Sunday, June 25, 2006

Kenji World

Kenji World (as in Kenji Miyazawa, the famous writer) is an indoor aquatic park in Shizukuishi, near Morioka. It is a bit pricey but still a lot of fun.

Kenji World - Beach and Pool
Kenji World - Event Stage
[Kenji World - inside]

There are four water slides, including two that use inner tubes. The pool is huge and features a wave generating machine so you can user a body board at times. There is another pool on the second floor that flows around the building like a river. It has strange lights, windows looking down to the first floor and water showers you can pass through. There are also assorted wading pools, baths, saunas and a beach.

The pool is great but there are a few drawbacks. From time-to-time they have water aerobics classes and no one can play! I've tried to imagine a large water park in America stopping everything and leading everyone in an aerobics class! I think we might need it but I don't see the customers being very happy! They also make everyone get out of the pool for the bodyboarding and only one person can go at a time! Then if that person gets cold feet and just sits there nobody can do anything!!!

The only real warning I have is the haunted house. You've paid a lot of money to get in but now you have to pay another 300 yen to see the scary stuff - and it's not even a water ride. It's also not in the least bit scary to anyone over four and a half! My 10 year old son thought it was a total waste and he usually gets scared at the least little thing!

They have a variety of restaurants, snack bars and a rental shop. We ate at Wai Wai and it was pretty good. You pay by showing them the bar code on your wrist band so you don't have to carry money. The rental shop, though, is outrageous! They rent inner tubes and life rings and so on for about the price you would pay to buy them new at Toys R Us! Take your own!

Kenji World - Exterior
Kenji World - Front Porch
[Kenji World - outside]

It's easy to get to by car or bus. By car take Highway 45 West out of Morioka past AEON Mall, Morioka Handiworks Square and follow the signs. The road is pretty well marked. The best thing for most of us is to take the FREE shuttle bus from Morioka Station. It departs from bus stop number 9 on the West side of the station. That's the side with the Malios Building and the new prefectural office building. The bus leaves ever hour, on the hour, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Unfortunately their web site is only in Japanese but there is a discount coupon available if you fill out a short questionaire!

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info! Came in handy today, checking from Akita...

4:41 PM  
Blogger mj said...

The onsen is open regularly but as far as I know, Kenji World water park is open only a few times a year--economic crunch

10:05 PM  

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