Located on the opposite side of Asukuyama Park and near Oji Station is Otonashi Water Park (Otonashi Shinsui Koen).
The park was created to maintain the flow of water from Shakuji River when there is flooding.
Created in traditional Edo-style, the park is often visited by families and each spring, visited for its cherry blossoms.
The wooden bridge was restored after it was destroyed during the Kano River typhoon of 1958 (Showa 33) and right in the park is a water filtration unit, to clean the pollutants in order for kids who want to play in the water during the summer. It’s also a popular area for nearby workers to sit and each lunch.
Otonashi Water Park was accepted as one of the “100 Urban Parks in Japan” in 2000.
The park was created in scenes of famous landscapes of the Edo area, while the stream has gone through the area for a very long time.
The changes came about because the stream was polluted by garbage and sewage after World War II. People were concerned that the once beautiful Otonashi river was nothing but a memory until 1988, when the Kita city government built Otonashi Water Park in response to the residents.
It’s no doubt one of the most beautiful and interesting parks that I have ever visited in my travels throughout Tokyo and is worth visiting, especially during cherry blossom time (end of March or first two weeks of April).
