Various scenes in Kawasaki City: May 31, 2015

Kawasaki City, which locates between Tokyo and Yokohama, has many features. Its population is about 1.5 million. It developed as an industrial city after the Meiji Revolution, became infamous as a city of air pollution in the 1960s and 1970s and introduced pollution control policies in the past 40 years.

It has industrial zones in the eastern coastal areas and residential districts in the north. It has many high-class residential areas, but some areas are left behind modernization. There still remain the areas where many flophouses stand.

There was a big fire in mid-May at flophouses and several people were killed.　The fire site is about 15-minute walk from JR Kawasaki station. I visited the place to mourn for the victims and to see the situation of the area. (top photo)

The buildings were burn out. The smell of ash dust still remained. Modern apartment houses stood around the site.

There are many flophouses in the area quite near from the fire site. Many old people stay there. It is reported that many of them live on the public livelihood assistance. (the 2nd photo)

I also visited Ukishima Park, which lies at the mouth of Tamagawa River. The park is in the industrial zones. 

There are factories of petrochemical, electronics and other fields there.

The Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) is at the opposite side of Tamagawa River. The airplanes took off and landed in every two or three minutes.