On a rainy or very hot day, a free indoor space can save a morning with small children. This guide compares seven in Yamaguchi Prefecture: Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi City, Ube City, Shunan City and Iwakuni City. For each one it gives the opening days, the parking and who can use it.
In short
- All seven are free to enter, according to each official page. Some events, workshops and day care have a fee.
- Only Machinaka Kids Space in Ube is open until 20:00. The rest close between 15:00 and 18:30.
- Closed days differ: Fukufuku Kodomokan and the Ube Playroom close on Wednesdays, and Kuga Kid Museum closes on Mondays.
- Shunan’s Zosan no Ie is for children who live in Shunan City. The other official pages do not mention a residency rule.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
1. Seven free indoor play places compared
Depends on the provider
Every one of the seven is free to enter, and their closed days vary across Wednesday, Monday and Sunday. Most are open on weekday daytimes. Tap a name to jump to its section.
| Place | City | Parking | Open days and hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fukufuku Kodomokan | Shimonoseki | Paid, nearby | 10:00–18:00; closed Wednesdays |
| Yamaguchi Children’s Center | Yamaguchi | Yes | Mon–Sat 9:00–17:00 |
| Sanwa Children’s Center | Yamaguchi | Yes (a few spaces) | Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00; Sat 13:00–17:00 |
| Machinaka Kids Space | Ube | Free | 10:00–20:00 |
| Sukusuku Plaza Playroom | Ube | Not stated | 10:00–15:00; closed Wednesdays and holidays |
| Zosan no Ie | Shunan | Not stated | Mon–Fri 9:00–11:30 and 13:00–15:30 |
| Kuga Kid Museum | Iwakuni | About 100 | 10:00–18:30; closed Mondays |
“Not stated” means the official page does not mention parking. Ages, bookings and day care are in each section.
2. What to know before you choose
Depends on the provider
Each city runs its own places, so the rules on age and residence differ by city. Open the official page of the city you are visiting first.
- Yamaguchi City lists 26 local child-care support centers, and all are free (city list, updated September 18, 2026). Their open days differ from place to place. This guide covers two of the city’s children’s centers.
- Parking varies. Machinaka Kids Space has free parking, and both Yamaguchi City centers say they have parking. Fukufuku Kodomokan does not have its own car park; its website points to two paid car parks nearby.
- Closed days are split. Fukufuku Kodomokan and the Ube Playroom close on Wednesdays, Kuga Kid Museum on Mondays, and Yamaguchi Children’s Center is open Monday to Saturday.
- Residence rules: Shunan City’s Zosan no Ie is for children aged 0–3 and children not yet in nursery who live in the city. Shunan’s overview page describes the centers as being for children under 4 (older children if not in nursery). The other six official pages do not state a residency requirement.
- Zosan no Ie was run from Tokuyama Health Center until the end of September 2026 and went back to its usual building on October 1. Because of air-conditioning work, it is closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays for now, and may close on some weekdays.
The official pages are in Japanese. They do not say whether staff speak English.
3. Fukufuku Kodomokan (ふくふくこども館), Shimonoseki City
Shimonoseki City
Entry is free, and it is a one-minute walk from the east exit of Shimonoseki Station (下関駅), on the third floor of the station building. It is open 10:00–18:00 and closed every Wednesday (the next weekday if Wednesday is a holiday) and from December 29 to January 1.
The “Play Land” is for preschool children and their parents. It is themed on the sea of Shimonoseki, with a ball pool, a large net play structure modeled on the Kanmon Bridge, toys that change every month, a play-shopping corner and a corner for crawling and toddling babies. Elementary school children may come only with a preschool sibling.
The center also has a day-care room. It takes preschool children from 6 months old to age 6 for ¥500 an hour on weekdays and ¥600 an hour on weekends and holidays. Book by phone or at the general reception desk by the day before. You need to bring the child’s health insurance card on the first visit.
The October 2026 events page lists events such as “Let’s play on the roof!” and a toilet-training session; most are free and need no sign-up, but some need a phone booking and one (Fairy Photo) has a fee.
Parking: the website says to use the Sea Mall car park or the Ekinan car park, both paid. Address: 4-3-3 Takezakicho, Shimonoseki City, 3rd floor of the JR Shimonoseki Station building. Phone: 083-227-2581. Google Maps
4. Yamaguchi Children’s Center (山口児童館), Yamaguchi City
Yamaguchi City
Use is free (some events charge a fee), and it is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00–17:00. The city describes children’s centers as places where children make friends through play, events and clubs. It has parking.
- For toddlers not yet in nursery: “Yancha Club” (やんちゃクラブ) for parents and children, on Thursdays at 10:30–11:30, three times a month.
- For elementary school children: “Garakuta Land” on Wednesdays at 15:45–16:45, twice a month from May to March (crafts, group games and seasonal events).
- About once a month on a Saturday, there is a play day with university students, such as crafts and recreation.
Address: 254 Shimotatekoji, Yamaguchi City. Phone: 083-928-8656. Google Maps
5. Sanwa Children’s Center (三和児童館), Yamaguchi City
Yamaguchi City
The center is inside Fushino Kaikan (ふしの会館). It is open Monday to Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday 13:00–17:00. Use is free, though some events charge a fee. Parking is for a few cars.
- For babies and parents: “Smile Pocket” on two Fridays a month, 10:30–12:00.
- For mothers: “Sumire time” is an open session to meet other mothers and share information (held from time to time).
- For elementary school children: calligraphy, junior aerobics and painting classes, each once a month on a Wednesday.
Address: 3-3 Sanwacho, Yamaguchi City (inside Fushino Kaikan). Phone: 083-922-7055. Google Maps
6. Machinaka Kids Space (まちなかキッズスペース), Ube City
Ube City
It is open 10:00–20:00 and has free parking. It is the only one of the seven open into the evening. The space is on the second floor of the Bosti Build building (ボスティビルド) in Shintencho, and it was set up in an empty floor with the kindness of a private company.
- Baby zone (about 10 m²): a soft-mat area for crawling and toddling babies.
- Kids zone (about 100 m²): play equipment and educational toys.
- Corner book space: about 550 books, open to anyone from 10:00 to 20:00 with no closed days.
- A simple nursing space beside the kids zone.
It is for preschool children and their parents. Since April 2025 there are no watching staff, so parents must keep an eye on their children, and there is no day care. It is not open to ordinary visitors when a group has booked it. It is closed from December 29, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
Address: 2-3-3 Shintencho, Ube City (2nd floor, Bosti Build). Google Maps
7. Kodomo Sukusuku Plaza Playroom (こどもすくすくプラザ プレイルーム), Ube City
Ube City
The Playroom is a drop-in child-rearing support space on the second floor of the Ube City Fukushi Fureai Center. It is open 10:00–15:00 every day except Wednesdays and national holidays. Use is free, but some programs charge for materials.
- Child-care workers and mother staff are always present.
- There is play equipment, many toys, picture books, an eating space and a nursing room.
- Programs with a limit on numbers need a reservation. The daily events are in a monthly calendar (PDF).
- An infant day-care service called “Waraberya” is also offered; see the city’s separate notice.
Address: 2-4-25 Kotoshibacho, Ube City (2nd floor, Fukushi Fureai Center). Phone: 090-6432-7716 (the Playroom’s own line). Google Maps
8. Zosan no Ie (子育て交流センター ぞうさんの家), Shunan City
Shunan City
The city’s child-rearing exchange center has a playroom with toys suited to different ages, and a garden with a vegetable patch, slides and a sandpit. Registration and use are free.
- Who can use it: children aged 0–3 and children not yet in nursery who live in Shunan City, with a parent.
- Open: Monday to Friday 9:00–11:30 and 13:00–15:30. The 2nd and 4th Saturdays 9:00–11:30 are listed, but the center is closed on those days for now because of air-conditioning work.
- Closed: Sundays, holidays, the other Saturdays and December 29 to January 3. Extra closed days can occur on weekdays; the monthly newsletter lists them.
- Instructors with qualifications such as nursery teacher advise on child-rearing and run mini events and courses, such as baby massage and music play.
Address: 13-15 Chikkocho, Shunan City. Phone: 0834-32-8181. Google Maps
9. Kuga Kid Museum (玖珂こどもの館), Iwakuni City
Iwakuni City
Entry is free, there is no reception desk and anyone can walk in between 10:00 and 18:30. Children who are not yet in elementary school need a parent with them.
- Closed: every Monday (if Monday is a holiday it is open and closes the next day), December 29 to January 3, and some extra days for cleaning or use as a polling station.
- Play space: the 2nd-floor Playroom 1 (the martial arts hall). It cannot be used during events; the website’s calendar shows the times.
- Free facilities: the official site says the facilities inside are free. Games and computers have time limits, and the book corner, computer corner and the grand piano in the foyer are listed as free.
- Rules: no eating inside; drink only at the “Oasis Corner”. The grounds are smoke-free.
- Parking: about 100 spaces, according to the city’s evacuation-shelter page, which was last updated in 2015.
Address: 5330 Kugacho, Iwakuni City. Phone: 0827-82-5446. Google Maps
10. How to choose by day and age
Depends on the provider
- Evening visit: Machinaka Kids Space in Ube is open until 20:00.
- Wednesday: Fukufuku Kodomokan and the Ube Playroom are closed. Yamaguchi Children’s Center, Sanwa Children’s Center, Machinaka Kids Space and Kuga Kid Museum are open, and so is Zosan no Ie for Shunan residents.
- Monday: Kuga Kid Museum is closed.
- Babies: Fukufuku Kodomokan has a corner for crawling and toddling babies, and Machinaka Kids Space has a baby zone.
- Elementary school children: Kuga Kid Museum is open to elementary school children on their own; Fukufuku Kodomokan admits them only with a preschool sibling.
Common questions
Do I need a reservation?
Kuga Kid Museum has no reception and the Ube Playroom is a drop-in space. Programs with limited numbers at the Playroom, and the day-care room at Fukufuku Kodomokan, need a reservation. Some events at Fukufuku Kodomokan need a phone booking or a fee; check each event.
Is it really free?
According to each official page, entry or use is free at all seven. Some events and programs charge for materials or fees, and Fukufuku Kodomokan’s day care costs ¥500–¥600 an hour.
Where can I find places in other parts of Yamaguchi?
Yamaguchi City has a list of child-care support centers, Shunan City has a list of support centers and play spaces, and Ube City has a list of support centers. All three are in Japanese.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Fukufuku Kodomokan: about, hours and day care (Japanese), October events (Japanese), and its official Instagram post embedded above
- Yamaguchi City: children’s centers in the city (Japanese), child-care support centers (Japanese)
- Ube City: Machinaka Kids Space (Japanese), Ube City: Sukusuku Plaza Playroom (Japanese), and the operator’s Instagram post embedded above
- Shunan City: Zosan no Ie (Japanese), Shunan City: support centers and play spaces (Japanese), and the city’s official video embedded above
- Kuga Kid Museum official site (Japanese), Iwakuni City: Kuga Kodomo no Yakata evacuation-shelter page (Japanese)
