To the River Museum: The Remarkable Arakawa River Linked to the Panama Canal

Experience Local Charm: Explore a 173-Meter Model of the Arakawa River!

The River Museum has three things that make it the best in Japan. The first is the waterwheel, which you will see as soon as you arrive. It is huge. It is 24.2 meters long.

The other is a large ceramic plate painting (Shigaraki ware) 21.6 meters long and 5.04 meters high. It is a work of art titled “Going Spring” by Gyokudo Kawai. It is said to be Japan’s largest large-scale art ceramic panel of Japanese painting displayed outdoors.

And this is badass!　The large Arakawa River model 173!

This is a 1/1000 scale representation of the flow of the Arakawa River from its source (Mt. Kobushin) to its mouth (Tokyo Bay) and the topography along the main river!　Of course, the height difference is also reproduced!　It’s amazing!　You should see it on site!

After seeing the exhibition, this model makes you think, “Wow, but the Arakawa River is really amazing! I know I have nothing to say, so I give myself zero points for reporting. However, I really think, “No~ but it really is amazing, isn’t it? I also definitely think, “Whoever made this model is amazing. You should see it in person.

The total length of the Arakawa River is 173 kilometers, so even at 1/1000th of a meter, the river is 173 meters long. Even though you are just looking at the model, it is a bit of a walk. It is a great fun to enjoy the model while mixing in the knowledge obtained from the exhibition, such as, “Is that where the Arakawa River was first bent?

Even on a reduced scale, the scale of the construction of the water discharge canal is still large, large, large. I couldn’t help but say to the curator, “How could someone in the Meiji Era decide to do something like this? And it’s amazing that someone actually did it.

I heard that the construction was directed by a Japanese who was involved in the construction of the Panama Canal. He went to Panama alone to study at a time when there were concerns about diseases such as malaria and racial discrimination was severe. He went there without knowing whether or not he would be able to get a job. Seriously? There are some amazing people out there!

I was so curious that I bought the book after I got home. I was so curious that I bought a book after I got home: “The Life of Aoyama Susumu, a Critical Biography: We Live with the River, We Die with the River. I found it at a used bookstore. I won’t write about the contents of the book because it is out of context of this column, but it is fun to find interesting things like this in a museum, I thought!　I think.

It might be romantic to think of Panama while looking at the Arakawa River in the future. See you next time.