Arakawa 荒川

Benoit Dupuis... Arakawa 荒川. "...The part of the Arakawa River that flows through the eastern part of Tokyo is called the Sumida River. Central to Edo culture, the Sumida, which was celebrated by writer Nagai Kafu (1879-1959), is today nothing more than a canal flowing between two concrete walls. After the great flood of 1910, it was decided to divert the main flow of the river to create a drainage channel, the Arakawa. Isolated from the urban environment by 2 dikes, a particular vegetation - tall grass - has sprung up from the alluvial soil, and the area is populated by many species of birds. During the feudal period, the excluded lower classes settled down along rivers. They were called kawara-mono, the 'people of the rivers.' Today, the high grass offers protection for homeless people who find refuge on Arakawa's river banks. Some of them have gathered together and built barracks using floating wood and polyurethane canvas sheets; while others live alone in tents."