The world's smallest park is about the size of four pieces of paper
A park roughly the size of four sheets of paper in Japan's central prefecture of Shizuoka was recently crowned the world's smallest, according to Guinness World Records.
Despite measuring just 2.6 square feet, the recreational space offers a stool made up of a block of wood held up by a rock, with a little bush encircling it.
From afar, it could easily be mistaken for a bonsai, an example of the Japanese art of manicuring miniature trees.
The park is a short walk from the town hall of Nagaizumi, about 68 miles southwest of the capital Tokyo.
The previous official world's smallest park was Mill Ends Park in Portland, Oregon, which helped inspire the Japanese contender that officially took the title on Tuesday, according to Guinness.
When a Nagaizumi local was on vacation in the US, 'they found the previous record holder for the smallest park,' Shuji Koyama, a team leader of the town's construction division, told Guinness. 'So they wanted to create an even smaller park.'
Locals have been referring to it as the world's smallest park since it was built in 1988, despite a lack of official recognition.
To qualify for the Guinness title, Shizuoka officials brought in a certified surveyor to measure the park.
Koyama told Guinness World Records he was relieved that the park was finally recognized.
'We want to continue maintaining the park with the community, as well as creating a landscape that is more social media friendly, so that even more people will find attractions of our town,' he said.
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Like what you've just read? Here is more of our recent travel news, from railway ambitions in Europe, China and the Middle East, to the delicious foods that Sweden does better than anywhere else.
Adding Britain to your European rail vacation could get a little easier in the future.
London St. Pancras, the United Kingdom's only international train station, is working with the Channel Tunnel on opening up more services to France and planning new routes to Germany and Switzerland.
The aim is to shorten journey times, improve timetable coordination and introduce a larger rail fleet. St. Pancras also plans to expand peak-time capacity for international passengers from 1,800 per hour to 5,000.
In other rail news from around the world, China is hoping its new fleet of 'silver trains' will encourage the up-in-years portion of its aging population to travel more and spend more. The trains will be fitted out with senior-friendly features such as handrails, oxygen bottles and emergency call buttons.
From silver to gold: The Middle East's first super-luxury train, Saudi Arabia's Dream of the Desert, will launch in fall 2026. Its gleaming golden interiors are designed to complement the sandy expanses outside.
Nordic cuisine is having a moment, but there's a lot more to Swedish food than meatballs and cinnamon buns. From sandwich cake to Västerbotten cheese pie, here are the dishes to try if you're visiting the Scandinavian nation.
In South America, there's a food revolution going on in Bolivia, where elite restaurants are getting international notice and ancient Inca and Aymara traditions are finding their way into modern fusion dishes.
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Istanbul's Maiden Tower, which sits on a tiny island between Europe and Asia, has reopened to the public after it too had a huge facelift. Here's what it was like when CNN had a look around at the end of last year.
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