Watersheds and Water Engineering

This week in Japan I visited two parks on Miyajima Island and gardens in Okayama and Takamatsu. These experiences have made me consider how water powerfully shapes landscapes and how humans use a variety of strategies to control the flow and movement of water. Miyajima Island Miyajima Island, or Shrine Island, is designated as one…

Nearby Nature in a Megacity

Tokyo is one of the world’s largest and most populated cities. It is best known as a vast metropolis or megacity, yet 3.44% of Tokyo is green space. This week I visited green spaces in Tokyo—gardens, shrine complexes, parks, and tree-lined walkways. I also had the opportunity to visit Tamagawa University to visit elementary classrooms…