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Look at the picture bellow. There is a narrow drain running through the center.

This is the remain of a river that was called Hori-kawa. (Kawa means River.)
In the right of the picture, there runs Horikawa-dori Street.

Sitting along the drain, you may encounter a curious scene.

Kappa (River Sprite) sometime comes from out of Kyoto to swim in Hori-kawa, because he doesn't know the change that struck at the river.
He comes to find that there's not an enough water to swim in and to sustain his life (Kappa dies when his plate on the head gets dry).
Then he runs away hastily to his home river.

Kappas

Can't we live together with Kappas and others?

It is secret that on the Hori-kawa drain there is a heat emission gate that leads to a main reactor of Death Star, an ultimate weapon of the Galactic Empire. ( STARA WARS)

Oh, Death Star reminds me of Kyoto Station Building that opened last September.

The inside of the building is colored same as that of Death Star, just as Kyoto Hotel that gave rise to much controversy about the scenery of Kyoto.

I don't say everything in this city should maintain its old style.
Many things were born, changed, and disappeared in more than 1200 years' history of Kyoto.
Everything changes as time flows by. It is the rule of our universe.
As changes are not avoidable, the only thing we can do is to help the changes be fine and beautifully.

I can't say the new Kyoto Station Building is fine and beautiful and adequate to Kyoto.
(I'm sorry, but I don't like to put pictures of those shameless buildings on this journal. )