We are leaving Japan...

... next week already, because of a surprising and exciting, but very short-term job offer back in Germany.
I will miss Japan terribly, for lots of reasons, like for afternoons like the one when I took the photo above: We spent it with friends in their big garden, which included also a lotus pond.
The preparations for the moving started very smoothly two weeks ago, only the packing was left to be done, but then I had tonsillitis for one week, without being able to do anything than staying in bed, now our son has tonsillitis as well ... I wonder how we'll manage to be ready in five days!

Evening sun

... on the lake of the Irihata dam, in the mountains above Kitakami.

Summer in the countryside

The way to school

Japanese students wear uniforms in junior high school and high school (also in kindergarten, but not in elematary school). On the first day of June, they change from winter to summer uniforme which means no jacket and short shirt sleeves.The girls wear skirts in summer and winter.

Boys in a hurry

Nice contrast to the old houses in the background.

Chic!! ...

... said my three-year-old son when he saw this young lady the other day.

This year's summer fashion

Botanic art

Our two frogs

In the comments to yesterday's post, somebody asked about the frogs around here. Here are two of them, living quietly in our little garden.

June 1st theme day: A view from my room

This is the view from our bedroom, just a few days ago: A rice paddy, just being planted.

And that's how the rice plants look today. If you're interested in how they continue their life, have a look here and here.

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85 city daily photo bloggers are participating today in this theme day. Just click on any of the links below to see what they see from their window:
Seattle (WA), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Toruń, Poland - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Madison (WI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Omaha (NE), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stockholm, Sweden - Grenoble, France - Lubbock (TX), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Hyde, UK - Joplin (MO), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Kansas City (MO), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Manila, Philippines - Sydney, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - London, UK - Chandler (AZ), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Singapore, Singapore - Hamburg, Germany - Sydney, Australia - Tenerife, Spain - Moscow, Russia - Lyon, France - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Evry, France - Hayle, UK - Mumbai, India - Kitakami, Japan - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - La Antigua, Guatemala - Paderborn, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Madrid, Spain - Lyon, France - Selma (AL), USA - Shanghai, China - Baziège, France - Cologne (NRW), Germany - North Bay (ON), Canada - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Stayton (OR), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Hong Kong, China - Trier, Germany - Joensuu, Finland - Paris, France - Greenville (SC), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Cork, Ireland - Bastia, France - Vancouver, Canada - Brookville (OH), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Mainz, Germany - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Zurich, Switzerland