Obstacles, coursing

One weekend we went to the obstacle course at Heiwazumi.park. As usual, we took the train, changing at Shinagawa and passing scores of apartment buildings on the Keikyu line. This vertical living was a reminder of how densely populated Tokyo can be and stood in marked contrast to the one-, two- and three-story buildings that spread over so much of the city.

A wonderful part of Japanese culture that partly compensates for the uninspiring neighborhood playgrounds, obstacles are sets of physical challenging courses. Heiwazumi had 45 separate parts and Alex and Caroline finished them in less than 90 minutes and, for Alex, one change of shoes. The obstacle course clearly had not been designed with American personal injury lawyers in mind. Bare dirt cushioned a fall. Large gaps between logs and between ropes provided the chance to fall, sometimes from 3-5 meter heights. In short, it was designed for kids to have fun, not by a group trying to minimize its insurance risk. And our kids did have fun, clambering up and down nets, running along logs, snaking through rope tunnels, paddling a tub, and otherwise testing themselves (and sometimes their parents) for nearly 45 courses. The obstacle course made up for the sparse playgrounds.