Ueno Farm

As I have written in the previous post, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Hokkaido in mid June. On 20th June, we visited Ueno Farm in Asahikawa City. Although Ueno Farm is called a farm, it is actually a wonderful garden. The farm is based on an English-style garden that has been rearranged and adapted to suit the climate and soil conditions of Hokkaido. The farm extends over 7000 square meters and expresses the native seasonal plants of Japan’s northern lands. The farm has a wide variety of hardy perennial plants, and the atmosphere and colors of the garden changes according to the season. The farm is gorgeous in all the seasons with many colorful variations of flowers throughout the year. The farm also has variety of animals and birds which makes it a pleasant place to visit.

Ueno Farm was opened in 1906 by a farmer born in Miyagi prefecture, and since then the farm has passed from generation to generation. Ueno Farm originally sold rice. The farm directly dealt with the customers, so when the customers would stop by to pick up their products, they would be greeted with hospitality. This was partly achieved by planting flowers along the roadside and footpaths in the farm. Furthermore, from that desire to have visitors enjoy the rural scenery, the farm people made paths in the fields as well as planted many colorful flowers, and strived to create a picturesque view so that anyone could enjoy a stroll around. Such hospitality continued for several decades. However, Ueno Sayuki, the present owner and member of Ueno Family, went to United Kingdom in the year 2000 to study gardening. She was shocked at the style of English gardening she found there. She appreciated such gardening style very much and decided to bring the style back home. After returning to Asahikawa, she was given her own field to start a garden in Ueno Farm. She devoted more and more of her time to gardening in the farm and the style of the farm changed completely. After completing her English-style garden, visitors flocked from nearby Asahikawa and beyond to visit. And in just one season the farm received over 50000 visitors. The farm gives visitors an opportunity to view flora that thrives in Hokkaido’s unique climate at different times of the year.

As written in the previous post, hubby and I stayed at a hotel in Asahikawa City on the nights of 18th and 19th June. On 20th June, we left the hotel at about 10.15 am, and went to Ueno Farm located within Asahikawa City itself. The farm was located about 14 kilometers northeast of the hotel, and it took us about 30 minutes of car (rented) ride to reach the farm. We parked the car at a parking lot located near the entrance area of the farm and entered the farm premises. At the entrance area, we paid 800 Yen per person as admission fee to enter the garden area inside the farm. The moment we entered the garden, we felt as if we were transported to another world altogether.

I am standing near a board with Ueno Farm written on it

I am standing near the entrance area of Ueno Farm

We were given these cute stickers as tickets for entering the garden area inside the farm

It was a rainy day, and the drizzling rain put a bit of a damper on our spirits. But we were delighted to see a goose and her grown up goslings walking around freely at the entrance area inside the farm. We also saw a rooster and a hen roaming around freely in the farm. The rooster looked majestic and the hen with black and splendid feathers looked stunning. It was a wonderful and amusing experience to see the birds from such a close range. Afterwards, we sat on the resting chairs set up inside the garden and enjoyed the beautiful views all around us. It was so relaxing.

I am standing along with a goose and her grown up goslings

The goose and her goslings feeding on insects and grass

It was wonderful to see the goose and her goslings from a close range

The goose

Hubby enjoying seeing the goslings walking around inside the farm

A rooster

A hen

I am sitting on a resting chair and relaxing inside the farm

Next, we walked around inside the garden in the drizzling rain. The garden had a large variety of plants and flowers, and was overflowing with beautiful sights and smells. The plants had an amazingly gorgeous radiant glow with many colorful variations of flowers all around us. The sound of leaves of the different plants moving in the wind, the sight and fragrance of the wonderful flowers, and the scent of the damp earth were very pleasing to our ears, eyes, and olfactory sense. It was quite an experience walking in the garden on a showery day. We enjoyed the stroll and had a nice, relaxing, and peaceful time. I would like to mention here that the farm garden is divided into various segments like Long Border, Gnome’s Garden, Mother’s Garden, Circle Border, Mirror Border, Purple Walk, and several more segments. We enjoyed the flowers and the landscaping of each segment of the garden. However for the sake of brevity, I have clicked photos and written about the garden in general without focusing on individual segments. In fact, the garden is too beautiful to fully capture in just photos, but still we clicked a few photos of us enjoying a pleasant walk through the garden.

I am standing in the Purple Walk (no flowers yet) area of the garden

I am standing in the Mirror Border area of the garden

I am standing with fresh plants and a few colorful flowers

The garden is wonderful

Hubby standing in the Gnome’s Garden area

I am standing in the Gnome’s Garden area

I am standing next to colorful flowers along with Gnome’s home in the background

Hubby enjoying the beautiful flowers

I love ferns

Next, we observed some of the plants and flowers in details while strolling in the garden. We were delighted to see so many species of unique and exotic plants and flowers. The explosion of colors from the huge variety of plants and blooms was amazing and impressive. We enjoyed viewing the colorful and magnificent flowers in full bloom. The picturesque views of the garden just blew us away. Afterwards, we stood in the center of the garden, closed our eyes, and just listened to the sounds and smelled the scented fragrance all around us. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Below are a few photos we took of the plants and colorful flowers while strolling in the garden.

Fresh green plants in Ueno Farm garden

Tiny white colored columbine flowers in the background, yellow colored patrinia flowers in the middle, and violet colored hardy geranium himalayense flowers in the foreground

Plants, colorful flowers, and a pond located at the Gnome’s Garden area. The flowering plants of mullein in the foreground make a great impact on the surroundings.

Explosion of colors at the Gnome’s Garden area with violet-blue colored anchusa capensis flowers and red or pink colored oriental poppy flowers

Pleasant view of oriental poppy flowers

A type of red colored rose

A stalk of violet-blue colored flowers

A bulb of purple colored giant allium flower

A pair of pink colored roses

Beautiful tiny violet-blue colored anchusa capensis flowers

Clusters of purple colored digitalis (foxglove) flowers

Clusters of pink-gin colored digitalis flowers

After enjoying viewing the colorful flowers in the garden, we walked along a pathway among the woods just outside the garden. The pathway led us to the base of a small mountain named Shatekiyama located adjacent to the garden. The mountain has an altitude of 171 meters and it actually seemed like a hill to me. We walked further a short distance up the mountain to reach the top. From the top, we got beautiful unbroken views of the surrounding landscape, nearby agricultural fields, and Daisetsuzan National Park in the far background. Standing at the mountaintop, we enjoyed the fantastic views all around us. In addition, we saw two stone statues of Enmusubi Jizo located at the top. These Jizo statues are considered to be the deities of matchmaking and marriage.

A pathway among the woods just outside the garden leading to the base of Mount Shatekiyama

While walking along the pathway, we saw a stone statue of a standing bear in the agricultural field

I am walking along the pathway

I am walking up Mount Shatekiyama

Hubby standing at the mountaintop

Surrounding landscape and agricultural fields as viewed from the mountaintop

Daisetsuzan National Park in the far background as viewed from the mountaintop

I am standing along with the two stone statues of Enmusubi Jizo located at the mountaintop

Afterwards, we walked down Mount Shatekiyama via a different route and saw stalks of brightly colored lupine flowers in full bloom near the base of the mountain. The blooming flowers created quite a picturesque view.

Walking down Mount Shatekiyama

Stalks of lupine flowers in full bloom near the base of the mountain

Hubby enjoying the flowers

The flowers and I

Stalks of pink and violet colored lupine flowers

Stalks of violet colored lupine flowers along with tiny white colored anemone dichotoma flowers in the background

A stalk of violet and white bi-colored lupine flowers

At this point, we finished the tour of Ueno Farm garden. We returned to the entrance area of the garden and went to a cafe and gift shop located within the garden premises. We bought delicious ice cream and enjoyed having it while watching the goose and her goslings feeding on insects and grass.

Hubby having ice cream and watching the goslings from a close range

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Ueno Farm. The garden with many plants and colorful blooming flowers was a wonderful sight to behold. In the evening we went to Hakodate City where we stayed overnight at a hotel located near the railway station. The next morning, on 21st June, we had a grand breakfast at a restaurant located within the hotel about which I will write in the next post.

Obon Holidays

From 11th to 17th August, hubby and I had been to our home in Ichinomiya City during the Obon Holidays. Obon is an annual Buddhist event to commemorate our ancestors. It is believed that each year during Obon, the spirits of ancestors return to this world in order to visit their relatives. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to welcome the spirits of ancestors, graves are visited, and food offerings are made at family altars. At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes, and seas so that the spirits can return into their world. However the customs followed may vary considerably from region to region. Obon is celebrated from 13th to 15th August every year.

10th August

During the Obon Holidays, first we went to Tokyo area for a couple of days and then proceeded to Ichinomiya. Our flight from Akita to Haneda was at about 4 pm on 10th August. Hubby and I reached Akita Airport at about 2 pm and bought souvenirs for all our relatives in Ichinomiya and also had lunch at the airport. A typhoon was approaching Kanto and Tohoku regions, and it was extremely windy that day. Due to the bad weather, the plane was shaking terribly during the entire one-hour flight and both of us were extremely uncomfortable. It was probably one of the worst flight experiences for us so far. We reached Haneda Airport at about 5 pm and stayed at a nearby hotel for the night. After dinner, we immediately retired to bed as we were a bit tired due to the turbulent air travel.

Waiting to enter the airplane at Akita Airport

11th August

On the morning of 11th August, we stayed in the hotel room and relaxed. Hubby did some office-related work on his computer and I watched some television program. In the afternoon, we went to Tsukuba City where I had some personal work. On our way to Tsukuba City, we had to change trains several times. While changing trains the third time, we took a wrong train and ended up at a station we both had never heard about. I realized that we have got used to the slow village life in Akita prefecture. After reaching Tsukuba Railway Station, we had to walk along a paved walkway for about 10 minutes. The walkway is surrounded by huge trees and we heard the sound of cicadas all around us, which is usually associated with summer in Japan. Hubby remembered his childhood days and started playing with the insects on tree trunks. It took us about three hours to finish the work I had, and afterwards we did some window shopping at a huge shopping complex in Tsukuba itself. At about 5.30 pm we had early dinner at a family-style Italian restaurant named Saizeriya located in the shopping complex itself. We had pizza, pasta, hamburger steak, and a few cold drinks. We enjoyed the food very much but we overate. Afterwards we returned back to the hotel near Haneda Airport where we stayed for one more night.

Waiting at some railway station in Tokyo area after getting down from a wrong train we boarded

Hubby playing with cicadas on tree trunks in Tsukuba City

Our dinner at Saizeriya

Hubby having pizza

Hubby having pasta

12th August

On 12th August, hubby and I went to see Tokyo Skytree located in Sumida Ward of Tokyo metropolis, about which I will write a separate post later on. In the evening, we took Shinkansen bullet train from Shinagawa Railway Station in Tokyo area and reached Nagoya at about 7 pm. From there we took a local train and reached our home in Ichinomiya City by 7.30 pm. On reaching our home, we immediately retired to bed as we were rather tired due to sightseeing and travel.

Tokyo Skytree

13th August

On the morning of 13th August, hubby, his father, father’s wife, and I visited my late mother-in-law’s grave located near our home in Ichinomiya. Father-in-law cleaned the gravestone with water, offered flowers, and lit some candles and incense sticks, and we all offered our prayers.

Father-in-law cleaning my late mother-in-law’s gravestone with water

Cleaning the candle holders

Father-in-law and his wife arranging flowers to be placed at my late mother-in-law’s grave

Mother-in-law’s grave decorated with beautiful flowers

Afterwards we returned home, and hubby started working in our small garden located at the back of our home. We usually do not stay in Ichinomiya, so the three cherry tomato saplings that we had planted in the month of May had grown too much. Father-in-law told us that he had probably harvested about 200 cherry tomatoes. We saw that many green chilli peppers had also grown and we harvested all of them. We worked in the garden for almost two hours, which was very relaxing.

Hubby appreciating our garden

Green chilli peppers

Hubby working in our garden

The work continues

Later, hubby and I had lunch at a curry rice restaurant named Curry House CoCo Ichibanya located near our home. Hubby had chicken meatball topped with soft-boiled egg curry and I had squid curry. Of course, we tasted each others curry too. I feel that CoCo Ichibanya is the best curry rice restaurant chains in Japan.

Our lunch of chicken meatball topped with soft-boiled egg curry (top photo) and squid curry (bottom)

Hubby having lunch

I am having lunch

After lunch, hubby and I returned home. At about 3 pm hubby’s sister and her family, who live nearby, visited our home. It was a very hot and humid day, and both the daughters of my sister-in-law wished to play in a pool. So father-in-law and hubby set up an inflatable pool in the front car parking lot of our home. It took about 15 minutes to inflate and another 15 minutes to fill with water. Our nieces had lots of fun playing with water inside the pool. The nieces were armed with plastic water guns and sprayed water at their uncle. So their uncle used the garden water system and sprayed water on the girls. Sister-in-law and the nieces also blew soap bubbles, and they are really expert at that. However the solution bottle was empty in about 15 minutes. So hubby and his sister tried making new soap bubble solution in a plastic bucket using home ingredients but their experiment failed. However the nieces enjoyed playing with the incredible amount of foam produced in the bucket. We all played for about 1.5 hours and it was pure fun playing with the nieces.

Nieces playing in the inflatable pool and using water gun to spray water at their uncle

Uncle using garden water system to spray water on the girls

Younger niece making a soap bubble

Brother and sister trying to make soap bubble solution in a plastic bucket

Nieces got busy playing with the foam produced in the bucket

So the elders got to play in the pool

But the nieces soon reclaimed the pool

At about 5 pm, hubby’s uncle (father-in-law’s older brother) and his wife visited us. We all gathered in the Buddhist altar room of our home. In fact, the altar room is a common room connecting our home to father-in-law’s home. The family altar is really grand and exotic. We prayed in front of the altar to welcome the soul of my late mother-in-law and all the ancestors, which is the purpose of Obon. My father-in-law offered Somen noodles at the altar, lit candles and incense sticks, and read some Sutras from a sacred book. We all chanted the Sutras in unison. We were sitting in the Japanese kneeling style called Seiza for the prayers, and after about 5 minutes I was extremely uncomfortable. After the prayers were over, it was difficult for me to stand up as my legs were completely numb. But I was filled with a sense of fulfillment for carrying out our traditional family duties.

Buddhist family altar in our home

Enlarged view of the central portion of the altar

Candles and incense sticks in front of the altar

Offerings of Somen noodles at the altar

My late mother-in-law’s photo hanging from a wall in the altar room

All the elders praying at the altar room

We all joined in to pray for our ancestors

After the prayers, we gathered in father-in-law’s home and chatted for some time. I chatted a lot with my sister-in-law. Hubby played some card game with his younger niece. Father-in-law showed us his new rather expensive tailor-made Yukata with the Kanji characters ‘Harumafuji’ written all over it. Father-in-law is a fan of Sumo wrestler Harumafuji Kohei.

Father-in-law wearing his tailor-made Yukata

Hubby playing a card game with younger niece

I tried taking a selfie with my sister-in-law

Tired after a day full of adventure

At about 6.30 pm, we went for dinner at a Yakiniku restaurant located near our home. We were a party of nine people. The restaurant does not have many tables for large parties and so we were split up and sat at two different tables that were back to back. We had various kinds of meat like Rosu, Karubi, Tan, Horumon, and chicken that we cooked ourselves on a grill burner built into the table. It was fun to cook ourselves and eat with sister-in-law and her daughters. We overate and were hardly able to walk back home. It was really a fun-filled day spent with our relatives.

Father-in-law and his wife (left) along with father-in-law’s older brother and his wife (right) having dinner at Yakiniku restaurant

Sister-in-law and her daughters having dinner

Older niece enjoying grilled chicken

Younger niece having grilled Tan

I am having dinner

Grilling meat on the burner built into the table

14th August

On 14th August, my father-in-law, his wife, and my hubby went to play golf at six in the morning. They were going to return only in the evening. I preferred to stay at home as I am not interested in golf. I cleaned the house thoroughly. We hardly stay at our Ichinomiya home and some dust had gathered on everything, so cleaning took a lot of time. While cleaning I found a few toys that hubby played with in his early childhood. Afterwards, I set up a small Hindu prayer area in one corner inside our home. It is very difficult to find Hindu prayer items in Japan, but I could purchase a wooden altar, brass lamps, incense stand, and prayer beads online. It feels good to now have a Hindu prayer altar in our home. It was almost 4 pm by the time I finished cleaning the home and setting up the Hindu prayer altar. I was very tired and thirsty and had red Shiso-leaf juice that hubby’s aunt had made herself and given us the previous day. The cold and sweet juice was very refreshing.

Bear eating fish - a toy from hubby’s childhood

Hindu prayer altar

Red Shiso-leaf juice

At about 5.30 pm, hubby returned home after playing golf. He was very tired and slept for an hour or so. Meanwhile I cooked a simple dinner of pork Shogayaki, Miso soup, rice, sunny side up fried eggs, and vegetable salad. We enjoyed having the simple meal while watching some television program. But hubby was hungry again just after an hour of having dinner. So I made instant Ramen noodles for him. He probably played a lot of golf that day and needed the extra food to regain his energy. Afterwards hubby freshened up and fell asleep on the sofa itself.

Our dinner

Hubby having dinner

Instant Ramen noodles

Hubby having Ramen noodles

Hubby fast asleep on the sofa

15th August

On 15th August, hubby and I went to see Tojinbo Cliffs located in Fukui prefecture about which I will write a separate blog post later on. It was a full day trip and we returned home at about 10 pm.

Tojinbo Cliffs

16th August

On 16th August, hubby and I cleaned the backyard of our home. As I stated earlier in this post, we hardly stay in our Ichinomiya home, so a lot of dried leaves and many other garbage had piled up in the backyard. Afterwards hubby assembled a step ladder for our home wooden deck.

Hubby assembling a step ladder

Hubby appreciating our garden

Afterwards we had lunch at a restaurant named ‘The Meshiya’ located about 8 kilometers southeast of our home, and it took us about 20 minutes of car ride to reach the restaurant. In fact every time we go to Ichinomiya, we make it a point to have at least one meal at this restaurant. It is a family-style restaurant that serves Japanese cuisine. We had Oden cooked in red Miso, chicken Karaage, Nikujaga, grilled fish Yakizakana, Tonjiru, vegetable salad, and rice. We love the food served at this restaurant. After returning home we just relaxed and enjoyed watching some television program.

Our lunch

Hubby having lunch

I am having lunch

17th August

On 17th August, hubby and I left our home in Ichinomiya at about 5 am, took a train to Centrair Airport, from where we took a flight back to Akita. We reached Akita Airport at about 9.30 am. On reaching the car parking lot of the airport, we realized that the battery of our car was dead. A nearby gas-station staff helped in fixing the problem but it was just a temporary fix. Later hubby had to replace the car battery at a repair shop.

The battery of our car is dead

Stranded at Akita Airport

We loved going to our home in Ichinomiya City and meeting our relatives during Obon Holidays.