267. 埼玉見聞録 川口市「キューポラのない街」「エジプトはナイルの賜物」「川口は荒川の賜物」 EE

川口は荒川の賜物　Kawaguchi has prospered for a long time as a foundry town. It is a long-established foundry town. As the sand and clay that make up the riverbed of the Arakawa River were found to be suitable for making sand molds for casting. It is also famous for "begoma," a traditional Japanese spinning toy. But foundries producing begoma gradually went out of business.

エジプトもナイルの賜物　Pyramids were constructed out of millions of stone blocks transported along the river Nile on ships. 

ピラミッドも農閑期の失業対策であり、ナイル川を使って巨石を運んだ。ナイル川なくしてピラミッドなし。荒川とナイル川の川床が運んでくる土砂が町の恵みであった。

Ancient Egyptians depended on the annual flooding of the Nile River. The Nile was more peaceful at flood time than were the turbulent Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Each year the Nile brought the two things needed for agriculture; rich soil and water. Egypt, it was said, was the "gift of the Nile."

川口市と言えば、吉永小百合の「キューポラのある街」で有名であり、NHKの「地球大紀行」は鋳物の街川口で、溶岩やら、マグマのようなものを鋳物工場で再現した。しかし、川口はもはや大都会であり、鋳物工場と職人さんであふれる街の姿はなく、キューポラを探したがどこにもなかった。しかしどこかにはあるのだろう。