Hi there! Autumn in Kyushu, Japan is so beautiful. In Japanese we have a term to describe a fine autumn sunny day . On the fine autumn sunny day, the sky is so high and there is no cloud. In this season, many schools and local communities throw sports festivals and kids are running around the sports  ground so cheerfully. And it is also a rice harvesting season. In a countryside where I live, you can see such scenes below in this time of the year.

みなさん、こんにちは。日本の秋はとても美しい季節です。日本語には「秋晴れ」という言葉があり、空高く雲ひとつない晴天の元、多くの学校や地域は運動会を開いて、子供達が元気いっぱいに外を駆け回ります。また、稲刈りもこの時期になされて、田舎では田んぼに杭を打ち込んで稲穂が干されている様が広がり、とても美しい風景となります。

Around late September, these red wild flowers come up on the banks in countryside of Japan. It is believed in Buddhism that these flowers are symbolic in the paradise. I, personally associate this season with an oil painting of Van Gogh’s “Harvesting”.

毎年お彼岸頃になると、咲き誇る彼岸花を愛でるのも田舎暮らしの楽しみです。私はいつもこの稲刈りの季節になると、ゴッホの絵画「収穫」を思い出します。

When I was a little girl, I used to listen to sounds of farm tractors from outside on a Sunday of early October. And I looked down the outside from my room’s window, this very sight was just in front of me.

幼少の頃いつも十月の頭になると、ウィーンウィーンという耕運機の稲を刈る音が、のどかな日曜の昼下がりに聞こえて来て、実家の自分の部屋から見下ろす景色はまさにこの油絵の世界でした。

I got newly harvested rice from my cousin who is growing it.

今年も親戚が作っている田んぼで収穫された新米を頂きました。

It is literally “eat-local” and you can see a face of the person who made it. Isn’t it such a big blessing that I can eat it every day? Yes, my country life in Kyushu, Japan is so COOL!

地産地消で、文字通り生産者の顔が見えるお米を、日々の糧として食べることができるというのは、本当の贅沢です。九州のカントリー・ライフ、素敵でしょ？

Have a lovey day and night! See you next time!

ではみなさんも、素敵な日々をお過ごしください。