Report on the Dangers of Park Play and Noise Nuisance from Koinobori Affecting Children’s Physical Development

In the previous articles, Part 1: Children’s Physical Abilities Decline Dramatically as Fracture Rates Double and ‘Radio Calisthenics’ is Banned and Part 2: Serious Decline in Children’s Physical Ability as Parents Prevent Toddlers from Crawling, we have discussed the reality of children unable to jump or skip. Separately, a social trend that may hinder children’s growth is the prohibition of play. I would like to consider the issue from the perspective of adult circumstances, referencing the book Report: Smartphone Parenting Destroys Children (Kota Ishii, Shinchosha), based on interviews with over 200 educators.

Part 1: Children’s Physical Abilities Decline Dramatically as Fracture Rates Double and ‘Radio Calisthenics’ is Banned

Part 2: Serious Decline in Children’s Physical Ability as Parents Prevent Toddlers from Crawling

In recent years, the sight of children playing in parks has drastically decreased. It is not only because parents have become too busy to take them but also due to the increasing number of parks with signs saying “No ball games” or “No loud play.” Even in parks without such restrictions, letting children play freely can invite pressure from elderly park-goers, who say things like, “It’s dangerous” or “Supervise them properly.”

A kindergarten principal we interviewed said,

“In the midst of a declining birthrate and aging population, society as a whole is becoming more ‘adult-first’ rather than ‘child-first.’ You often see parents scolding their children, telling them ‘Be quiet!’ whether on the train or in the supermarket. Some parents even resort to giving their children smartphones to force them to stay quiet. The reason they do this is because if they don’t, they will be criticized for ‘not fulfilling their responsibilities as parents.’ Even if a parent wants to let their child play freely, society’s atmosphere doesn’t allow it.”

If children can’t play in parks, they end up playing in front of their homes or in apartment complexes, but recently, even that has been restricted. According to the principal, some places have started banning the display of koinobori (carp streamers) on apartment balconies for Children’s Day. The flapping sound of the koinobori has become a “noise nuisance” for other residents.

 

The weakening of connections between parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

So, what are parents doing with their children? The principal continues:

“If they can’t let their children play outside, all parents can do is bring them straight home from daycare. Even at home, they can’t let them play freely, so they end up giving them smartphones or letting them play video games. Naturally, this leads to a lack of physical development.”

This trend has become even more pronounced after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the three years of the pandemic, the connections between parents have significantly weakened, and letting children play freely outside has become somewhat of a taboo. As a result, some parents are now lamenting that, if they want their children to play, they have no choice but to take them to lessons or classes where play is taught.

While some may say this is just the way things are today, the reality is that not many young parents can afford to spend several thousand to tens of thousands of yen each month on such lessons. It seems that this overall societal atmosphere is becoming a significant factor in hindering children’s physical development.

When it becomes difficult for children to develop physical abilities at home or in society, parents have no choice but to rely on daycare centers or kindergartens. While parents are at work, if these facilities can provide children with opportunities for free play and physical activity, it can have a positive effect.

However, there are causes on the side of the daycare centers and teachers that hinder this. The principal of another daycare explains:

“One issue on the daycare’s side, especially in urban areas, is that some daycare centers are being forced into building tenants, leaving them without playgrounds. This means there is no space for physical activity within the facility. We could take the children to a park, but many parks have restrictions on play, so we struggle to find places for them to play.”

Additionally, today’s parents often expect daycare centers to focus on teaching English conversation, programming, and even preparing their children for elementary school, rather than prioritizing play. With the declining birthrate, if we don’t meet these demands, we won’t attract children. As a result, even though we understand the importance of physical activity, we face the contradiction of having to abandon it in favor of classroom-based learning.”

The environment varies significantly depending on the daycare or region, but this also means there is a growing inequality in opportunities for physical activity among children.

 

Nursery teachers who cannot touch mud with their bare hands

The previously mentioned principal also pointed out issues with young nursery teachers.

“Many young nursery teachers are in their early 20s. The environment in which this generation of digital natives grew up is not much different from that of today’s nursery children. As a result, before even recognizing the importance of physical activity, many of these teachers themselves have never played outdoors.”

Among these nursery teachers, there are some with the following traits:

• They have no experience playing in mud and cannot touch it with their bare hands.
• They are uncomfortable eating with others, so they leave the daycare during lunch breaks to eat alone.
• When putting children to sleep, they spend the entire time looking at their smartphone.
• They are unable to clean toilets or catch insects.

It’s only natural that nursery teachers would behave this way if, in their own youth, they had no experience of free play or eating in large groups. This may be especially true for those who spent their high school or university years during the COVID-19 pandemic, with limited opportunities for social interaction.

What will happen to the children raised in such an environment? While the details are left to “Report: Smartphone Parenting is Destroying Children,” it is clear that now is the time to seriously confront the reality of the environment in which today’s children are growing up.

Physical abilities are not just for playing sports. Through physical activity, children learn communication, develop self-esteem, empathy, and ambition, and grow as human beings. Perhaps it is time to consider more deeply the importance of developing these physical abilities.