Category Archives: Photos

SAITAMA, April. 5 ― Cherry blossoms on the banks of an agricultural canal in Minuma, Saitama Prefecture, are now in full bloom. They bloom brilliantly around the region called Minuma Tambo in which there are many fields for agricultural use. Minuma Tambo was created in the middle of the Edo era by draining wetlands of about 1,260 hectares. Its surrounding areas have been urbanized, but you can still enjoy the view of vast rice fields and green areas, and the rice fields are surrounded by the canal and 1984 cherry trees, mostly someiyoshino, planted on the banks. The area already had a long row of the cherry trees in the … Continue reading →

MOOKA, March 3 ― Mooka, north of Tokyo, is Japan’s largest producer of strawberries. Now, the growers welcome visitors with strawberry-shaped handmade dolls hanging from ceiling. The timing coincides March 3, a Japanese traditional holiday, also known as Girls’ Day or Hina Matsuri, which wishes for the good health for young females in a family. It is customary to display beautiful dolls in the house. The strawberry growers started hanging the handmade dolls from ceiling since last year, as a way to promote the National Strawberry Summit, which will be taken place in March 2020 in Mooka, Tochigi prefecture.

TSURUOKA, Feb. 24 ― As the month of March is approaching, so is the production of Japanese rice cakes here that feature local farm produce in Yamagata prefecture. March 3 is a Japanese traditional holiday, also known as Girls’ Day or Hina Matsuri, which wishes for the good health for young females in a family. It is customary to display beautiful dolls in the house. Tsuruoka city has a tradition to display its rice cakes next to those dolls. The rice cakes resemble locally grown vegetables and fruits such as cherry.