The Japanese, In General, Are Surprisingly Talkative When it Comes to the Subject of WHALING- but, unfortunately they miss the Key Point- Whales Need To Be Protected from Whalers of ALL NATIONS, or they will hunted to extinction
Edo Period whalers hauling in their catch
It could be said that ABOVE ALL the Japanese value harmony. That is why, in comparison to many other countries, it is rare in Japan to hear strong opinions voiced on any topics other than the weather or food ( ESPECIALLY food!).
That is why it is always a bit surprising for me when Japanese students, friends or aquaintances of mine, speak out so strongly and confidently on the subject of whaling, asserting that restrictions on Japanese whalers are unfair and insensitive to Japanese culture. They do this even though they know very well ( in the cases of students and friends) that I am a firm opponent of whaling and a supporter of strong international treaties and laws protecting dolphins, whales and other wild creatures. Still they do not shy away from direct confrontation when it comes to this subject .
You could say that one reason the Japanese might feel comfortable with this topic, is that for them, it too is a FOOD ISSUE, since many Japanese are fond of eating whale meat. But what really gives the usually diffident Japanese the confidence to talk out so firmly on whaling is that they dont really have to develop any line of argument on their own. They merely have to parrot the OFFICIAL SPIEL which has been drilled into their heads by the government, the media and their teachers over the past few decades, an argument which makes the international whaling ban seem to be a case of Japan being unfairly bullied into submission by foreigners who are not only arrogantly insensitive to Japan`s unique culture, but also ridiculously hipocritical.
In recent weeks, I have been hearing this standardized opinion ( which I will soon detail) , in much greater frequency than usual. This is because the issue has been IN THE NEWS, with there having been unpleasant incidents involving Japanese whaling ships and sea-borne anti-whaling activists AND with the film The Cove, about a Japanese town`s annual dolphin slaughter, winning the academy Award for best documentary ( the Japanese are VERY Oscar conscious, but dont count on this film turning up at your local video store soon, if you live in Japan!).
A chart showing the choice sections of a whale
The Standard Japanese Spiel on The Whaling Ban
Japanese government propaganda makes the international whaling ban seem like a blatant example of foreign ( i.e. American) hipocracy and of Japan being treated unfairly or even bullied.
How many times have I heard it ( in nearly the same words):
You foreigners are strange! You dont eat whales because you say they are intelligent. But you eat pigs! Aren`t pigs intelligent! You say you love whales and want to protect them- but what about cows and sheep! THEY are OK to eat? But are they not gentle and noble creatures as well ?
The argument then continues:
We Japanese not only eat the whales meat, but we use EVERY part of the animal in some way, wasting nothing!
Many who grew up just after the war also reminisce fondly about the delicious whale meat that they would often be served as part of their school lunches, saying that they would like to be able to continue to enjoy that traditional fare every now and then.
There also might be a final comment on how foreigners should respect Japanese food culture.
A whale pursued by Japanese whalers
My Response To These Arguments
First and most importantly, it must be pointed out that the ban on whaling does not target Japan in particular. It was enacted to protect whales from the whalers of all major whaling nations, including that greatest whale slaughtering country of all time The United States.
No, all Americans do NOT love whales. There are many, who are chomping at the bit, waiting for a chance to catch some whales and sell them to the highest bidder. Whales would mean BIG BUCKS for anyone who caught them.
( I have even heard of Native American tribes who have applied for special permits to hunt whale for what they say are traditional religious ceremonies. After going through the motions of some newly revived, or created rite, they promptly sell the animal to Japanese companies for sums of at least 100,000 dollars)
Whales are not being protected because they are intelligent ( and I wish that conservationists would not stress these animals mental capacity). In fact, the reason that they MUST be protected is that, in a way, they are TOO STUPID and have no way to cope with the MODERN TOOLS OF WHALING- most importantly the technology to easilly locate the large mammals and get to them and kill them quickly.
With all the money involved, there is NO WAY that whales, especially the larger ones will be able to survive if whaling were liberalized. They would NOT only be hunted by Japanese whalers, but by whalers of many nations.
It is not only Japan which has a great tradition of whaling. How about the United States? Why was Hawaii so important to the US that it had to be occupied? For Whaling! Why did Perry come to Japan, an event which eventually led to the opening up of Japan and the fall of the shogunate- for whaling!
Even what many consider to be THE great American novel - Moby Dick - is a metaphorical story involving that once great American industry: whaling!
What I want to say is that the ban on whaling was not enacted to single out the Japanese and curb their traditions. It was implemented to prevent all those of ANY nationality who want to profit by killing whales from doing so.
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It is ridiculous to compare whales with cows, sheep or pigs. Not because whales are more intelligent, but because the populations of the latter animals can be controlled, and in fact their numbers are many, many times greater now than they were in past centuries ( not that these domestic animals do not suffer terribly in many cases while being raised and then later when slaughtered).
If whales could be hunted freely they would very likely DISAPPEAR. Would the Japanese suggest that ONLY JAPANESE whalers should be allowed to hunt?Now THAT would be unfair. It might be true that the Japanese would use every last bit of the whale for some purpose or other. But believe me, any modern company of any nationalitiy would squeeze every last possibble cent out of any whale that they caught. Surely nothing would be wasted.
As for those Japanese who nostalgically look back on their whale meat school lunches, I can only say: You Dont nned it ! Now youve got more ( variet and quantity), and tastier foods easilly available than you could have ever imagined in those desperate post war years.These days walking through a Japanese supermarket at night before it closes can bring tears of shame to my eyes from looking at the huge quantities of unsold food which will goes to waste! You dont need whale. (If people were starving that would be a different story).
And anyway it has always surprised me how despite the ban on whaling, ther is SO MUCH whale meat available at shops or restaurants, especially in certain prefectures- Nagasaki, Shizuoka, etc. Just where does all this whale meat come from?
You could say that it is noble how the Japanese government stands up for it fishermen, even against all the foreign criticism. But with all the traditional trades that are fading fast or have already died out it seems strange to me that the whalers would be given so much support. What is most shocking is that in Japan, this country which is so exceedingly concerned about food safety ( especially when it comes to food from China) whale and dolphin meat, known to contain high amounts of mercury, are proudly and patriotically consumed by those who do it a s a point of national pride!
If the Japanese government want to move with the times they would try to turn the whalers into whale watching guides. This would be a healthier, more sustainable and much greater contibution to the country than just providing proteins.
What can be more thrilling than seeing a LIVE WHALE IN THE WILD. I have spent a great deal of time in my life nature watching. I have been to The Gallapagos, the Masai Mara, The National Parks of India, Malaysia, etc.
There have been many great moments. But what could compare to walking along a beach in Hawaii looking out at the sea and suddenly seeing a humpback whale breaching out in the distance. The crowd grows and cheers with each leap, twist and splash.
My greatest whale story, though, took place right here in Japan. Well, in a remote part of it- The Ogasawara Islands.Out on a whale-watching tour we came up to a group of 18 sperm whales- females and babies! They were not jumping or playing- just drifting. The most astounding and unforgetable thing about the encounter, however, was the breathing. They all seemed to be inhaling and exhaling in unison- a long deep resonant series of wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwooooooooooooooooooooooooo
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Awesome!
I think it is important that we ensure that future generations can enjoy similar moving encounters with our fellow creatures ( and with cows as well! Though cows on the farm will surely always be around) . We have destroyed enough of the earth, and we , in Japan, certainly have more than enough to eat.
Lets leave the whales alone!
Japan DOES have a great whaling tradition which I would like to write about in a future posting. But lets leave this to the history book and museums to preserve. The whalers have to change with the times and turn in their harpoons on their ships for binoculars and cameras, the tools of the new generation of WHALERS.
And dont get me wrong. I do not want to seem as if I am singling out Japan as the only country in which people are taught to memorize simplicistic notions which back up the actions of its fellow countrymen. I mean when I was growing up in New York I often heard even the most intelligent and logical people defending the dropping of the atomic bomb, which instantly vaporized a hundred thousand people, and then slowly poisoned through irradiation countless other men women and children, by saying- Well...they attacked Pearl Harbour!! Pretty scary logic. Wouldnt that mean that Vietnam would have been in the right to nuke the US!
Anyway. I hope that people all over the world will try to think more carefully about the issues instead of just eating what they are fed.
And I hope the Japanese remember- they are not the only ones targeted by the whaling ban. The restrictions are NECESSARY not ridiculous!
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FROG CHORUS Is Nature`s Richest Orchestral Show- Take Some Time To Give It a Serious Listen – REVISITED
Rice fields ( tanbo) in Tsukuba in mid-May
In Tsukuba you can never be very far from a rice field. So even in the parts of our fair city most distant from the the flooded paddies of spring and summer you can hear a WHITE NOISE, or distant hum. Naturally, when you get nearer, this sound grows louder, and if you find yourself on a road adjacent to or sandwiched between the TAMBO (rice fields),you might be in for an overwhelming auditory experience. For some, especially those who live nearby, this might be annoying, and for others, such as vistors from Tokyo, it might even be frightening, but one thing is for sure- interesting in rhythm and tone color and filled with an intense sense of yearning, the nightly chorus of male frogs crying out for mates is SIMPLY AMAZING!
A tree frog (AMAGAERU)
An encounter with this exuberant, annual, multi-million-year-old NATURAL nocturnal choral festival ( one of nature`s oldest, and musically, surely its richest ) might be comforting for those people who have been concerned over reports of dramatic decreases in frog populations worldwide. I can assure you, however, that no matter how noisy the frog chorus in Tsukuba sounds to you now, it is a mere shadow of what it was just a few years ago, when I sometimes would find it impossible to carry out a phone conversation in my house because of the high decibal KWA KWA KWA-ING of the frogs. This OBVIOUS drop in numbers has not only been brought about by habitat destruction, agricultural chemicals, pollution, ozone depletion and road kill, but also because of a fungal disease which arrived in Japan a few years ago, and has taken its toll on certain of Japans frog species.
Still, the fact that the frog chorus continues to resound throughout our city attests to a relative environmental well-being (as compared with Tokyo and other big cities), as frogs, like canaries in coal mines, can be seen as a measure of an ecosystem`s health. They are also a key link in the food chain, consuming massive amounts of insect pests,while they, in turn, are a major source of nutrition for the egrets, snakes, weasels , etc who prey on them.
A tree frog ( AMAGAERU) in the hand in Saiki, Tsukuba
In this season, late May, while the mosquitos have not yet emerged in full force, as often as I can, I forget about my cd collection, the radio or tv, and head on out to the paddies for a serious listen to natures greatest night music. You should give it a try yourself (you can even do this by stopping the car by the rice fields, rolling down the window, and stopping the engine for a while).
There are 43 species of frog in the Japanese Archipelago ( and about 4000 in the world), though in Tsukuba`s ponds and rice fields you will probably only encounter 6 or seven of these. By far the most predominant of our local frog residents are the small, green (though they can change color to brown or even blue!) AMAGAERU (tree frogs), which overwhelmingly make up the main vocal body of Tsukuba`s frog chorus. For me, their call`s tone color resembles orchestral strings, with a cricket -like drone.
The amagaeru`s crying is also used by Japanese in many regions to predict the weather (since they sing not only for mates but also in response to changes in humidity and changes in air pressure). The croaking of amagaeru in the day time might very well mean that it will soon rain. These frogs have suction cups on there fingers and are very skillfull climbers. You might find them on trees or even on the walls of your house.
The amagaeru are often so boisterous that in some spots it is difficult to make out the calls of the other frogs. However, since this species stops singing at around midnight, the wee hours of the morning make a good time to get a better listen to the less numerous croakers.
Let me introduce some of the other singers in the frog chorus.
An AMAGAERU singing away!
A Shuregeru ( schlegel) Gaeru- see, it has no black stripe
An AKAGAERU
Tokyo Daruma Gaeru
The Tokyo Daruma-Gaeru is about the same size as the akagaeru, but it has spots on its back. It makes its song, a machine gun-like rapid clucking (reminds me of a penguin colony), by expanding two cheek-like pouches.
Probably the easiest voice to distinguish, the bass part of the chorus, is that of the USHI-GAERU, the bull-frog, which arrived in Japan from the US in the early 20th century and has been able to spread itself out ( and making a pest of itself) around the country.
Hear the calls of all these frogs at:
http://hitohaku.jp/wave/wav_kaeru.html
Since frogs have inhabited the all-important paddy fields since rice was first cultivated in Japan (somewhere between 300 BC- and 3oo AD ), and because they help control harmful pests, it is not surprising at all to find out that Japanese farmers in some areas have traditionally believed that the frogs were manifestations of or messengers of the God of The Rice Fields ( Ta no kami 田の神). The fact that farmers found that the amagaeru could predict the rain essential for agriculture only strengthened this belief.
Stones statues can be seen at various shrines (or at people homes) around Japan. These might have been traditionally used for rain supplications ( amagoi) or to pray for recovery from various eye ailments (frogs have relatively large eyes). Frogs were also an important feature of folk medicine, and depending on the region were consumed (sometimes alive!) for various symtoms ranging from cancer to warts. In some areas consuming frog was believed to be a cure for bed-wetting!
Since in this season (May) rural Japan has always been stirred annually by a tremendous frog chorus the likes of which we could never imagine today, a very interesting HAIKU KIGO ( a word used in a haiku poem to indicate the season) came into use- KAERU NO MEKARI DOKI ( 蛙の目借り時), which can be literally translated as THE TIME THE FROG BORROWS YOUR EYES ! It seems that the Japanese have traditionally felt sleepy on May mornings, and this was attibuted to the frogs late night mate- searching activities. It was said that the frogs borrowed human eyes to help in their search, and this was why you felt sleepy in the morning. The more obvious explanation of course is that people found it hard to get a good night`s sleep with all that racket! Anyway, the key-word kaeru no mekaridoki is used (though rarely now) to indicate this time of year in haiku, the the sound of the frog chorus itself became firmly connected to the season and to rice cultivation
Even as Japan entered the Edo Period (1600-1868),and many Japanese left the countryside and came to live in what was the biggest city in the world (and other cities), the former peasants could wax nostalgic listening to the croaking of pet frogs (these were the fine voice KAJIKA-GAERU), which were all the rage at one point for their singing.
Though in the present article I am focusing on the frogs that sing in the ponds, streams and paddy fields, this being Tsukuba, I should mention this areas most famous creature- The Mt Tsukuba toad, or Tsukuba-San gama-gaeru (also called the shiroku gaeru), probably the most renowned frog in all Japan. This fame is not due, however, to these toads` singing voices, beauty, or jumping ability, but rather to their SWEAT, which is gathered using a special contraption and then made into GAMA NO ABURA (toad oil), a traditional ointment famous throughout Japan ( I have often heard it mentioned in samurai dramas ), which some very respected doctors have told me is actually very effective, especially for minor burns.I cant resist finishing this little piece with what must be the most famous haiku poem of all time- Matsuo Basho`s FURUIKE YA KAWAZU TOBIKOMU MIZU NO OTO (古池や蛙飛こむ水のおと）. The literal translation of this is- An old pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water. But this very simple sounding poem can be translated and interpreted in countless ways ( the sign of a great work !). I have found a site online which presents 30 different English versions of this same haiku, all by great or near-great writers and poets. Amazingly, none of them gets it quite right! Here is the site:
www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/passages/basho-frog.htm
How about a version of my own- A big ol` pond in spring. FROG SPLASH ! … RIPPLE…RIPple…ripple…ripp…rip…ri… (C) Avi Landau
Rick Weisburd and I have recorded the frog chorus around his house, and we will be uploading it as soon as we figure out how to do so. In the meantime, get out ( or just open your window) and have a good listen for yourself !
And last year when I originally wrote and posted this article, Tsukublog reader Mamoru Shimizu sent in a fantastic link to some old footage of The Duke Aces performing their hit: FROG CHORUS AT THE FOOT OF MT TSUKUBA- in which each member of the acapella group takes on the croak of a different frog!
Here it is. Youve GOT TO watch this:
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Another, Less Pleasant Fertilizer, Gives New Meaning to the Expression KUNPU (薫風, Fragrant Breezes of May)- in my neighborhood
A steaming pile of pig manure, an incessantly barking dog, and a dead crow dangling from a pole- just outside my window to greet me on a fine spring day!
Regular readers of this blog know how much I enjoy living in Tsukuba. I would like to make it very clear, however, that life out in the Japanese countryside is NOT ALWAYS a bed of roses. In fact, if you are not good at TUNING certain things OUT, and even more importantly- KEEPING YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR ABOUT YOU, you would probably not be able to stay sane around here for very long.
You might remember that I have previously described the annoying bonfires which local farmers seem to keep continously going throughout late autumn and winter. They do this to burn off their agricultural and other waste, and sometimes to keep themselves warm on cold days. For some it just seems to be a hobby! I have described how the thick, strong smelling smoke these bon-fires give off is frequently blown through open windows into homes and also often leaves laundry hung out to dry smelling....well..... smokey.
And though I usually just LAUGH at the absurdity of it all whenever I get blasted in the face by a pillar of smoke after I expectantly open my window on a beautiful autumn day, I have known other foreign residents who have not taken the matter quite as lightly- some have actually packed up and left Tsukuba, claiming ironically that in Tokyo- that huge gray megalopolis, the air was fresher than it was out here in the country!
Unfortunately, to those whose autumns have been SMOKED OUT by agricultural bonfires, it is NOT POSSIBLE to offer the consolation of things being better in THAT OTHER SEASON in which we would hope to open the windows wide- SPRING.
The truth is they can get MUCH WORSE !
Let me tell you (from today`s experience) how they can.
When spring finally breaks through winters firm and stubborn hold, and all around fresh greenery and colorful flowers burst forth , on beautiful days with pleasant breezes, the Japanese might say poetically: KUNPU NO KISETSU NI NARIMASHITA ( 薫風の季節になりました)- meaning: the season of fragrant winds has come !
This year (2010), spring had been unusually long in coming, and Ive had to use my kerosene heaters ( thats right, no central heating!) until as late as May 12th! There have been few opportunities to open the windows and give the house a very well needed airing out, and to tell the truth I have been starting to feel closed in and claustrophobic.
When I looked out my bedroom window today I was greeted with a sight for sore eyes- Mt Tsukuba in bold green surrounded by dazzling blue skies spotted with puffy white clouds.
I then got a call from a friend, a retired teacher who wanted to confirm our appointement for later in the day.
I said: Good morning! Its a beautiful day! He responded: Yes ! The season of FRAGRANT BREEZES has arrived!
After hanging up, I hurried gleefully downstairs intending to throw open all the windows. On the way down I realized that the neighbors dog was barking even more hysterically than it usually does ( every morning for two hours!), and also heard the hum of a large vehicle which was apparently backing up ( since it was beeping rhythmically).
Just as I drew the curtains open, I saw with horror- a whole load of PIG MANURE being dumped right next to my house. I watched wide-eyed as it plopped heavilly onto the ground forming a neat pile. My neighbor will be spreading this out, as he does each year, to fertilize his vegetable field.
As you can imagine, I put the OPENING THE WINDOWS PLAN on hold, and instead started searching fevervishly for anything with which I could SEAL up any cracks or openings around the windows and doors which might let the imminent stench in.
Still, as if seeping through the walls, my neighborhoods special FRAGRANT WINDS OF SPRING started to fill the room. My head began to swim.
As the dog kept up its crazed barking I stared out the window in a depressed daze. To add insult to injury, I noticed that as a scarecrow my neighbor had suspended a dead crow from the top of a pole. Was this done purposely to mock me? Does he know that I spend alot of my free time rescuing live,wild birds who are caught in nets and left suspended upside-down? Couldnt be. I must just be getting paranoid.
I let out a laugh ( what was I gonna do, cry?) This cannot be happening, I thought. But it was. Just another spring day in the Japanese countryside.
For the immediate future, until my neighborhoods own distinctive FRAGRANT WIND OF SPRING dies down I`ll be staying away from home as much as possible.
.....and I just might start hunting for another place to live . Far from the countryside.Perhaps in Tokyo, or some other big city- where the air is fresh and clear!
An unpleasant scarecrow
For more on Tsukuba`s smokey winters ( and late autumns) read my articles:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/11/tsukubas-smokey-autumn-air-the-gomi-moshi-problem/
UPDATE !
Where does it stop! A different neighbor burning his waste just by my house on May 17th 2010. Maybe he is trying to smoke out the smell of the manure!
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Renge So ( Chinese milk vetch), Probably the Most Beautiful of Japan`s Commonly Used FERTILIZERS!
Renge so ( milk vetch) growing in what will soon be rice fields, in Oda, Tsukuba
It is not surprising for me that PHOTOGRAPHY and the camera itself, though not born of this soil, have found Japan to be extremely fertile ground- a veritable PROMISED LAND, after having arrived and taken up on its shores.
This is not only because of the fact that in Japan there has been always a steady supply of highly skilled craftmen ( to make precision instruments) and/or because of its culture, which has been so conducive to forming successful KAISHA ( companies), such as the mighty Japanese camera makers ( Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Olympus) which have dominated the world market over recent decades.
It is not only because in Japan there always seems to be a steady supply of people with highly developed artistic ( and or technical) sensibilities, which help make up the pool of world-class photographers in every genre ( my favorite being wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago).
It is not only because the snapshot was able to replace the TEMPLE STAMP BOOKS used by Japanese pilgrims, who on hectic pilgrimages to as many as 88 temples on one trip, would get their books quickly stamped by the temples office ( as proof that they had been there) and would then head right off for the next temple on their list ( now Japanese tourists with busy itineraries pile out of the bus, TAKE A PHOTO and HAVE THEIR PHOTO TAKEN as proof that they`d been there and done that, before they head off for the next attraction on their busy itinerary).
But it is ALSO because, with the modernization of Japan and the dramatic changes which the country`s landscape underwent, that the camera,with its NARROW FIELD OF VIEW which could be used to BLOCK OUT anything deemed unsightly ( and in Japan is so much that IS unsightly), became ESSENTIAL in a culture which placed so much emphasis on the enjoyment of viewing IDEALIZED scenes.
With the presence of concrete, steel and plastic felt more and more strongly as the years go by,these days even with the camera`s narrow field of view it is difficult to capture such idealized scenes ( in his later years the great film director Akira Kurosawa lamented the fact that he could no longer film historical drama in Japan. There was just no location available in which there was no obvious evidence of the modern world).
As a reaction to this, it seems that the Japanese have psychologically adapted and aesthetically compromised. In fact, they now do not even need a camera`s selective field of view. They can just IGNORE or mentally BLOCK OUT the elements that they dont want to see, and IMAGINE an idealized scene!
Maybe you will say that I have lived in Japan for far too long- because the same is starting to be true with me! You see, despite the presence of all the utility poles (large,small and gigantic), and all their accompanying cables, I always find driving down the long ,straight and narrow agricultural road ( NOMEN DO-RO-) which runs through the rice fields of Kita Oda in Tsukuba City mesmerizingly beautiful.
Of course, Mt Tsukuba, with its irregular, partially crushed M shape is always out there looming ahead in the distance, yet each trip down the road it looks slightly different. In summer there is of the greenery of the rice plants which grows deeper with each passing day, as the wheat and barley planted alongside the paddy grow golden brown ( in June).
Even in the winter, when the fields are all brown and gray the scene carries a deep sense of stark, earthy beauty.
Milk vetch and strawberry torch planted as fertilizer in Oda 2010
It is in May, however, that turning onto this rice road ( a left off of Route 57, which is an extention of Nishi Odori) elicits the biggest, and most eye-opening surprise- stretching out to the mountain are a series of rectangular fields of deep pink-purple !!
The interesting thing, though, is that the flowers which make these patterns have NOT been planted as a decoration to attract tourists ( though many DO come to admire and photograph them)- they have been planted as FERTILIZER, and will soon be plowed under and mixied with the soil before rice or wheat are planted!
A single milk vetch
Native to China, genge-so- (紫雲英) or as it is more commonly called, RENGE-SO ( Chinese milk vetch, in English), has long been a typical feature of rural Japan. In recent years, however, this method of enriching the soil has given way to others, and the the carpets which they form in April and may are becoming a less common sight.
Besides being useful as a fertilizer, these flowers can also be eaten ( the young sprouts can be fried or made into tempura). Mature plants can be used as fodder for livestock.
There are are also several medicinal effects which the renge-so plants, and its seeds are reputed to have: reducing fever and relieving the symptoms of arthritis among them.
When I mention these flowers to my elderly aquaintances in Tsukuba, they recalled playing with them back in their childhoods. They would take the hollow stem of a dandelion ( with the top removed so it would be like a straw) and stick a milk vetch flower on top. Blowing through the bottom of the stem the flower would spin like a pin-wheel!
You still have a few more days left to go out to Oda and enjoy the renge-so fields. You can actually go down and walk right through them. The farmers dont mind now, they will soon be plowed up anyway.
Just be carefull of one thing. Honeybees love these flowers, and some farmers have actually put beehive boxes between the field to gather honey. Dont let this put you off , however, the bees shouldnt bother you if you dont disturb them.
And if you dont mind all the utility poles and wires in the way, you will be able to get some good pics of Japan`s most beautiful fertilizer!
For an article on this same areas summer wheat and barley see:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/06/in-japan-summer-is-autumn-for-mugi-wheat-and-barley/
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Wisteria Hysteria (revisited)-Once Again, a PURPLE HAZE Over Tsukuba (and most of the rest of Japan)
Wisteria in Matsushiro Park, Tsukuba 
Wisteria ( fuji) in Amakubo Park, Tsukuba ( May 6 2010)
From my house I have a clear view of the of the doomed Nakane Konda-Dai Woods. I spend some time each day gazing out over these last remaining wilds of Tsukuba, trying to savor their beauty as often as I can before the bulldozers show up at the end of this year. Over the past two weeks, I have been able to observe how , what were at first small patches of light violet, have almost completely taken over the thickly foliated forest canopy, which now seems to be enshrouded in a purple haze. This morning, having some time to spare, I took a 3 hour hike in these same woods, and most of the time, whether I looked up towards the sky or down on the ground, it was this the same color- FUJI COLOR (fuji-iro ), the color of wisteria, that I saw. The winding vines of these endigenous plants creep up trees as high as they have to go for their flowers to get sufficient sunshine (suffocating many trees in the process), while the petals of these flowers which form in bunches, not unlike those of grapes, are rustled in the wind, and scattered onto the forest floor. With spring`s loud and constant call-and-response chorus of birds and the sweet, syrupy smell of the wisteria (藤, fuji) flowers themselves, I all but forget about the modern world (though in fact I was within easy walking distance of Tsukuba Center and the TX train terminal).
Wisteria taking over the forest canopy in Hgashi-oka, Tsukuba ( May 6 2010)
If you have not yet noticed the FUJI high up in the trees, you might have run into some growing on the specially designed wisteria racks (fuji-dana) which can be found in many of Tsukuba`s (and the rest of Japan`s) parks from late April through May. These fragrant and very elegant flowers have long been a beloved symbol of late spring in Japan, and are deeply connected with classical Japanese culture.. In fact, they are the first flowers ever mentioned in Japanese literature. One chapter of the Kojiki(712), the official collection of founding myths commissioned by the ancient Japanese Court, tells the story of the very desirable daughter of the Deities of Izushi. There were two brothers, also sons of deities, and the older brother, after having failed to win the affections of the fair Goddess, challenged his brother to try his hand at winning her hand. This older sibling said that if his brother were successful in this venture he would give him clothes and wine and other delicacies. The younger brother told his mother about this ( my guess is that they had different mothers), and the mother, in an effort to help her son made him footwear and clothes, as wel as a bow and arrow, from wisteria vines. When the young deity arrived at Izushi-Otome-no Kami`s (the girl`s) home, these all tranformed into wisteria blossoms, and the girl(goddess) bedazzled by these strangely beautiful flowers took him as her lover!
Wisteria Vine Choking a Tree In Tsukuba`s Woods
In the Manyoshu, the earliest (and some think the greatest) collection of Japanese poems (compiled around 759 AD), there are 27 poems which mention FUJI (the flower, not the mountain). Here is an example which uses the image of the wisteria bunches rustling in the wind, like waves (fuji nami, 藤波）: 藤波の花は盛りになりけり平城の京を思ほすや君（FUJINAMI NO HANA WA SAKARI NI NARIKERI NARA NO MIYAKO O OMOSUYA KIMI) which I very roughly translate as- When the fuji clusters in full bloom blow in the wind like waves- I remmember Nara, the capital, and YOU who remain there.
Wisteria Near Lake Kasumigaura In the Heian Period (794-1185) the Golden Age of classical Japanese culture, the wisteria, and its color (fuji-iro or FUJI COLOR), was very highly regarded for its beauty and elegance. This might sound ridicuolous, but several Japanese sources tell me that there is also a connection to the fact that this period`s most powerful family was the Fujiwara (藤原）, with the characters used for writing this name meaning WISERIA FIELD ( I still cant figure out if this means that the family took on this name because of the flower`s prestige or the flower grew in prestige because this great family was called the Fujiwara!). No matter which is true, purple and all its shades came to be a symbol of the aristocracy and elegance (Sei Shonagon even writes about this in THE PILLOW BOOK- Makura No Soshi).It is interesting to note however that the FUJI COLOR so important as a dye at that time was not created with wisteria, but with a combination of indigo and beni blossom dyes. The color achieved, though, was like that of wisteria and was considered the color of colors (iro no naka no iro)by the Heian Elite.
Wisteria (fuji) Shaped Sweets In the Edo Period it was popular for the wealthy to send a gift of Japanese sweets in the shape of things which began with the syllable FU. This is becaue the word for lucky FUKU, begins with the same sound. Thus, famous sweet makers such as TORA-YA created pretty little snacks in the shape of FUJI (wisteria), Mt. Fuji, Futamata Daikon (two-pronged radishes) etc, and packed them in boxes shaped like ship (FUNE, also beginning with FU).
I have even heard that some people, especially in Nagano Prefecture, eat the young wisteria blossoms after making them into tempura! Even if this does not sound appetizing to you, one thing you will notice, if you stop to enjoy some wisteria in the park, is that BEES seem to find them delicious. There always seem to be plenty of buzzing about FUJI, especially that of the big, fat carpenter bees (kuma bachi).
If you have have a chance to see these very special vines (probably the stalks climbed in the old story Jack and the Beanstalk, yes, wisteria is a member of the bean family), and would like to get caught up in some serious WISTERIA HYSTERIA, you should head out to the city of Ashikaga in Tochigi Prefecture. It is there that you can find probably the most AMAZING wisterias you are ever likely to see. It will be very crowded, and getting there will take a while, but it just might be worth it. Here is one of the trees there-
Ashikaga Flower Park Here is how to get there:
http://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/002english/tourist/points/flower.html
And remember, this week if you are walking absent-mindedly down the road and a sweet smell hits your nose, look around and especially up overhead- you are very likely to find the purple haze of FUJI nearby.
Wisteria bonsai in Hanamuro, Tsukuba ( May 6 2010)
For other articles ive written on this seasons flora and fauna see:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/05/stop-and-smell-the-roses/
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/07/loss-of-traditional-respect-hard-fact-to-swallow/
And about Tsukuba`s incredible FROG CHORUS:
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