Along the river on my way home

People fishing is a very rare sight along the river, but this man was trying hard. At this spot there are a lot of small fish, about 10 centimeters (~4 inches). I think they are what is called 'ayu' in Japanese. In English they are sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis. This fish's name leads to a very bad pun that the junior high school students who are just beginning to seriously study English enjoy. The pun is "Ayu a fish?" which with Japanese pronunciation sounds like "Are you a fish?"

At the point where the riverside path heads back to the top of the embankment,there is a small park. They are hard to see but there were some kids playing on the blue slide behind the trees. The trees in public areas are usually trimmed once or more usually twice a year. This is said to keep the roots from growing and effecting the surrounding area. These trees have been cut back into the traditional shape that is seen in gardens, both public and private. As with most parks in Japan, this one has a public restroom which is very helpful on long walks.

About 100 meters away, I have to cross a road that comes from a bridge over the river. Once safely across the road and another 100 meters or so toward home, the path turns away from the river and follows a canal. This was the place where they built one of the new moveable dams. The dam is in the middle of the picture. The white line is where the water is flowing over the moveable section that is to the left. On the other side of the concrete structure there is another moveable dam and beyond that there is an overflow outlet that also allows water from a canal to enter the river.

Turning and looking back in the direction from which I came, we can see the pool formed behind the dam. If the dam is raised, the water will come about half way up the bank on the far shore. You can see the bridge on the extreme left.