Seasonal Scenery

Seasonal Scenery

Spring

As the cold of winter abates, signs of the long-awaited spring appear. The city bursts into bloom with apricot and cherry blossoms. Along the banks of the Abukuma River, throng join in the festival of the yellow flower blossoms, and in parks everywhere people come out to view the beautiful cherry blossoms.

In the surrounding mountains, adorned with fresh greenery, it is time to go hiking and to gather wild vegetables.

Summer

In summer the hills of Kakuda are splendid in their deep green finery. At the end of July each year, over 400 participants gather to vie with each other for top speed and creativity in a raft race on the Abukuma River.

Summer is also the season of festivals. The beginning of August each year is marked by the Kanazu Star Festival. This is a simple affair, continued from the Edo Era, where male children march through the city holding Japanese lanterns.

In mid-August the main event of the year, the Kakuda Furusato (hometown) Festival, gets underway. On the night before the festival, a huge fireworks display lights up the Abukuma riversides. Then, on the day of the festival, Kakuda residents parade through the center of the city decked out in their summer kimonos (yukata).

Autumn

In the paddies outside the town, golden heads of rice wave gently in the autumn breeze. Autumn is the time for enjoying picking ‘nashi’ (Japanese pears) and grapes in the orchards on the outskirts of the city. At the beginning of November the annual Riverside Marathon attracts many runners from cities near and far to the shores of the Abukuma River.

By mid-November the nearby mountains are bathed in the reds and yellows of autumn, creating a breathtaking sight.

Winter

With the arrival of winter, snow carpets the homes and fields of Kakuda. Hundreds of swans fly in from Siberia to visit as seasonal residents of the Teshiroginuma Pond and Uchimachiko Lake.

On January 14th, the Donto Festival livens up the city. Young people dressed as heroes march from temple to shrine around the city praying for safety at home, for protection from sickness and disasters, and for prosperous business in the new year.