Our Susono-based FSFA committee member Yoshio Noda presented the following report and slideshow at our July meeting held on Monday 6th July. By clicking on the first slide you can view a larger image of all 14 slides.
Yoshio takes an image of Fujisan almost every day, but the recent typhoons have inundated Susono with so much rain that it was not possible to see or photograph - hence Yoshio's most recent photo was taken on 17th June!
Today (7th July - or 7/7) is the much-celebrated Tanabata Festival! This is one of many Japanese folk tales FSFA uses as the set piece for our Japanese Speech Contest which is held on the first Friday evening in September each year. This year's contest is scheduled for Friday 4th September 2026!
Yoshio's Frankston friends arrival in Susono coincided with the arrival of the double typhoon and much rainfall. FSFA Life Member and Treasurer Bev Hannan, committee member Therese Sakamoto, and Mick Collard visited Susono after competing in a Ground Golf tournament in Yurihama, Tottori Prefecture. Mick finished second in his age group, the first Australian to medal in a Japanese tournament, and also scored a hole-in-one during the competition which included 380 competitors from 7 different countries.
Yoshio travels to the Sendai region of Japan twice a year to deliver lectures and classes to under graduate and post graduate students at Tohoku Gakuin University.
Hydrangeas (called Ajisai in Japan - hence the mascot pictured above is called Ajisai chan) typically bloom during the rainy season in June and July, making them a symbol and the most popular flower of the season.
The Lily Garden Festival in Fukuroi City, Japan, takes place at Kasui Yuri no Sono (Kasui Lily Garden). The festival runs every year from late May to early July, featuring over 2 million lilies of 150 different types.
As many of us will know from Yoshio's previous reports, food and seasonal dishes are very important in Japanese culture!
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi uses the Toyota Century SUV as her official state vehicle. The luxury chauffeur-driven car acts as a "moving office" for her busy political schedule. This upgraded vehicle replaced her previous Toyota Century sedan, carrying on a long tradition of utilizing premium Japanese cars for the nation's leaders.
