Now already the weather is noticeably warmer and the flowers and bugs are coming out. I actually can’t wait for rainy season in a way because of the remarkable green. The combination of precipitation, high humidity and high temperatures causes an interesting jungle-like atmosphere around much of the country. This is especially noticeable in places like Kyotamba and eastward to Tsuruga along the Sea of Japan. In some places the plants grow right across the road!
Another interesting part of this season is the start of the rice crop. Farmers are busy everywhere you can see flooding fields and plowing with their tractors. It many ways it must be very satisfying to be a farmer, even in this day, or especially for that matter. I have a student at mySmith’s School of English in Kotoen who is a farmer on weekends and an electrical engineer weekdays. Although his mind is fully on the pragmatics of his technology, he laments that the only real passion in his life is heading out to his farm on weekends to grow beans and pumpkins. He’ll tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about pumpkin farming, and is very proud of them when he sends his crop out to market.
Frogs and salamanders are out everywhere this spring as well. It may not impress many people, but the fact is that ecologists and environmental foresters like myself actually take careful note of the existence of frogs and salamanders in an area to assess the contamination levels present. Amphibians and lichens are groups of extremely environmentally sensitive plants and animals that can give an indication of the general cleanliness of the site. In short, if there are frogs present, the water is clean.
To see these things you are going to need a car. Your International Driving Permit is all you need to go out and rent some wheels for as little as 8,500 yen a day including insurance. Drive safely and enjoy the country!
Martin Werner Zander, Partner in the Smith’s School of English Company
マーティン・ワーナー・ザンダー
Owner, Smith’s School in Kotoen
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