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A young man on a bike heads east along the Shakujii gawa past the post office with wheels the size of mikan oranges. It seems to take ten rotations of his pedals to move just one foot. It is comforting to know that there is unrestrained pedaling along the once roaring and turbulent "waterfall river." I yell "がんばってください!" (ganbatte kudasai – do your best) to encourage him. Tucked discreetly within his furious motions I glimpse the slightest nod of acknowledgement.