Monday, March 12, 2012 at 10:47AM
Although we're in for another cold spell, the Japanese plum blossoms (梅の花, ume no hana) are now in full bloom here in Fukuoka, reminding us that spring is coming. Bundle up and go have a look!
The city really should force the Lion's Club to tear this eyesore down. What were they thinking?
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 3:07PM
I can confidently say without having to look at the news that Fukuoka is enjoying (yes, enjoying) its heaviest snowfall in eighteen years. None of the weather sites had predicted it. None had said that it would not only snow heavily all day Saturday, but would continue snowing throughout the night. Their proclivity to err on caution meant that when I woke up this morning, I was happily surprised to find a Winter Wonderland outside my bedroom window. (Nothing brings out the little boy in me quite like ground covered with several inches of new snow.)
I’m tempted to hop on a train and ride out to the southern part of the prefecture to see how much snow they got, but unfortunately I’ve got things to do. Ho-hum.
Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 9:04AM
One of the best parts of living where I do is the proximity to Maizuru Park and the Fukuoka Castle ruins. (I'll write more about the castle and its history at a later time. In the meantime you can learn more here)
I walk or jog around the ruins several times a week and occasionally play tennis on one of the three clay courts that are located at the foot of the ancient ramparts.
In mid summer, there is a deafening cacophony of cicada, but by late summer the noise is replaced by the song of bell crickets. From late September to early December, you can enjoy changing colors of autumn. First to go are the first to come: the leaves from the cherry blossom trees. The last tend to be the gingko trees, the leaves of which form a thick, mustard yellow carpet on the ground in December. The moon, which appears so much larger and brighter in autumn, can be seen rising above the eastern mountains early in the evening in autumn. One of the best places to get an unobstructed view is from the highest parts of the castle.
The winter months tend to be bitterly cold as the wind roars in from the sea. There are, nevertheless, quite a lot of flowers to be seen. Narcissus comes to mind. The umé (plum) blossoms in February are an early harbinger of spring. Soon there after the cherry blossoms bloom and the days grow longer and warmer. Before long, summer comes and the cicada start to kick up a racket again.
