‘Numakage Public Pool’ documents the demise of a third space

Shingo Ota’s “Numakage Public Pool” is a bittersweet record of the waning days of a public space and community hub. | © HYDROBLAST

Aug 28, 2026

Numakage Public Pool opened in the eponymous neighborhood of the city of Saitama in 1971 and became a summer oasis for those living in the landlocked prefecture. In 2022, the municipal government decided to build a new combined elementary and middle school on the site, and the pool — despite the objections of patrons and employees — closed in 2024.

Shingo Ota’s documentary “Numakage Public Pool” traces the final seven weeks of the pool’s operations, using the five stages of grief as a framing device.

Those last 49 days are depicted from multiple perspectives, including a team of young lifeguards learning responsibility in their first summer jobs, a group of elderly women who rely on the pool for exercise and social interaction, and employees desperate to make the government reconsider its decision with a letter-writing campaign.

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