Public parks represent a vital recreation space in a metropolis as densely populated as Tokyo, but beneath the surface some are also equipped to play important roles in responding to disasters as well as improving the health of elderly residents.
A number of parks can provide emergency sanitation and food preparation facilities, with benches and manholes that can be converted into stoves and toilets for use by disaster evacuees.
Some parks are also serving as places where elderly residents can join exercise classes to build up their bodies using special equipment.