Kagamino Park (鏡野公園) at Kochi University of Technology Kami Campus, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

Kagamino Park is a small park with mostly manicured lawn under the planted trees but a small section is left a bit more 'unkept'. Even the unkept area with more mature trees appears to be mowed in the understory with planted scattered shrubs. One large pond with large carp sits between the wooded area and the open grassy area where events are held. A row of sakura trees bordering a road separates the park from the Kochi University of Technology, Kami Campus. This description and photos is a prequel to flora and fauna lists that I will be creating for the park over the course of the year and that will be in following posts.

In winter, the parks brown grass contrasts against the green trees.The park is usually sunny with blue skies in the winter.

Kochi University of Technology from Kagamino Park

At the start of spring, sakura season makes campus get really busy since this is one of the locations in the area where people come to see the blooms. There are  various rows of sakura trees all over campus.When the wind blows at the end of the season the petals fall and float on the wind. 

Kochi University of Technology

Kochi University of Technology from Kagamino Park

Kagamino Park

The sakura blossoms are set in front of the mountains and give a fantastic views.

Sakura blossoms at Kochi University of Technology

Sakura blossoms at Kochi University of Technology

Sakura blossoms at Kagamino Park

Sakura blossoms at Kagamino Park

Sakura blossoms at Kagamino Park

Later in the spring, sunny days are more rare but they accent the parks fresh green growth and pink rhododendron shrubs.

Kagamino Park

Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan

In the end of spring and beginning of summer grasses and composite flowers start to grow tall and replace some of the lower spring forbs.

Pond in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Pond in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Pond in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

In the center of the park a row of manicured cedar trees line a paved path with ditches on either side.

Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Ditches reroute water runoff through the park to the ditch systems in the town. Some of the ditch areas are unmowed and have the tallest vegetation in the park. These areas are typically wooded with approximately 20-50% tree cover.

Ditch in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Ditch in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Field in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan used for parking during events

Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

The wooded areas include sections with mowed grass and unmanicured areas with tall grass and composite flowers. 

Relaxing picnic area in Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Kagamino Park, Tosayamada, Japan

Grocery Shopping in Japan - Prices

Everyone says groceries in Japan are more expensive than in Canada and I have gotten asked a few times how much things really are so here I am going to list the prices of some basic groceries and their prices. My typical grocery bill is usually about 5,000 Yen (~$60 Can) but that is typically limited by how much I can bike with. Groceries usually last me 1-2 weeks before I need to go again for the basics but obviously I doubt I will run out of kelp and bonito flakes at all while I am here.

Produce in Japanese Grocery Store

Produce:

1 onion                                   78Y         $0.94
3 large onions                       150Y         $1.77
1/4 Japanese radish                60Y         $0.71
1 bell pepper                         198Y        $2.33

4 hot peppers                          98Y         $1.15
4 carrots                                150Y        $1.77
1 cabbage                              199Y        $2.35
12 tomatoes                           298Y        $3.60
1 pack of mushrooms            289Y        $3.41
1 bag of sprouts                       99Y        $1.17
1 head of romaine lettuce      130Y        $1.53
7 leaves of shizu                      80Y        $0.97
4 medium bananas                 298Y        $3.60
200g of mushrooms                98Y         $1.18
1 apple                                   198Y        $2.39
1 head of garlic                      240Y        $2.98 (but it is a big head of garlic!)
1 root of ginger                      198Y       $2.33

Ginger

 Meat:
1 dozen eggs                         208Y         $2.45
2 chicken breasts                  416Y        $4.90
1 pack of sliced pork            500Y        $5.88      (125Y per 400g or $1.51)
1 pack of ground pork          380Y        $4.47      (128g per 114g or $1.55)


Other:
4 pack of soba noodles         168Y        $1.98
5 kg bag of rice                   1500Y       $18.17
1 kg bag of miso                  265Y        $3.20
1 bag of bonito flakes           179Y       $2.16
1 bag of dried kelp                368Y       $4.44

Kombu, Miso Paste and Bonito Flakes

1 jar of spicy bean paste        198Y       $2.33
1 bag of pasta  (700g)            228Y       $2.69
1 small can of pasta sauce     160Y       $1.89
1 box of tea with 50 bags       238Y       $2.81
1000mL of soy sauce             238Y       $2.87

Soy Sauce

910g of olive oil                    698Y        $8.43
1 box of curry seasoning       198Y        $2.39   (lasts two meals)

Curry Mix

Junk Food:
1 bag of chips                       245Y        $2.88
1 ice cream bar                     150Y        $1.77
1 chocolate bar                      118Y       $1.43

1.5L Coca-cola                     158Y       $1.86


Making my own meal usually costs about the same as eating out at a restaurant for dinner, which is 500-3000 Y per person depending on where you go. Typically all you can eat restaurants are the higher end of that price range.

Diversity of My House - Japan Edition

Urban wildlife has always fascinated me with their ability to adapt but the diversity of creatures that live inside our houses is quite spectacular. In Japan there are a wide variety of insects, isopods and spiders living inside my house. As well as one adorable reptile. Here are some of them:

Schlegel's Japanese Gecko (Gekko japonicus)

Huntsman Spiders are probably the most impressive creature in my house. The first one we saw was massive and about the size of your face. Apparently they can get even bigger and the largest can fill a toilet seat. Most of the ones I have seen since could just fit into my palm. These are ambush hunters and don't spin webs so they move incredibly fast.

Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda maxima)

Jumping spiders are less colossal but just as quick and much more common. These little guys are thriving on the inside and outside of windows in the house catching all of the insects that stray to close.

Jumping Spiders (Family Salticidae)

Jumping Spiders (Family Salticidae)

 Cockroaches are a typical creature of Japanese houses. Frankly they don't worry me that much and ants are much more troublesome in terms of getting into things.

Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

 Mosquitoes although they don't really live in the house but they do get in every once in a while along with stone flies, crane flies, Acanthocoris scaber and various moths.

 Mosquito (Aedes)

 Isopods also called woodlice are frequent in the house and outdoors. These little guys are really harmless and they even roll into a small ball when they get scared. They like moist areas under logs and under rocks.

Common Pill Woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare)

As well as young Chinese Red-headed Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes ssp. mutilans) there are also Greenhouse Centipedes (Oxidus).

Chinese Red-headed Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes ssp. mutilans)

There are ants in pretty much every household but this is the first time I have experienced a "Flying Ant Day". Queens and males are born with wings and gather at a high point in the morning before they disperse. The Queens are at least 4 times bigger than the winged males. The winged males are to increase genetic diversity between colonies and take to the air with the queens to mate along the way.
In my case, queens and males alike were swarming on my front sliding doors in the morning. Below them the regular non-winged ants were also quite active. The swarms made large black patches on the door and the blind. Opening the doors they slowly filtered out over the course of an hour.  We had experienced smaller groups of them doing this a few days prior so they do build up before it gets quite massive.

Queen Ants on a "Flying Ant Day"

Life on the Monobe River, Kochi, Japan

Living on the Monobe River I have the pleasure of seeing a lot of various wildlife. THe birds are plentiful and include Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Gray Heron, Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Common Coot, Japanese Tit, Varied Tit, Common Kingfisher, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Black-eared Kite, Common Sandpiper, Gray Wagtail and Pied Wagtail. Across the river on a rocky face a Blue Rock Thrush is possibly nesting.

There are Chinese Softshell Turtles in the river and they also enjoy basking on the rocks along the shoreline. In Canada, softshell turtles are very rare but in Japan they are quite common in canals and rivers.

Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

A Tanuki, which is the Japanese version of a Racoon enjoyed sunbathing just along the river. I was able to see this little cutie for a few days in a row before I believe the stray cats in the area might have shooed it away.

Tanuki or Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus)

Crossing the road one evening was a Japanese Rat Snake. They move quickly but it stuck around for a quick picture when it passed before trying to get into a crack of someones house.

Japanese rat snake (Elaphe climacophora)