japan-minka

[japan-minka]

Today's Ikebana - Shades of pink lisianthus

#ikebana #sogetsu #japanese flower arrangements #hana #lisianthus #rabbit #usagi #minka #日本 #country living #Koransha Co. Ltd #ingegerd raman #koransha co. #ltd. #potteries #wieki somers #Koransha

[japan-minka]

Farmers' Lunch...

... including fresh takenoko from the forest (from the shoots with their tops already eaten by the wildlife).

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #bamboo #shoots #takenoko

[japan-minka]

Minka Ofuro

Our minka's bath and shower area was reformed in the 1970s. Though serviceable, it needs some work, and we are looking at both system options and local designers.

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #design #ofuro #bath #oya

[japan-minka]

Minka Rear Path

At the rear of the minka, we have a recycled path that contains stones and a mix of a few broken plates, vases and pieces of a ceramic toilet or two, an old basin, a bath, and yesterday some nice green circular tiles from a good friend.

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #jari

[japan-minka]

Today's ikebana

Freshening up last week's flowers with some of the new momoji shoots.

#japan #country life #hana #ikebana #sogetsu #japanese flower #japanese flower arrangement #japanese farmhouse #kokeshi #japanese wooden doll #shido shozan #noritake

[japan-minka]

Spring colors

Local valley is bursting with color...

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #spring

[japan-minka]

Takenoko

The annual fight with the saru, kyon, enoshishi, and shikka has started again. Unfortunately, due to no hunters in our area, and a reducing amount of farming, many wild animals are now in near plague proportions and with other crops, they decimate the bamboo forests.

Last season, we managed to save just a few of the needed replacement shoots, and this year (with a few traps), we've been able to save a few more.

In some areas, the bamboo has completely died off, and the increasing animal populations are now foraging wider and wider for food, including in populated areas.

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #bamboo #takenoko

[japan-minka]

Wild poppies

Part of the work-from-home benefits; being delivered flowers when slaving away over a hot keyboard...

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #ikebana #flowers #poppies

[japan-minka]

Today's Ikebana - Flowers from the garden

All around our valley, flowers are bursting into bloom, and the hills are filled with colour. In particular the first of the azeleas (tsutsuji) have come into bloom. I love this three-leafed variety or mitsuba tsutsuji, which brings the most glorious, intense violet colour to our mountains and valleys.

#tsutsuji #azalea #mistuba tsutsuji #hana #flowers #ikebana #japan #kokeshi #shido shozan #Japanese wooden dolls

[japan-minka]

Sakura spotting in our local area.

#japan #country life #日本 #country living #sakura #cherry blossoms #hana #chiba #minka #Kimitsu #spring

[japan-minka]

Enoshishi capture

With our back forest recently undermined by a wild boar, we relocated some snare. A 50kg enoshishi can do a lot of damage, including to the humane snare wires. Frequent repairs are necessary...

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #chiba #enoshishi #wild boar

[japan-minka]

Kominato-sen

Yesterday we took the day off to revisit some of the magical Kominato stations.

#japan #日本 #train #country living #kominato #chiba #train trip #japanese trains #spring flowers #sping

[japan-minka]

Today's Ikebana - Calla Lilly

#japan #country life #日本 #japanese farmhouse #ikebana #spring flowers #flower #calla lily #flower arrangement #sogetsu #noritake

[japan-minka]

Genkan storage

As much as we would like to be pretty and neat, a minka is still a minka, and we are in the countryside - toyu, helmets, change-over-switch from Tepco to generator, and other farm-like stuff is still needed.

We've been looking for a relatively tidy solution for a while, and with the new lawn furniture seat cushions needing a home too, we found a used stainless kitchen rack that does a decent job (after we cut its feet off).

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #chiba #genkan

[japan-minka]

Mishima-ko dam repair status

With today's guerrilla rain, the repair section of the interior wall handles the overflow. The new apron, now to be extended the full length of the wall next season, will raise the wall to pre-damage levels is on the right.

The noise and spray of an overflowing dam is always enjoyable.

#japan #country life #民家 #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #chiba #dam

[japan-minka]

Modern Tokio

#japan #tokio

[japan-minka]

This Week's Ikebana - Flowers From the Garden

The first of our spireas is out in bloom, along with the various varieties of daffodils we planted a few years ago, which have thankfully survived the deer and boars. They are paired with kokeshi by Shido Shouzan and Kuribayashi Issetsu.

#japan #日本 #country living #japanese farmhouse #hana #daffodils #ikebana #sogestu #kokeshi #japanese flower arrangement #minka #shido shouzan #kuribayshi issetsu