Dry: 2023 Rainy Tsuyu Season is over for Kanagawa Prefecture, but …

 

On July 22, 2023, Japanese Meteorological Agency noticed the public 2023 Tsuyu (Rainy) Season 梅雨 for the Kanto Region 関東地方 was over. So, we’re now in summer, officially. It’s damned hot days. When we were elementary school kids, if the highest temperature of the day went beyond 30°C (90°F), that was THE news. No more. Since July 22, having the highest at 30°C and more is the norm. We’re baked.

Alarmingly, we’re reaching the conclusion we did not have much precipitation this year during Tsuyu. Farmers around Niiharu Citizen Forest 新治市民の森 are watering their leeks and cukes in their field. My mom’s garden is also dry … In any case, she loves to water her garden rain or shine. It may not be much problem for her … The Met Agency says even though at least so far we in Megalopolis Tokyo won’t have water shortage this year thanks to disaster-level storms during May - July that attacked mountainous area surrounding Kanto Region. Or, is that so? Below is the data for water source lakes of Kanagawa Prefecture.

Yeah, Lake Sagami 相模湖 gathers water that fell around Mt. Fuji 富士山 in Shizuoka Prefecture 静岡県. The rainfall over the Lake itself may not be a serious problem. For Lake Tanzawa 丹沢湖, the story could be different. It collects water from West Tanzawa Area 西丹沢 within the Prefecture. Before 22nd Nakatsu River 中津川 from Yadoriki Stream that is in Sakawa River 酒匂川 water system had already low water level. For us to do research in the river, it provided an easy environment. But was it a good thing? The forest surrounding Nakatsu River was also dry (; more to it next week). I was a bit shocked comparing it with Mt. Mikuni 三国山 in Hakone 箱根 (; my posts on June 30th and July 7th) … Right, the west slope of Mt. Mikuni is Shizuoka Prefecture. Maybe we in Kanagawa don’t have to worry about water this summer in the end. Though …

In Yadoriki Community,
near Ohtera Bridge area in the middle of July.
The water was really low …

In the forest surrounding the river in above photo.
The ground was covered by dry, desiccated fallen leaves.
And we were still in the rainy season on that day …

The same day in the Yadoriki Water Source Forest.

The matter may not be limited for water usage of humans. The other day, when I strolled Satoyama Garden next to Zoorasia, a researcher from the lab of the City of Yokohama was doing research about the environment of the place. According to him, the supposed-to-be wetland area of the garden is almost dominated by Parrot’s Feather that was brought by a German family during the 1920s for their home aquarium. Now the species are winning the survival game with the locals and cover ponds and the like all over the City, he said. It now is in the worst 100 list of invasive species to Japan determined by the National Institute for Environmental Studies. According to my ChatGPT session, Parrot’s Feather could be resilient to small precipitation as (1) its strong underground rhizome that can keep water for long time, (2) its thick and spindly leaves that won’t evaporate vapor easily from the body, and (3) its “achievement” of becoming nuisance in dry area around the globe. Hmmmmmmmm. This morning, TV news of NHK reported growing number of farmers in Japan has established commercial orchards for tropical fruits, such as dragon fruits, passion fruits, avocado, feijoa … Something is happening, don’t you think?

Satoyama Garden next to Zoorasia was dry
even immediately after 22^nd.

The colony of Parrot’s Feather in Satoyama Garden

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with 

Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター
657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/