Fruit Picking in September.

                                                                           Apples.

A wide variety of apples, such as Fuji, Tsugaru and Jonagold, make it possible to pick for a relatively long period of time. Choose brightly-colored applies in good locations in the sun. Wrap them in a piece of newspaper and then seal them with a plastic bag and store them in a refrigerator for a longer shelf life. 

Midori Town, Akitakata City is affluent of nature and has four seasons, which is good for agricultural business. Green in nature, rich soil, and seasonal home tastes are the area's specialty. The seasonal tastes of the town are fragant and reminds of nostalgic home memory. The characteristics are its richness of sweet, such as Fuji and Tugaru. There are three apple parks in Midori Town, Akitakata City.

Address: Midori-cho-kita (Ito Ringo-en, Ueno Ringo-en, Kunihiro Ringo-en) Akitaka City Contact 
Telephone: number:0826-55-0480　
Cost: Adults 600yen Kindergarden free.

                                                                           Grapes 

Grape Park which offers the kinds of pione, honey red, kyoho, and muscat. You can also enjoy barbecuing. (Ingredients and materials can be brought in.)

 Address Shimo-obara Koda-cho Akitaka City 
Contact Telephone number:0826-45-3087　 
Fee Adults: 2,000 yen/ Elementary and Junior High School Students: 1,500 yen/ Kindergartens: 1,000yen

                                                                             

                                                                             Pears


This pear garden is among the biggest in the western part of Hiroshima Prefecture. "Taste and buy Kosui and Hosui pears. Try some and buy only if you like". Bring a picnic and enjoy it with a pear picked from the orchard. The grand panorama of the Chugoku Mountains as seen from the south of the orchard is also fascinating.

Address 1850 Asahara Hatsukaichi City , Zip code 738-0223　 
Contact Telephone number:0829-72-0009　 
Opening Hours 9:00 a.m.-17:00 p.m 
Closing Days Please ask for details 
Fee Charge/ Please ask for details

Hiroshima Beer Gardens

Japan’s beer gardens are a lot of fun, and they can certainly help make the long, hot and sticky summer weather more bearable. If there is anything better than drinking an ice cold beer in the open air on a hot summer night, it’s being able to drink as many as you like.

Beer gardens are generally open between June and early September (although some now open as early as Golden Week in early May) and are found on the roofs of large department stores or hotels. Most open at around 5 or 6pm and offer “viking” style food buffets with all-you-can-drink beer and cocktails, for an all-inclusive price of between ¥2500 and ¥3500. You can usually keep drinking until last orders, 15-30 minutes before closing.

Hiroshima Diamond Hotel Beer Garden

May 18- mid-September, 18:00-21:00 Men ¥2800 Women ¥2600 Junior High & High School ¥2000 Elementary School ¥1500 Kids under 3 free Kirin beer on tap

ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Beer Garden

June 1-September 9  Weeknights 18:00－21:30, Saturdays 17:30－21:30, Sundays17:30－21:00　 ¥4500 90 minute time limit Sapporo beer on tap

SOGO Umi no megumiya Beer Garden

May 18-September 16, 17:00-22:00 Men ¥3000 Women ¥2800 Junior High & High School ¥1800 Elementary School ¥1300 Women who arrive before 18:00 and pay ¥2500 (excluding weekends and holidays) Kirin beer 100 Kirin Frozen Drafts each night

Fukuya Hacchobori Premium Beer Garden

May 9-September 16, 17:00-22:00 Men ¥3000 Women ¥2700 Junior High & High School ¥1500 Elementary School ¥1000 Under Elementary School Age ¥500 Women who arrive before 18:00 and pay ¥2500 (excluding weekends and holidays) Asahi beer

Mitsukoshi Rooftop Beer Garden

May 10-September 9, 17:00-22:00 Men ¥3000 Women ¥2700 Junior High & High School ¥1500 Kids 3+ ¥800 Sapporo beer on tap

Rainy Season looks like it will arrive on time.

The rainy season officially started in Okinawa on April 28, only two days earlier than last year, but 11 days earlier than the average; No doubt putting a worry on a few Golden Week vacations.

The rainy season is usually around 40-45 days long, so they postulate that it might well end around June 15. It would be great to get onto the business of summer so early, but it seems a bit optimistic as although we also had an early rainy season last year (officially starting on May 21), we didn’t get the all clear until July 8.
Any day now!!

We cannot wait to get on our Kimono's and head out into the streets for the Toukasan festival. We will not drink too much, we promise! 

Cherry Blossom Season is fast Approaching.

A GOOD PLACE TO SEE THE CHERRY BLOSSOM.

Constructed with the hope of eternal world peace, the park consists of a number of peace-promoting monuments. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum exhibits visual materials showing outlooks of Hiroshima at the time when it was granted with permanent peace after the war.

You can see several sites including the A-bomb dome that has been designated as a World Heritage Site, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and International Conference Center Hiroshima. The bell chimes for peace within the Peace Memorial Park was selected as one of “Japan Sound View Best 100”.

Also, this place is a popular spot to admire beautiful cherry blossoms.

Every year you can see hundreds of people having Hanami near the rivers all along the peace park. As soon as the blossom blooms, then the crowds will follow.

"I Could Ski every Day".

"I could honestly ski every day", just as long as my body would let me. We have been three time this year and with lots of day passes in the 'back burner', we are defiantly going to go some more. Geihoku Kokusai 芸北国際 will be the ski field we will try and get to as often as possible.

Now this is not the way to celebrate the coming of the ski season. Winners don't drink like this. They normally sit at a table. But I don't think there is a table big enough for this bottle. We struggled to get it through the door.