Curiosity – 楽しみかたのご案内

Spring

The garden begins with the blooming of plum blossoms, followed by the century-old Daruma wisteria, which produces round, white flowers. A rare type of maple called Deshōjō displays vibrant red leaves in spring. These leaves turn green in summer, then shift again to brilliant autumn colors.

Sitting on the engawa and looking toward the mountains, you’ll see hints of soft pink and pale purple. These are wild cherry trees and wisteria blooming among the mountain woodlands.
Along the nearby riverbank, rows of cherry trees create a gentle band of pink that signals the true arrival of spring.
As the season deepens, the mountains become lush and green, full of new life.

In the surrounding village, the tea fields turn a dazzling shade of green. Around Golden Week, you can watch local farmers harvesting tea. Strolling through the village while listening to the flowing water of the irrigation channels is a simple but lovely pleasure.

Summer

After the hydrangeas finish blooming, the vivid pink flowers of the crape myrtle in the back of the garden continue to delight for a long time.
Old Japanese houses were built with summer comfort in mind. Here, winds blow from the Abe River up toward the mountains, so the house was designed with large engawa verandas facing east and south to capture the breeze. While the summer sun can be hot, the wind remains cool, and the deep eaves cast generous shade.
There are many simple, rural ways to enjoy summer—cooling your feet in a tub of water, children playing with water guns, and spending slow, peaceful afternoons outdoors.

Autumn

The large chestnut tree in the garden produces an abundance of nuts—so many that a single bucket isn’t enough.
Guests staying during this season are welcome to enjoy chestnut gathering.
There’s also a persimmon tree.
Autumn at Nishimura begins with the sweet scent of fragrant olive, followed by delicate bush clover blossoms and the deepening colors of the maple leaves.
The surrounding area is full of flowering trees, making it ideal for leisurely walks.
By evening, the comforting aroma of wood-fired baths drifts from the homes in the village.

The nearby mountains gradually take on their autumn colors. Once covered in layered greens throughout summer, they shift to a lively palette of reds and yellows. This is a perfect time to sit on the engawa, gaze at the mountains, and enjoy reading a book.

Winter

If you are lucky, you may witness the early-winter “morning mist” (also called kearashi)—a phenomenon that occurs when the warm water of the Abe River meets the cold air at dawn, forming cloud-like mist that drifts along the river’s curves like a dragon.

Camellias begin to bloom in the garden, adding color to the otherwise muted winter scenery. Frost covers the roadside weeds in the morning, marking the arrival of the cold season.
Snow rarely falls here, but temperatures are typically 2–3°C colder than downtown Shizuoka.

In midwinter, the ground freezes and open-field vegetables can no longer be harvested. When the season passes, spring returns once again.