Exploring Hachiman-bori Spring along the canal, seen from Hakuun Bridge, with detchi yōkan

From Hakuun Bridge, I watched the water of Hachiman-bori thread between the townhouses and disappear into the distance. It was an early April afternoon. My eyes moved from the cherry blossoms in the foreground to the stone embankments, then the rooftops above them, and more rooftops beyond. I’d come to see the canal, but I found myself wondering how the town was laid out, too. I stopped for a while around the middle of the bridge.

With my pale-pink cardigan over my white shirt, I pulled out the snack I’d brought along. Detchi yōkan comes wrapped in a bamboo sheath. I thought hurrying might squash its shape, so I watched my hands and eased the sheath back a little at a time. Maybe it was the still water in front of me, but even reaching for a bite had started to feel unhurried.

I pinched off a bite-sized piece and paused to look at it. It’s made from smooth red-bean paste and wheat flour, wrapped in a bamboo sheath, then steamed. I wondered how it would compare with the yōkan I knew even before I tasted it. The bamboo’s aroma lingered, and it had a gentle, uncomplicated sweetness. I was glad I’d picked it for a snack with that view.

Hachiman-bori is a moat associated with Hachimanyama Castle, built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu. It recalls the town’s history as an important hub for shipping on Lake Biwa. It looks quiet now, but long ago this was a vital route for moving goods. As I followed the stone embankment into the distance with my eyes, I started wondering about the lives of the people who used it. I stopped eating for a moment and took another look.

I’d heard the stretch from Hakuun Bridge to the area around Meiji Bridge is often used as a location for period dramas and films. Once I knew that, the view started to seem oddly familiar. But today I wasn’t seeing it on a screen; I was standing there in the spring breeze. Watching the cherry branches overlap the rooftops, I felt like I’d discovered a view I loved, not just recognized a familiar place.

I wrapped up the remaining detchi yōkan and walked off the bridge toward town. Stone-paved paths and white-walled townhouses line the canal. I’d like to walk beside the stone embankment I’d admired from a distance. I thought I’d just enjoy the snack and cherry blossoms, then be on my way, but something I noticed on the bridge gave me a new reason to explore on foot.