A “pocket park” in central Japan, measuring only 0.24 square metres (2.58 sq ft) with space for just one person to sit on a wooden seat on a rock, has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s smallest.
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Located in a corner of a residential area in the town of Nagaizumi, Shizuoka prefecture, the park consists of a small square of raised bricks and some small plants next to the stool and two stone monuments, including one with a carving of the town’s symbolic flower.
The park had long been called the “world’s smallest” by locals and cherished as a resting space for more than 30 years, before it was officially recognised by Guinness World Records in December.
Located about 300 metres (984 feet) away from the town hall, the park was built in 1988 using land left over from road construction work.
A former official of the town proposed the idea of creating the tiny park after being inspired by Mill Ends Park in Oregon, the previous record-holder with an area of 0.29 square metres (3.12 sq ft).
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