EVENT: Wadabori Pond Study Tour (Sat, June 7, 2014)

This event, organized by a group called Zenpuku Gaeru (Facebook page), or Zenpuku River Frog (善福寺川を里川にカエル会), will involve a study tour of the Wadabori Park area in Suginami-ku, Tokyo, followed by a workshop in which the participants, including local schoolchildren and professional river engineers, will come up with ideas for a park design that will allow for a better engagement with the Zenpukuji River.

I have attended this group’s events before and this one should be just as interesting.  This will also be a great chance to see a local environmental organization involved in community action.

The group, whose name is a pun on the Japanese word for frog [kaeru] is a homonym for both “birth” (from an egg) and a return (including a sort of restoration or remediation), aims to re-design the parks along this river to make the best use of this local riparian resource.  According to the organizers, a river restoration project of this magnitude, at least in their ultimate vision, will be the first of its kind in Tokyo.

Here is information about the event (information in Japanese)

Date: Saturday, June 7, 2014

Part 1: Study Tour of local history (13:00-14:00)

• Meet at Omiya Hachimangu Shrine (googlemaps)
• Omiya Hachiman Shrine > Omiya Ruins > River Construction Area > Wadabori (pond) > Valley > Matsunoki Ruin > Matsunoki Middle School

Part 2: Discussion (14:15-17:00)

• Local History
• Intro of Zenpuku Gaeru (what they do, who’s involved)
• Kaibori (Pond drainage)
• Discussion & Group Presentations

Also, here is an article (in Japanese) about this organization by a river designer who is also a key person in this organization.

Finally, here is the schedule of this event in Japanese: 

2014年6月7日（土）

「和田堀池周辺のふるさと見分け」

（この催しは河川整備基金の助成を受けています)

第１部　13:00-14:00 　ふるさと見分け——————

集合場所：大宮八幡社境内

大宮八幡 → 大宮遺跡 → 河川改修箇所（斜面林）を上から眺める → 河川改修箇所（遊水地）→ 和田堀 → 谷戸（谷戸じい解説）→ 松の木遺跡→ 松の木中学校へ

【見分けのポイント】川の横断面をしっかり見よう！

第２部　14:15-17:00　談義 —————–

　集合場所：松ノ木中学校のクラブ活動室（〒166-0014 東京都杉並区松ノ木１丁目４−１）

14:15-14:30　集合・受付

14:30-14:40 ふるさと見分け振り返り（桑子）

14:40-15:05 活動の振り返り

　初めての方でも「善福蛙って、ナニをしているの？」がわかるように活動紹介をします。

　カフェ：吉冨／感性工学：鈴木／模型づくり：島谷／いい川づくり：三田／フォーラム：賀川

15:05-15:15 かいぼり報告（渡辺）

15:15-15:30 ふるさと見分けで気付いたこと

15:30-16:00 何ができるか、やりたいか

16:00-16:30 グループ発表

16:30-16:50 参加者からのひとこと、今後のスケジュールの相談

参加される方は、MLへの返信、または善福蛙メンバーまでご連絡ください。

連絡先：賀川一枝　090-8587-6936 kdw@kagawa-works.net