A couple walked across the footbridge in front of the station under one umbrella

Young couple walking under umbrella — Futakotamagawa Footbridge

Futakotamagawa has quietly, and almost completely, transformed itself. There was a time when this place was home to Futako Tamagawa-en, an amusement park where roller coasters rattled and a Ferris wheel turned at an unhurried pace. Few people now seem to remember those days. In today’s Futakotamagawa, sleek commercial complexes stand in orderly rows, and pedestrian bridges extend toward them as if drawn with a ruler. Everything looks efficient, self-assured, and largely uninterested in nostalgia.

It was raining that day. People crossing the pedestrian bridge each held an umbrella, walking with single-minded determination, concerned only with staying dry. The bridges here are apparently designed higher than usual, taking into account the possibility of the Tama River flooding. From an urban-planning perspective, the elevation makes perfect sense. For those actually using it, however, it is probably nothing more than a slightly long passageway connecting one errand to the next.

As I stood watching the bridge absentmindedly, a young couple walked toward me. They shared the same umbrella, yet they were not close enough for their shoulders to touch. They walked side by side, but not quite together, leaving a small, deliberate gap between them. Perhaps they had only just started dating. Despite the convenience of an umbrella meant to bring two people closer, they handled the distance between them with noticeable care. That restraint, more than the rain or the architecture, lingered in my view.

Futakotamagawa on Google Map

Comment via

日本語