
The
farm I work on here in Tokyo still holds a few remnants of the traditional farmstead:
mikan,
biwa,
ume, and
chestnut trees along with a few traditional flowering shrubs dot the landscape around the house and fields. One of these is a massive
kaki tree. It provides welcome shade in the summer months, and plenty of shelter opportunities for local birds. It's fruit is also bountiful come autumn, although the kind of
kaki (persimmon) it bears is the drying kind, not the eat-right-off-the-branch-wipe-your-chin kind.

This morning during a lull in activity, I wandered over to get a quick drink of water. Looking up at the
kaki's branches, I noticed some small white blossoms surrounded by green leaves that resembled nothing so much as lips. A closer inspection of other branches revealed tiny, tiny
kaki just beginning to form. I'd noticed
the mini-fruit before, but never spotted them quite so young. Somehow I'm amazed every time.
What about Spring surprises you each time?
Comments
Julia, there are different kinds of persimmons here. Some are short and fat, some longish and narrow. They have different purposes and slightly different flavors. How they compare to American varieties I have no idea. I'd never seen a persimmon until we moved here. There are some photos at Summer Tomato in a post I wrote about one of Tokyo's farmer's markets that might give you an idea.