Glimpses of Japan Local - in JEnglish

  I set out thinking, maybe a few early bloomers are out already? But no—seems the cluster amaryllis  (higanbana)  are sticking to their calendar. Along the irrigation channels they’ll burst into red right around the equinox, but today, no chance of spotting that classic  “a single red flower among endless green 『 万緑叢中 紅 一点 』 .” Instead, I found a wildflower along the roadside—something hibiscus-like.  ＊Google Lens tells me it’s called  Yanone-bontenka  (also known as T akasago-fuyou ) in the mallow family. The bright orange-red of wild gourd fruit  (karasuuri)  was a nice consolation, though. Riding along the  Okagaki-machi  cycling path by the  Shioiri  River, the grass was growing like crazy from both sides. Down at  Hatsu  beach, someone had set up a white swing made from a surfboard, with “ ryocamping  (glamping & hotel( ryokan ) stay)” tents pitched nearby. I thought about turning back, but… no, th...

  After that recent downpour from the linear rainband , I figured there’d probably be some landslides. So, I hopped on my bike and set off for my usual loop around  Tonda  Reservoir. ＊＊＊ In the grassy parking area, a small white flower caught my eye. Turns out, it’s called  Warunasubi —literally, “ Bad Eggplant .” What on earth was the botanist thinking when they named it that? By the way, in  Kansai , we usually call eggplants  nasubi , but apparently, people in  Kanto  mostly just say  nasu . Maybe there’s some historical reason for that… Makes me wonder—was the botanist who named this thing from  Kansai ? ＊＊＊ Usually after heavy rain, parts of the loop trail get blocked off due to landslides. But today? Nothing posted at the entrance. As I rode along, I realized… Autumn is slowly sneaking in. The green shade of summer is now filled with the calls of  Tsukutsukuboushi   cicadas. Unlike the deafening chorus of  Kumazemi ,...

Shortly we'll be in the Tsuyu (rainy season).　 Now, the time moving around. Carrying Brompton on JR train. Not long after I moved here from  Kansai , I stumbled across an old book in a used bookstore. Later, I found a revised edition in another secondhand shop—lucky finds both times.   The book blends local geography and history with the unique sensibilities of haiku poets. For someone like me who didn’t know the area well, it was a real treasure.   One section introduced  “ Sanri Matsubara  (12km long pine forest ).”   Naturally, I assumed it meant the famous stretch of pine trees running from  Okagaki  Town (my place) to  Ashiya  Town, where you can enjoy a beautiful seaside ride through white sand and pine groves.   But no—this book was referring to  Shingū Matsubara  as  Sanri Matsubara . Ever since, that name stuck in my head and wouldn’t let go.   The nearest station to  Shingū Matsubara  is ...