Description

Manabi-no-Mori is adjacent to a local railway station which serves the City Hall and some other public facilities, so it is easily accessible. The first phase of the Manabi-no-Mori project covers an area of 40 ha. An early move was to renovate an existing old building as a new health and welfare centre, as well as to create a series of landscape features around the building, such as a biotope pond and a field of herbs.

A promenade was introduced along the edge of the park where people can enjoy walking. The ponds, streams and open spaces covered with grass invite people of all ages, including families, to use the area. In addition, especially for children, a preserved meadow with a grassed slope is a perfect place for grass sledging.

A cafeteria and an accessible public toilet are situated on the promenade near the station. In order to avoid deteriorating the landscape features, two smaller buildings are located rather than combining them into a single unit. Furthermore, the materials and colour were decided with the aim of making the toilet very clean and bright, unlike typical public park toilets. A car park called The Garden Car Park is available for citizens accessing the park from the wider area, and many trees were planned for this space.

Apart from those facilities, an extensive open space covered with grass has been kept, which is unlike parks in Japanese rural cities which tend to have many facilities in a relatively small site. Manabi-no-Mori is intended to be a place where people enjoy the green and natural environment, and contribute to the physical and mental health of citizens.