Sprawling Aoba Ward contains Kodomo no Kuni, a popular park with pony rides and a petting zoo for children, as well as springtime cherry blossoms. Families also walk in public orchards and nature reserves skirting the Tsurumi River. Toin Gakuen Symphony Hall hosts classical concerts, while low-key izakaya pubs and yakiniku barbecue restaurants surround the area’s numerous factories and college campuses.