Short Short Spring

As I’ve already posted, the period of nice spring weather is very short in this Yonezawa area. It usually lasts a month or so. In early May, there were several chilly days like winter this year. 

As soon as those days were over, we had a quick-gone spring and the weather is now like summer. The temperature easily goes over 25 degree Celsius (77 degree Fahrenheit). There are only freezing winter and hot summer here in this region. 

This is where I live now.

Most of the readers of this page might not have clear ideas about Japanese geography and administrative system (btw, that sucks).  I’m giving you the basic information of them. Hope it will help you know what the country is like.

Please refer to the below.

• Japan Geography

http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1000.html

• Administrative District

http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1002.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefectures_of_Japan

And, the city I live is Yonezawa City in Yamagata prefecture which is located in the northern part of Japan’s main island.

• Yamagata Prefecture

http://wikitravel.org/en/Yamagata_(prefecture)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamagata_Prefecture

• Yonezawa City

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonezawa,_Yamagata

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/yamagata/yonezawa.html

I’ve been living in this area for a stint since April of 2012.  Everything, such as people attitude, culture, food, climate, accent/dialect,,, is quite different than Tokyo. I feel like I’ve moved to a foreign country. 

Downtown Yonezawa

Downtown Yonezawa

Downtown Yonezawa

Downtown Yamagata  (capital city of the prefecture)

summer suddenly has arrived in town.

about a couple weeks ago, the weather was still like in the winter. you needed to have a heater turn on early in the morning and at night.

but now, it's summer time wetaher.  the temp has drastically changed since all snow was gone in early may.  no spring season in yamagata, japan.

FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamagata_Prefecture

view from a hilltop

 towards the yonezawa valley and azuma maountains.

FYI:  Yonezawa City http://wikitravel.org/en/Yonezawa

scene of the morning in the early summer.

temp still goes down to around 10 degree celsius in the morning in yamagata. high one usually goes up to around 25 degree celsius in the afternoon. you can have winter and summer climate in a day in this region. hard to adjust yourself to it. 

watch out !!

found a funny sign on a train door.  it says "watch out your fingers".  ouch !!

this was on a trian of the tohoku line.  

FYR: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_Main_Line

view from a train ride.

train system in yamagata is so week that you'd better possess a car to move around.  but yamagata line running between yonezawa-yamagata-shinjo is convenient and quite nice to ride on. you can see nice views from the window and enjoy the landscape of typical countryside of japan. 

Murayama City, Yamagata

nice country side landscape.