Things I didn't try early on: ice-skating

Even though ice-skating was a hobby of mine in Ireland, I was in Japan many years before I tried ice-skating here. Basically, ice-skating wasn't on my radar here in Japan until I moved to Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, and the prefectural rink was on my doorstep, so to speak. (It has since moved to Ageo City).

But even when the prefectural rink was still located in Kawagoe and relatively close to where I live, I didn't go very often. It was only when my kids were old enough to skate that we went more frequently. There is a natural ice rink in Saitama Prefecture, which has since become my favorite type of ice rink. That is something I had not tried until I came to Japan. Because there are only manmade ice rinks in my home country, Ireland, that is all I had skated on until I came to Japan.

Great news for anyone who does enjoy ice-skating, most prefectures have at least one ice rink and some prefectures have seasonal ice rinks too. Even in Tokyo and Yokohama they have seasonal ice rinks. Perhaps the best known is the rink at Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse and it is still open - until February 15th this year (2026). Another well-known seasonal ice rink is the one at Tokyo Midtown and that is operation until February 23rd this year.

Have you been ice-skating in Japan?