Spring Festa in Isumi 2015 starting

Specialty of spring in Isumi is not just scenery of cole flower and Isumi railway!
There are much more options including Kurabiraki (Opening of a brewery for the first time in the year) of brewery Kidoizumi Shuzo, and strawberry picking.
Come and visit Isumi to enjoy early spring.

Each event is held on different dates.
Please check with the organizer/host of the event in advance.

>>Tasting of freshly made sake & sake brewery tour
Duration: February 1, 2015 (Sun) toMarch 6, 2015 (Fri,Except for Sunday and national holiday) 10:00 – 16:00
Fee: Free

>>Sotobo Isumi Kurabiraki – Daigo no Sato Umemon Matsuri-
Date: March 8, 2015 (Sun) 10:00 -15:00
Collaboration of cheese and Koshu (matured, aged sake), Tasting and sale of sake of brewery Kidoizumi , Isumi food market, Free Amazake
Fee: Free

Contact:kidoizumi shuzo（Brewery Kidoizumi Co. Ltd） 0470-62-0013

>>Strawberry Picking in Isumi
Duration: until May 31, 2015 (Sun) 10:00 –
Fee: Please check with farms as the fee vary depending on the season

Contact: Isumi no Ichigo Hachibe Ichigo En 090-8580-4115
　　　　Isumi no Ichigo Masuda Ichigo En 0470-87-3672

>>Making Soba
Duration: February 1, 2015 (Sun) – March 14, 2015 (Sat)
Fee: 2500 yen
Location and Contact: Misaki Soba Kobo 0470-87-2074

Duration: February 15, 2015 (Sun) *buckwheat flour made in Isumi will be used
Fee: Spring Festa Special price 1500 yen
Location and Contact: Handmade Soba Hiraga 0470-87-3036

>>Farm tour
Duration: Every Saturday and Sunday between February 1, 2015 (Sun) to March 9, 2015 (Mon)
Fee: Infant free; Before Elementary school 500 yen; Elementary school student and elder, 1500 yen;
* Advance booking is required

Contact: Takahide Farm 0470-86-2131

>>Cole Flower (Leaves) Picking
Duration: February 7, 2015 (Sat) to March 15, 2015 (Sun) 10:00-14:00 *Open on Saturday and Sunday only
Fee: 300 yen　All you can stuff bags of cole flower leaves

Contact: 090-2737-2928

>>Making Dried Sardines (Mezashi)
Duration: February 1, 2015 (Sun), 8 (Sun), 22 (Sun) 10:00 -12:00
Fee: 300 yen　

Contact: Isumi Toubu Gyokyou Kyoudou Kumiai (fisheries cooperative) 0470-62-0111

update : 2015/01/25 23:24
Category : information, town events

Workshop of Making New Year Decoration and Mochi-tsuki (pounding Mochi)

I participated in the workshop held at Yu ju Kan＠Kou Fu Rin

The workshop was provided by Mr.&Mrs. Sano (R Koubou) who enjoy the agricultural lifestyle in Isumi. We learned to make New Year decoration with the rice straw of red rice (ancient rice) named Kanniho, and then we did mocha-tsuki in the workshop.
They told us that it was the day of “Shogatsu-kotohajim (the day of starting New Year’s preparation.)” on the day of the workshop.
I think it was the best day to make New Year decoration.

First, Mr. Hiro Sano talked about the attractiveness of self-sufficient lifestyle and rice growing, and then we started to make rope with the rice straw.
Mr. Sano is very good at straw work, making animal of Chinese Zodiac every year.
Here is the sheep in Chinese Zodiac (2015 is the year of sheep) made by Mr. Sano.
It creates a lovely atmosphere.

It was also the first experience for me to make a rope with rice straw!
It seemed easy, but it was not!
When I actually tried to make rope using my hands, I did trial and error to figure out the knack of how to entwist the straw.
But I felt somehow comfortable.
I thought in old days, people might have made livingware etc. in this way using their own hands.
At least, it took shape of a rope!?
Everyone seemed to get intense to the work.

After that, we had a lunch time and then we did mochi pounding with red rice using a mortar and a pestle.
Children had been very looking forward to it ^^
For the first time I had mochi made of red rice.

Children also helped to make mochi round^^
It was really tasty with the special flavor! I was surprised.
The side dishes were Natto made using Mr. Sano’s rice straw, Ama-Natto (sweet natto), walnut miso, and hand-made pickle, etc.
The dishes were simple, but were slightly sweet and tasty. It made me feel happy.
The mochi was pounded with the right extent with some lumpy texture in the mochi left

I left the workshop after lunch, but everyone continued to make New Year decoration in the afternoon.
This is the finished piece! I hope everyone could make it nicely.

I realized the abundance of living with the benefit of the local plants.
There is a theory that the decoration made of rice straw is the “grain god” of rice, so it is meaningful to make it with rice straw. I also thought of utilizing the rice straw as a rice farmer.

( Shu / Yasuko )

update : 2014/12/26 15:31
Category : Diary, event reports, town events

Blooming lighthouse made by people’s hands ＠Taitosaki Toudai (Lighthouse)

Taitosaki Toudai (lighthouse) offers an unparalleled view in Isumi.

The members of local Lighthouse Club work to improve the environment of the area, and now the place is one of the sightseeing spot in Isumi.

During this season, the local elementary school students and adults work together to improve the landscape of the lighthouse every year.

They collected fallen leaves and took them to a composting area.
The fallen leaves collected by children last year is used as a fertilizer for planting flowers this year.

This year they planted “Lilium maculatum” and “Crinum asiaticum” which were designated as nationally protected species.

Under the instruction of elderly men who were good at gardening, children carried the big Crinum asiaticums and planted them.

The holes to plant the plant had been already dug by the adults considering children’s capacity, so that the children still had too much energy left.
I felt it was a precious experience to have an opportunity for adults and children work together across generation at this time of age.

Compost of fallen leaves made by children last year is passed to the next grade this year.
The plants planted by the children this year will show us beautiful flowers next year.
The same will be done next year. The people’s activity will be piled up every year and the plants and flowers will gradually be a part of scenery of Taitosaki Toudai

When you visit Taitosaki Toudai, if you know these people’s daily activities,
the lighthouse may look brighter than usual.

Now, it is very pleasant to visit lighthouse on the day of the clear autumn sky!!

How to get Taitousaki Toudai
Drive National Route 128 towards Ohara, and turn left at “Taito Toudai Iriguchi (Taito lighthouse entrance)”

update : 2014/11/30 16:27
Category : town events