Ishinomaki Playground Project
Miya, 9, would like to present a special playground of hope for children in northern Japan. Our relatives are from Ishinomaki-city in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the most devastated cities by the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. Our family visited Ishinomaki this past year and saw the heart-breaking devastation first hand.
Every day, children in many of the affected areas see visual reminders of what was lost. While building a playground may be a small step in the long road to recovery, we believe, nonetheless, that it is important for children to see an area that inspires children to play and think creatively, and to have a hopeful outlook about their future.
This past summer, 25 students at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) designed five separate playground (see below). One of the five designs will be chosen to be built in a park in Ishinomaki that was destroyed by the tsunami called Matsunami Park. The city of Ishinomaki requested that the playground designs be inter-generational, to be enjoyed both by children as well as seniors.
We are excited to be working with the city of Ishinomaki and the University of Cincinnati on this unique inter-generational playground.
Final Project Video With All 5 Designs Displayed
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jS1he1oGHI&feature=youtu.be
View any of the following links to see pictures and maps of the park where we are building the playground and the surrounding area of Ishinomaki:
- A picture of the park displaying the location for the new playground.
- A Google map of Matsunami Park.
- Photos of the park in the Matsunami Park gallery.
- A Google map of Ishinomaki, the city where the park is located.
Playground Designs
These are the five playground designs that were presented to the Ishinomaki city government. The city wanted those who live in the area around the Matsunami Park area to choose the design. And in March they choose the Matsunami Mountain Design as the one they would like to be built.
