雛人形とあさつき Hina dolls (for the girl's festival) & chives

Today's post is about something new that I found out this year
after living here for more than 3 years!!

I have posted several times previously
that people celebrate Hinamatsuri (Girl's Festival)
a month later than usual on the 3rd of April.

I found out that the locals would place fresh chives beside
the dolls for decorations.
I was explained that that was the only green plants
that they could get in the old times,
plus, since the chives grow straight upwards,
they were decorated together with the dolls in wish
for the girls to healthy growth.

I never noticed the chives.
Too bad I found out about it after the festival.
I will definitely go look for them next year!!

高山に住み始めて三年半が経ちました！
このタイミングで、
始めて知ったことがあるんです。

飛騨地方では、
雛人形と一緒に「あさつき」を飾るそうなんです。

その時期にある緑のものが、あさつきくらいしかないから、そして
すっと伸びるあさつきのように、子供たちが健やかに育つように、
という意味があるそうです。

何故か、ひな祭りが過ぎてから知ったこの事実、、、
来年の町歩きで、雛人形＆あさつきを探さなくては♪

こちらはお借りした画像です

最近の写真達 photos that I took recently

Forgive me.
I have no time to sit in front of my PC.

I will post several pictures that I have taken recently.

Don't worry,
from the photos,
it's quite obvious that I'm not working too hard, ha-ha (as usual).

お許しを。
なかなかＰＣの前に座る時間がとれなくて、、、。

とりあえず、
最近撮った近辺の写真を載せますね。

ご心配なく。
写真をご覧いただければ、
少なくとも働き過ぎでないことが
お分かりいただけるかと思います 笑。

Garyu Sakuura

臥龍桜

古川祭り

Furukawa Spring Festival

水芭蕉

skunk cabbages

春の高山祭 2018 Takayama Spring Festival

The weather of spring in Japan is the most unstable.
One day, it becomes very cold like winter
and the day after it becomes warm, or even hot, and bright like summer.
Many days are windy and even stormy.

That is also why it is fun to predict when the
cherries will come to a full bloom.

Everyone in the neighbors will start talking
"hi, it's a warm day today."
"good morning, it's so cold today."
"Hello, I heard the cherries have just started to bloom."

Our chat will always start out with how the weather is.

The Spring Festival; therefore, is very likely to rain.
Considering all the preparations that the locals are doing,
it seems very sad, but that is probably why
the festival is so precious and worthy.

This year, too
the night festival was canceled and several events were
canceled as well due to rain.
But, look at the photos that I have taken!!
We had beautiful sunshine at the end and we were
all able to enjoy the collaboration of festival floats and the cherries!!

日本の春は天気が安定しません。
真冬の寒さが訪れた翌日には
春を通り越して、夏のような陽気になったり
風が強く乾燥した日や、強雨が伴う嵐がやってきたり。

桜の開花予想が困難なのは当然ですよね。
それがまた楽しいのかもしれませんね。

そんなわけで、
春の高山祭りもまた
毎年天候に悩まされるわけです。

町内の方々は皆
祭りに向けて必死に準備をしているのに
屋台が外に出られないと聞くと
悲しくて寂しくて仕方がありません。

でも、それもまた、
このお祭りの良さなのでしょうね。

実際に今年もキャンセルになった行事がいくつかありました。
それがゆえに、二日目（今日）の午後に観られた
青空と桜と屋台のコラボレーションは見事なものでした。
貴重な貴重なシーンを堪能させていただきました～。

桜ピクニック went on a sakura picnic

I guess the term "sakura" is too popular now.
I probably don't need to translate it.
Perhaps the term "hanami," too.

We, Japanese, looooove to go out on a picnic under
cherry blossoms to enjoy the beautiful blooms as well as
to inhale all the warmth from the spring sunshine!!

Spring, in Japan, the weather is very unstable
and we would have all four seasons in a week.

Yesterday, we had such a beautiful, bright day
but today, it was wet and cold.
On Monday, we had a snowy morning,
but tomorrow again, it is going to be a warm and shiny day.

Since it's usually like this during spring,,
it is always very difficult to find the perfect day
to go out on a sakura picnic, hanami.

Buuuuut,
look how perfect yesterday was for hanami.
I was even able to enjoy the night hanami, too.

The only sad part was that my hanami was without my kids.

If we are lucky enough,
we will be able to enjoy both the saｍkura and the festival together
this weekend!!!

あえて、「cherry blossom」なんて訳さなくてもいいくらい
海外の方も桜を楽しみに来日されます。
そして「花見」も同じです。

春の暖かい空気をたくさん吸い込んで
満開の桜の下での花見、
なんて贅沢なのでしょう。

この時期は、
天候が安定せず、満足のいく花見ができずに終わってしまうことも
よくありますよね。

初夏を思わせるような暑い日があったかと思えば、
雪の朝があったりと
今年も例外ではありません。

でもでも、
完璧なタイミングで、桜ピクニックを満喫することができました！
実は夜桜まで堪能できたのです。

うまくいけば、今週末、
山王祭（春の高山祭）と桜のコラボレーションが
見られます。天気よ、なんとかもってくださいな～。

一気に all at once

Ume (Japanese Plum)
Sakura (Cherry Blossom)
even
Snow

they all came at once!!

These are all photos that I took today

梅も
桜も

そして
雪までも

全部一気にやってきました

全て本日撮った写真です

梅　Japanese Plum 

桜 Cherry Blossom

雪　snow

急な追い上げ it's coming!!

I know the peaks have passed for the
cherry blossoms everywhere.

Since we had a freezing winter this year,
we were expecting the blooms to come late,
but in fact, it seems it's going to come
much, much earlier.

Here are the photos that I took this noon.
Look how terrible the pictures are : )
You can tell I was in a rush.

Can you see that the buds are ready to pop open!!
Can't wait!!

By the way,
the updating is being super slow.
When it's slow, it's not because I'm working
but it's mostly because I'm spending my time
with my girl and my boy, forgive me, please!!

なかなか更新できずにごめんなさい。

各所で、桜がピークを越えていると聞いています。

あんなに寒い冬でしたので、
さぞかし桜の開花が遅れるだろうと
予想していましたが、
ラストスパートがすごかった。

今日のお昼ごろ撮影した写真です。
ピントが桜にあっていません、、、
とっても急いでいたもので。

でも、わかりますよね！！
そうなんです。
いつ開花してもおかしくないのです。

梅の写真をアップしたいと思っていたのに
できておらず、すみません。
アップが遅い時は、だいたい仕事が忙しいわけではなく
キッズと遊んでいる場合が多いです 笑 お許しを。