Having a satellite office in Niigata makes my Eastern Japan Photo Tours and my Hokkaido photo tours so much easier, and I benefit from all the fantastic nature and wildlife here. Niigata is smack dab in the middle of Japan's busiest birding migratory routes, so I have access to photograph dozens of bird species all year round. Only the seasons dictate what birds I will spend my free time photographing around my home, in my backyard, or by the ocean. Depending on what time of year it is, the backdrop for my birding photo ops varies, which only adds to the breathtaking avian visitors. Niigata is also home to ample camping spots in its wild frontier, where snow monkeys, bears, deer, and an abundance of other wildlife calls home. The pure mountain regions of Niigata are also home to some of Japan's cleanest water sources, and this means only the most wholesome rice is grown in Niigata. I do not eat rice grown around cities. I’m sure once you have tasted Niigata’s high alpine exquisite bounty, you will never be satisfied eating rice cultivated in and around big cities. Another amazing feature of Niigata’s rice farming is photographing it in the field. Japan’s staple agricultural offering has a life cycle from the first planting to being harvested. Each stage means a different color palette as the rice matures from green sapling all the way to mature golden and pendulous plants ready for harvest. As with the birding photo ops, I enjoy outings all year round, visiting friends who are rice farmers and taking photos of the rice crops and in the late autumn after harvest foggy rice terraces at first light and snow-covered fields during winter. Autumn is my favorite season to visit my farming friend while they are harvesting rice, and I always purchase my yearly supply. The shimmering yellows of the rice during autumn are agricultural echoes of the golden Japanese maples that are in full bloom in the highlands or the beautiful ginkgo tree leaves. Next year or in 2022, I will most likely launch a new business venture, an online farmers market for English speakers in Japan; of course, it will be available to Japanese shoppers, too, so prepare your palate!
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