Welcome to Minamitakae Ichomachi-bata Park

Hello, travelers! It’s Aikero, your friendly writer here at Sarukuma.

Today, I’m excited to introduce a wonderful little park tucked away in Minamitakae, Minami Ward, Kumamoto City —
Minamitakae Ichomachi-bata Park.

This delightful park sits right behind the Nanbu Community Center and Nanbu Children’s Hall (^^)
It was beautifully renovated in December with brand-new playground equipment, so I just had to check it out!

If you’re exploring the area, you’ll find some local favorites we’ve previously featured on Sarukuma nearby:

Uoya Daichan (a fresh fish shop)

omusubi. (charming rice ball café)

Pan Koubou Hoppe (cozy bakery)

Plus, supermarkets and convenience stores are just five minutes away — super convenient for grabbing snacks or supplies! ♪

From Route 3, turn off at the Minamitakae intersection onto the old city road.
Look for the small street running alongside the 7-Eleven Minamitakae store and follow it in (^^)/
Keep going straight, and you’ll spot the park’s signboard up ahead.At the end of the road, you’ll find the parking lot on the left (^^)/
There are 18 spaces (including 2 reserved for kei-cars), with plenty of room to maneuver!

You can also park at the Nanbu Community Center / Children’s Hall lot and walk over (^○^)
Just head all the way past the bike racks toward the back, and the park comes into view.
Not too big, not too small — just the perfect size to keep an eye on the little ones (^○^)
Playground equipment lines both the left and right sides, with an open ground space in the middle. Right next to the swings, you’ll find a slide.

Near the sandbox, there’s a drinking fountain and hand-washing area.
Super handy for rinsing off sandy hands! ♪There’s one Japanese-style restroom inside the park, but on my visit, the toilet paper had run out (^^;)

I’d recommend using the restrooms at the Nanbu Community Center right behind the park — they have a multipurpose restroom with a diaper-changing station, perfect for families.Near the sandbox, there are also covered benches (^^)/
The area is shaded by plenty of trees, so it stays comfortable even on warm days.

And here are the benches near the slide and swings.
This spot gets lovely sunshine, which feels just wonderful during the cooler months~.

Here are the park rules to keep in mind (^^)/
There are no trash cans, so please take any rubbish home with you!

Why You’ll Love Minamitakae Ichomachi-bata Park

A Tarzan rope!
I always thought these were only found in huge parks, so seeing one here was a delightful surprise (●＾o＾●) Honestly, I was the most excited! lol

Right next to the swings is the slide.
It’s a wavy, twisty design that’s surprisingly fast — you can see the thrill in my daughter’s face! lol

The swings have been freshly refurbished too.

Tucked toward the back, you’ll find equipment for younger kids, including an adorable green rhino and a blue caterpillar! ♪

By the way, I assumed it was just a generic blue caterpillar, but when I looked it up I discovered it actually has a name — Ugougo! (Did you know that?!)
The official description even says,
“If you spot one in a park somewhere, try calling out ‘Ugougo!’ to it.”

So please give a friendly “Ugougo!” a try (^^)/
Say it too many times and the word starts to feel surreal…

Right beside it sits a charming snowman-shaped sandbox.
The open ground space was bustling with kids playing ball games and tag during my visit! ♪

Grab a bento box from a nearby bakery or supermarket and you’ve got the perfect setting for a relaxed afternoon picnic (^.^)
With plenty of parking too, this is a great spot to visit with friends or family — definitely worth adding to your Kumamoto itinerary~ (●＾o＾●)

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is accurate at the time of reporting. Prices and hours may change. Please confirm before your visit.