🗺️ Tenri Station Front CoFuFun Plaza

Located in front of JR Kintetsu Tenri Station in Tenri City, Nara Prefecture, the circular lawn combined with a pure white circle creates a unique architectural landscape. This plaza, named "CoFuFun," opened in 2017 as a regional revitalization hub. The designer, Sato Dai, who was selected as one of the "100 Most Respected Japanese People" by Newsweek magazine, designed this plaza with the concept of "kofun" (古墳, ancient burial mounds). The architecture, from the roof to the inverted structures, is inspired by the shapes of various sizes of circular tombs. This design is unique to Tenri City, which is regarded as the birthplace of the ancient Yamato dynasty and is still home to approximately 1,600 ancient tombs. Due to its location in front of the station, many activity spaces have been created for community interaction, such as an outdoor stage. This multipurpose plaza also features playground equipment loved by children and fitness equipment for adults, including a "fluffy kofun" trampoline and a "moro-bachi kofun" that allows users to walk in circles upwards, making it suitable for various age groups. Additionally, as a hub for sightseeing around Tenri, there are many convenient facilities for tourists, such as a café that serves dishes made with local ingredients from Tenri and Nara, an American TREK bicycle shop offering sales, repairs, and rentals, and a tourist information center providing various consultation services for travelers.

The Tenri Station Front Plaza, established in 2017, features a variety of facilities inspired by ancient burial mounds, including playground equipment and a stage. There are also ample service facilities for tourists, such as bicycle shops and a tourist information center.