Shinjuku Chuo Park Playground
This Shinjuku ( west side of Shinjuku so a bit of a hike from Shinjuku station but close to the Park Hyatt and Hilton etc) playground has a few retro pieces of play equipment and is a great spot for a break from one of the busiest parts of Tokyo.
There is a decent sized playground and a toddler splash pool in the summer months.
When looking for the park, I put Shinjuku Chuo Park into google. It took me to the opposite end and I carried a stroller up a giant set of stairs behind my little guy ( so that, incase he fell, he could properly knock me and a folded up double stroller like some kind of real life dominos on steroids.) So…. I recommend copying and pasting 新宿中央公演ちびっ子広場ジャプジャブ池 into google maps instead. That will take you to the right place.
There are vending machines and toilets next to the playground.
Also a fair amount of shade but I still recommend bringing sunscreen and bug spray.
I always try to use Australian sunscreens but if I have to buy Japanese brands. These are the two I personally like (they are lovely and light – the bottles are too small for my liking though.)
There is one slide that my almost 4 year old loved but many Mums in Tokyo say this is the stuff of their nightmares. It’s a giant concrete slide. You may want to brief little kids beforehand that it is out of bounds.
Part of me loves that Japan is not a litigious society and the ‘at your own risk but you also can’t sue us’ element is mega, I also think this would be the stuff of nightmares for very small kids who are fabulous climbers. …. There are lots of other options. – so don’t feel like ‘ danger slide’ will be your only option, okay?
For the record though, my big 3 year old went up and down this baby several times and had a blast.
SHINJUKU CHUO (CENTRAL) PARK
PUT 新宿中央公演ちびっ子広場ジャプジャブ池 INTO GOOGLE
OPEN 24 HOURS
I have an entire blog post here dedicated to helping you explore Shinjuku with kids.
