Kurumazuka park.

This is Kurumazuka park, located behind Hirakata Central Library. Kurumazuka park is a very popular park and visited by people everyday even if the weather is bad. The park is great for visitors! It has a track that goes around the park and is 450 meters long and marked at every 50 meters. This makes it easy to monitor how far you have walked and there is a clock to keep time of how long you have been there. Along with the track there are various things for helping people to exercise and keep fit with signs explaining how to use them. There is also a place to stand that pokes into your feet to relieve pressure and ease tension. I find this very interesting because there are so many Parks where I am from but I have never seen a park so dedicated to the health of people. When I come here and see the people I think of how much Japan is concerned about health. All day long you can see people in this park either walking, jogging, playing soccer, or there to relax and talk with friends.

Along with being a good place for exercise this park is well known for its benches next to the beer vending machine. The park is conveniently located right next to all four Kansai Gaidai Seminar Houses, where of course drinking is not allowed. The parks second name known by the students of Kansai Gaidai is "The Beer Park". Just about every night you can walk by the park and find a few students there taking a break from a long day of school or maybe just wanting to get drunk.

If you are ever in the neighborhood you may want to stop by there is also a restaurant called Cafe De Raffiene with a viking style lunch (all you can eat for 90 mintues) for around 1200 yen (about 12 American Dollars). I am told by one of the employees that the food is delicious and 1200 yen for all you can eat seems to be a good price.