Day with the Kashiwagis and Company

The beginning of May is Golden Week Holiday in Japan, and many people enjoy the perfect weather in the outdoors among family and friends at this time

Yesterday, Tuesday - April 29, was an awesome day. We spent the day with Kayoko, Miku, Ryoko, Shuta, Ryota, Mama and Papa Kashiwagi, Risa, and Karen in Momoyama cho ("Peach Mountain Town"). The name sounds very cute in English I think! It's a beautiful, peaceful, mountainous area with very very few residents. My kind of town.

Mama & Papa Kashiwagi (Kayoko & Risa's mother & father have a lovely home on the mountainside. There they keep a vegetable garden and flowers of all kinds. The showcase at the moment is the vibrant magenta Azalea (Tsutsuji) in front of the house. It looks like a giant pink ball!
Mama & Papa Kashiwagi took us through the mountains gathering takenoko (bamboo shoots) and other edible wild mountain spring vegetables. Miku (in pink) and her great mom Kayoko help to find some takenoko.

There are so many wonderful plants and creatures to be seen and enjoyed here. On the left is a Fiddle head. It's a young fern frond sprouting up. Before they unfurl to become the recognizable fern frond that we're familiar with, the sprouts resemble fiddle, or violin heads! Hence the name "Fiddle head".


Miku is a beautiful girl with an equally adorable personality. She's real smart too. Her favorite English words/phrases are; "yes", "thank you", and "bye", but don't let her fool ya - she knows a whole lot more than that! Of course she does - she's an Aire student! Miku is 11 and dreams of attending Harvard University one day. Miku and her cousins Shuta and Ryota, carry cardboard box tops which they will slide down the hillside on! I gave it a go myself - couldn't resist. Sure enough, it is a blast!

Before venturing out to find our share in edible flora, we enjoyed a picnic in the warmth of the early summer sun!

Papa Kashiwagi digs up bamboo shoots with his pick axe. This is how it's done.

Shuta's slip slidin' away!

Ryota searches for bugs. I like it, I like it a lot!

Trekking through the bamboo forest we go. I'm hoping to find a snake really bad at this point.

Kayoko san creates an orchestra with a dandelion

Apple blossom

Green apple orchard, and just look at the mountains!!!

Between Atsuko and Kayoko, 3 four-leafed clovers were found!

It's confirmed! This is our lucky day

Clamming at Kataonami with BIG Sea Slugs

Behind Kataonami Beach in Wakaura, the salt marsh is usually a quiet, peaceful place where only ospreys and cormorants come to feed. In the spring and early summer that changes however, as you can see here! At low tide, locals come to take part in shiohigari ("low tide shellfish gathering") The normally dull brown landscape of a low tide salt marsh, transforms into an arena of brilliant colors. They are the colors of the summer beach-wear donned by people who have come to reap their bounty in clams!

What is this floating sea weed doing in the picture?

....But, it's not sea weed at all.

It's a SEA SLUG (UMIUSHI)! A soft-bodied, slimy marine animal related to snails, squids and octopus.
I have seen them before in other countries, but never quite as big and heavy as this particular species!
Wow! It's AWESOME! Really looks just like some sea weed. Another beautiful example of evolution's fine work!
Thanks for being you sea slug
After spending over 2 hours raking the sandy mud for clams, we had gathered about 5 or 6 pounds of Japanese Little Neck Clams! The shell-littered ground is alive with little Fiddler Crabs


Gramp is smiling right now. I know it, and I'm smiling with him!

The sun's going down fast now. Time to bring these clams home and prepare 'em for eatin'!

Fuji Matsuri ("Wisteria Festival")

The end of April marks the peak season for viewing the beautiful Wisteria flowers in the Wakayama area of JapanIn an old Sennan neighborhood (about 20 minutes car drive from Wakayama City) there is actually a Fuji Matsuri, or Wisteria Festival!
Over 20 years ago Mr. Kajimoto planted a single Wisteria in the garden at his own home. Today that Wisteria is massive with entangled vines stretching as far as the eye can see, producing cascades of beautiful lavender flowers. The flowers emit a wonderful aroma which permeates the entire area. It's magical!

Atsuko, like the dozens of others who have flocked here, can't resist taking picture after picture.

Kajimoto san (Mr. Kajimoto) now over 70, is a retired elementary school principal.

Mr. Kajimoto enjoys mingling with guests from all over who come to enjoy the sights and smells of his spectacular gardens. He gives talks on the significances of his prized Wisteria and encourages all to cherish their time at his home. There is absolutely NO charge for going here! It's free to come and see and you can even get some seasonal rice dough snacks (kusa mochi) and Japanese tea. Volunteers take care of all these services! Believe me, you WON'T want to leave.

The bumble bees are perhaps the hardest working to make this event happen! They are SUPER busy pollinating all the thousands of blooms at Kajimoto san's garden. Bumbles buzz about by the boat-load keeping things going.

You've gotta see this place for yourself, and you can't be too hasty. For this can only be seen for about a week or so at the end of April! This limited time offer even makes the whole thing all the more special.

泉南市JR和泉砂川から山側に徒歩５分のところにある梶本さん宅で毎年４月末にふじまつりが開催されます。今年は４月２６、２７日で、２６日（土）に行ってきました。実（豆）が付く前に花を全て摘み取ってしまうので（翌年の花付きをよくするため）、３０日（水）には見れなくなってしまうので、来年是非！

Summer Henry II - Summer's just begun

Auquaboy is still in the water.

This of course takes enormous amounts of energy,

and calls for an extra large slice of juicy WATERMELON!

Summer Henry!

Big Henry is gearing up for summer!

He's accessorizing!

He's chillin' with Grandpa!

He's hittin' the pool with Grandma!