Takashima, Shiga Pref. ¨C It¡¯s a hot afternoon in Harie, a small residential district of Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. But instead of parching my thirst with a bottle of water from a vending machine, I bend down, cup in hand, to scoop some spring water running through one of the many bubbling streams that cross the community.
Known to locals as ¡°sh¨³ú³Ü¡± (pure water), the water is such an integral part of life in Harie that the village itself is nicknamed ¡°Shozu no Sato¡± ¡ª literally, the Village of Water.
For residents like Keiko Maeda, this access to water is much more than just set dressing. Due to Harie¡¯s unique geography within an alluvial fan tucked between the Hira mountain range and Lake Biwa, Japan¡¯s largest freshwater lake, the conditions are just right for a constant stream of mineral-rich spring water to run not just along the community¡¯s streets but through homes via a network of natural springs known as ¡°kabata.¡±
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