Kodomo no Mori Park – A Forest Made for Play
Welcome to Kodomo no Mori Park, Shinagawa’s answer to every child’s daydream. Tucked just behind Shinagawa Shrine, this “Children’s Forest” blends natural play with urban greenery. It’s not just a playground — it’s a world of treehouses, bamboo tunnels, and free-spirited exploration. If you grew up in Japan, a park like this probably helped shape your imagination.
🛝 What Makes This Park Special?
Unlike the flat, plastic playgrounds you’ll find elsewhere, Kodomo no Mori Park uses elevation, wood, and vegetation to create an adventurous landscape. Kids can climb, dig, splash, or just sit quietly with a stick in the dirt. Adults are welcome, too — but only if they’re willing to follow the rules: be curious, be kind, and let the children lead. Seasonal festivals, bamboo lantern nights, and storytelling events make the park feel like a village where kids are in charge.
🌿 Built from a Philosophy
This park isn’t random. It’s part of a growing movement toward natural play spaces in Japanese cities. Staffed by “play leaders” and designed with freedom in mind, the park encourages hands-on, unsupervised discovery. It’s messy, unstructured — and exactly what child development experts say we all need more of.
🦖Kodomo no mori Park is Kaiju Park – Democratically Designed
Kodomo–no–mori Park, 子供の森公園 (Children’s Forest Park), is a popular park located in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was established in 1970, Showa 45. The park is unique and is affectionately known by the locals as “Kaiju Park” due to its colorful dinosaur monuments.
The park has various unique features not commonly found in other parks. These include 8 dinosaur monuments, a children’s baseball field (3,260m²), swings, Tarzan ropes, old tree things, an administration office, park toilets, drinking fountains and storage facilities.
One of the significant aspects of this park is that it was the first park to incorporate children’s opinions on a large scale when deciding the park’s concept. This has made the park a beloved place for children to play and a relaxing spot for local residents.
In addition to being a playground for children, the park also serves as a valuable outdoor sports field for children in Shinagawa, which is becoming more urbanized. It has a baseball field and often youth baseball games take place on weekends.
Kodomo–no–mori Park has undergone several changes over the years, including the donation of land from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., the purchase of additional land, and the relocation of the cleaning office. It is continuously being improved and developed with the local community’s input being a crucial part of the process.
At the entrance, there is a “water monument” that showers 15 minutes six times a day from three colorful pipes of different heights, which is very popular with children in the summer.
In summary, 子供の森公園 is not just a park; it’s a community space that has been shaped by and continues to serve the needs and interests of its local residents, particularly the children.
Official Site
Where is Kodomo–no–mori Park?
| what3words | ///alright.averts.gold |
| latitude longitude | 35.6167497 139.738017 |
| Nearest station(s) | Shinbanba Station (Keikyū Main Line) Kitashinagawa Station (Keikyū Line) |
| Nearest public conveniences | In the park. Pink, next to the office. |
Show me a sign.
Nice.
Withervee says…
If I was a child or liked baseball it might be worth visiting. Incidentally, a sign on the side of the park piqued my interest into the Tokai-ji. It stands on the former grounds of the Tokai-ji.
Site Character
- Lifestyle 生活 (Seikatsu): ✔️
- Historical Significance 歴史 (Rekishi): ❌
- Atmosphere/Natural Features 風土 (Fūdo): ✔️
Who in their right mind would vote for this?
- Playground purists
- Forest school fans
- Local parents
- Adventure-loving kids
- Urban rewilders
Further reading
There are plans to redevelop Kodomo–no–mori Park in 2026 and a consultation was held with the public in 2023.
