a wheat field

Wheat is growing against heavy frosts.

The temple of a goddess 辯財天廟

I went to see autumn leaves with my family. At the foot of this mountain, there is a pond which water is bubbling out from the bottom. This temple is dedicated to the goddess of water. We went up the stairs to the top floor. 這一帶盛名於清水。山腳有一個池塘，水從池底噴出來。這座高樓祭祀水神。
The golden leaves of a ginkgo are shining under the blue sky. 銀杏葉都轉黃了。

Inn with hot spring and haiku 深山里洗溫泉

Last Saturday, we stayed at this Japanese style inn located deep in the mountains. There is no noise of people and cars. The inn is not big, hence the guests as well as the hotel staff are not in cold and distant. I heard the arrival of red leaf season has delayed 10 days because of too hot summer this year.

The left building has baths. We can also enjoy an outdoor bath called roten-buro. I do love to take a hot spring bath outdoor watching mountains hearing streams and receiving a cool breeze on head.左邊是浴池館。也有露天浴池。非常舒服。

Guests can make green tea by themselves using hot water in the big iron pot. Some of them make haiku (short poem consisting of 17 sounds in the Japanese language). This small hut is used for tea ceremony. The bamboo trees are planted something tastefully. 客人可以用鐵壺里的熱水泡茶。

Zhuhai in China before holiday 迎接國慶節的珠海

I tripped Zhuhai in southern China for nine days.This is the city museum. The building makes us image Tian'an men in Beijing. 這是珠海市博物館。展覽文物很有意思。也有在珠海地域挖掘的三千多年前陶器及青銅器。

I found Starbucks in the city. Judging from commodity prices, I think its prices are very expensive. But young people don't think so. They enjoy the aroma of a western city. 年青人喜歡喝星巴克。價錢有點貴。

Golden harvest 割稻子

Now is the time of reaping rice. The wind over the golden rice fields are dry and cool.

Usually rice is planted during the end of April and the beginning of May. Harvesting is started from early September.

中國江南收兩季稻。日本收單季。今年夏天熱極了。雖然上個星期來了一個臺風,有水稻倒伏,但沒有什麼大被害。收獲會很好。農民一年的辛苦得到了報償。

Rice flower 稻花

Three and a half months has passed since planting. Now we can see rice flowers. They have a special smell.　Ancient people believed that the rice plants began to seed when lightning hit the rice fields.

水稻插秧後,經過三個半月了。現在稻花開著。這些天有雷陣雨。古代人相信雷落到水田上稻就結實。

粒粒皆辛苦

Ring in Shirasagi shrine 茅輪

At the end of July, which is almost same to the end of June in the lunar calender, people go through the miscanthus wring three times. 農曆六月末日，人們走過三次神社茅輪。

Summer festival with portable shrines 神輿祓除疫病發生

In old days, people were in fear of the spread of epidemics in summer. They carried a portable shrine and went through the streets of a town, wishing the god in it prevents epidemics. Today people carry the shrine to wish their health and strengthen the bond of the residents.
從前夏天疫病要漫延。為了祓除惡疫, 農曆六月人們抬神輿走大街小巷。這個祭禮現在還有。人們盼望全家人健康。許多人抬一個神輿加強友誼的紐帶。

Lotus Flower

"予獨愛蓮之出淤泥而不染"

A lotus has an amazing ability to survive. 60years ago, 3 seeds were excavated in mud of the 2,000 years ago remains. Dr. Oga succeeded in germinating one.

Hydrangea in rainy season 雨期的紫陽花

'I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.' -W.B.Y.

In the rainy season, the temperature is around 68F in a rainy or cloudy day while 91F in a sunny day. You have to accept a comfortable day as well as a muggy day.

Crops and flowers 水稻, 麥和白花

One month has passed since rice planting. Next week the rainy season will have set in.

插秧結束後, 一個月經過了。

It's the time of reaping wheat now. 割麥時節到了。
Basho, one of the famous Haiku poets, started his travel to the northern Japan on May 16, 1644 from Tokyo. He arrived at an entrance point of that area on June 7. At that time Sora, his travelling companion, made a Haiku expressing his respect for this area with deutzia. He compared this flower to a head ornament.

Maple Leaves in the rain 雨中槭葉

The yesterday temperature was 86°F. But today is rainy and the temperature is only 63°F. I went to a Japanese garden and took a photo of maple leaves. The green color is more vivid in the rain. The leaves are little. Ancient people called this kind of maple as frog's hand.

昨天有28度。但是今天有點冷。氣溫卻只有17度。只穿著短袖襯衫出去，恐怕會感冒。雨中的公園槭葉綠色挺漂亮的。葉形很可愛。古代日本人叫這種槭樹 '蛙手'。

Passion and Loss 太陽依舊昇起

At the end of the novel, they have a long talk.

Jake "You'll lose it if you talk about it."

Brett "I just talk around it"

在小說最後部分, 他們講話。

男 "如果你說那個話, 你就會失掉那個珍惜的。"

女 "我只說說那個話的周圍。"

Classic Cherry Blossom 古典文學裡的櫻花

People having lived in Japan for a few years will find that the most typical cherry today is called "Somei Yoshino". This kind has prevailed all over this country for 150years.

Those who are interested in the Japanese classics will notice that the poets, say Saigyo, Basho, had been impressed with the different one. It is said that the most typical cherry in the classical literature is "Yamazakura" which means mountain cherry. The below is its blossoms.

我高高興興地介紹你們日本古典文學裡的櫻花。這叫山櫻。山櫻開花時, 紅色嫩葉也出來。現在日本最多的種類是染井吉野。這是150年前開始裁培的。日本平安時代的西行, 江戶時代的芭蕉都欣賞山櫻。茅盾初次看到櫻花寫了一篇散文說"池西畔的一枝樹開放著一些淡紅的叢花了。.....沒有半張葉子。無疑地這就是櫻花。" 他看到的是染井吉野。

Yamazakura blooms just when the beautiful red leaves come out, while Somei Yoshino blooms without any leaves. It grows more than 35ft. The trunk is rather straight.
I imagine that Japanese poets have historically loved this cherry in full bloom among young green leaves of other trees.

Soft red leaves and white petals enjoy a day of spring this year. Yamasakura has been designed in traditional crafts like porcelain and gold lacquer work.

A day in spring 粉紅櫻花

These cherry have the pretty pink blooms.

”Light Ink" cherry in full bloom 淡墨櫻盛開

Nowadays we can see many kinds of cherry. This is one of the old kinds. About 60 years ago this tree was planted beside the ruins of a Buddhism temple. Usually the end of March, this cherry is in full bloom. After reading some of the Japanese classics, I became interested in knowing what kind of cherry people loved a long time ago. 在日本我們常見的樹種是"染井吉野"。我去看的是被叫"淡墨櫻"。人們說在花謝之前, 花瓣變淡黑。

This is named as "Light Ink Cherry" because just before the blossoms are gone, the white petals change to light black. The most popular kind is called as "Somei Yoshino" that has been sold by gardeners since mid of 19th century.　It is almost always this kind that you can see in a park or photo.

The blossom shape of Light Ink is different from Somei Yoshino. It is smaller and pretty while Somei Yoshino is gorgeous. 盛開時的花瓣形狀是這樣的。真可愛。

惠風和暢

Plum blossom 好文木

Though we had a sudden snowfall this Tuesday, it becomes warmer. Plum blossom is a symbol of the early spring. 雖然這星期二還下了一場雪, 但正是梅花盛開的时节。

It's a fine day today. Petals are gathering sunshine.
Plum has another name called as the lover of study. I have heard a famous legend. More than one thousand years ago, there was a high official who was also known as a famous literary man. His rival in the palace envied him and used tricks to make him lose his high position. He had to go out of the capital and have a low position in a remote town. When he left the house in the capital, he sent a short poem to the plum tree that had been loved by him as a symbol of the spring. The poem says " You, do not forget the arrival of the spring though you are losing your master. " After his master arriving at the town, one night the plum tree flied over the sky and came into the garden of his master's new house.
The noble blossom in the early spring.
Turtles come out of the pond to take a sunbathe on a small stone. They look comfortable.

Early spring 郭熙 早春圖

This painting is one of the finest masterpieces of Chinese art. For more details, please see the following site. I am sure you can enjoy a wonderful view of early spring.　Collection of National palace museum Taiwan

朋友們請來看這幅名畫而享受電腦上的探春行樂。臺灣故宮博物院藏品

http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/collection/selections_02.htm?docno=48&catno=15

Expelling devils with beans 撒豆驅邪:日式儺

The night before the beginning of spring, in every house people scatter parched soybeans, shouting "Bad luck, go out of my house. Good luck, come into my house." This ritual is usually done in the night of 3rd Feb. In ancient China more than 2000 years ago, there was a ritual of expelling devils and bad lucks at the end of a year. In Japan, people still keep a similar one. This cute pack in the photo is for children.

立春的前一天晚上, 每個日本家庭人們都開門窗, 撒黃豆來驅邪招福。大家大喊"邪氣出去! 福氣進來! "

中國古代臘月有驅逐疫鬼的一種儀式叫做儺(音: 挪)。2000多年前的周禮有關于儺的記載。

New Year's Holy Fire 新年聖火

In mid January, people make a big triangle with bamboos and ceder branches and put new year's ornaments around it. In the night, it is fired. People warm rice cake and eat it. It is believed that if you warm your body at the fire, you will never catch a cold during the year.

The origin of this custom is unknown. Some nations may have same folkway to start daily life in a new year.

Zhuhai (south China) revisited 再訪珠海

I visited Zhuhai again last week. Though it is the coldest season now, the temperature is around 20 degrees centigrade.

Zhuhai is a special economic zone. Tall buildings for residence have been being built one after another. 珠海市政府想要建築一個美麗的庭園城市。

Many city projects have been under way to build a garden city here. Actually we can see beautiful flowers and green grass from a car window.

This is a photo of a suburb under development. New high speed railway to Guangzhou is under construction. 郊外有一道山巒。
During WWII, a partisan base was built here. The first floor of this small building is a memorial room of revolution. The second floor is a business office.

Visit to a shrine on New Year's Day 新初參拜

A happy new year! May this year bring you success, happiness and health.

新年好! 祝你們健康 全家幸福。 日本現在以陽曆恭賀新年。我也去參拜神社。

This is a stone gate built in front of the approach to the shrine. Before praying, people wash hands and rinse their mouths to purify them.
People ring a big bell before praying. A pair of lions guards the shrine.
People receive talismans from girls in shrine uniform. Red color is a symbol of happiness. 這些穿著紅白衣裳的小姐們在神社中從事奏樂祈禱。相似古代女巫。
This is an ornament for new year, made of bamboo, pine leaves and plum tree. 這個叫做"門松"。用松竹梅做的。這三種是日本吉祥植物。