What to do in Tokyo during the Summer time that cools you down.
This post will be ongoing so please be sure to check back as I'll update it as we do things.
In this post
Rainy season is now over and it's already high 30's in Tokyo which really means 40º when you take the humidity into account. This summer we will be exploring lots of splash parks and wading pools often referred to as jabujabu in Japan. Our 1st adventure was heading to Kodomo-no-Hiroba Park in Setagaya to meet some local mum friends.
9 min walk from Sangen-jaya Station
25 mins direct bus from Meguro Station [09] or [06] bus
This park is perfect for a hot summers day as it has an amazing little rock pool and running water stream for kids to play in and stay cool, the rock pool and water stream are really shady as well. The water was fresh and quite clean, there actually was a guy picking up all the leaves in the rock pool and stream with a net so it's well looked after. We got there around 10am it's wasn't that busy yet but as the day went on it started to get busier. Everyone was still fairly spread out and keeping their distance which is still important because of covid. We packed a little picnic so we could spend a few hours playing in the water. The park also has a lot of other play areas which we did not visit but from looking on google they looked great so we'll have to check them out next time.
Most water areas in parks open July 1st for summer but this has been open during June 2022 as well.
Coffee & Food near by; (note we did not try these but I had looked at google before to see what was near)
Please let me know if you try any other good food places near by and I'll add it to the list.
✔️ Water play ✔️ Jungle gym ✔️ Slide ✔️ Toilets ✔️ water bubbler ✔️ Shaded area
Also known as the Meguro Persimmon Hall
4 min walk from Toritsu-daigaku Station / or various buses stop directly out front
With the heat being a real issue atm I have been trying to find lots of shady water areas for my daughter to play in. We got recommended the stream at the Meguro Persimmon Hall as it was totally in the shade, so it was perfect to spend a few hours playing here.
A few quick facts, the stream gets turned on at 10am, it's a small stream with lots of pebbles surrounded by a canopy of trees to shade the area. We got there around 9:45 and went to the small playground right near by to play and wait till the water started running. I packed a small picnic lunch but there are a few cafes and shops near by if you want to pick something up to go. We were recommended this cafe Cafe & Dining ICHI no SAKA but did not try it, apparently they have a good kids lunch set .
Overall it's a great place to cool down, the water is refreshing and my daughter loved it. I do however prefer the Kodomo-no-Hiroba Park we went to the week before, the rock pool there is amazing.
✔️ Water play / Jabu Jabu ✔️ Playground near by ✔️ Slide ✔️ sandpit ✔️ Toilets ✔️ water bubbler ✔️ Shaded area
10 min walk from Meguro Station
We finally got to go to the Meguro pool - I only have a few photos as they do not allow photos inside the pool area with a smartphone but if you have an actual camera you can bring that into the toddler pool only. Navigating the Meguro pool can be a bit complicated at first but once you figure it out it's pretty straight forward. Due to covid you now have to make a reservation online on the day you want to go, you can't select a time you just book online and it puts you in an online queue.
On the weekdays there doesn't seem to be any waiting time and you get access straight away but on the weekends it's intense. The booking reservation system opens at 9:30am so be ready to join a queue of 100's of people waiting to get access to the pool. We tried on the weekend to book at 9:35am and could not get access - they turned the system off as there were too many people waiting online. The following weekend I was online at 9:30am and ended up being 305 in the line, for that wait number I got my acceptance email at around 2pm telling me I could come to the pool.
Once you have been accepted you then have 2 hours to enter the pool but it does say it can cancel your acceptance too so best get to the pool when you can. When you get to the pool there are 3 check point stations.
The 1st checkpoint you will show them your reservation acceptance email or screenshot of acceptance and they will hand you a health form to fill in.
The 2nd checkpoint you hand in the form you filled in to a guy at the 2nd desk, after this head down to the pool and you'll be asked to take your shoes off.
Once inside there is the 3rd checkpoint to buy a ticket at a vending machine (remember to hold onto this ticket as you hand it back to them when you leave the pool). You can then stay in the pool area for 2 hours, There will be someone to direct you to the change rooms for access to the Toddler Pool.
Rules
As lots of you are aware Japan follows the rules and the Meguro pool has lots of rules. Be sure to read up on them on their website. In the main outdoor i've been told to take off all my jewelry including my earrings, I was also not allowed to wear my apple watch in the water while I was doing laps (to get around this I covered it with a sports band).
Rules PDF from the meguro website here (in Japanese)
Links
Meguro City website link - all about the pool and their rules
Meguro Pool Link - about the pools and takes you to booking link too
Reservation Link - book via this link
Rules PDF from the meguro website here (only in Japanese)
Opening times for Toddler pool
Summer period from July 1st to September 10th
From 10 am to 5 pm (last entry 4pm)
Last reservation acceptance is 19:00 for the 50m pool and 16:00 for the Toddler Pool. It can be changed due to weather and Pool condition.
Access
Located in: Meguro Kumin Center
2 Chome-4-36 Meguro,
Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0063
✔️ Booking required for 2022 ✔️ Entrance fee starting at ¥100 ✔️ Water play ✔️ Toilets ✔️ Change rooms ✔️ showers ✔️ water bubbler ✔️ Shaded area in the afternoon
4 min walk from Shirokanedai Station / 8 min from Meguro Station
The perfect place to cool down in Shirokanedai, the water is on from 9-5pm. It's mostly in the sun but there seems to be shade in the afternoon. The water was clean and fresh and our daughter loved playing and splashing around.
Coffee near by Jubilee Coffee and Roaster
✔️ Water play / Jabu Jabu ✔️️ Toilets ✔️ water bubbler ✔️ Shaded area ✔️ Picnic tables
Stay tuned for the next part of this post coming as we explore Tokyo to cool us down.