Tour Report on September 24

Thank you very much to all the guests for joining our tour despite heavy rain.

We welcomed 25 guests from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and UK.

We feel sorry for those who stayed in Tokyo for past 1 week, because it had been raining for most of the day.  It is because Japan is now in Typhoon season.

Typhoon (Taifu in Japanese) is violent tropical rainstorms happened in the Pacific Ocean.  They usually hit Japan during July to October.  And if a typhoon lands on Japan Archipelago, it causes very strong wind and heavy rain resulting floods and destroy trees, houses, and so on.  We carefully watch weather forecast about the course of typhoon and try to be ready for protection when needed.    Typhoon is named with number in order of happening in the season, i.e. Typhoon #1,”2…  We already had 16 typhoons and of which 6 landed on Japan.  The day of the tour’s rain was the impact of Typhoon #16.  We may have several more typhoons on coming month, but the weather of coming week seems better. And generally speaking, October is the best season for leisure and travelling, so I hope visitors will have nice and comfortable weather.   At the same time, I pray for the people and place that suffered from damages by the typhoon.

By the way, when it is raining, our tour guides consider the tour route, and stop at place where you are not wet as much as possible.

Now changing the subject.

This flower is called “Higanbana”, in English, Read Spider Lily.  “Higan” is equinoctial week, twice a year in spring and autumn.  During the week, people visit Temple to held Buddhist memorial service for the deceased.  Higan means “the other side of the river crossed by the dead person” in Buddhist term.  In order to comfort the spirit of the ancestors, people visit ancestors’ grave -which usually placed in a temple- and pray.

Higanbana is autumn flower, blooms just this timing.  This flower has reverse ecology, i.e. first flower blooms, and then leaf comes, blooms in autumn and withers up in spring. People in old time had fear toward this flower, because it is different from usual ecology, so they name something related to other world.  Nevertheless, this flower is in special shape and color and very beautiful.  Red flower is common, but there are also white and pink flower.  You can enjoy the flower at Imperial Palace East Garden.  Please join the tour coming week, so that you still can enjoy!

There is one very gorgeous place that you can see splendid view of Red Spider Lily.   The place is called “Kinchakuda” in Saitama prefecture.  At this time of the year, the field is filled with many Red Spider Lily as if it is red carpet!

We have regular tour every Saturday p.m. and also some irregular tour on Sunday and weekday.   When you plan to come to Tokyo, please check our website or Facebook and see if there is any tour planned.

We always welcome you!

(posted by Sachimi)