Still walking

 I continued walking along the main road. This is our local Kentucky Fried Chicken. We have all the American fast food stores, for example Mr Donuts, Baskin-Robins, Macdonalds, 7/11 which is called "7 iHoldings" here.

 This is a new tempura restaurant. We ate there once and it was not too bad. The tempura was good but the rice left a lot to be desired.

 On the left is a large drug store and beyond it is a power equipment rental shop. You can see the line of power shovels, one with the are up in the air.

This is looking back toward the rental shop from the other side. The store on the left sells organic and natural foods. The prices are very high so after going in once we have not been back.

Walking on

 I found this beautiful moss growing on the concrete side of a small canal in front of a equally small factory of some kind.

 This is the canal. Notice the sewer pipe that crosses over the water. The moss is on the right side where there is never any direct sunlight.

 A little further on, the above canal intersected with another larger canal. There were four moveable dams that allow the water level to be controlled. The bridge in the back ground carries the main road across the river.

We had had a huge amount of rain, the result of two typhoons, and the river contained more water than I have yet seen. At least the work they did early in the year was effective and this year there was no flooding as there had been in 2012.

Still walking

 On the other side of the flight of stairs leading down to the river, I found another mural. This one much longer than the last.

 I don't know the name of these flowers but they are quite interesting.

 One of the pleasant things about walking around Japan is that you will often find scenes like this - rows of very carefully trimmed trees along the side of the road. As with those in the pictures, these trees are frequently not closely associated with any home and are apparently there simply to provide enjoyment for the passersby. In this case the empty lot between the trees and the house in the background is partially filled with a small garden.

This shows another of the things I like about Japan, the juxtaposition of the old and the new. Here a two-story Western style home, apparently with a fireplace, is next to a one story Japanese style home.

Out for a walk

 As I walked by the local park, I saw the kids from a kindergarten doing something, probably playing some organized game. I know they are from a kindergarten because they are all wearing the same white shirts and blue shorts. There are two classes. Again I know because of their clothing, one class has red caps and one has white. When I was in school, sports were almost always done with the shirts playing against the skins. In Japan it is always the red team against the white team.

 This river usually has very little water in it, but the extensive rain we have been having has raised the level substantially.

 I don't know who did this but someone, maybe the kindergarten above, has painted the concrete blocks that form the bank of the river. Enlarge the picture (you can probably do this by clicking on it) and you will be able to see how cute it is.

Some of the flowers along the edge of the river were in full bloom. The little black dots are ants which seemed to think there was something to eat here.