Happy Birthday Morioka Park?

Iwate Park is 100 years old this year!

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear IMwoartieoka Park,
Happy birthday to you!



[Path in Iwate Park]

What? What's this IMwoartieoka Park? It's the confusion of "Iwate Park" and "Morioka Park". It seems the mayor of Morioka has come up with an idea to change the name of Iwate Park to Morioka Park or Kozukata Park. His idea is to raise the profile of Morioka.

I wonder about that, though. I've noticed that most people in Japan have only a vague idea of where either Iwate or Morioka are! Ask a New Yorker where Wichita or Kansas are and you might get an,"Out West somewhere" at best!

Could he even do it if he wanted to? Maybe. I wonder if the governor or the people could have a say in it? Nah.

Whatever the name, it's beautiful.