Wind-Chime Fair

The gentle tone of a wind chime brings the coolness. This is one of the ways how we spend the summer coolly.

A Wind-Chime Fair is held at Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji Temple in Kawasaki City next to Tokyo. Booths from a lot of prefectures are set up in the precinct. This year it will be held from July 19 to 23. Last year I bought a glass wind chime and enjoyed a gentle tone.

(Wind-Chime Fair in Kawasaki)

(Wind-Chime Fair in Kawasaki)

( Wind-Chime at Veranda)

Hydrangea’s Temple

Near Kita-Kamakura station there is a temple called Meigetsuin. It is famous for hydrangea. Even on weekdays it is very much crowded in this season. They say they are cultivating blue hydrangea. The pictures were taken a week ago.

Rice Is Growing!

Today’s paddy field is very quiet and rice is growing to 25 - 30 cm. Only the Sun was gazing out benevolently.

Early Summer of Suigo (Water Village)

In Kanto Region there is the Tone River whose basin area is the largest in Japan. The border area between Chiba and Ibaragi prefectures is called “Suigo” and has a wide paddy field zone. In Edo period the area flourished in water transport connecting Tohoku Region and Edo. A boat called “Sappa-bune” used to be an intra-regional transport means for the people. Also at marriage, they used to pole a boat.
In Sawara Aquatic Botanical Garden, they recreate the marriage boat in the iris season. A couple chosen for this day had a wedding ceremony here, receiving a blessing from a large audience.

(Irises at Aquatic Botanical Garden)

(Marriage Boat)

Coming of the Skunk Cabbage Season

I went to Oze to see the skunk cabbages. Oze is one of the RAMSAR sites in Japan and a popular moor with the tourists. Various activities are carried out for the preservation of the Oze moor. This was a tour using a night bus. The bus leaving Shinjuku at 23:00 on Friday arrived at Hatomachi Pass in Gunma prefecture after 5:00 next morning. As there was much snow this year, it is said that flowers bloom later than usual. It was a good time to visit there; white skunk cabbages welcomed us. Next week will be a full bloom. Board walk is prepared for tourists in this area. We walked on the remaining snow and then on the board walk. I slipped and fell on my rear, as I had feared. Oze after an almost 20-year absence was not gentle to me.

About Oze:
http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/npr/ramsar_wetland/pamph/pdf/16.pdf

(Mt. Shibutsu and Skunk Cabbages)

(Skunk Cabbages)
(Mt. Hiuchigatake and Tourists)