5000

[nzlegend 1]

wow Downtown Osaka went absolutely mental last night with the news of Hanshin clinching the pennant. over 5000 people jumped in the open sewer ceasepool that is the dotonburi river in celebration( good thing they dredged those 300 odd bikes out of it a few months ago).

Its a refreshing thing for the normally stoic reserved locals to let loose, beats the stiff upper lip. Great stuff

[Ocean11 0]

Might this be a good reason to make a few changes so that there isn't actually a river of shit running through Japan's second largest city??

 

In all the 'focus' brought by Japan's media, this is one angle that doesn't seem to have surfaced. Obvious as it may seem...

[nzlegend 1]

I was exaggerating a tad, it isnt actually an open sewer,but it is a dirty foul, waterway full of god knows what and I am sure pople have used it as a toilet from time to time.

But I was thinking the same thing, instead of worrying about 5000 jumping in it, how about focussing on how it is filthy and it needs thorough revitalisation.

Most Japanese media have turned a blind eye or even chastised the antics of the celebrators saying they have gone to far! maybe they should find a parallel with soccer supporters before they define 'too far'.

And the Police warning people not to jump, huh like warning lemmings not to jump, if anything it would encourage a few just to do it because the Police said they couldnt.

Police here love to be killjoys

[DumbStick 13]

They did talk about the football supporters when the World Cup was on.

[Ocean11 0]

It is in fact an open sewer, you were not exaggerating even if you thought you were. The news program 'Bankisha' got some water boffin to analyze it and he identified a significant percentage of raw sewage. It's hardly surprising that people who do actually jump soon experience vomiting, dizziness and long lasting high fevers.

 

While all this is known and has been covered intensively in the media in the past few weeks, I haven't heard a single person say, Christ, this is a disgrace! We must clean this foul mess up, not simply so that more idiots can jump in but for some wholesome Osakan machizukuri.

[peterson 0]

That river is a disgrace

[nzlegend 1]

I see there was big news today as a bloke died during the continued revelry. 2 nights after the main celebrations, some guys were still celebrating when one guy was pushed and fell in and drowned.

NHK showed an underwater shot and I think it would put anybody off ever jumping in again.

Yet none of the local leaders interviewed mentioned the fact that it was a filthy waterway and needed thorough cleaning.

 

The "best" quote though is this one

 

"Osaka officials said the water quality of the Dotonbori River was not suitable for diving or swimming because of dirty rain that had fallen into the river"

 

Dirty rain... my

[badmigraine 0]

I've never been to Osaka. Is there a river in Tokyo of comparably execrable condition?

 

I live on a small lake here in Michigan, and when it rains, the rain washes all sorts of excreta (duck, goose, swan, dog, cat, squirrel, bird, racoon, possum, skunk, etc.) into the lake. There is a lot more of this sh*t than you would believe due to the amount of forestland and wildlife around the lake.

 

Then the sun warms up this broth and the water's percentage of bacteria--including fecal coliform bacteria-rises significantly.

 

If you go wakeboarding on a day like that, you better not swallow any of the water. Even if you don't, the next day you might have a sore throat and dizziness...probably kids and oldsters should stay out of the lake on those days.

 

Could this be what the Osaka officials are thinking of when they say "dirty rain"? Storm drains and water runoff patterns that sweep foul substances and excreta into the river, making it even more bacteria-laden?