The national highway that runs past the firefly village now has a sign by it that reads, "Firefly Season Over". At the end of June I was a little worried as not many fireflies had emerged, but once we entered July there were numerous fireflies flying about just as in any other year. This year also saw many people come and enjoy the fireflies, with the car park being tremendously busy on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

This has been designated as a protected area thanks to the Genji Botaru fireflies that gather here, which are rare to find in the Tohoku region.

The sign reads "Firefly Season Over"

Once the fireflies disappear, rainy season comes to a close and the real heat of summer sets in.

However, here in the Towa district of Tome City, we haven't had any decent rain since 6 June. The fields are dry, and I'm afraid that this is going to have an effect on the vegetable harvest.
The townspeople have even found themselves starting to greet each other with the phrase, "Hoping for rain!"

Welcome to the "Home of Fireflies"

The rice in the fields that are fed by the Masubuchi River continues to grow.

The fireflies glitter, the plants glisten, and the people shine; I hope that some of the happiness of this mountain village rubs off on you too!