Best kindergarten boasts endless fun

Fuji Kindergarten in the city of Tachikawa, near Tokyo, earns its reputation as one of the world's best kindergartens. The school's round roof is broken by several large zelkova trees, providing an endless playground for pupils.

The award-winning design offers a space without dead ends, so that students have a loop for chasing each other, said Sekiichi Kato, principal of the kindergarten. The principal added that such designs triple children's exercise compared with most other Tokyo kindergartens.

Although the crowns of the zelkova trees have penetrated the roof, its strong branches facilitate students' climbing under the faculty's supervision, and huge green leaves provide a cool and shady place for the children in summer.