We got back to the ryokan and checked in. I had chosen this place because of the beautiful old style rooms. I would love to live in a place with rooms like this!
And outside the window?......
Incredible, the water was so clear, so pure and pristine. The clear water that runs through the town of Gujo Hachiman is a big source of pride for the residents. In fact, a nickname for Gujo Hachiman is "the Water Town". All around town there are water springs called "mizu fune", which translated means "water boat". They are 2 or 3 tiered systems with constantly running water. The top tier is for drinking and there are cups left at the mizu fune for anyone to use for drinking. The lower tiers are for washing fresh vegetables or even rinsing clothes. (My photos for these didn't turn out so well but the kind people at the Gujo Hachiman Tourist Association kindly let me use 3 of theirs. Please go and check out their full English website with so much more information about the town by following the links below the photos).
(source: Gujo Hachiman Tourist Association website. http://www.gujohachiman.com/kanko/index_e.html)
This water then runs into street-side canals that run all across the town,
(source: Gujo Hachiman Tourist Association website. http://www.gujohachiman.com/kanko/index_e.html)
(source: Gujo Hachiman Tourist Association website. http://www.gujohachiman.com/kanko/index_e.html)
some of which have carp in them to eat any food scraps that might find their way into the water system,
and then back out into the river. This is a centuries old ecologically friendly system which keeps the water so clear and clean. Amazing, why can't more places do this?!
Now seems like a good point to stop this post, but I will keep working on the next post which will have quite a few photos of the town at night and I will hopefully have that finished in the next day or so.
I hope you enjoyed this one. Please leave a comment below and share with anyone you know who would be interested in having a read.
Bye.
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