Little Carps In the Breeze 鯉魚旗（鯉幟）

This river runs through the middle of city. Every May a non profit organization (NPO) of tourism puts up ropes over the river and ties the carp flags.

Carp flags have a history of 200 years. The first carps were all black and big. On May 5th people erected a long bamboo fixing a black one and wished their boys healthy growth like it. Later people decorated red and blue ones as a mother and boy. The black was deemed a father.

You can find many colors such as orange, green and purple. 5th of May was the day for boys and now this day is the children's day  including girls.

I deeply admire the man who got a creative idea to make carp flags and let them swim in the air.
我佩服人把水中和空中看成同一，就做鯉魚旗讓它游泳在一陣爽快的風中。

Flowers In May 五月的野生植物

Rosa rugosa is a kind of rose growing in eastern Asia. You will find them near the beach in northern Japan. 

野生玫瑰

This one is the original. There are many improved breeds in Europe.

The red azalea flowers (Rhododendron molle) are at their best now.  Though the flowers are beautiful, its tree is very poisonous. Cows and horses in a grazing land do not eat them. 　野生杜鵑

This is Kerria jponica. You will see them in a Japanese garden. 棣棠花