Futsukaichi Park – A Breath of Green in the Shadow of the Rails
Futsukaichi Park is a modest neighborhood park. While quiet today, it once had a reputation for adventure. In 2015, the park featured a wooden slide built into a grassy hill, a “danger slope (😱),” and uneven bars that made full use of natural terrain. Those features are now gone — likely removed for safety reasons — but the park still offers a calm, green space for local families and workers.
🏘️ Futsukaichi – what’s in a Name?
The origin of the park’s name isn’t officially documented. The name Futsukaichi suggests a market that was open on the second day of each month. But one possibility is that it traces back to Futsuka Gokaichi-mura (二日五日市村), a former village that merged into Shinagawa Town in 1889. That area became part of Shinagawa Ward after the 1932 merger with Ebara Ward. If true, the park may carry a fragment of that village name — a quiet legacy of early municipal history tucked into a patch of green.
🛝 A Park That Evolved
Futsukaichi Park park opened March 2, 1973, and covers an area of 2,137.79 square meters. It was designed to preserve and extend the natural environment. Originally divided into three parts: a play zone, a scenic zone, and a multi-purpose plaza – it was known for its slide built on a man-made hill in the play zone. The scenic zone had a relaxing garden. Now there are just two zones. a fenced catch ball field and a plaza. Now the slide and the hill are gone and the park is simplified. Now, it offers safer, flatter playgrounds, benches, and open space.
🌿 Still a Local Favorite
Though quieter and tamer now, the park remains part of the neighborhood’s rhythm. You’ll spot toddlers on swings, delivery workers catching a break, and older residents sitting in the shade. It’s not a tourist destination — but it wasn’t built to be one.
🧭 Visitor Information
Address: 6-7-15 Minami-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0004
Best time to visit: Morning or late afternoon for shade and peaceful atmosphere
Admission: Free
Where is it?
| what3words | ///relaxed.fenced.kinks |
| latitude longitude | 35.61144315166801 139.73906646741597 |
| Nearest station(s) | Aomonoyokocho Station (Keikyū Main Line) – Ōimachi Station (JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Tōkyū Ōimachi Line, Rinkai Line) |
| Nearest public conveniences | On-site |
Show me a sign.
Looks as good as new. By the entrance facing the road.
Withervee says…
This park has changed. The park it was when the votes were cast are no longer there. I miss the hill slide — it had character and a health and safety warning most likely. But maybe what we need now is rest, not risk. In any case, it still has my bench.
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?
- People who used to climb that hill
- Parents with small kids
- Urban historians
- Lunch break introverts
- Locals who love quiet and hate hospitals
