Colorful reflections

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Children walk past colorful umbrellas adorning the walls and hanging from the ceiling that are reflected in water on the floor of the greenhouse of the Inawashiro Herb Garden in Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture, on Tuesday. The event called “Umbrella Sky” features 740 umbrellas and was started three years ago. The greenhouse used to also serve as a wedding hall, but with the population of young people in the area declining and less weddings held, the umbrella event was devised as a new attraction. Filling the floor with shallow water creates a fantasy-like effect, with the red, blue, purple and other colors of the umbrellas reflected like a mirror. The popular event draws more than 1,000 people on weekends and will continue through Oct. 31.