Much is made of the supposed damage that video games do to young minds, and yet the potential for long-term psychological trauma lurking in playgrounds goes largely unmentioned.
The horror of a Japanese playground
Photographs from a small group of islands
Charles Hayward says
Yeah, I’m sure no kid has ever sat alone in his or her room seeing this face in the shadows as they try to sleep…
Hell, I might have the same issue tonight.
Lee says
Yeah, definitely not something you want in your mind as you attempt to doze off…
Martin says
That’s sort of cute in a grotesque way.
Lee says
It does have its cute elements, particular with the little one, but I think grotesque wins out.
Martin B says
GHHAAAAA!!
Lee says
Pretty much!
Coli says
I love that these little creatures are found in pretty much any park in the country, especially in older areas. My boys still won’t get near them in a park. What were people thinking when they came up with these concrete beasties?
Lee says
I know. Some of them really are weird choices. I suppose in fairness it’s the added paintwork that really makes it an odd sight, but plenty of others don’t need any extra embellishments at all…
Squidpuppy says
I dunno. This one has been vandalized, but when I was a kid, we loved these things. Played all over them. It was always an adventure discovering a new little park with different concrete critters.
We had mental maps of all the local parks, even ones we could get to by bike, or a short train trip; we named them by the different play zoology: blue hippo park, green frog park, etc. One of our favorites had a huge pink snail kind of standing on its tail – it was a slide that curved round about and had two levels. You climbed up the inside of it.
Of course, this was decades ago, and most of the stuff was fresh and new, and there’s weren’t no such thing as vandalism.
Lee says
Interesting. There are a huge number of them, aren’t there? Some much weirder than others.
But yeah, the graffiti does make a huge difference. And probably also a case of me looking at it through middle-aged eyes, rather than those of a young boy in search of adventure.
Hans ter Horst says
It seems to be well-loved, or used for many a satanic ritual 🙂
It took me a while to realize that it was a kangaroo; still I prefer it to the severed heads on sticks they have in the countryside…
Lee says
Haha, probably a bit of both!
Yes, way better than those monstrosities…