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Abstract
Cultural differences affects the design and use of playground equipment in parks. Comparative research exploring the differences in playground facilities, parental supervision, and use was conducted on-site in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Perfecture, Japan and Bloomington, Indiana, USA. The study examines park design, play equipment, sports fields, use patterns, and parental supervision of children. The study evaluates the relative user risk to injury in both cultural setting. A primary concern of park administrator in the United States is the prevalence of law suits resulting from accidents. In the United States, risk managers and playground safety specialists play key roles in park and recreation department policy, making and facility design. The job of risk mangers is to identify hazards and reduce the risks which are predicted to be the source of injuries and loss. In the past few decades recreation administrators have learned that users of their facilities and participants in their programs will demand compensation if they are injured. Public agencies are particularly susceptible to litigation. Recreation related litigation and law suits are nearly nonexistent in Japan's society. This fact exists with the knowledge that design of facilities and playgrounds in Japan are somewhat dangerous when compared to United States Standards. Japanese park administrators and designers appear not to be overly concerned with possible injury claims and law suits involving hazardous park conditions.
Parent Publication
Citation
Hronek, Bruce. 2001. Recreation safety in municipal parks - Bloomington, Indiana and Tsukuba, Japan: a comparison study of risk management. In: Kyle, Gerard, comp., ed. 2001. Proceedings of the 2000 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-276. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 143-144
