Himawari, a library ship which had visited islands in the Seto Inland Sea, is on display in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, in February. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
A library ship named Himawari (Sunflower) used to make the rounds of the islands of the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture.
At each port of call, the vessel remained for just 40 minutes for patrons to come aboard and choose their books. Waves of the Danube, a well-known Romanian waltz, was played on the wharf to announce the ship s arrival. As soon as the strains were heard, school children and others would come running.