I received a message from a running friend in their 50s who lives in Nishinomiya after they saw my 
article, saying, “I have photos of Nishinomiya from 50 years ago.” I was stunned when I saw them! It turns out that the “adorable stone statues” at “Agenaruo Park,” which we recently featured, had actually been there for 50 years!
Here is the link to the previous article
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The Stone Statues of Agenaruo Park, Then and Now: A 50-Year Journey
The photo on the left is from 2020, and the one on the right is from around Showa 44–45 (1969–1970).
The baby in the photo on the right is the person who kindly provided the photo♪ Thank you so much for sharing it with us♪♪
But still…they’re all so cute, the three of them look like angels!!
When you think that these two stone statues have been together in this spot for more than 50 years… it really makes you feel something.
Looking at the photo from 50 years ago, I noticed “this” behind the baby.
No way!?
This piece of playground equipment looks modern at first glance.
But incredibly, it turns out that its shape has not changed at all in 50 years!
Just how many children has it been loved by over all these years?
And there’s more!
It also turns out that the hippo at the park entrance is, unbelievably, over 50 years old too!!
The one on the left is the current hippo, and the one on the right was apparently taken a little after the first photo. It used to be reddish brown!
Hey, kid, you’re getting eaten～～.
The “two stone statues sitting close together” and the “hippo” have been watching over the “Miyacco” children who come to play at “Agenaruo Park” like this for more than 50 years.
That aside…
So it was “Age”naruo Park all along!
I was completely convinced it was “Kami”naruo Park.
Discoveries really are fun♪
Finally
At Nishi2, we are looking for “old photos of Nishinomiya” like this that may be sitting at home.
While you’re flipping through nostalgic old photo albums for the first time in a while, why not send one to Nishi2 and say, “Please look into this place!”? A nostalgic Nishinomiya scene might come back to life on Nishi2.
Here is the link for submitting information
Location of “Age”naruo Park
Here it is on the map↓
The address is 12-10 Agenaruo-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
