2025年5月25日（日）、午前11時半に起きた。午後は自宅を出て、本郷台駅に向かった。数日前と同じように、本郷台駅近くの弓道場で練習をした。
練習前、いたち川沿いを歩いた。可愛らしい名前がついているこの川は、本郷台駅の南を流れる。川沿いの歩道は歩きやすい。川幅は広すぎず狭すぎず、ちょうどよい開放感をつくりだしている。センダンやヤマモモなど、さまざまな木が川沿いに植わっていることも、個人的には好印象だった。
散歩中に目をひいたのが、ザクロの木だ。蛍光レッドの物体が、木のところどころについていた。ザクロを初めて見た私は、花と実だと思ったが、実際は花と蕾だったそうだ。鮮やかな色、それに電球のような独特な形が、蕾の存在感を高めていた。
植物を眺めるだけでなく、野鳥撮影にも適した川なのだろう。望遠レンズ付きのカメラを持った人たちが、いたち川を訪れていた。
On Saturday, May 25th, 2025, I got up at 11:30 a.m. and left home in the afternoon to head to Hongodai Station in Yokohama, as I was going to practice Japanese archery at a dojo near the station, just like I did a few days ago.
Before practice, I walked along a small river called the Itachigawa, which flows near the station. Although it was my second time strolling there, I hadn’t noticed how charming the walking paths along the river are. For instance, the paths are wide enough to walk comfortably, the river’s width creates a pleasant sense of openness, and various trees—including a Chinaberry tree and a Japanese bayberry tree—can be seen along the path.
The tree that caught my eye the most was a pomegranate, which had fluorescent red things on it. Those “things” were actually flowers and buds, but since I had never seen this species before, I mistook the buds for fruits. The striking color of the buds, as well as their unique shape—resembling small light bulbs—made me curious about the plant.
Although it’s rare to come across people with professional cameras in non-tourist spots, I saw some people carrying cameras with telephoto lenses near the river. They might have been there to photograph the wild birds living in the area.