Opened in 1998 as a venue for recreation and for transmitting new and traditional culture in Ibaraki Prefecture, this park uses the theme of local traditional crafts as well as contemporary plastic arts in its facilities and design. Encompassing an area of approximately 40 ha., the park includes the Ibaraki Prefectural Ceramics Museum, the first prefectural art museum specializing in ceramics in eastern Japan, as well as asobi no mori (play forest), which has an outdoor stage, event plaza, and play/fitness equipment.

 

TLA worked directly with the sculptor Ito Kosho to create the tou no mori (ceramic forest), which contains 17 whimsical ceramic works scattered throughout the approximately 5.6 hectares of undulating cypress forest. The park won an award from the Ministery of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award for city park planning in 2002.