On August 1, Kodochi Park Kobe, a facility for the child-raising generation, opened at HDC Kobe (1 Higashikawasaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City) in front of JR Kobe Station.
F.K. Solutions (Nonoichi City, Ishikawa Prefecture) is developing Kodochi Park in more than 10 locations nationwide under the concept of “a cozy park in the middle of everyday life. Until now, the company has opened stores in areas with populations of 400,000 to 500,000, but this will be its first foray into a city with a population of over 1 million.
Unlike other stores in the area, this store will utilize an open space with 15-meter high ceilings and install large, tall playground equipment. Because of the building’s traffic line, it was necessary to place an aisle in the middle of the store, so the wooden playground equipment was used as a dividing line between an area where preschoolers can play calmly and an area where they can have an active time.
Mr. Keisuke Naito of the company said, “Because of the summer vacation period, we have many visitors from outside the prefecture, and the percentage of elementary school students tends to be higher than in other stores. The current issue is that more people than expected are using the facility, and the waiting time is getting longer. We would like to add playground equipment to accommodate more users in the future. We want to continue to be a space where people can casually drop by in their spare time and help with the concerns of the local child-rearing generation.
Hours of operation are from 10:00 to 18:00. Fees are 700 yen per person for 2 hours on weekdays and 900 yen per person for 2 hours on weekends. Subscription membership (unlimited hours) = 2,750 yen per month (1 child and 2 adults). Closed on Wednesdays.