Glimpses of Japan Local - in JEnglish

  By October, it suddenly started to feel like autumn. My son invited me on a drive to Mt.  Aso , so off we went. We had a hearty lunch at a restaurant near  Aso  Shrine, then made our way to the shrine itself, now finally restored after the devastation of the big earthquake. Standing there, it was hard to imagine the scale of damage the shrine once suffered.  The towering sacred trees that used to dominate the caldera plain must have been magnificent.  The rebuilt  rōmon  (tower gate) looks as imposing as ever, showing no trace of the destruction. Visitors from overseas were quietly circling the shrine buildings, following the custom of making three rounds. It was a solemn sight.   Panels along the approach explained the ongoing restoration of the shrine’s main sanctuaries, designated as Important Cultural Properties. The craftsmanship of the carpenters—especially the shrine builders—is truly impressive.  Wherever possible, original mat...

  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...