William “February is the cruelest month” is said, along with “Gardening is the triumph of hope over experience.” To tide us over ’til the warm winds of March, two agricultural festivals are held. Both are rather different. One, along Shirakawa across from the train station, caters more towards home horiculturists; the second, at the Agricultural Park, more towards farmers. Both include long greenhouses toasting in the sun and ample stalls to compliment plant stuff - I love the stalls shilling antiques (rather expensive, they invite more browsing than bargain hunting, but ya never know). For gastronimy, the former allows dining sitting along the river edge where one can feed seagulls, while the latter offers a vast lawn and a wonderful playground for the kids. Motsunabe, a piping-hot stew made from pork intestine that originated in the Kumamoto area and is best seasoned with a healthy helping of shichimi spice, is the food of choice. Links are below, noting daily special events. As always, any questions may be directed to us. https://kuma-uekiichi.com/ https://kumanichi.com/articles/1306244