On this particular day, the Uchiko-za theater was off limits to visitors, as it was filled with kids for an anime movie festival. The dozens of tiny shoes and slippers, and the little kid loitering out front, made my photo a much more memorable one than it would have been otherwise. Need I say again: a living culture...

After spending the day in Uchiko and overnighting at the youth hostel in Ozu (12 km away), I headed west along the river to the coast. Either of the roads along the river (on either bank) offers very pleasant cycling; this photo was taken from the road along the north bank.