What Is the Most Popular Rice in Japan?

The Japanese live on rice. There are a lot of varieties of rice. The most popular variety is Koshihikari, because it is very delicious. Koshihikari was developed by marrying Norin-Ichigo (=No.1), which had a tasty characteristic, and Norin-Nijunigo (=No.22), which had a good quality characteristic. It was married in Niigata in 1944, cultivated in Fukui, registered as Norin-Hyakugo (=No.100), and then adopted as recommended variety in Niigata in 1956. It has had a stormy life. The planted area of Koshihikari is the largest in Japan, occupying about 40 % (in 2004).

My relative liked Koshihikari and had sent for well-known brand Uonuma Koshihikari; at my home, we eat Hitomebore, which is a child of Koshihikari and cheaper. According to the yesterday’s paper, Niigata is considering the reduction of the production of Koshihikari because of the decrease of the need. It is said that Koshihikari is not easy to cultivate. I would like the foreign people to eat delicious Japanese rice. Anyway try to eat Koshihikari.

Yesterday I saw kakashi, which is set to prevent birds from picking rice.

On A Sunny Day in Yokohama

It was a sunny day in October. I was wandering around Minato Mirai 21. I thought Yokohama was really an attractive town!

(Bay Bridge from Osanbashi)

(Napping with Cute Puppies)

(Walking in the Sky)

(Jazz Festival at Dockyard Garden)

Hokkaido Was Cold!

Last weekend I was in Hokkaido because I had something to do. Hokkaido was cold as might be expected. At Orofure-toge (pass) of 930 meters high, the temperature was 2 degrees; we saw a little snow dancing in the wind.

I have enjoyed a hot spring at Noboribetsu. The place name “Noboribebetsu” derives from the language of the Ainu people who are indigenous to Hokkaido. It means a dark (nupuru) river(=pet); the river is clouding because the hot spring water is coming into it. There are eleven kinds of spring quality; Noboribetsu ranks in the top three of hot spring spots in Japan. I also enjoyed outdoor hot spring baths. When I got out of the bath tub, my body and towel became cold immediately. I was happy to find quite nice wash places. They were separated one by one and have a plastic stool higher than usual. It seems to me this improvement was made especially for foreign tourists. I was very much satisfied to feel my smooth skin.

(Noboribetsu River from Noboribetsu Shin-Ohashi(=new big bridge))

(Upper Side from Noboribetsu Shin-Ohashi)

(Jigokudani (=Hell Valley)

Tanigawadake

At the middle of October, I went to Tanigawadake Tenjindaira in Gunma prefecture to view the autumn colors. Mt. Tanigawadake is famous for rock climbing. Unfortunately the autumn colors were not so beautiful. I had to wait 45 minutes for getting on a ropeway. It was no use visiting on weekdays. Everybody thinks alike, doesn’t it? (Though I found it on my way back, this ropeway station had been constructed to respond to a long queue. Long, long winding corridors lead us to an entrance to a platform.) From Tenjindaira, the destination of a ropeway, I headed for Tenjintoge (=pass) by ski lift. Here was a 360ﾟ panoramic view. You have to come to this point, when you visit Tanigawadake. You can take time to enjoy a nice view also at the rooftop observation deck of the lift station. On the day, it was a beautiful day and there were a lot of people to climb Mt. Tanigawadake. There were some clouds at the top of the mountain; its peak would not show up till the last moment. Unlucky!

Actually this was the third time to visit Tenjindaira. More than ten years ago I ventured to climb Mt. Tanigawadage with my friends. We stayed at a minshuku (=private home providing room and board) and enjoyed a hot spring managed by a town. The next day we started climbing. We were so tired after walking tiresomely long paths along the river and the route of the climb was muddy because of the previous day’s rain. Courageous retreat was unanimously decided before the summit. We arrived at Tenjindaira in a little distress and got on a ropeway. How beautiful the autumn colors of leaves were! How wonderful yellow leaves and red leaves, though not many, looked best in bright sunshine. We did not feel in the least that the ropeway fare of 950 yen was expensive.

That impression was so intense that I visited again five years ago to take pictures. This time the weather turned bad, there were some rain and wind. When I was taking pictures at Tenjindaira, I dropped my contact lens. There was a drain ditch when I looked down. I searched the lens with my poor eyesight, but I could not find it. So, the third time was a sort of revenge. It might be a little early for the best season. My challenge has not been completed…..

Home-made cold tofu and a one-pot dish cooked at the table served at the minshuku were very delicious. This one-pot dish was very simple; pork back ribs, thin green onion, and Flammulina veluptipes were boiled in a soy sauce soup. This cuisine was added to my recipe later.

(Mt. Tanigawadake)

(View from Tenjintoge)

(On the Lift)

A Young Man at Rice Field and Abduction Victims

The other day I went to the rice field to see how it was. Cropping has been done and now drying was going on.

Then I happened to see a young man resting at the irrigation ditch. He looked contented very much; I asked to take a picture. He said he liked rice fields and this place was his favorite jogging course.

We had some chat. After this he was going to attend a meeting to support Mr. and Mrs. Yokota. He liked photography and he wanted to present the picture of beautiful blue sky he had taken before. But he wondered whether he should present it. So, I advised to do it if he hesitated. I wonder how he did.....

Mr. and Mrs. Yokota are the parents of Megumi Yokota, an abduction victim of North Korea. They have been fighting as a leader for having abduction victims back. The abductions by North Korea are unforgivable state crimes. I hope all the victims will be taken back to Japan without further delay.

Photo Exhibition by Shigeru Yokota, which was held at many places throughout Japan to appeal to people, is now accessible on the Internet. We will be able to feel to some extent a 30-year suffering of the family separated by abduction. URL is:

http://asagaonokai.jp/eg/vre/index.html

(After jogging)

(Drying Rice)

(Taking a Rest at Neighboring Field)

Cosmos (2)

A couple of days ago I went out to see a cosmos field again. I had watched a photo of cosmos and Mt. Fuji on the Internet. We can have a 360 degree view on the top of Azumayama, which is a small mountain of hundred meters or so, but there were no cosmos field. It might have been too late. Many children enjoyed nice views, paintings, and children’s play facilities.

I like cosmos very much. In my childhood, there was a cosmos field in our garden. The Chinese characters for cosmos are “autumn cherry blossom.”

(Mt. Fuji viewed from Azumayama)

(Children Painting Mt. Fuji)

This is a last year’s cosmos.

Cosmos

There is a flower garden filled with cosmos in the southern part of Kanagawa prefecture. It is a Kurihama Hana-no-kuni (=flower country). I was looking forward to seeing beautiful flowers, but a lot of stems were damaged by the recent gale and heavy rain. What interested me was something different. Those are:

On October 22, a picking event will be held. You can pick the flowers of cosmos. Don’t forget scissors and a large bag.

Moon Viewing

Yesterday’s moon would have become the harvest moon of this year unless it had been raining. It was sunny today. We enjoyed viewing a full moon, a perfectly round shape. We also had dumpling.

For further story of moon viewing, please access to my website "RealJapan":
http://www.realjapan/life/event/septemberevent.html

(Harvest Moon)

(Dumpling)