Looking for a safe place where young children can play to their hearts’ content?

Let me introduce you to the beautifully maintained Mifune Fureai Park (御船町ふれあい公園), also known as “Dinosaur Park”.

Located in Mifune-machi, Kamimashiki-gun

Just a seven-minute drive from the Costco’s Kumamoto Mifune location.

We entered the park from the west side parking area off National Route 445, greeted by dinosaurs!

There are several entrances, but the west side has ample parking.

There was even a bus!

Always watch for children who might dart across the parking lot.

Event Plaza

Right at the park’s entrance is the event plaza, 

where dogs are also welcome. Dog owners are asked to keep their pets on leashes.

There’s also a public restroom available.

The spacious square has

plenty of shades, making it perfect for watching the kids play

 or enjoying a picnic. On weekends, you might even find a food truck here.

And then there’s the Brook statue.

As part of a post-earthquake recovery project linked with Kumamoto Prefecture and its native manga artist, Eiichiro Oda, a statue of Brook from the popular manga “One Piece” has been installed in Mifune Town.　

Reference: Mifune Town Official Website

On this day, I saw what appeared to be tourists from overseas filming the statue!

Kids’ Play Area at the Back

The kids’ area features dinosaur-themed play equipment,

on which your kids can have plenty of fun climbing and sliding to their heart’s content.

There’s even a splash pad, though it wasn’t operational during my April visit, but is perfect for summer splashing.

Here’s another one. Just bring swimsuits and towels for a full-on fun time.

Conveniently, there’s another restroom near the kids’ area.

Even adults can have fun on the zipline!

There was an older gentleman on the zipline.

I watched him swing gracefully far into the distance.

I, embarrassingly, dropped straight down, the momentum almost burning my hands! I completely overestimated my ability to hold on to the rope.

Summary

Here’s the full map of the park.

There is a facility called ”Dino Base Mifune” at the entrance that has a nursing room and sells soft-serve ice cream. Note that it is closed on Mondays and Thursdays.

There’s also a handy “What’s Next?” map on-site for those figuring out what to do after visiting the park, chock-full of local recommendations.

If you’re ever unsure where to go on a day off, grab some lunch and head to Mifune Fureai Park for a guaranteed good time.