Random Japan #5 // Swimming Hole Warning
Obviously an old warning.
Not really a swimming hole, but a river. I just suddenly have the Andy Griffith theme stuck in my head. Hmmm. Anyway, the sign is warning people to be careful of swimming in the river. But the sign doesn't seem to have been tended for sometime.
This area makes me curious as hell actually. The grass here is mowed once or twice a year when it gets too high, and there is a lot of paved areas closer to the river, yet otherwise the area is deserted with all roads going into it barred by chains with signs saying "forbidden". Part of me thinks the city once poured money into the area† but their plans fell apart and now they just keep it locked up and only do the minimum of care to keep it from becoming entirely overgrown.
But I don't know, nor can I find anyone to talk to who does know. Very odd.
Footnotes
†: Perhaps in the golden 80s, the height of the Japanese bubble economy, when everyone was so rich money didn't matter and cities were throwing it away on stupid projects.
Amazing photography thanks for sharing
If they want to warn people off swimming in the river. They should make it look like so much fun. The kid on the sign couldn't look happier:)
You could say the same of all warning signs in Japan. Either they make the danger look fun or cute. I never saw a cute "danger" sign till I came to Japan.
I love that about the Japanese. The ones warning tourists against the monkeys and deer at Miyajima are classics.
There's something very spooky about that sign, @dbooster. Recently I got into a discussion with some Steemians about why amusement parks are spooky, and I was reminded of that discussion when I saw the sign with picture of a child playing so happily in a river, eerily with no water anywhere in sight, and the sign all covered in brambles. In other words, it's really cool. You could use if for a story prompt.
Hmm... old amusement parks are very spooky. Newer ones are too, but for different reasons, I think. Anyway, feel free to use this photo for a story if you want :)