2026 Ebetsu Ekimae Park (江別駅前公園) Water Play Area: A Full Day Out

A free one-day course built around the Ebetsu Ekimae Park (江別駅前公園) Water Play Area in Ebetsu City. The 2026 opening dates have not been announced yet, but the pool is usually filled in time for the summer school holidays. Standing right beside JR Ebetsu Station (江別駅), its great strength is that you can come easily by train even without a car. The water is shallow, so even a child who has only just started walking can safely dip their feet and play. In the morning, visit Ebetsu Tsutaya Books (江別 蔦屋書店). With separate wings for books, food and daily living, everyone can spend the time on what interests them, from the picture-book shelves to the local produce. For lunch, move to EBRI, a complex that makes use of a former brick factory building, and eat and rest surrounded by red brick. Then, in the afternoon, comes the Ebetsu Ekimae Park Water Play Area, for splashing about until evening. The course strings together three things that define Ebetsu, books, brick and waterside, with drives of only about ten minutes between them. Opening conditions vary from year to year, so it is reassuring to check the Ebetsu City information before you set out.