This is what the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association has to say about the park:
"During the war, this area was a Japanese military airfield. After the war, U.S Air Force took over the place and used it as the Grant Heights. It was returned to Japanese administration in 1973 and one third of the whole area was allocated to this park.It is a very wide park with such facilities as a large lawn square, baseball grounds, tennis courts, a bird sanctuary and camping area. From 1981, construction of a new Hikarigaoka town started in the area next to the park, and many tall residential buildings, offices and schools has been built. Now it is one of the largest and tallest residential area in Tokyo."
Friends of mine who grew up in the area have fond memories of sneaking into the base to buy american candy. Apparently it was the Japanese authorities who didn't want the locals to enter the base, the Americans didn't mind the visitors. After the base was returned to Japan all buildings were bulldozed, although my friends say there is still one small concrete shelter left somewhere in the park. I have not been able to find it, but I know that the old runway is now the main street in front of the IMA Department Store in Hikarigaoka, and I guess the picture below shows part of it. You can read more about Grant Heights here and here.
Hikarigaoka Park has what many other Tokyo parks lack: wide, open, green fields. It's also a less popular park than many of the large parks in central Tokyo, so you call picnic, play and go for long walks without bumping into people.
On the way back home we passed by the Hotel Cadenza Hikarigaoka, a good hotel that feels a bit out of place in a residential area like Hikarigaoka. I'll write more about its inside in another blogg.
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