitely take at least one pair of extra clothes and shoes in case your child falls into the water.

2) There are no restaurants or coffee shops nearby 

3) There are no shower facilities.

4) There is another park outside so if you want to have a birthday party there, you'll need to have the cake and pizza or sandwiches at the park outside the entrance of the athletic course.

5) I hear it gets crowded on weekends around lunchtime so I recommend getting there early!

6) If the course weren't crowded, then I expect that it should take an hour or two to complete depending on the age of your child.

Here's a great explanation and more detailed photos of entire course (in Japanese).

Heiwa no Mori Koen Field Athletic Course 

(平和の森公園 フィールドアスレチックコース) 

Address: 

Heiwa no Mori Koen 2-1

Ohta-ku, Tokyo

Te: 03-3766-1607

Business hours: 

Opens at 9:30 am (last entrance at 15:00) Closed at 16:00 

Closed on Mondays and bad weather days

Entrance fee: 

Children and Junior high school students: ¥100

Above high school and adults: ¥360 

Heiwa no Mori Koen Field Athletic Course URL (Sorry Japanese only): http://www.city.ota.tokyo.jp/shisetsu/sports/fieldathletics.html

Map: 

Helicopter Cruises in Tokyo! A Fantastic Experience! Romantic, Exciting and VERY Reasonably Priced!

I have found one of the the most fun and exciting things to do in Tokyo and that is going on a breath-taking helicopter cruise around the city at day or night. There is a company named Excel Air Service Inc. that now offers helicopter cruises around Tokyo that are fantastically fun and the memory of a lifetime.

I took my wife and son to Disneyland on Thursday and then we stayed in a hotel overnight. The next day we went to Excel Air Service at Urayasu Heliport to ride on their wonderful helicopter cruising service. Urayasu Heliport is just a few minutes from Disneyland. Excel Air Service the service that caters to big Hollywood stars and executives when they visit Japan. People like Tom Cruise "cruise" over Tokyo using Excel Air Service so you know they are the best and the safest! (Sorry, I couldn't resist the "cruise" joke!)

This one seats eight. There are several helicopters available.

Incredibly, the prices for the helicopter cruises are unbelievably reasonable. My son and I went on a 20-minute flight during the day (all together we spent nearly two hours having fun at the heliport and lounge) and we had a blast. I expected prices to be in the neighborhood of ¥40,000 to ¥50,000 for each person, but no! The price was about ¥22,000, including everything, for the two of us! 

When you enter the Excel Air Service lounge, you will be greeted by the check-in clerk just like you would at any airport... Of course, it's a helicopter heliport! 

The heliport has a lounge that is comparable to a VIP lounge at Narita for a big airlines like JAL or ANA. Top quality service and a free drink menu!

There is an outdoor patio area that over looks the beautiful Pacific Ocean and a nice view of Disneyland and Disney-Sea. I imagine that this is the place that guys would want to bring out the ring and propose (maybe after the flight?)

Our helicopter (this really is the helicopter that we rode on) coming back for a landing.

I took this photo of Tokyo Sky Tree. Click on image for larger view. Wow! It was a breath-taking view and Tokyo for as far as the eye could see!

Leave Urayasu Heliport, go around Ginza, circle Tokyo Sky Tree, and back. 

Wow! What a fantastic helicopter tour over Tokyo!

I can imagine that, as word gets out about this wonderful helicopter cruising service over Tokyo and the world's tallest structure, Tokyo Sky Tree, that this cruising in a helicopter service over Tokyo is going to become one of the hottest romance spots in town. I can see this as being the ultimate place to propose marriage and, heck, just to hold hands! What excitement! What fun! 

To get to Excel Air Service Inc. Go to Maihama station (the station you go to get get to Disneyland) and take the free bus shuttle (about 5 minutes by bus). By car? Free parking too!

〒279-0032

千葉県

浦安市千鳥14番地

浦安ヘリポート

Tel: 047-380-5555

Chidori 14 Banchi

Urayasu City

Chiba Prefecture

279-0032

Tel: 047-380-5555

Map: 

If you go by car, look for this sign by the side of the road...