We’re wrapping up another hot, humid August at Obubu, and the rice fields in town are starting to yellow as the first signs of autumn make themselves known. Dragonflies dance in the golden afternoon sun and thunderstorms sweep through town, giving us nighttime lightshows and refreshing showers.
It’s been a quiet month on the farm for both tourism and tea, but that gives us lots of time to focus on some much-needed maintenance and cleaning tasks. After the craziness of spring and summer harvests, this quiet season is a good time for us to reset and prepare for the autumn. Nevertheless we’ve hosted some exciting events, a highlight being our annual school trip from Yokohama High School. Read on to learn about our week of fun farm activities and more!
Yokohama High School visit
In early August, we coordinated our annual 3-day tea farm visit for Yokohama High School students! We were excited to welcome 22 high school students onto our farm, to participate in farming activities as well as attending and supporting tours, hand-rolling tea, and more. In between activities, students participated in seminar discussions with our interns and AMs, sharing their experiences and impressions. Between these discussions and shared meals, new friendships formed and connections were made.
Hearing high schoolers talk about their learning experiences and excitement at discovering tea and farming is always an encouraging and affirming experience for us. At Obubu, so much of our work revolves around supporting a craft practiced by older generations, so an event like this where we get to pass it on to younger students made for a truly special week.
Obon Matsuri in Wazuka
Mid-August saw the Obon holiday season – this is a time of year when many people are traveling home to be with family, or otherwise honouring ancestors in the traditional Buddhist custom. In Wazuka this means matsuri, or festival! For the weekend of 14-16 August, our small town came alive with dancing, live music, food trucks, and community spirit.
Our co-founder Matsu-san, usually based in Nagasaki with our sister project Ikedoki Tea, came to visit, and we even had a surprise appearance from Akky-san, our lead farmer, as part of the town dance troupe! The festival was a wonderful time for our interns to connect with the local community here in Wazuka.
August Photo Gallery
Some happenings on the farm this month in the form of a photo gallery…
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