By NOBUHIRO SHIRAI/ Staff Writer
June 16, 2023 at 06:00 JST
Fitted with about 100 seats, a 25-meter swimming pool with five lanes at a now-closed elementary school in Osaka has been turned into a barbecue venue. (Nobuhiro Shirai)
OSAKA--A swimming pool at a former elementary school in the city's Ikuno Ward is making a big splash again, this time as a barbecue venue where diners can grill meat and beat the heat on sizzling summer nights.
The BBQ spot opened at the now-defunct Miyukimori Elementary School in May.
Customers can indulge in barbecue in the outdoor pool on the rooftop of a school building as they enjoy the night cityscape with a view of the Abeno Harukas commercial facility and other skyscrapers.
After the school was closed in March 2021, it was converted into a base for the revitalization of the local community, called the Ikuno Co-Lives Park.
About 100 seats are set up at the bottom of the 25-meter-long, 0.9-meter-deep pool with five lanes, while jumping stands, depth indicators and other equipment are kept intact.
"It is probably the only chance to climb into a pool with no water, except when you clean one," an official said. "We hope customers can enjoy the remnants of their grade school days."
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