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Francis Turner's avatar

I assume it's the same in Saga, here in Izumo we have the odd sight at this time of year of the rice being planted in one field and the barley/wheat being harvested in the next

https://lessknownjapan.substack.com/p/ta-ue-tanbo-and-tanada-and?r=7yrqz

Spiritual Japan Journal's avatar

Thank you for sharing your article. It really is such a curious sight, isn’t it? Seeing rice planting and wheat harvest side by side feels like two seasons meeting in one place. Your photos are beautiful too.

Gianni Simone's avatar

This is a beautiful essay on one of my two favorite seasons.

Bakushū is also the title of one of Ozu Yasujiro's best movies.

Spiritual Japan Journal's avatar

Thank you so much. I didn’t know about Ozu’s Bakushū, so I’m very glad you shared this with me. You know so many interesting things. I’ll have to look into the film.

Gianni Simone's avatar

Here's a link I found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvRVBrnWAGs

Spiritual Japan Journal's avatar

Oh, thank you so much for sharing the link. That’s very kind of you.

Thomas Love Seagull's avatar

I love fireflies. I used to watch them all the time when I was a kid. But now that I'm in Tokyo...

Spiritual Japan Journal's avatar

I know what you mean. In Tokyo, fireflies must feel much farther away. Were the fireflies you watched as a child in Connecticut, or in Japan? Traveling to the beautiful countryside in Japan just to see fireflies might be a lovely idea someday.

Thomas Love Seagull's avatar

In Connecticut! I grew up on an old farm so my house was surrounded by fields as well as a small forest. There were always so many bugs around, lots of birds, and occasionally some foxes and coyotes. I saw some fireflies in Aomori in the summer and it was wonderful. But there weren’t that many.

Spiritual Japan Journal's avatar

What a beautiful place to grow up. I can imagine a landscape full of life. And Aomori too! You’ve encountered so many different kinds of nature. I hope you have a chance to see many fireflies again someday.

BetterOffRed's avatar

Thank you for this beautiful sensory depiction of early summer in the Japanese landscape.

Spiritual Japan Journal's avatar

Thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad the feeling of this brief season came through.