Aug 1, 2010

Thursday mornings at Miyagi Gakuin University 13


After crossing the bridge, I turn off the road at the white railings and start down the path along the river. The one story building on the right is pretty old and rundown but it is in full use. The place on the right end is a construction company headquarters. They specialize in what is called 'renewal', rebuilding old buildings so that they are modern and usable. This is quite popular because of the zoning laws. If you tear down a building and replace it, the new building has to be smaller than the old building so that there is space around it. However, if you just rebuilt it, you can keep the original outline. Returning to the building in the picture, the other three spaces are occupied by small bars, which seem to do a good business at night. I have never been to them so I really don't know, but they look busy.
Just before reaching the apartment building that is visible in the last picture, there is a small Shinto temple, dedicated to the river god.
Each summer there is a festival associated with this shrine and there is a ceremony honoring the river god, begging that there be enough water for growing rice but not so much that it floods.
Once past the temple and the apartment building, someone has planted a couple of gardens along the path. These orange flowers are quite stunning, but I have no idea what they are called. I guess I should remember to ask someone, and then remember to remember the name.
Here is a closeup of the actual flower.


No comments: