Kanegafuchi

 

Kanegafuchi Station is a train station located on the Tobu Isesaki Line in the Kanegafuchi area of Sumida Ward of Tokyo.

 

Sumida is the ward of Tokyo where the largest number of museums are located. The most well known of these are the 23 small museums, each specializing in one particular thing. One of these, the Rubber Baseball Exhibition, is located just a short walk from Kanegafuchi Station.

 

Rubber Baseball Exhibition

 

The Rubber Baseball Exhibition is a small museum dedicated to rubber baseball balls. The museum provides a well documented history of baseball in Japan. This includes documents related to the manufacture of baseball equipment as well as those related to games; and a large collection of baseball equipment like bats, balls, gloves, etc.

 

The museum is open every Monday to Friday and the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of every month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Higashi Shirahige Park

 

Higashi Shirahige Park is a long narrow park located along Sumida River not far from Kanegafuchi Station. The river flows on one side of the park, and high rise residential buildings line the other. This 2-kilometer long park, with its large variety of trees, shrubs and flowers, gives a soothing and refreshing green look to the place. Several ponds further beautify the park, making them even more beautiful at night when dancing lights are thrown on them. What further attracts visitors at night are the many well-lit jogging and walking trails on which people can be seen walking or jogging even late at nights. Other than this, the park also includes play areas for children, picnic and barbeque areas, baseball fields, tennis courts, and several other recreational facilities.

 

A special feature of Higashi Shirahige Park is that it can also serve as an evacuation and shelter area in case of disasters like earthquakes and fires. A hospital and other rehabilitation facilities have specially been built for the purpose.