Here I am, taking a long cut along the rice paddies.

Don’t let it fool you that I live in Fukushima “City.” Fukushima Prefecture is really very rural, and also very mountainous. A lot of it is not inhabited by people because it is too mountainous.

Neat and even rows of growing rice.

You may have seen photos of terraced rice fields in Asia (on sides of mountains) but that’s not something I’ve ever seen here in Tohoku.

Farmers working outside.

Their crop

We can see the mountain I am headed toward, off to the right. I was walking around the back way.

More fields.

Currently all rice in grown Fukushima Prefecture is tested for radiation. Samples of other produce are checked.

From what I hear, the levels of the rice and other produce are at safe levels. No problem.

A little pond

Now I have circled round to the other side of the park on the hill. I’m in front of the front entrance of Doiaidate Park, facing away from it.

A map of the Matsukawa area. Doiaidate Park is bottom right.

Next I’ll show photos of the park itself. See you then!