Where the name Kodomonokuni comes from, what stood here before the station, and what you can still spot on a walk today. Then the events near the station that we have checked on the official pages.
Kodomonokuni means Children's Land. The railway station takes its name from a large recreation area created to give children space to play in nature. The idea emerged after the 1959 marriage of Crown Prince Akihito and Michiko Shoda. The couple wished to use money donated in celebration of their marriage for the benefit of children, inspiring a national commemorative project.
The site chosen was a wooded stretch of the Tama Hills on the border of Yokohama and Machida. It had a very different history: during World War II, the Japanese army used the land as the Tana ammunition depot. The United States military continued to occupy the site after the war. It was returned to Japan in 1961 and opened as Kodomonokuni on May 5, 1965. The hills, narrow valleys, and woodland became the setting for outdoor recreation.
The Kodomonokuni railway line opened in April 1967 to improve access to the park. Its terminal station took the same name. Walk from the station toward the entrance and the residential streets soon give way to wooded hills. The name Children's Land commemorates a remarkable change from military use to a place devoted to young people and peaceful recreation.
→ Walk from Kodomonokuni Station into the park and explore its wooded hills and narrow valleys. Remains of wartime ammunition depots can still be seen along designated routes. Visit the Peace Monument to reflect on the transformation from a military installation into Children's Land.
Sources (in Japanese): 東急株式会社「東急100年史・こどもの国線の開業」, 国立公文書館アジア歴史資料センター「こどもの国の戦争―弾薬庫から子供の遊び場へ―」
Inside Kodomonokuni's peaceful woodland are the remains of a wartime ammunition depot. Before military construction, thirteen farming households lived among the narrow valleys of the Tama Hills. In 1938, residents were forced to leave as the Japanese army began developing facilities for ammunition production and storage. The Tana military unit began full operations in 1941.
The bunkers were built into the hills rather than standing openly on the surface. Workers excavated the slopes, constructed reinforced-concrete storage chambers, and covered them with thick layers of earth. This helped regulate temperature and humidity while protecting the ammunition. Walk along the park's inner paths and you can still find green metal doors set into the hillsides. What appears to be an ordinary wooded slope may conceal the remains of a military installation.
After Japan's defeat in 1945, the United States military occupied the site until its return in 1961. Kodomonokuni opened as a children's recreation park on May 5, 1965. The site's military history had an unexpected consequence: development was restricted for many years, allowing extensive woodland and natural valleys to survive. Today the park preserves both the landscape and the evidence of its difficult past.
→ Follow the park's inner walking paths to find the green metal doors of the former ammunition bunkers. The Peace Monument and historical displays explain their role. Look closely at the wooded slopes and valleys to understand how the landscape changed from farmland to military depot and finally to a public park.
Sources (in Japanese): こどもの国公式「弾薬庫跡・平和の碑」, こどもの国公式「自然の展示室ビジターセンター」
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We list events we could confirm on the official page or official Instagram of the venue or organiser. Details can change, tickets sell out and venues close, so check the official page before you go. Distances are straight-line and travel times are rough estimates. Photos show the venue or its surroundings, not the event itself. Titles and descriptions are our own translations from Japanese. This site contains affiliate links (ads).