梅花見 Plum Hanami in Iwashiro

This weekend was meant to be my relaxing weekend. After 3 weeks of non stop traveling and teaching I am exhausted. Unfortunantly I am still exhausted, but it has been worth it. This weekend some friends from 海南 (Kainan, in northern Wakayama) came down to stay at my place. The highlight of the weekend was hanami on Sunday with the English lunch group.

As I mentioned in an earlier post about fall leaves in Kyoto, the Japanese are pretty obsessed with their four distinct seasons. Spring is approaching, and pink decorations are everywhere. Decorating the convience stores, train stations, grocers, on street decorations, there are even seasonal pink varities of candy. The weather is still frigid, but the plum trees have blossomed, and the first sign of spring is here. Here in southern Wakayama they are impossible to miss, they are everywhere. This area, the neighboring town of Minabe in particular, is known as the top producer of 梅干し (umeboshi, pickled plums) for the entire country. Open fields and terraced mountainsides are covered in flowering plum trees. To make the most of the flowers, the Japanese have 花見 (hanami, literally flower viewing) picnics outside among the trees. There is also moon viewing, leaf viewing, snow viewing, you get the picture.

Together, my English lunch group (a few Japanese people who get together on Wednesdays to practice their English), my friends from Kainan, and I went for Hanami in Iwashiro. My friends and I put together a picnic basket with pasta salad, fruit, dreaming of a warm relaxing day under the plum trees. When we woke up Sunday morning however, we went outside only to find it was snowing. Yes, its the end of Februrary and it's STILL SNOWING!!! I realize that in many parts of the US, this is totally normal, but we are in the Florida of Japan, famous for oranges throughout the year!! And yet, it is still snowing. The snow didnt put a damper on our fun at all, and we had a great time watching the blossoms in the snow and drinking amazake (sweet ginger flavored sake).
[Kate and I in Iwashiro.]

[Plum Trees in the snow.]


[English lunch group, Steve, Kate, Corinne and I in Iwashiro.]