There you see little ones who call here home.

Preservation of Ohta river is not only our mission, but it's something that we can be proud of.

Coming down to the areas called 'Kake', the river runs amid villages, with many sections fortified with concrete blocks.

Noting the rugged topography and the threats of all too frequent landslides, we cannot deny the necessity of river management altogether. The question is if our intervention is right sized for the benefit. Leave one of the banks untouched, keep big rocks in the original river bed. The money saved can then be spent on simple good things that deliver in the long run, such as planting young beeches for instance.

The picturesque 'hanging bridge of Kuchi'.

The calm deep water beneath supports healthy fish population and our endless imagination.

We have a day to ceremonially mark the beginning of autumn, based on the lunar calendar. This 'Higanbana', literally, 'flower of the other side (i.e. the next life) ', knows exactly when. Come the day of 'Higan', they pop up all at once so we can not miss it.

- Ohta - lower section

There used to be a train service along the river's 60kms stretch - starting in central Hiroshima heading out north, eventually reaching 'Sandankyo', which translates as 'three stepped gorges', one of the headwaters of Ohta river. As the riverside population decreased, the number of passengers dwindled. Tthe very last of the service ran in the evening of 30th of Nov. '05.

In honour of their half a century's service, some former stations are preserved. 'Yasuno' station is one of them, and we still keep dropping by.

Coming down thus far, the river has grown to reach her adulthood. With 30meters across, she leisurely travels down, swinging along the steep hills and cliffs towering high.

Here and there, you see sandy beaches. If you look carefully, on the fine sands are many footsteps - of monkeys, raccoons, rats and birds. One quiet afternoon we were taking a nap. With a rustling sound in a nearby bush, out came a tortois. Slowly he slid into the water.

Out in a open valley, she grows rapidly in size. There are big deep pools along the bends, where occasional catches of trophy fish, meaning by our standard ones above 12inches, are reported.

Around here we often see trees called 'Nemunoki', with pink flowers that blossom only at dusk. Their soft petals often ride in the breeze and, along with the jolly choir of thousand little frogs, complete a riverside scene in a sultry summer evening.