Japan Trip 2023: Badminton Afternoon at the Park

It is hot here today. And humid. That seems to be the state of the world right now in Tokyo - hot and humid. It's currently 33C and the humidex makes it feel more like it's 39C. I'm sweating like crazy. I'm craving an icy drink of some sort - anything! Maybe at some point I'll be able to hit a Starbucks or a Doutor for something cold.

We decided to head out to the park that runs north of our apartment, up past the Skytree. The kids wanted to play some badminton in the park, despite how hot it is. It was a beautiful walk through the park. I'm impressed with how Tokyo intersperses parks / green spaces throughout the city. These green spaces are a necessity in a city as densely populated as Tokyo. I really enjoyed walking through the park despite how hot I was feeling. The strong breeze that was blowing was helpful in slightly cooling me down. Everyone else seemed fine.

We went to a Doutor coffee shop for a quick lunch and then took our cool drinks with us to a nice playground area outside of a large gym / fitness centre where we got down to hitting our badminton birdie around. It was tough to play given how windy it was. Again, I can't complain about the wind as it helped to cool me down. I lobbed the birdie back and forth a few times before deciding that I was going to overheat. The kids were happy and, despite the heat, I really enjoyed this afternoon out in the park.

Once we were done playing around with our badminton gear, the family wanted to go shopping at a nearby mall. I'm not really into shopping (and I was super hot!) so I decided to make my way back to the apartment. It was a long, hot walk. Thank goodness for Google Maps which guiding me back via the most efficient route. On the way home, I came across a window full of a bunch of weird, eclectic stuff with a slight Toy Story theme.

By the time I got home I was a complete hot, sweaty mess. It was so nice to sit myself down under an air conditioner. Phew...