As defined by the Japanese, we have just entered into what we call early summer, which lasts from May 6 to June 5 this year. There is a scientific reason for the early summer, but one could wonder, “Isn’t it too early?”. Well, let’s leave it as it is. Anyway, this period is most likely the best season not only for people, but also for plants and animals.

Here is a Haiku by Sodo Yamaguchi (1642-1716), depicting early summer in a straight forward way that is easily understood by today’s young people.

 Come fresh green leaves,

      Summer birds in the mountains, and

             the first bonitos, summer begins

(a translation by the author, trying to make it more understandable for non-Japanese readers)  

Selected photos of early summer from my album:

                 Khohoku new town, northern Yokohama, May 6, 2015

Motomachi, a fashionable shopping        A herb doctor’s old house in

district in Yokohama,  May 4, 2009        Yakushiike park, Machida,

                                                                   May 5, 2009

Jyokeiji, a Buddhist temple,                  Jike countryside, northern          Kawasaki, June 6, 2009                        Yokohama, May 2, 2010

                                           Tsurukawa, Machida, May 3, 2010

     Kohoku new town,                                  Kobe, May 10, 2010

      northern Yokohama,            

     May 5, 2010

Yakusiike park, Machida,                       In the vicinity of Yamashita-       June 11, 2012                                     koen (park), Yokohama, May 2,                                                            2013   

Center Minami (south), northern      Rice planting in the Jike countryside Yokohama, May 3, 2013                  northern Yokohama, May 27, 2013

Yakushiike park, Machida,                    Center kita (north), northern     

May 31, 2013                                             Yokohama, June 1, 2013 

                         Nakamachidai area, northern Yokohama, June 6, 2013

Center minami (south),              Shogakuji, a Buddhist temple in     

northern Yokohama,                  Kohoku new town, northern         

May 3, 2014                                Yokohama,June 17, 2014

Center minami (south), northern     Center minami (south),            Yokohama, May 6, 2015                 northern Yokohama, May 26, 2015   

In the vicinity of Yamashita-koen          Motomachi, Yokohama, June 2,     (park), Yokohama, June 2, 2015          2015

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