Abiko

From ChibaWiki

Abiko City

         In the northwest part of Chiba, on the border with Ibaraki 
   Prefecture, is Abiko City.  Abiko city lies between the Tonegawa 
   River to the north, and Lake Teganuma to the south.  Lake Teganuma 
   now serves as a sightseeing spot, but in 1970's it was known as 
   the dirtiest lake in Japan, with the poorest water quality.
         
         However, improvements in sewage systems, dredging up of 
   polluted sediment, and the pumping in of clean water helped Lake 
   Teganuma escaped out of the list of the top 10 most polluted water 
   bodies in Japan in 2006. The experience gained and techniques used 
   to clean the lake have led to an exchange program between Chiba 
   and Vietnam in an effort to help clean up polluted water resources 
   in and around Hanoi as well.
         
         Now there are gorgeous parks and walkways around the lake, 
   and even a Water Museum which chronicles the changes in the lake 
   over the years, from its original natural state, to the effects of 
   urbanization and industrialization, to the efforts to clean it 
   back up.  
         
         10 minutes away from Abiko Station is Teganuma Park.  By the 
   park you can rent a boat to go out on the lake with, or your 
   children can play in one of the play areas and ride the mini steam 
   engine.  From the park you can go west along the walkways to rape 
   blossom and sunflower fields, or east towards the Water Museum, 
   with the Teganuma Aquatic Park in the front as well as a tower for 
   an incredible view of the surrounding area. Further down the bank 
   are fields of lotus, cosmos, wisteria flowers, and iris.  
         
         Another thing you'll notice as you make your way along the 
   lake are the birds.  Bird watching is another thing Abiko is 
   famous for.  In fact, they even made a Bird Museum and have a Bird 
   Festival in November.  Everything from small diving ducks to large 
   swans will come crowding over if you can offer them a snack.  The 
   museum is right across the street from the Water Museum, just east 
   of the Tega-o-hashi Bridge. This museum not only has a lot of 
   information on the local water fowl, but has a huge collection of 
   mounted birds from all over the world.  
         
         For those who are interested in literary history, Abiko also 
   is the home of the Shirakaba Literary Museum.  The museum houses a 
   collection of books, letters, manuscripts, and artistic works 
   related with Shiga Naoya, Mushanokouji Saneatsu,Bernard Leach and 
   other artists and writers from the Taisho Era (1912~1926).  Shiga 
   Naoya was a famous novelist who in his time was called "The patron 
   saint of literature" and moved to Abiko in 1915.  His previous 
   home is also a tourist attraction in Abiko as well. 
         
         If you would like more information on Abiko, they have a lot 
   of information in English on their city website.  Here it is:
         
     http://www.city.abiko.chiba.jp/index.cfm/1,2140,html
     
         Some of this information about daily life can be useful even 
   if you don't live in or go to Abiko! 
         
Chiba Nanohana News Ed.81

This is an article from Nanohana News (the prefecture's English mail magazine. If you would like to sign up to receive it, go here: http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/syozoku/b_kokusai_e/foreigner/mm_eng.html