Restoration of Hachiman River (Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture)

When Hidetsugu Toyotomi opened a castle town at the base of Mt. Hachiman, the "Hachiman Moat" running through Omihachiman City was built as a canal to allow barges running in Biwa Lake, which was the artery at the time, call into Hachiman.
Due to the rapid urban development after the war, the water environment of Hachiman River was deteriorated and in the decade starting in 1965, a land reclamation plan was embodied. However, activities toward dredging and regeneration of the moat were started mainly by citizen groups who considered the moat to be historical heritage from their ancestors. Such activities are continued even today to maintain the landscape of the moat and improve the water quality by the "Citizens' Association to Protect Hachiman Moat."
Although transportation by ship has ended, ships are still used by tourists in imitation of the traditional elegant boating of the Imperial Court. Today this has become a special feature of sightseeing tours and 280,000 people visit this area yearly. Hachiman River was designated as one of the best 100 revived waters in Japan.

By JRRN-secre | Category: History and traditional restoration,Navigation restoration,Kinki | Comment(0) | Trackback(0) |
Date: 2011.09.10 18:29