A shift in the weather
It’s been a month since I swapped Saga's scorching, sun-drenched summers for Fukushima's gentle, rain-soaked landscapes. The change couldn’t be more dramatic. Now, my days begin with the hush of misty mornings, and most evenings end high up the mountain, shrouded in thick, mysterious fog that seems to roll in just for me. The air is cooler, the skies moodier, and the rhythm of life feels entirely new.
A few years back, I wrote a blog about the Japanese spider lily, a flower that bursts into bloom for just a moment each year. Though its season is fleeting, the spider lily’s crimson beauty has become a powerful symbol of death in anime and a poetic marker for summer’s final bow. As I settle into this new chapter, I find myself surrounded by the very scenery that inspired that story, reminding me that even the shortest-lived wonders can leave a lasting impression.
Last week, winding my way up the mountain, I caught flashes of red lining the roads and riverbanks, a vibrant signal that summer had quietly slipped away. My coworkers warned me that this year, Fukushima played a weather prank: summer barely showed up, replaced by rain and cool breezes. Gone were the relentless 40-degree days and sticky nights of Saga; now, 30 degrees in August felt downright refreshing. But with each passing day, the temperature keeps dipping, and I find myself piling on extra layers, bracing for the inevitable hunt for a heavy winter coat.
Here, the seasons don’t just change; they put on a show. Autumn in Saga was a blink-and-you-miss-it affair, but in Fukushima, the transformation is dramatic: the foliage is already aflame with colour, and thick mist begins its nightly creep earlier. People say Fukushima’s weather is a bit like Scotland’s, and after a few weeks, I can confirm there’s truth in the comparison. Each day grows darker, and I can almost feel winter sharpening its icy claws, ready to seize the landscape.
It has certainly been an educational move up north, and little did I know I would be missing some of that Saga warmth. But I am certainly excited to experience four distinguished seasons again and nervously await the waist-high snows that are approaching. Fukushima's landscape is very different from the endless rice fields of Saga, which is barely 2 meters above sea level. Fukushima is thick with endless forests, and the elevation of the prefecture can cause altitude sickness if you descend and ascend too quickly. The rich forests give way to dramatic rivers and white rapids. The wildlife is also dramatically different. Reminding me why I travel. Even though both prefectures are in Japan, they experience very different weather conditions, and both have unique landscapes. Whilst my heart belongs to Saga, Fukushima has its own unique charm to offer, and I hope that, little by little, I will gradually warm to it.
Travelling Japan is an experience, and I certainly recommend people to go further afield and notice the differences in each prefecture. Every prefecture has its own flavour. I recently met a girl from Ibaraki, whose prefecture, like Saga, every year without fail ends up on the top three most boring, ugly prefectures list compiled by residents. Ibaraki has no castles and has no tourist hotspots. We bonded over our lesser-known prefectures and realised that a prefecture was no less for not having a bustling tourist footprint. Instead, it took those who lived there to truly appreciate its charms and good points. I have yet to explore Ibaraki but hope to do so at some point. But for now, I am growing used to the day-to-day in Fukushima and long for some time to get back to exploring.
I wish all my readers a cosy autumn and hope that I can find more amazing things to write about in my blogs. Japan has a lot to offer, and I hope I can bring some of that wonder to my readers. Take care of yourself in these cooler seasons and remember that even when the trees lie bare and the days are cold and grey, eventually the sun and colour will return. There is a beauty in the quieter months, and this coming season will certainly be a new experience for me!
