Visit Japan 3 - Niigata and Chiba

I spent 3 days in Niigata at Sashi's house and met her charming husband, Toshi. I really like their Japanese garden though small but well crafted. In the evening of 17 July, both of them took me to Fukushimagata Nature Park which was about 15 minutes drive from their house. A hot day, I declined to take a walk around the lake but it would be marvelous in spring or autumn. I was charmed by the old traditional Japanese house there with thatched roof, open guest and tea area. The show house is near a lake and green rice field.


























Sashi told me in spring the field around the lake and the traditional house there turned to be yellow full of wild flowers as in the photo curtsy of Sashi.
The photos she took last spring made me think of coming to Niigata again some day for the yellow wild flowers and cherry blossom or sakura. It must be a great sight to see field of wild flowers and rows of cherry blossoms blooming profusely.









The area around this lake and around the the old traditional house is decorated by yellow wild flowers which became a tourist attraction in spring. Even without the wild flowers the view is still great















With Toshi at Fukushimagata lake or lagoon.














Blue hyndrangea or Ajisu in Japanese grow in abundance around the lake and everywhere else.











The second visit to Fukushimagata Nature park was on 23 July on the other side of the park where for the first time I saw Devil Lotus or Oni lotus, a rare specie. The leaves are so huge, wrinkly and thorny on the back of the leaves and the flowers are tiny, blue-purple in colour. I picked up a medium size leave which have been cut and held it for photograph.

The road of the park was lined with cherry blossom trees flanked with green rice field and the lake.








Oni lotus or Devil lotus with tiny bluish-purple in colour, almost comical to the huge leaves.




















Young leave of oni lotus.















Our slow drive took us to hydrangea flowers and pink lotus grow in abundance. The house owners living opposite the park enjoyed the beautiful view and no one attempted to destroy or steal the lotus. How nice if the same asituation exists in Malaysia without the presence of greedy hands.
























































Beside nature park, Sashi took me to Farmers Markets in Niigata. It was also something different from the farmers market in Malaysia. The farmers sell their own produce and their photos or explanation of their produce was exhibit together with their produce. It was amazing to see real fresh vegetables and they look huge, so delicious.















A farmer's produce at the farmers market.














Leek or welsh onion grown at a farm near a farmers market.











On 26 July, as the hot summer sun was sheltered by thick cloud, the weather became cool and pleasant and good for walking. Sashi and I with Hiro, went for walk in a beautiful nature park in Chiba, the Ibanuma Lake. Again the walking path was lined with cherry blossom trees and blue hydrangea flowers or Ajisai in Japanese. One side of the lake is green rice field where there is a Dutch windmill built in 1994 as a symbol of goodwill between Japan and the Netherlands. It was the first wind-driven water pump in Japan.

























Engrossed with flower seeds.












With Hiro, Sashi's son at the windmill.









It was a refreshing walk to prepare our appetites for my farewell Japanese dinner at Shouya Japanese Restaurant in Chiba - a typical Japanese food with uncooked fresh fish and vegetables. The taste is definitely different and more fresh than what we got in Malaysia. I just love the fresh salmon and the Japanese green beans.