Autumn Has Already Arrived in Kushiro
The daytime high has been staying below 20°C for days now.
The leaves are already beginning to fall, and the autumn colors are starting to appear.
Everyone I meet greets me with the same words: “It’s cold, isn’t it?”
The National Geographic Resolution, an expedition cruise ship with an ice-strengthened hull, has docked at Kushiro’s earthquake-resistant quay.
With the unusual-looking cruise ship alongside a Sanma fishing boat, it’s a scene that feels uniquely Kushiro.
River Rangers
An article about our recent field survey tour, along with some photos, has been featured in the River Rangers News.
Thank you, everyone, for all your hard work?and for making it such a wonderful experience!
Panicled Hydrangeas and Rowan Berries
Summer flowers and autumn berries have arrived together!
The flower beds at the Kushiro City Art Museum are looking absolutely gorgeous.
Discovering the Fun of Museums Through Museum Merchandise
I never knew this existed!
It’s pretty niche, but I guess learning and having fun are really not so different after all.
September Photo Walk
We were blessed with beautiful weather, and many photographers joined us.
Harutori Lake is full of nature and packed with fun.
Thank you all for joining us!
Wildflowers of Harutori Lake
・The tiny flowers of Mizosoba are now in full bloom. Its distinctive cow-face-shaped leaves make it easy to recognize.
・The Giant False Lily (Cardiocrinum cordatum) has already gone to seed. From now on, it will release many seeds and enter a long, quiet stage of growth before finally flowering again about seven years later.
・The beautiful flowers of monkshood are in bloom. The entire plant is poisonous, so it's best not to touch it.
・The circular flower bed at Harutori Lake is also in full bloom. The plants were carefully selected to be less attractive to the many deer that live around the lake.
9月6日:フォトウォーク:
春採湖ネイチャーセンター主催のイベントです。
みんな楽しそうでしょ。
Photo Walk
This is an event organized by the Harutori Lake Nature Center.
Everyone looks like they’re having such a great time, don’t they?
Junko Studio
During my stay here, I took dance lessons at Junko Studio almost every day.
I had to take a short break because I wasn’t feeling well for a while.
I can’t dance quite like I used to anymore.
But I had such a wonderful time!
Thank you so much for everything.
9月10日:釧路合同庁舎中庭:
普通に広い芝生の上で遊んでいる子供達って幸せだよね。
The Courtyard of the Kushiro Government Office
Kids playing freely on an ordinary, wide-open lawn like this, they must be happy, don’t you think?
Kushiro Tairyō Donpaku Festival
Kushiro’s biggest festival, Donpaku, has begun.
The Donpaku Fireworks Festival is the highlight of the event.
On the spacious earthquake-resistant quay, sheets and chairs are lined up as people reserve their spots for the fireworks.
But doesn’t it look rather elegant?
Kushiro is such a relaxed and beautiful place.
Since it’s quite cold outside, I watched the fireworks from the 13th floor of my hotel.
Dontpaku Fireworks
The biggest event of the Dontpaku Fireworks Festival.
It’s the spectacular 3-shaku-dama, a giant firework measuring about 90 cm in diameter.
Many photographers gather to capture this magnificent moment.
Dontpaku Fireworks
Except for the 3-shaku-dama, the fireworks are launched from a location close to the Fisherman’s Wharf on the Kushiro River.
This year’s display was a little more subdued than usual.
The Donpaku Fireworks Are Over
After 8 p.m., the downtown area of Kushiro was completely jammed with traffic.
People and cars were caught in a once-a-year traffic jam.
Maybe that's part of the fun, too...
Donpaku Festival Events
Various events are held along the spacious earthquake-resistant wharf.
There are festivals and lots of food stalls, so you can have a really great time!
What caught my attention was a Model T Ford.
They even started up the engine for me.
Amazing! The basic engine system of a car is surprisingly similar to what we have today.
Donpaku Is One of Kushiro's Greatest Pride and Joys
It really is the best festival in Japan!
It's so huge that just walking around can be quite a workout.
Lots of my friends come, and there are also so many young people enjoying the festival.
Swordfish Fishing Boat
The boat moored at the quay of Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf MOO is a swordfish fishing boat.
It is easily recognized by its lookout tower and long harpoon.
9月14日:さんま:
さすが釧路だね。
少し小さいサイズだけど美味しそうだよ。
Pacific Saury
This is Kushiro, after all!
They’re a little on the small side, but they look delicious.
Kushiro Sunset
They say the sunset from Nusamai Bridge is one of the world’s three great sunsets.
Of course, that’s just something Kushiro likes to claim...
But honestly, it really is that beautiful.
The colors change with every passing moment.
In the end, the sky turned a deep crimson.
Kushiro Sunset
Another spectacular sunset painted the skies over Kushiro, just like yesterday.
Maybe it’s the autumn clouds that make the sky glow such a deep, beautiful red.
Kushiro Sunset
This is the third day in a row of Kushiro’s famous “World’s Three Best Sunsets.”
Today, I finally went down to Nusamai Bridge to take some photos.
As you can see, the sunset really was absolutely beautiful.
By the way, I’m staying at the hotel just to the right of the bridge.
Lunch
Here’s a collection of my recent daily meals out.
I’ve been eating at Escal in the Kushiro Government Office quite often?the set meal is only 680 yen.
The 500-yen set meal at Chinese restaurant Chairo was another great deal.
Sukiya and Iyo Seimen were also incredibly inexpensive.
The food I had while eating out in Kushiro was delicious!
9月18日:18日の日の出:
フェリーで仙台沖、日の出を迎える。
台風の影響か、若干波が高い。
Sunrise on the 18th
A sunrise at sea, aboard the ferry off the coast of Sendai.
Perhaps because of the typhoon, the waves were a little higher than usual.
Pizza for Dinner
On the 18th, the ferry docked at Oarai 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
I got home shortly after 3 p.m.
For dinner, I simply picked up a freshly baked pizza from TOP.
Cheap and delicious!
9月19日:新米:
やっと昔の価格に戻ったね。
良かったというべきかな。
New Rice
The price has finally come back down to what it used to be.
I guess we should be happy about that.
Sashimi
It may seem a little strange to have seafood right after coming back from Kushiro.
But this seafood is just as fresh as what we had in Kushiro.
It was absolutely delicious.
Pasta
In Kushiro, I was eating frozen pasta, so it was nice to cook pasta from scratch again after a long time.
The aroma of 100% Parmigiano is simply wonderful.
Cooking really is the best!
Spare Ribs
I cooked these spare ribs for 10 hours at a low temperature.
But really, it was 10 hours of just leaving them alone!
They turned out incredibly tender and absolutely delicious.
I love this!
After the Typhoon
Mt. Fuji and Tokyo Skytree this morning.
It’s a view I haven’t seen for quite a while.
You can also see downtown Tokyo very clearly.
The Kanto Plain is incredibly flat, so even a slight depression can collect water.
9月22日:スペアリブバゲット:
低温調理した芳醇な肉とバゲットの食感が最高です。
Spare Rib Baguette
The rich, tender meat cooked sous vide pairs perfectly with the texture of the baguette.
Absolutely delicious!
Dontpaku Fireworks
Except for the 3-shaku-dama, the fireworks are launched from a location close to the Fisherman’s Wharf on the Kushiro River.
This year’s display was a little more subdued than usual.