TOTTORI PREFECTURE (2)

Before the monkeys of Nagano, we were as you might know (if you read the blog or my twitter account;) in Tottori Ken.

Tottori is the birth place of my wife so through the past years I have been there quite often, and I know it more than most of the Japanese! For people in Japan, Tottori is often known as the place where there are dunes (sometimes called the Japan desert !! o_O), and others who have interest in ski or trekking for example will know Daisen (å¤§å±± : The Big Mountain).

These photos were taken in the end of September in the middle of the harvesting season of the rice. It was actually my first visit in Tottori at this period of the year and so, the first time I saw the rice fields like this.

I first come to Japan as a Wwoofer in 2005 and worked in July and August in rice-fields and greenhouse.
In summer rice fields are like a muddy-water swimming-pool! I used to work barefoot (it was the most easy actually) and did not know at the time that sometimes there are some snakes in it... glurps...

I was lucky as the only animals I met in the tanbo (ç”°ã‚“ã¼ = rice-field) were the ducks who were used as "organic insecticide".

Anyway it is a good memory and maybe one day I will have my own tanbo (who knows;)!

If you wonder why sometimes you see old ladies who walk with a "broken back", well that's why, hours and hours in the fields...

For other fields than rice we used the word ç•‘ (Hatake : field, simply...). So this one is a fig hatake.

The wind can be strong in this area that is why they installed é¢¨è»Š (fusha = wind mill) to produce electricity.

The family's house is settled not far from a river and the sea.

The beach is... never ending. Some Tottori's spots are also well known among surfers.

Back home for a good lunch : rice, vegetables, fried fishes, sake and beers :)

And sometime a traditional green tea. It's bitter but I like it, usually some sweets are eaten at the same time.

A specialty from the area è‘¡è„ (grape). Nothing to do with the French one, it is huge!for the taste I still prefer the French's ;)

Some shots of Daisen.

Tombstones along the road, nothing unusual in Japan.

At an other corner of Tottori Ken (Ken meaning prefecture) :

Chizu city. This village (Itaibara) is in the middle of the mountain, not easy to reach but it's worth it. There is a nice café over there.

Well, time to take a plane to go back to Tokyo : last shopping if you forgot to buy some Omiyage (= ãŠåœŸç”£, small presents for your friends/co-workers)