Skate and Scooter Parks in Kansai

Aug 31, 2022

Skate and Scooter Parks in Kansai

Skateboarding is one of Japan’s fastest-rising sporting activities, propelled by the country’s showing at the Tokyo Olympics, where it won medals, including gold for the likes of Yuto Horigome and Momiji Nishiya. Many new skate parks have opened across the country in the past few years, with a few new facilities emerging since last year’s Olympics. A number of these parks are also suitable for scooter enthusiasts as this is another activity currently gaining popularity.

Here is a handful of the best skate and scooter facilities across the Kansai region.

G Skate Park, Kobe

Kobe is home to one of Japan’s biggest skate parks, which is also part of the Good Skates chain. Known commonly as the G Skate Park, this indoor and outdoor facility opened 25 years ago and is home to the Yasutoko brothers and features a multitude of structures, including half-pipes, kink rails, and grind boxes. The park is suitable for boarders, scooters, rollerblades, and BMX bikes. It’s usually open 12 hours a day, and you can rent equipment such as boards and helmets. Usage fees are around 1,700 yen, but there are discounts for groups such as students. You can take lessons for about 2,500 yen.

Website: http://www.goodskates.com/gskatepark.html

EKL Park, Osaka

This skate park is an indoor facility with an on-site shop selling top-brand equipment. It opened in 2019 as interest in skateboarding in Japan was peaking shortly before the Olympics. It’s located in the Neyagawa city area and has facilities suitable for all abilities, including a downhill rail, aerial jump bar, various boxes, and flat banks. Many of the facilities are also suitable for scooters and BMX bikes. Trained skateboarders often run lessons at the park on weekends, and newbies can try out equipment for free in a 30-minute trial session.

Website: https://e-kl.jp/

Hiuchigata Park, Kyoto

Hiuchigata is one of the region’s earliest skate parks, situated close to the Kamo river in Kyoto and a 10-minute walk from Takeda station. It was opened in 2004 in partnership with the local neighborhood association as part of an initiative to provide activities for local young people. It’s quite small but has facilities suitable for skateboarding and scootering, including a half-pipe, ledge, and pyramid.

Website: https://kska.net/

Power Bomb Skate Park, Nara

This park is a rather unique facility in that it is a skate park within a skate shop! What, I hear you say? But that’s right. It’s located in Nara and is bigger than you might imagine featuring a park and street area with pipes and banks. As it’s within a shop, its operating hours are restricted to shop opening hours, but these still extend to around 11-12 hours a day. Prices start at  1,000 yen for a day.

Website: https://cranksocks.stores.jp/

Tiger Rack Skate Park, Osaka

Opened in Nagai in 2022, this is Kansai’s newest skate park, and it’s the result of much hard work of skateboarding enthusiasts as it’s in a former “no skateboarding area.” The street-style concrete park is open 24 hours and free to use, but you must register first. Facilities include flat rails, down rails, half pipes, ledges, and plenty of stuff for beginners.

Website: https://nagaipark.com/

Rede do Esporte, CC BY 3.0 BR, via Wikimedia Commons