Niigata Plain in Japan was affected by regular floods restricting farmers to harvest only once in three years. Having ill-drained land below sea level, it was in need of drainage facilities.
A few decades ago, EBARA Corporation installed many drainage pumps including Shinkawa-kako Drainage Pump Station, which is undergoing renovations after 40 years.
The company has installed a big impeller which can drain 40000 liters of water per second. The facility has 6 pumps which makes it one of the Japan’s largest pump stations.
The Niigata Plain today is one of the most famous rice growing areas in Japan.
Hiroaki Segawa of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that the pumping station has made the land suitable for harvesting.
“There are about 20,000 hectares of rice paddies around Shin-kawa river basin. People here changed the boggy field into agricultural land. Earlier it needed to drain water when it rains. But the river couldn’t drain water due to ground sinking. So we needed this big pump station. After the station was made, the land became suitable for harvest,” Segawa said.
The facility is beneficial not only for harvesting but also protects the evniornment.
“We have more torrential rains recently. For example, we experienced heavy rains in 2004 and 2011. At that time we successfully achieved drainage,” Segawa added.
Far south from Niigata Plain is Yokohama city, one of the biggest port cities in Japan.
In the middle of this developed city, tourists can enjoy beautiful nature.
“Sankeien Garden”, is a spacious garden created by Sankei Hara, a businessman who had built a fortune through his silk business. It is in perfect harmony with the 17 historic architectural properties The garden provides delightful scenery that changes according to the season.
“Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was the first Nobel winner in Asia, stayed here for three months,” said Toshikazu Yoshikawa, who works in the planning section of the Sankeien Garden .
Sankei Hara was known for his contacts with artists and literary figures.
Sankei Garden served as a place to develop modern Japanese culture including art and literature.
Today, many painters and photographers visit here.
“Recently, Sankei Garden was used for international events such as after convention gatherings of FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan and APEC Yokohama,” said Yoshikawa.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Co operation (APEC) event in Yokohama, Japan’s first lady hosted first ladies of the participating countries at the garden and they enjoyed the ritual of tea ceremony.
Sankei Garden prepares brochures in several languages. In autumn, the colorful flowers at the garden are the main attraction for foreign tourists.
—-ANI