Have you ever wished to enjoy a Pokémon-themed playground before? Well, it’s about to be a dream come true for kids in Japan. Well, those children who live in Fukushima, at least.
You could find Chansey all over the prefecture even before this thrilling news. Then, the character just got hotter and is now the main attraction of the town of Namie. The reason? The said Pokémon is now the town playgrounds’ main highlight.
For those who don’t live in Japan, the Pokémon Chansey was dubbed the official Pokémon mascot of the prefecture back in 2019. Since Chansey is a lucky Pokémon (its Japanese name “Rakkii” literally means “lucky”), this ties in with the Fukushima name quite nicely (“Fuku” coincidentally also means “luck”).
ラッキー公園🍀まだ工事中でしたが芝生を張ったらめっちゃ映えそう！
園児向けの遊具なので大人が遊ぶのは勇気が必要かも
子供を遊具に乗せてポケモンとAR撮影とか出来たら楽しそうだけど、うちの子供もうでっかい…#ラッキー公園 #ラッキー pic.twitter.com/EQ2cC6mBQj— ひーよ (@troubleanalog) November 23, 2021
The playground is called the Rakkii Koen, which means “lucky park.” While the dual Chansey slides are the main attractions here, the other featured Pokémons are no slouch either.
Twitter personalities Hitsujiotoko27 and Hiiyo viewed the park before it opened, allowing us to see the park close up.
福島県の浪江にある『道の駅なみえ』のラッキー公園！
で、デカいわぁ。。。
記念に色違いのラッキーをジムに置いてきました！#ラッキー公園 #福島県 #道の駅なみえ pic.twitter.com/lN5Dz5aeIg— 羊男@ポケ活湘南 (@hitsujiotoko27) November 23, 2021
You’ve got a swing set with a much smaller Chansey on top, a Happiny clover-shaped bench, and a Likitung slide where kids can climb on its back and glide down using its tongue. Other pink Pokémon-themed attractions are dotted around the park, but no Pokémon park would be complete without at least one nod to the series’ mascot. At the edge of the park, you can find a pair of normal-shaped park benches with yellow Pikachus on their sides.
○ッキー公園😊 pic.twitter.com/qS7gIrisvV
— ひーよ (@troubleanalog) November 23, 2021
Hiiyo was even able to get some shots of the Rakkii Koen while still under construction! Most Pokémons are just a combination of simple shapes, yet they still come as a surprise when you see an egg-shaped Chansey back or an unpainted Jigglypuff body.
This playground is the first of many which will dot the Fukushima, with future Rakkii Koen’s set to be made in Showa, Koriyama, and Yanaizu.
