The stream, just in our backyard, is a small tributary
of the Omono Gawa river in Akita prefecture.
It pours out from a mountain, runs through
a small town and flows into the Sea of Japan.
Since there are few factories around this stream,
it keeps surprising us with the beauty of nature.

We started fishing in 1995.
We were surprised that our stream had so many variety of fishes.
"Yamame" (masu trout), a beautiful native Japanese land-locked salmon.
"Oikawa", an immigrant fish with rainbow marriage color.
"Iwana", a kind of small native salmon
lives in the highest stream among Japanese fishes.

While we examined these fishes with some books and dictionaries
and studied of the modes of these fishes's lives,
we knew that we should release these hooked fish back to the stream.

From the beginning, even now, we are not good at fishing.
But whenever we went to the stream, we felt the blessing of nature
and realized that the earth is not human's own space.

When I went fishing with my husband and sons,
we rarely saw children on the riverside.
Since bass fishing became popular in Japan,
we can now find some children with lure rods.
I think lure is too hazardous to Japanese native small fish.

When tying flies during the winter season, I wonder
how the "Yamame" is doing at the bottom of the stream.
Sometimes a tiny mayfly sticks to the glass window.
It is fun to tie flies while watching a real mayfly.



Since 1997, river conservation works are in progress
on our favorite riverside.
When it rained too heavily, the water poured over embankments
and neighboring fields were flooded.
I know that these public works are done to keep a river from overflowing.
But when I saw a full-bloomed magnolia felled down by a yellow bulldozer,
I felt as if my heart was dug by a sharp claw.

The bottom of the stream was flattened and pools
where fish gathered before disappeared.
Colorful landscape turn to monotonous view.
The work was done just around our house,
but the neighboring fields are flooded after heavy rain the same as ever.
I wonder if these works were necessary or not.


Please click here and compare landscapes
before and after river conservation works.

landscape before works

landscape during works

landscape after works

Last year, Akita prefectural authorities collected opinions from the citizens
about the use for a surplus of money paid to the prefecture.
I and my son subscribed to it, saying "Let the stream back to the former shape" .
Eventually they decided to share the money among each schools in our prefecture.
But I think that is not always of the most benefit to children.

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