A Walk around Tokorozawa / 所沢の散歩

Or to be more specific, a walk around Tokorozawa's Aviation Memorial Park. Did you know that Tokorozawa is the birthplace of Japan's aviation industry? Neither did I, but I know now. We even discovered the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum. It was only 500yen to enter and because I'm such a guy, we had to go check out all the planes on display. Well, when you see a couple of planes on display outside in the park, it just makes you want see more.

正式に言えば、所沢駅の隣駅の航空公園駅の周りを散歩しました。所沢が日本の航空発祥の地って知ってた？僕も知らなかったです。公園の中を歩いたら、所沢航空発祥記念館もありまして、入場料はたったの５００円だったので、入りました。僕はヤローなので、飛行機とか車とか乗り物が好きなんですよ。公園内も飛行機は展示されいます。それを見るともっと見たくなるんですよ。

Once we hopped off the train, the first thing you see is a 1962 Air Nippon Propeller Plane on display near the entrance to the park and also a small monument declaring Tokorozawa to be a cultural town and also states that it's the birthplace of Japan's aviation.

電車を降りると、最初に目入るは公園で展示されてる飛行機、1962年のエアーニッポンの「YS-１１A‐５００R 中型輸送機」。小さな記念碑もあります。

Just in case you were wondering how I knew what make of plane it was, but I won't bother translating the sign.

The sign states that the airplane on display was donated to Tokorozawa in 1969. Check out the "Hi no Maru" under the wing.

当時もウィングの下に「日の丸」もあったんですね。

We started walking along the a path beside the main street which was lined with many bamboo trees.

メインの通りの横に歩く道もあって、外側に竹の木がいっぱいありました。

And then I came upon a piece of art. It looked rather odd at first sight. But when you step back, you will find the figures are positioned in such a way, that the word L-O-V-E is spelled out.

そのすぐ近くに変わったオブジェーを発見。何かの像かな、でも描いてる人達の大勢が不自然。良く見たら、人が文字になってる。それに書いてあるのはL-O-V-E、愛ですよ！

But the path along the road was bypassing the park. So we double-backed a bit, a took a leisurely walk through the park. There was a map showing a walking trail that would take us past the Aviation Museum, and then to monument dedicated to the first Japanese to lose their lives in Japan's first airplane disaster, then cutting through the park, the path would take us to a vineyard and we would end the walk at another station to make our way back to Tokorozawa.

道の横を歩いてもつまらないので、公園のほうに戻って、公園内を歩きました。散歩地図もあって、その道を歩くと、航空記念館を通るし、日本の航空事故の最初の犠牲者の記念碑、とぶどう畑につづく。

Another plane on display outside the museum.

また別の飛行機も展示されてた。

And then we entered the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum.

その後、所沢航空発祥記念館に入りました。

Okay, it may not compare to Seattle's Museum of Flight but it still was a lot of fun to check out what they did have on display. There is also a interactive laboratory, a flight simulator (which we didn't try), a memorial gallery, a replica of a Control Tower, and a large IMAX theater (which we also passed on).

ま、シアトルの飛行機博物館には負けるけど（ボーイング社の所なので）、凄く楽しかった。飛行機以外に研究室、フライトシミュレータ（体験してなかったけど）、所沢メモリアルギャラリー、管制塔、と大型映像館（これも入ってなかった）。

Pretending to fly a Cessna.

セスナを操縦してるマネ。

Then we headed back out to the park and checked out the various monuments.

たっぷり遊んだあと、また公園内を歩き回りました。

Monument to the victims of Japan's first airline accident.

日本初の航空事故の犠牲者の記念碑。

As we headed back to the train station, we also found this plant in the form of a space shuttle.

駅に戻る時にスペースシャトルの形をしてるの物を発見。

And as it was nearing dinnertime, we went in search of a restaurant. However, we didn't find a place in Tokorozawa and ended up in Kawagoe where we found a nice little yakiniku restaurant, but I'll save that for another post.

夕飯も近づいたので、レストランを探してみた。所沢駅で気になる店がみつからず、川越までいっちゃった。そこで、良い焼肉の店を発見した、でも、その話はまた今度。