Seven people from the United States arrived in Japan on May 24 as part of the first small-scale test tours in the government s planned gradual reopening to inbound tourists from June.
Seven people from the United States arrived in Japan Tuesday as part of the first small-scale test tours in the government's planned gradual reopening to inbound tourists from June. The seven six from Hawaii and another from Los Angeles landed at Narita airport outside Tokyo and will participate…
Raegan Bradbury (Misawa, Aomori Prefecture)
The 11-year-old haikuist at Sollars Elementary sketched a peaceful scene of sea turtles returning on the tide to lay eggs on the beach where they were born. His classmate, Aaron Royston, discovered a remarkable stone.
Small ravine
of a stone goddess
Arvinder Kaur alluded to the words of Peggy Willis Lyles (1939-2010), which appeared in a 1980 issue of “Cicada” in Canada: summer night we turn out all the lights to hear the rain.
quarantine
to hear the rain
Noisy Brood X periodical cicadas that remained underground for 17 years are emerging by the trillions now that ground temperatures are soaring over 17 degrees Celsius in North America. Haikuists have to clamor quickly to mark this generation in 17 syllables. Soil warms earlier because of climate change. Before 1950, cicadas used to emerge at the end of May; now they’re already singing. Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) experienced both rain and insect songs in Yamagata Prefecture.
1. Tsugaru Railway s Stove Train (Aomori)
True to its interesting name, the carriages of Tsugaru Railway s stove trains are heated with daruma stoves, a nostalgic relic from Japan s past. These traditional space heaters rely on the burning of coal to perform their function, and the stove trains only run during the winterseason in Aomori Prefecture.
Stove trains were first deployed in 1930, and the trains currently running are fourth-generation ones! Still, the train decor sticks to its traditional roots, with floors and seats all fashioned from wood. What really gives you that vintage mood, though, is the daruma stove installed in front of the carriage for passengers to warm themselves up with.