Early JuneSweden HillsSweden Hills is like a theme park. It's like a "pretend-place." Once you are in the neighborhood you feel as though you're in somewhere that's not quite Japan. It's a part of a small town called Tobetsu in Hokkaido and is a sister city of Leksand in Sweden, and has been so for twenty years. The houses in the village are all built in the same "Swedish style" to keep the "not-quite-Japanese-look" of the place. It is fairly populated with retired couples from urban cities but it also plays an important role as a touristic attraction for the area.
4th week of JuneIhsikari BeachVery cold/sad looking Sea of Japan, aka East Sea. This beach is popular for swimming and filled with lots of people in summer... when it comes.
It was absolutely brethtaking. Two huge wind turbines stand and run slowly on a small hill by a small village of Bourai. Later I learned that Hokkaido now is the biggest wind farming land with 186 wind turbines at about 40 sites, in Japan.
4th week of June, 2006Ishikari sea-coast, the entrance of Ishikari River, the third longest river in Japan. I was walking along the coast line. It was cold, cloudy and very windy day. Then I saw this view and stopped walking. I sat down and drew this picture remembering the very similar scene I saw and sketched in Thurso, UK two summers ago. The only big difference between the two scenes is the building in the distance. This one in Hokkaido is a dumpster, instead of an old castle in Scotland.
Friday June 16th, 2006Some fresh asparagus for dinner. Harvested by Hanae -san, a local farmer who runs a vegetable farm with her husband and children. Every once in a while she brings and shares "second" vegetables, which may be shaped funny but still the same so sweet and tasty goodies with us. Thank you, Hanae -san!!
Sunday June 11th, 2006
Got my mom some flowers/ sun flowers, for it's her birthday.
Making the bouquet made me miss bouquet making which I enjoyed quite a bit last summer at the Cerridwen Farm.
Tuesday June 6th, 2006Thirty minutes walk to the closest railroad crossing from the Sweden Hills. Not too many cars go by here. The local train goes to the city of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, to take students and business men/women to their schools and their jobs every day.
Saturday June 3rd, 2006Paddy rice fields in the neighborhood, recently filled with water for planting. Just beyond the fields is a series of hoop houses. I didn't find out what was growing in there. The locals say "when the Cuckoo starts singing, it's time to start planting the rice seedlings." Indeed, I could hear them sing all morning.
Thursday June 1st, 2006
Back to Hokkaido, the land of blue fields and hills. Looking down the green of barley fields from the Sweden Hills, my home town. This part of the country has not seen too much warm summer weather, yet. The wind is still very very chilly up here.
Early June
