Cherries are beautiful fruits that represent early summer in Japan. During the season cherries are displayed at the storefront of fruit shops and supermarkets, many people are attracted by the shining red color and cute figure.

The price of cherries is decided by the size and quality and average ones sell for about 2000 yen per 500g pack. However, some large and high quality cherries are very expensive. Some prestigious fruit shops sell the cherries with the price tag of more than 10000 yen per pack. About 80 cherries are placed in one pack so one cherry costs more than 100 yen. Because of such a high price, cherries are sometimes called “red diamonds”.

Cherries have many species. The most popular one is sato-nishiki, which was made more than 80 years ago during the Taisho period. This species has a good balance of sweetness, sourness and is very juicy. Other than sato-nishiki, benishuho, taisho-nishiki, and benisayaka are popular varieties.

About three quarters of cherries in Japan are produced in Yamagata Prefecture, in the northern part of Japan. There are many cherry orchards there and visitors from all over Japan enjoy cherry picking, eat fresh cherries and appreciate the beautiful contrast of the colors of red cherries and green leaves.

Yamagata is not so far away from Tokyo. When you ride on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line from Tokyo, you will reach Yamagata Station in less than 3 hours or you can fly from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Yamagata Airport in about 1 hour, making it a nice day trip.

East Asian countries have a rainy season in early summer and the season is called tsuyu in Japanese. Tsuyu literally means plum rain because the fruit of the plum or Japanese apricot ripens with the arrival of the rainy season. The season starts in early June and ends in mid July in many parts of Japan. It rains for days, people feel gloomy?and food could go off soon because of the high humidity.

I remember making Teru Teru Bozu as a child. A Teru Teru Bozu is a simple doll made of paper or cloth, hung outside under the eaves. It is a charm made by children who believe that Teru Teru Bozu can bring a fine day. Children hang the dolls outside of the window on rainy days and sing, “Teru Teru Bozu, please make tomorrow a sunny day”. I would make the dolls hoping for fine weather the next day.

However, tsuyu has some blessing aspects. Rainy season brings much water to Japan and makes an ideal condition to grow rice. Young rice seedlings need a lot of water and a rice field during the season is full of water and looks like a big pond. The view of a paddy field is refreshing and relaxing. Although there are few rice fields in metropolitan areas, if you ride on a train heading for rural areas you will see rice fields within 30 or 40 minutes. I believe that paddy fields are one of the most beautiful landscapes in Japan during the rainy season.

Another beautiful thing in the season is ajisai or hydrangea. They show colorful flowers of pink, blue, violet or white. Hydrangea flowers and leaves look more beautiful in the rain. The plant is native to Japan and there are many famous gardens and temples for hydrangeas, such as Meigetsu-in Temple in Kamakura, Mimuroto-ji Temple in Kyoto or Higashiyama Park in Shinjo. If you visit Japan during tsuyu, you will enjoy graceful hydrangea flowers.

There are many temples and shrines for marriage in Japan. Perhaps the most famous one is Izumo Shrine in Shimane, in the western part of Japan. But Wakamatsu Kannon, which is located in Tendo City of Yamagata Prefecture, is also famous for matchmaking.

It is said that the temple was founded during the Nara period, about 1300 years ago by the high priest Gyoki. According to legend, while Gyoki was wandering in the eastern area of Japan, he heard the sound of a bell. He followed the sound, climbed a mountain and perceived Kannon Bodhisattva. He founded a temple there; it is the origin of Wakamatsu Kannon.

The temple’s official name is Reiryu-zan Jakusho-ji Temple but the local people call it “Wakamatsu Kannon” or “Wakamatsu-sama”. Wakamatsu Kannon is believed to have strong miracle power and is mentioned in Hanagasa Ondo, a song for the Hanagasa Matsuri or Flower Hat Festival. Wakamatsu Kannon is celebrated in the song,”Blessing is Wakamatsu-sama”. Furthermore, as Kannon Bodhisattva is the Goddess of Mercy, Wakamatsu Kannon helps not only those who want to get married but also those who crave good health, academic achievement and business prosperity, etc. Many people visit the temple, asking for good luck.

It takes 3 hours by the Yamagata Shinkansen Line from Tokyo to Tendo. Wakamatsu Kannon is about 15 minutes by taxi from Tendo Station. The temple is situated deep in the mountains. Visitors can enjoy the nature of each season, the sacred atmosphere and splendid views from the mountain.

In the Murayama area of Yamagata, located in the northern part of Japan, there is a custom which is called “mukasari ema”. Mukasari means “marriage” in local dialect. Mukasari ema are the paintings of marriage. But the bride or groom was not in this world when the painting was made. Mukasari ema are for children or young people who passed away before marriage.

Parents who lost their children make mukasari ema. They count the age of their deceased children, and imagine “My child might have got married by now.” A picture of the wedding is made and offered to a temple. Parents pray that their children would find their spouse in the after world so that they won’t feel lonely. There is a rule to make mukasari ema. The face of the imaginary spouse should not be modeled on a living person, otherwise, this person might be taken away to the next world.

It is said the practice began during the Edo period, a few hundred years ago. There are some Buddhist temples where mukasari ema are offered in the Murayama area. An example of this is the Wakamatsu Kannon Jakusho-ji Temple in Tendo City, which has many mukasari ema. This temple has a small hall where mukasari ema are displayed. I visited the temple and found out some were made in the Heisei era, which started in 1989 when Emperor Akihito took the throne. The custom of mukasari ema still exists.

After passing through the Nio-mon Gate, the number of cedar trees lessened and the landscape widened. I saw many caves and odd figured rocks. I thought these caves and rocks made Mt. Houju-san special, a place leading to the different world.

Godai-do Hall is the most popular building of Yamadera. It is an observation deck that is built on the cliff, commanding a fine view. I enjoyed the splendid scenery of the mountain and the village below. Some guidebooks say there are statues of Myo-o, guardian of Buddhism in Godai-do Hall but I did not see any statues there. Instead, I saw many senjafuda or pilgrim’s stickers on the wall.

After climbing 1015 stone steps, I reached Okuno-in, the top of Yamadera. Okuno-in is the building where hand-copying of sutra is practiced and statues of Buddha that Ennin Jikaku-Daishi carried are enshrined. Going up a steep path surrounded by unfamiliar objects such as carvings on the rocks and strange crags, it was like going into a different world for me. I sensed the sacred atmosphere in Yamadera, the old mountain temple.

I paid 300 yen at San-mon Gate and started my ascent. Soon after that, a statue with horrible face caught my eye. It was the statue of Datsueba. Datsueba is a hag who is believed to be on the bank of the Sanzu River, which lies between this world and the next. She strips the dead people of their clothes. In the old days, pilgrimages changed their clothes here and offered these clothes to the statue of Datsueba and then climbed the mountain in new garments.

The stone steps make a winding path. Surrounded by ancient Japanese cedar trees, the path was rather dim. As I climbed the steps, I saw small stone statues, lanterns and carvings on the rocks here and there. These objects and the shade of the trees made a solemn atmosphere and reminded me that Mt. Houju-san had been a sacred place, known as the mountain where the souls of the dead gather, the boundary between this world and the next.

Walking 15 minutes or so, I reached “semi-zuka” or cicada mound. It is a stone monument to commemorate Matsuo Basho, a famed haiku poet of the early Edo period (17th Century). He made a well-known haiku (3 lined poem) about cicada here.

Stillness Penetrating the rocks The cicada’s cry

I visited Yamadera in the end of April when the cherry trees were in full bloom, so I did not hear the cicada’s cry. There were some stones good to sit on near semi-zuka. I took a rest on a stone, imagining Matsuo Basho also took a rest here.

iPhone 3G is put on the market on July 11 in Japan

On June 9, Apple announced that iPhone 3G, the third-generation handset, would be rolled out on July 11 in 22 countries, including Japan. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO made the announcement in his keynote speech at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 (WWDC 2008), in San Francisco, California.

The web site of Apple Japan says “iPhone 3G will be available in Japan on July 11. Detailed information for purchase will be posted later”.

SOFTBANK MOBILE delivers iPhone; DoCoMo feels unhappy

SOFTBANK MOBILE announced officially on June 4 that the company had made partnership with Apple, and iPhone would be rolled out in Japan later this year. SBM said the company had no comment on specific information such as launch dates or pricing, and it did not have the plan to hold a press conference for the information.

In Japan, the competition for iPhone among carriers has been drawing attention. Rumor said that NTT DoCoMo was also negotiating with Apple. The PR department of DoCoMo said “The announcement by SOFTBANK made us feel unhappy. We might continue to consider the possibility of introducing iPhone. We already provide touch screen handset products such as PRADA Phone by LG”.

KDDI commented that it had no plan for iPhone. EMOBILE said “we do not deny the negotiation with Apple but there is nothing to announce now”.

Yamadera is an old temple in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The temple’s official name is Risshaku-ji Temple but Yamadera is more familiar for many Japanese. Yamadera means “mountain temple”. About 40 temple facilities are scattered on the slope of Mt. Houju-san, 1015 stone steps continue from the foot to the top of the mountain and the whole mountain is the precincts of the temple. The mountain and the buildings make the scenery looks like an ink painting which is very beautiful and attracts many visitors. Yamadera exactly represents what it is.

The temple starts with Kompon Chudo, the main hall. It is said that the temple was founded in 860, during the Heian Era by a high priest Ennin Jikaku-Daishi and the original main hall was built then. Over history, the hall was destroyed and rebuilt. The current building was made in 1356, in the Muromachi Period.

There is a big wooden statue of Hotei at the entrance of the main hall. Hotei is the deity of abundance and happiness. It is said that your wish will come true by touching the statue while making your wish. I touched the entire surface of the statue.

As I walked in the precincts I saw a big stone altar. It is the altar of Jizo, one of the Bodhisattvas in Buddhism. People believe that Jizo is the guardian of children and babies. The Jizo statues here are for miscarried or stillborn babies. Pinwheels and toys are offered to console their souls.

From the end of April to early May, koinobori are seen throughout Japan. Koinobori are carp streamers made of cloth or paper. In Japan, May 5th is Children’s Day, which is a national holiday. But in the past this day was called the Boys’ Festival, so that nowadays families with boys hoist carp streamers and display samurai armor and helmet in their homes, hoping for the boy’s health and strength.

It is believed that carp are strong enough to climb up waterfalls, and legend says that there is a big gate at the upper part of the Yellow River in China. This gate is called the “Dragon Gate” and it is said that carp which pass this gate will become dragons. This is why carp symbolize strength and promotion in the Boy’s Festival.

Koinobori are hooked on a pole with a big black carp first, followed by smaller red, blue or other colored carp. It is said that the black carp is the father and the other smaller carp are the children.

Other than families with boys, many organizations also raise carp streamers. Koinobori are set over such places as rivers, banks and parks and so countless carp swim in the sky all over Japan in late spring.

I went to Gokuraku-en, a Japanese garden located in Tendo City, Yamagata in Japan.
Like many Japanese gardens, Gokuraku-en consists of ponds, artificial hills and countless rocks and trees. The garden was made in the early Showa period, in the 1930s, when Japan was in the great depression and many people lost their jobs. A rich local business person made this garden to help poor people by hiring them. Gokuraku-en is the garden of philanthropy.

This garden is not as large as other famous gardens in Japan such as Kenroku-en Garden or Hama-Rikyu Imperial Gift Garden, but Gokuraku-en impressed me because it has two unique features that are not found in most other Japanese gardens.

The first feature is that proverbs by famous historical people such as Emperor Meiji, Date Masamune, and Kaibara Ekiken can be found carved on stones of the garden. For instance, the proverbs, “The seed of bankruptcy is sown during your heyday” or “Good luck needs prudence, bad luck needs patience”. These sayings can be useful even today.

The other interesting feature is the stone lanterns which are varied in their shape and size as compared to conventional ones. This garden has many stone lanterns, each has a different and unique shape.

It was early May when I visited Gokuraku-en at which time the garden was full of fresh leaves. A lady showed me the garden, and I asked her when the best season to see this garden was. She thought a little and said “Each season is good, but I am impressed by the new leaves this time of year. I feel the energy of the trees.”

Stones and trees make harmony in Gokuraku-en.