EXPERIENCE YAMANASHI AND MORE _ EXPLORE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Yamanashi is well-known for its production of peaches.  The largest production area is located in the Ichinomiya region in Fuefuki-shi.  The second largest area is located here in the Sunpu region in Nirasaki-shi.  Since the warm days lasted for a while this spring, the flowers of peach trees started flowering during the first week of April.

Peach (Prunus persica) Flowers, Nirasaki, Yamanashi, 4/07/2018

Mountain Views from Oshino-village and Kofu-city, Yamanashi, 2/4 & 11/2018

The first snow was observed on October 24 on the top of Mount Fuji.  And then, the top was covered with snow two days later, about one month later than last year.

Mount Fuji with snow, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, 10/29/2017

The dog training seminar was held organized by the Dog & Cat Café, one of the voluntary people in Yamanashi searching foster homes for unfortunate dogs and cats, at the Ogino River City Shopping Center (https://wannyan.ko-shu.jp/).

The views from Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture.

Views from a car, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, 9/27/2017

A pair of barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) made a nest on the light box.  The light kept the nest warm at night.  There is a large pond nearby; therefore, plenty of insects are available to feed nestlings.  Incubating the eggs about two weeks, five fledglings appeared from the nest.  The pair kept busy feeding the fledglings.  Finally, yesterday morning they left the nest.  At night, the five fledglings and their parents rest and sleep under the eaves of the house.  It is believed that having a swallow nesting in a house brings good luck in Japan.

Barn Swallows, Nagasaka, Yamanashi, 6/26/2017

Three weeks ago, in the evening, a kitten was crying in the shade somewhere.  It was a three weeks-to-one-month-old kitten.  A pretty one, black and white, but it was oiled and the left side was covered with silicone glue.  The condition was nasty, apparently abused.  I worried about not only her physical damage, but also her psychological damage.  However, she ate well and played well, so she recovered very quickly.  Today, there was an adoption event for needed cats and dogs organized by the local animal-rescue association.  Although my little one did not like the location and the atmosphere and she was so nervous, but she caught attention instantly from several people.  Two families showed interest in adoption.  I chose the family in the next town.  I hope that she will make a new life there with full of love and care.

A Kitten, Nagasaka, Yamanashi, 6/18/2017

A short Aokigahara Woodland-Trail walk in the village of Narusawa in Yamanashi Prefecture was conducted for an Australian couple (Refer to GALLERY and previous posts).  It was a little cloudy in the morning, but it became fine around noon.  It was an almost perfect day for a woodland walk.  We met a large group of school children in the wood.  They were very energetic and all of them greeted us.  We walked to the Wild Bird’s Forest Park and to the Ryugu Lava Cave.  In the middle of the trail, rather large colonies of chlorophyll-less saprophyte, Monotropastrum humile were observed.

Aokigahara Woodland, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 6/06/2017

A workshop for the duty to be assigned at the Mount Fuji 5th Way-point Management Center was conducted at the Fujisan (Mount Fuji) World Heritage Center in the town of Fujikawaguchiko (https://www.fujisan-whc.jp/en/).  Every year, there are a great number of cases that the climbers and visitors need medical attention.  In this workshop, the participants learned how to assist the nurse at the First Aid Room in English practicing the case which had actually happened in the previous years.  Native English speakers took the roles of the patients.  Most likely scenarios using the basic medical terms which dealt with the medical symptoms and physical conditions were discussed.  Since there are a lot of Chinese-speaking visitors, the point and speak in Chinese was practiced in the last session.