Monday, 16 November 2009

日本の秋 Autumn in Japan

Hikarigaoka's main pedestrian pathway is lined with Ginkgo trees. Although the fruit smells bad (somewhat like faeces in my opinion!), the colour of the leaves have suddenly changed to a striking, uniform yellow.

Observing and celebrating the seasons is a big part of the culture in Japan, and the changing of the leaves is a dramatic visual transition from Summer to Autumn. The three weeks or so while the coloured leaves remain on the trees is a busy time for tourism and events. Parks and popular tourist spots (e.g. Hakone, where I went two weeks ago) are extremely croweded as everyone wants to take a photo!

Today I visited Hikarigaoka kouen or Park. Being the weekend, it was bustling with a flea market, skaters, a tai-chi club, and with families enjoying the Autumn leaves together. The paths were scattered with fallen leaves; it was beautiful!



 

It was very hot (21 or 22 'C), so I played tennis in Hikarigaoka park with four students and with my colleague, Aki-Sensei.


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