I took this photograph a short while before the "Hotaru Matsuri" (Firefly Festival) opened. I was a bit preoccupied with other things in late June and then the rainy season came on with full vengeance. Taking time off to drive to southern Iwate prefecture and through areas devastated by the 3/11 disaster brought me to July 21st as my first opportunity to go up to Onogawa Onsen.
Onogawa Onsen is a few kilometres south of Yonezawa. It's a small "onsen" (hot spring) resort area with a handful or more ryokan (inns), eateries and souvenir shops. In the winter time the locals make a "kamakura mura" (essentially a collection of snow caves or igloos) to attract visitors. The summer time attraction is the firefly festival.
I think I recall someone saying that in the past it was not uncommon to see fireflies in and around Yonezawa. I can only assume that habitat destruction has led to them only being seen in great numbers out in Onogawa Onsen.
All in all, I saw real fireflies for the first time in my life. Not many of them but enough for me to be happy to say that I've actually seen them.
Enjoy your pop rocks, sir.
15 years ago
