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Tucked away in the unassuming town of Nagaizumi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, lies a park so small that you might mistake it for a bonsai plant growing by the roadside
Image via PR TIMES
Image via Nippon Broadcasting System
Measuring a mere 0.25 sq m (that's about the size of two sheets of A3 paper by the way), this petite patch of green has officially been crowned the world's smallest park by Guinness World Records on 25 February.
This pint-sized park, affectionately dubbed "Pocket Park" by the locals, is easily overlooked, located in a small space nearby an alley in Nagaizumi.
Image via Guinness World Records
The "Pocket Park" can be found at the intersection of Nagaizumi Chuo-dori and an alley.
Image via 妖精書士/Wikipedia
Born from leftover space during road construction back in 1988, it originally housed a humble bench for travellers who needed a break from walking
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Surrounded by plants, the wooden bench is adorned with bricks and a black stone plaque with a carved floral design.
Image via J-Cast
"During the construction of many urban planned roads, the town realised that leaving unused land vacant would be a waste," a representative from the Nagaizumi Town's Planning and Finance Division told the Nippon Broadcasting System. "So, they decided to make effective use of it and created pocket parks, places where pedestrians could take a break."
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Image via Shizuoka Shimbun SBS
The inspiration for this tiny park came from a visit to the United States by a town employee. They saw Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon, which was the previous record holder for the world's smallest park, measuring 0.29 sq m.
"They saw the park and thought, 'Let's go ahead and make a park even smaller than that', and so that's where the idea came about."
Since its creation, the humble space was unofficially dubbed "the world's smallest park" by the locals living in Nagaizumi and was often picked up by the media due to its size.
The town of Nagaizumi said that securing a Guinness World Record was a way to boost local pride and give residents a reason to boast about their hometown
They launched a crowdfunding campaign in July 2024 to cover the costs of officially registering the tiny space as a park and applying for a Guinness World Record certification.
The campaign, driven by local enthusiasm and a sense of playful ambition, successfully raised the required 2.5 million yen (approximately RM74,912) through the hometown tax system.
A stone monument next to it has the words "World's Smallest Park" engraved on it.
Image via Shizuoka Shimbun SBS
