Goshogawara

Recently I wrote about a busy day preaching 4 sermons. There were a lot of place names involved. It occured to me that I might do a very brief intro of the places, so here goes.
Goshogawara is pronounced "goh-show-gah-wah-rah", with about the same emphasis on each syllable. We English speakers have taken to shortening it to "Gosh", not as in "oh my gosh", but with an "oh". In Japanese it is 五所川原. I don't know what the founding fathers had in mind where they picked the name, but literally it means something like "5 sandbanks".

The city is on the Iwaki river, which looks like this now. Years ago the levees weren't so high, and the river was used as a highway. Our mother church is in minato machi- "harbour town", though it is hard to imagine boats were once that important in the local economy. Now everything is on wheels, but the town is still the supply center for a large surrounding area. This photo was taken from the bridge that lies between 2 malls. They were built in the last 15 years, and have turned the old downtown (in the backround) into a backwater.

This is the town's ancient symbol- the "mushi". "Mushi" usually means insect, but this is some insect- a dragon! Renditions of this beast are to be seen in many places in Gosh, and every few years there is a parade in it's honour. Traditions are still remembered, but the town, and the local society, continue to change at a great rate. No one seems to know where they are headed with all this change. Apparently, it takes all their energy just to keep up.