We made our way back to the station veering left along the north bank of the river through Nawate-dōri, a street full of shops selling antiques, second hand books, foodstuffs and assorted knickknacks with frequent, quite clever references to frogs.
The street's mascots, of course, originate in the river, but it’s also a pun on kaeru (the Japanese word for return). Frogs were given as a charm to bring loved ones back home safely, and to encourage money and goods to make their way back into the shopkeepers’ premises.
We made our way along the other side of the river, hooking back onto familiar territory on the way back to the station, where the shuttle bus was sitting, quietly waiting for passengers.