Tag Archives: soybeans

Life In Japan: Harvesting Soybeans

Soybeans are called kuromame — 黒豆 — here in Japan, literally ‘black beans’. Because when they are left on the vine to completely mature, they dry, become very hard, and are a deep ebony color. When they are harvested earlier, they are green and soft, and are called edamame — 枝豆. Continue reading

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Life In Japan: Festival of the Portable Shrines

Every year during the third week in October we have a most unique and marvelous festival here called the Festival of the Portable Shrines, as the streets fill with colorful costumes, huge shrines either on wheels or being carried by the heartier men — many of whom are extremely inebriated on local sake — and visitors from all over who come to enjoy the festivities. Continue reading

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Life In Japan: Planting Soybeans

Fasten your seat belts. The excitement builds fast as we make a hole, then insert greenhouse-grown seedling, push the dirt back in the hole, wait, read a book, build an atomic submarine in a bottle out of old match sticks, wait some more, fertilize the plant a couple times in the summer, keep waiting (patience is very important in farming), as things on the soybean growing scene keep gathering momentum. Then finally sometime in October it all builds to a final earth-shaking, rib-rattling, jaw-dropping finale. Continue reading

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Life In Japan: A Lost Wallet

Every year in October, we have here in Sasayama — my hometown — the Festival of the Portable Shrines. It’s one of my favorites! An incident occurred during this year’s festival which speaks volumes about the people here and the general level of moral integrity. Continue reading

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Life In Japan: “I love Japan!”

Taking time to appreciate the beauty in the world makes a beautiful person. Continue reading

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