Osaka: Barbecue Restaurant Opens Inside Old School Swimming Pool

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:12 JST, May 27, 2023

OSAKA — A swimming pool has been turned into a barbecue restaurant at an old school in Ikuno Ward, Osaka.

Ikuno BBQ Skypark is located inside the pool that is situated on the roof of former Miyukimori Elementary School, which closed in March 2021. The former Osaka municipal school was renovated into a multipurpose complex, which opened on May 3.

The initial idea for the 25-meter-long pool was to fill it with water and install seats around the outside. However, measures to stop customers from falling in would have been necessary, so the decision was made to place seating inside the pool.

A 62-year-old local resident who enjoyed grilled meat there with friends under a starry sky said, “It was nice to enjoy a meal in an open space.”