TsukuBlog

Japan’s month long rainy season (tsuyu, 梅雨) usually ends in mid-July, and that means there are  precious few days left to savor its SPECIAL BEAUTY. Many Japanese consider Ajisai (紫陽花, or hydrangea) to be the quintessential flower of this season, as they look just right when wet, and enshrouded in mist. And though these flowers can be found almost anywhere you turn your head in Tsukuba, thousands of Tsukubans make long trips (or should I say pilgrimages?) to famous ajisai temples, especially in Kamakura. Nearer to home there are 2 other nationally renowned hydrangea-viewing meccas, the Amabiki Kannon near Makabe, and the Taiho Hachiman Shrine in Shimotsuma. Both highly recommended at ANYTIME. All the more so in this season.

The flower has a long history in these islands and  many scholars actually assert that it is indigenous to Japan and in fact introduced to China from here. After centuries of breeding, numerous varieties have been developed and new colors, pinks and whites, brought out. By taking a look at the etymology of the Japanese name AJISAI, we can see that in earlier times the flowers were mainly blue, as the sounds used to make up the name originally meant a GATHERING OF BLUES (aji-from atsu (集まる) or gather , and ai (藍), indigo blue.

Hydrangea have another Japanese name, however, nanahenge (七変化), or seven transformations, which derives from the flower’s unique characteristic. The colors of the petals change according to the chemical make-up of the soil! This feature has given the flower rich symbolic meaning in Japanese art and poetry — especially to represent a fickle and changing heart. It is because of this characteristic too, that hydrangea were shunned by the warrior class in the feudal period, because for them, changing colors, or by extension loyalties, was anathema .

For Westerners, however, hydrangea can be seen as a symbol of silent devotion, as its scientific name, otaksa, appears to refer to Otaki-San, a woman from Nagasaki’s pleasure quarter, who was the  mistress of the German naturalist P.F. von Siebold, who went on to introduce ajisai to Europe .

One more point. These flowers are to be looked at and NOT EATEN. Recently, there was a nationally reported case of food poisoning which occurred down the road from my house in Tsukuba at the curious and pricey Italian restaurant Toeimon Sakae. The chef, in keeping with the season-conscious aesthetics of Japanese cooking(despite this being an Italian eatery), garnished a dish with the very IN SEASON leaves of hydrangea. These were subsequently consumed by the unsuspecting  diners.

This resulted in what must have been an unforgettable scene, right out of Monty Python. You see, the leaves of ajisai have always been used to induce vomiting, especially when poisons were consumed. Imagine then, the eight customers wretching uncontrollably, spewing out their expensive dinners onto the antique furniture and tatami mats (this restaurant is in a magnificent thatched roof farm house!).Surprisingly,the penalty for this chef`s oversight was a mere one-day suspension of business. 

 while you’re out there enjoying the last few AJISAI DAYS remember: LOOK BUT DON’T TASTE.

The Mt. Tsukuba Azalea Festival runs from April 26 to May 18. There are about 3000 red and purple azalea (ツツジ — tsutsuji — in Japanese) bushes on the mountain. Special events will be held on Saturdays through out the festival and on Monday, May 5. From May 3 to 6, the plants will be illuminated along the cable car route from 6:30pm to 8pm. A round trip on the cable car costs 1000 yen for adults and children of elementary school age and under are free.

Getting There By Train
From Tsukuba Station, take the Mt. Tsukuba Shuttle Bus (筑波山シャトルバス — Tsukuba san shuttle bus) and get off at the entrance to Mt. Tsukuba Shrine (筑波山神社入口 — Tsukuba san jinja iriguchi). Walk for 5 minutes.

If you come from a station other than Tsukuba Station, and you are planning on using the cable car or ropeway, you might find the Tsukuba Express Mt. Tsukuba Ticket to be convenient.

筑波山つつじまつり(Mt.Tsukuba Azalea Festival)
April 22(Sun) to May 20(Sun)

Events:
April 28(Sat) 11am
Kocarina * Concert at the “outlook floor” of the building in front of Tsukuba Sanchou Station on top of Mt.Tsukuba (*Kocarina is a music instrument from Republic of Hungary )

April 28(sat) 1pm
100 baby azalea trees give away at the cable car(tramway) Miyawaki Station and ropeway(aerial tramway) Tsutsujigaoka Station

May 5(sat) Children’s Day 11am
Children’s Day free gifts given to first 200 kids at Miyawaki Station and Tsutsujigaoka Station

May 12(Sat) 11am
Machitsuki (pounding of “mochi” or rice cake) and tasting of mochi
at the “outlook floor” in front of aerial tramway Nyotaisan Station. Tasting of mochi is limited to first 200 people.

May 19(Sat) 11am
ガマの油売り口上(performance by a tradionational “Toad’s Grease” seller) at the “outlook floor” of the building in front of Tsukuba Sanchou Station

1pm
Charity “Tsukamidori(grabbing)” game at cable car Miyawaki Station　(I don’t know what, but it looks like you have a chance to win nice prizes) First 100 people

I don’t know how much it’ll cost to get into this festival, but it shouldn’t be that expensive. The azalea festival in Kasama has already started last weekend. I’ve been to the one in Kasama twice, and I really liked it!

第３６回笠間つつじまつり(The 36th Kasama Azalea Festival)
April 14(Sat) to May 13(Sun)　8am to 6pm
Admissions: 500yen for adults(high schoolers and up), Junior high kids and under are free

Events:
April 28, 29, May 2, 5 from 10am to 3pm
tea ceremories

May 3 10am to 3pm
琴(koto or Japanese harp) concert

May 4 10am to 12pm
稲荷ばやし(Inari bayashi), traditional Japanese festival music in Kasama

May 4 12pm to 3pm
岩間ばやし(Iwama bayashi), traditional Japanese festival music in Iwama

May 5 10am to 3pm
sales of local produce

The site of Himatsuri, the big pottery fair I mentioned in this blog before, isn’t far from this azalea festival, so you can visit two festivals in one day. If you have a time (and energy!), I highly recommend visiting Kasama Inari Shrine near the azalea festival site because the Japanese wisteria at Kasama Inari Shrine is simply just breathtaking!!

ぼたん・しゃくやく・バラ祭り(tree peony, Chinese peony, rose festival)
at Tsukuba Peony Garden
April 21(Sat) to July 15(Sun)
Open 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on weekends and holidays Admissions: 800yen for adults, 300yen for kids*

*If your child(ren) attends a public school in Tsukuba, then she/he should have received a free ticket from school last week.

You can eat the soba noodle, made from soba grown in Tsukuba in the restaurant inside this garden.

A special exhibit on サクラソウ(sakurasou or primrose) will also start tomorrow at Tsukuba Botanical Garden. The weather’s been crazy lately, but spring is definitely here!

The clematis garden at Tsukuba Botanical Garden has 1000 plants representing about 200 varieties. The garden can be viewed between May 3 and June 8 from 9am to 5pm (enter by 4:30pm).

Fee: 300 yen for adults, free for people over 65, people with disabilities and one person who accompanies them, children under high school age
Tel: 029-851-5159

Most of the days during Japan’s month long rainy season (tsuyu), are overcast and damp, even when there is no actual precipitation. When it IS raining, it is as if your town or city has been transported into the shadowy depths of a thick, wet , forest. It can stay like that for days. For this reason, Japan is a veritable paradise for MOSS (koke苔), which thrives in such conditions. Taking a June stroll, umbrella in hand, within the precincts of some old shrine or temple is like an in-depth tour of the WORLD OF GREEN, with  mosses of varying degrees of verdure growing on stones, tree trunks, or the ground, forming delightful combinations.

It is clear that the darkness of the rainy season and the deep warm shades of moss have had a huge impact on Japanese aesthetics. For example, compare the Buddhist temples or clothes from the brighter lands of India or Thailand, with those of Japan. There are often bright, bold or shimmery colors and surfaces, which are needed so as not to be washed out by the brightness of the sun. In shadowy Japan, different , darker ,colors, more natural and earthy ,came to be utilized and loved. Moss and moss green have been an important part of this sensibility. This can be seen most clearly in Japanese gardening and landscaping, the cultivation of miniature trees (bonsai) and in fabric design.

There are several temples which are actually famous for their moss gardens, including Saiho-Ji and Gio-ji in Kyoto. Nearer to Tsukuba is Myoho-Ji in Kamakura. (Did you know that JR trains can be taken directly to Kamakura from Tsuchiura or Ushiku Stations during the summer?) These are nationally renowned Koke-dera (moss temples), but it is by no means necessary to leave our city to partake in the pleasures of moss viewing. As I mentioned above, the sacred grove of any shrine or the grounds of any temple will do, especially on rainy days.

Unfortunately, the same conditions which allow moss to thrive are favored by various types of mould and mildew and foreigners who come to live in Japan are driven to despair by their relentless proliferation. Walls, books, photos, are all common victims. Once I discovered that a pair of white sneakers I wanted to wear had turned black with mould! This is  not just a nuisance, but a health hazard as well.

Of course, this is a problem for the Japanese, too, but since their ancestors have had to deal with the problem for millennia, there are plenty of bits  of folk knowledge passed down from generation to generation which help  to cope.

The most important point to remember is good ventilation. Make sure that the air in a particular room does not stagnate too long. Whenever the sun DOES shine you might want to let its rays do their work on anything you are worried might get mouldy. Remember: the light of day is the best disinfectant!

A more recently developed trick for dealing with mold was introduced to me by Harumi Takaya, who is always a great source of information about traditional life in Tsukuba. This is the use of baking soda. For example, baking soda mixed in with your laundry detergent at a ratio of 3 to 1 will prevent your laundry from getting moldy (if like most Japanese, you don’t have a dryer). Putting a mixture of baking soda and water into a spray bottle and spritzing it on the walls etc… is also a good idea.

Don’t let the darkness and the rain get you down! Go out and explore Japans endless SHADES OF GREEN! For the summer months THESE are the Emerald Isles!

July 7 is the “Tanabata,” and people write their wishes on colorful pieces of rectangle paper and hang them on bamboo plants in Japan. If your kids attend daycares and schools in Japan, they might’ve already done so at their daycares and schools last week, but not all places do that.

Making Tanabata kazari or decoration is very easy if you and your kids are interested in trying out this Asian tradition. If you have origami (colored paper), string and scissors, then you are set! Oh, but where should you go for nice bamboo plants? The easiest way to get them is to ask someone if they have bamboo plants in their yard or neighborhood, but if that’s no an option for you, then you can go to 牛久自然観察の森(Ushiku Shizen Kanzatsu-no Mori) or Ushiku Nature Sanctuary in Ushiku City to get free bamboo grass for Tanabata. Ushiku Nature Sanctuary is closed on Mondays, but you can go there anytime between tomorrow and Sunday, July 8, to get free bamboo grass.

Click here to see what a typical Tanabata Kazari looks like (from Japanese Wiki)
Tanabata (wikipedia, English)
Tanabata (wikipedia, Japanese)

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Ushiku Nature Sanctuary
Admission: free
Map: http://map.livedoor.com/map/?ZM=10&MAP=E140.10.40.4N35.57.39.7&SZ=740%2C450
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There are at least 34 fruit gardens in Tsukuba where you can buy fruits such as apples, blueberries, cherries, figs, grapes, peaches, pears, persimmons, and plums directly from the source. Some gardens also allow you to pick you own.

Tsukuba City Hall has published a map of fruit gardens in Tsukuba (only available in Japanese). The gardens are marked with the character “観” if you can wander through the gardens and pick your own and “直” if you can buy the fruits directly from the garden.

Guess what and where this is.
No, this isn’t just a typical murky pond in Japan.

Can you guess what that black stuff that’s floating in the pond is?

Nope, not rotten leaves or twigs.

They are tadpoles!

There were thousands of them, and they were swimming like a school of fish! This pond is located inside the Tsukuba Botanical Garden, and the pics were taken last weekend.

If you missed the peak of the sakura (cherry blossom) season, you can still catch the “satozakura” (里桜) at Takasaki Shizen no Mori, a park in the far south area of Tsukuba (formerly Kukizaki). These flowers bloom later than the standard “someiyoshino” variety, so they are just reaching their peak now.

Take Tsukubus 12 and get off at #37 Takasaki Iriguchi (高崎入口).

Address: Takasaki 1078-1 (click for map in Japanese)

See: photos of Takasaki Shizen no Mori taken on April 13

The Mount Tsukuba Plum Festival runs from February 17 to March 21. This is the 34th time the festival is being held. The plum orchard is 4.5 hectares in size and it has a thousand plum trees. You can enjoy the lovely fragrance of the plum trees while taking in a scenic view of Tsukuba. Tsukuba’s famous toad oil will be on sale on Sundays and you can drink plum tea and participate in a stamp rally every day during the festival. The city-run parking lots cost 500 yen for cars and motorcycles. There is also a shuttle bus available.

On February 18, 24, 25, and March 3, there is an express bus from Tsukuba Shrine to Makabe Doll Festival (Makabe Station) leaving at 12:00 and 13:30. You can catch a return bus at 12:45 (to Tsukuba Shrine), 14:05 (to Tx Tsukuba Station), 15:10 (to Tx Tsukuba Station), 16:00 (to Tsukuba Shrine), 17:15 (to Tx Tsukuba Station), 18:27 (departs from Makabe Gym and goes to Tx Tsukuba Station). The fare from Tsukuba Shrine to and from Makabe is 200 yen. The fare from Makabe to Tx Tsukuba Station is 800 yen. The bus stop at Tsukuba Shrine is at 筑波山神社大鳥居下 and it is a five minute walk from the plum orchard. (Official schedule)

The Nagareyama Green Festival runs from April 29 to May 5 in front of Nagareyama Otaka no Mori Station on the Tsukuba Express line. You can see a 10 square meter infiorata (image represented in flowers). The main event will be held on the 5th with an open cafe, exhibits about environmental activities, and a performance by SO-GEN, a group of women who play taishogoto (Japanese autoharp) in modern style.

Flyer
Stage Layout

When one uses the word hanami (花見, flower viewing) on its own, it is understood by native speakers of Japanese to refer to the the enjoyment of blooming cherry blossoms alone and not any other flower. This clearly shows the high regard given to the fragile pink blossoms which have since ancient times symbolized the transient nature of all things, one of the cornerstone concepts of Japanese aesthetics and philosophy. Going to a meisho (名所, a famous place） for viewing cherry blossoms can reveal to you how the Japanese have turned the simple pleasure of enjoying flowers in bloom into what seems like a religious pilgrimage. From near and far they come, as couples, families, or groups shuttled in on karaoke equipped tour buses. They bring lunch-boxes and of course cameras. The blossoms are observed intently (and I mean with great intention, as if posing in a kabuki play) from afar and then from way in up close.
The atmosphere is solemn and celebratory, reverent and ribald.

Though not as philosophically appealing, the more prosaic plum (ume) blossoms also bring in the crowds (though the late night drinking and revelry beneath the trees is reserved for the cherry). This week you have a chance to see the 3000 plum trees of the famed Kairakuen Garden in Mito in full bloom. Until the end of the week, a temporary train station will be in use bringing you direct service to the gardens entrance. The garden offers the chance to see varieties of plum trees you never thought existed. The tora-no-o, which looks like a tigers tail, the darly pink kounshomu, the nearly translucent tsukikage, etc.

The plum blossoms are the first of the major flowers to bloom each year. Their fragrance in the air is a sign that spring is coming. Their hardiness and resistance to cold and wind make them a very auspicious symbol. If you read ancient Japanese poems there are hundreds of references to the blossoms of the beautiful and practical plum tree. It is because they provide the medicinally important and tasty plums for umeboshi (salted plums) which have become a standard part of every boxed lunch, that the frugal and practical minded Tokugawa Nariaki, the founder of the Kairakuen Garden planted so many of the trees.
You can enjoy the fruit of his efforts by getting on the Joban line this week, heading north just one stop past Mito station, and enjoying the blossoms, the spectacle and maybe a little plum wine (ume shu, 梅酒). Entrance is FREE!

For years I had been under the mistaken impression that this ubiquitous summer-blooming tree was called a salisbury tree, always thinking that perhaps it had been introduced from England. This was just my assuming that SARU SUBERI was the katakana influenced pronunciation of the well known British Cathedral town (and in fact that is exactly how the Japanese WOULD pronounce it).

I felt a bit embarrassed when I finally discovered the true meaning of the Japanese tree name,
saru (monkey), and suberi (slide). It seems that this unusual moniker came about as a reference to these trees’ smooth, barkless trunks, which make it difficult even for monkeys to climb. Thus it is the monkey-slide tree and not the Salisbury.

These trees originally came from Southern China and became popular in Japan during the Edo Period (1600-1868). Though they are still used in Japan, the Chinese characters used for this tree have a completely different meaning from monkey-slide: 百日紅 literally means “one hundred days red”, and would normally be read in Japanese as hyaku nichi ko, though as in the case of many flowers and trees, a completely different reading must be memorized.

These Chinese characters were selected for good reason. The sarusuberi (crape myrtle in English) is a very long blossoming tree. One of the longest, in fact, and that is why you have one-hundred days of red (though, the tree can also have white flowers).

This tree wood is very hard and slow growing. Sometimes it is used as a post in the alcoves (tokonoma) of Japanese style rooms. In the intense heat of August, while most other flowers wither away, the sarusuberi will be keeping the neighborhood in full-color. Just don’t try to climb it!

My friends and I had long been planning and looking forward to visiting the Tsukuba Botan-En (つくば牡丹園), the nationally renowned peony garden located in Kukizaki Town. Unfortunately, the weather kept putting us off. One day in early May, we actually drove out to it and walked up to the front gate, but decided that it was too cold and wet of a day to spend strolling in a garden (especially with an 800 Yen entrance fee!)

Spring had nearly passed when finally the perfect opportunity arose. A few free hours and weather that was just right. The only worry was - would there be any peonies (牡丹、botan) still in bloom?

This time when we got out of our cars at the gardens parking lot, we stretched our arms out, taking in the warm fragrant air, then exhaled with satisfied aaahs. Conditions could not have been better. But when we checked the IN BLOSSOM BOARD posted at the front gate we were disappointed to find that only a couple of dozen botan (peonies) were in bloom, all of these being indoors in the COOL HOUSE.

There was no cause for consternation, however, because the same information board also showed us that thousands of shakuyaku (芍薬), a smaller though still spectacular relative of the peony, and hundreds of roses were at their best on that day!

Drawn in by the color and fragrance which could be glimpsed from outside the gate, we paid our entrance fee and picked up our maps of the grounds. My Japanese friends stamped their stamp books with commemorative seals (just as pilgrims in earlier ages in Japan would have their books stamped, providing both a unique memento and official proof that a temple had been visited. A precursor of the kinen shashin or commemorative snapshot).

The cool house is located about 50 meters from the front gate, and inside we were treated to a fine selection of impressive botan, the KING OF ORIENTAL FLOWERS. These large yet delicately petaled flowers which grow on a bush were originally introduced to Japan from China in the Nara Period (710-794) as a medicinal plant. On the continent the peony had not only been important for its pain-killing and anti-convulsive powers, but also as a subject of painting and poetry and as a popular decorative motif. In fact it was actually adopted as the national flower of Ching China.

In Japan, the peony never achieved such high status as it did in China, but it has certainly thrived here. It was especially popular during the Edo Period (1600-1868) when many new varieties were cultivated.

We spent about 30 minutes in the dimly lit and chilled room. Numerous visitors passed through. In fact,we were interrupted as a bus load of tourists from Saitama Prefecture breezed through, cell phones snapping away with their artificial click.

The grounds of the garden are extensive and lie at the foot of the ruins of the local castle. The large trees which abound are now fresh with new leaves. There are also ponds, a red bridge and a rustic deck for viewing the scenery.

The thousands of shakuyaku in bloom now are overwhelming in number and variety. These flowers were also imported from China as medicine (as was tea) and have been given the nickname Prime Minister of flowers. They are also famed for their beauty, which they have come to symbolize. Instead of growing on a bush their stem is a type of grass which also withers after the blossom has fallen.

If you mention botan or shakuyaku to a Japanese, they will probably recite a popular idiom used to describe a beautiful women: Tateba botan, suwareba shakuyaku, aruku sugata wa yuri no hana (standing she is a botan, sitting a shakyaku, when she walks she is a lily).

Speaking of beauty…
This week, the garden is best for what the Japanese call the KING OF WESTERN FLOWERS: the rose. There are hundreds of amazing specimens, many or most of which you have never seen before. It is well worth investigating if the weather is right.

If all of this tires you out there is a soba shop on the grounds.

For more pics and info in Japanese go to:
http://www.kanko-tkb.net/tukubabotanen

Map and info in english at:
http://kanko.pref.ibaraki.jp/en/pa/pa09.html

Blizzard Boy wrote an article about Tsukuba Botanical Gardens, one of Tsukuba’s science-related tourist attractions. I have lived in Tsukuba for five years now and have not been to the Botanical Gardens yet (another confession: I haven’t been to the top of Mt. Tsukuba either!). I think I will take Blizzard Boy’s advice and go there next spring.

It’s a fun-filled event held every year on June 1st at the Shimotsuma Flower Park, just to the north-west of Tsukuba City. The hundreds of thousands of poppies which spring up each spring along the Kokai River (小貝川, kokaigawa) are literally free for the pickin’, as families, couples, and any anyone else who would like to, can help themselves to as many flowers as they would care for.

If, like me, you were planning to go this year, you are in for a big disappointment! I’m sorry to have to break the news. ALL the poppies have been MOWED DOWN AND BURNED! Apparently someone noticed a preponderance of violet colored poppies when they are usually mostly red, white, and pink. Experts were consulted, specimens examined, and to everyone’s surprise it was determined that the banks of the Kokai River were covered with hundreds of thousands of OPIUM POPPIES, which as you can imagine, are highly illegal. Authorities were at a loss what to do, and in the end just went ahead with the simplest solution — they destroyed the whole lot — legal poppies and all.

As of now the police think the incident was the result of an accidental seed mix-up, but of course they are still looking into the matter. Hopefully next year we can enjoy picking the poppies once again.

There are several ways that poppies can be referred to in Japanese. The easiest to remember is simply popii (ポピー). The non-narcotic type of poppy which is usually enjoyed in spring is the hinageshi (雛罌粟). From Chinese literature there is the term gubijinsou (虞美人草), which is also the title of a novel by the novelist Natume Soseki.

The Japanese also use two words derived from European languages to refer to poppies: amapora (アマポーラ) from　the Spanish and kokuriko (コクリコ） from the French.

The poetess Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) has left us this poem:
ああ皐月仏蘭西の野は火の色す君もコクリコわれもコクりこ。

Aa satsuki furansu no no wa hi no iro su
kimi mo kokuriko ware mo kokuriko

Aah! the fields of France in May, the color of fire!
Both you and I - POPPIES!

For more info in English and a photo of the opium poppies see this article in the Mainichi Daily News.

Sorry I didn’t know about this until today. A special photo exhibit called
“Wild Orchids Across Korean Peninsula” is currently being held at the Tsukuba Botanical Garden. The exhibit started last Sunday and ends this Sunday, December 16.

Wild Orchids Across Korean Peninsula
December 9(Sun) to 16 (Sun)
Hours: 9AM to 4:30PM
Admission: 300yen, high school age and under get in free

Events:
Exhibition of photographs taken by a Korean photographer 李景瑞
(Does anyone know how to read this photographer’s name in Japanese or in English?)

Gallery Talks
By Mr. Saito from the Tsukuba Western Orchid Society - Dec 15, Sat from 1:30 to 2:30PM
By Mr. Suzuki from the Botanical Garden - Dec 16, Sun. from 1:30 to 2:30PM

The 3rd International Symposium On Diversity And Conservation of Asian Orchids
Dec 15, Sat. from 9:30AM to 4:25PM
(The program includes presentations by two university professors and one researcher from Korea)
Please call the Botanical Garden if you are interested in attending this symposium.

Tsukuba Botanical Garden website (English)

The 12th Yasato Pottery Festival is this weekend!
This one is a lot smaller than the one that was held in Kasama during the “Golden Week” holidays (see “Kasama Pottery Fair“), but at least you won’t have to deal with the chaotic traffic. Besides, this is your chance to meet the ceramic artists who live or have a studio in the Yasato area of Ishioka City!

The 12th Yasato Pottery Festival
When:
June 2 (Sat.) to June 3 (Sun.)
9:30am to 4:30pm
Where:
Ibaraki-ken Flower Park
*Participate in lotteries to win gifts with purchases of 2000yen or more!

Flower Park Rose Festival
When:
May 26 (Sat.) to July 1 (Sun.)
9:00am to 5:00pm
Events this weekend:
June 2
-Silkworm cocoon craft class
-How to make “moss balls” class
June 3
-Shows by monkeys from Higashi Tsukuba Yutopia
-How to make “moss balls” class
-Potted roses to be given away to 100 lucky winners

Other events this weekend:
Namiki High School Festival
Map and Survey Festival
Mongolia Exhibition
Michi no Ichi (arts and craft fair)
Science Day and Environment Day at Ibaraki Nature Museum

The summer greenery is overpowering. Big-blossomed, brightly colored flowers abound. Summer fashions are often eye-catching. That is why it takes a little extra effort to notice the little, sometimes wondrous, details which are  often right at our very feet. In June and July, check the patches of grass along sidewalks or bordering parking lots, office buildings, etc., and you might very well find the very small, yet enchanting NEJIBANA (screw-flower, as translated directly) which derives its name from its unique shape.

The spiral can be clock-wise or counter-clockwise- Isn’t the world amazing! I took this picture just beside the police station at the TX Tsukuba Center Station.

Remember , while you’re taking in the big picture, stop and check for the usually unnoticed details.