Playground Exposé

I've been making a collection of playgrounds that I've found here in Japan that blow my mind.  Part of me wishes I had been a child in Japan so that I could enjoy these crazy contraptions, but the other part of me feels like I probably would have broken some bones.  It doesn't look like there are any safety regulations to follow when building these things.

This first one has the best slide I've ever seen.  The whole complex is huge but this slide keeps on going. Just don't get scared and stop half way down.

 Here there are monkey bars up so high that a net is placed underneath them for when kids inevitably fall.  I think I'd be a little scared even now to try this one out.

This looks like a serious obstacle course to me.  There is no way as a kid I could have navigated over swinging tires and logs.

 The sphere to the right is there for kids to get inside while their friends mercilessly spin them around as fast as they can. I've witnessed this done to someone and they were not having a good time.  And what's with the super tall tower in the back?  Don't even think about falling off.

I'm not sure what to say about these.  I guess you are supposed to climb on them and then fall onto the concrete when you lose your grip.

Although this is not part of a playground, it was near one and I had to take a pic.  This sign is warning kids to stay away from the pond that is inside this fence.  It is showing that if they get near the pond then the water monster will get them.  I'm serious!  They actually tell children that there is a water demon to scare them away from water.  It's called the Kappa.  

Here is the wikipedia article if you're curious:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)