"Risshu."
Autumn is approaching
but the hot days continue.

- Hello.
- Who is it?

"Risshu."
Time for "bon-mairi:"
chants for ancestors of temple supporters.

- Is it even hotter down in the village?
- Yes, it's been quite hot.

Have some cold tea.

Oh, it's Matchan!

Hello. Good to see you!

This is a "togan" or winter melon.
It's really heavy.

- It's really thick!
- But it's softer than it looks.

Wow, it looks great!

- It's like a newborn...something.
- A baby?

It tastes good if you deep fry it.

Juicy food like this cools your body.
It's perfect for summer.

- This is a summer vegetable.
- So, you want to eat it in summer!

Grating "togan?"

We're going to make a sorbet.

We'll boil this and sweeten it.

Cut into various shapes,
like cubes and thin slices.

I like to season it with
"kan-koji" fermented rice.

Cubed "togan" will be served in
thick "ankake" sauce.

It's 4:30 in the morning...

Here it is.

I'm going to cut this one.

I want to arrange some buds
that haven't bloomed yet.

The flowers absorb water better if you
cut their stems before sunrise.

Hi kitty. Come sit with us.
Let's look at the flowers together.

The lotus grows in mud
but has a beautiful flower.

It symbolizes a pure heart
in a world full of impurity.

All done. Beautiful!

"Shosho."
Summer heat is waning.
The days are gradually becoming more pleasant.

"Shosho."
Season of "jizo-bon,"
festival for children's growth.

Well done!
Let's pray for children's growth.

"Jizo-bon" festival.

It's snack time!

Okinawan donuts!

Red bayberry juice.

Is it a bit sour? Want some more?

The basil is blooming. It's pretty.

The leaves are pretty big now!
More will come out.

I'll also harvest a goya melon.

This may be the last one
of the summer.

Look how small it is.

There's another one up there!
I can reach it!

- I never thought we'd be eating basil.
- We'll make a Western-style dish.

- Should I grind the basil?
- Yes, and add pine nuts.

I should crush the pine nuts first.

- Japanese-style ratatouille?
- That sounds fancy.

It's hard to pronounce.

Isn't it big?

This zucchini has grown a lot.

Big seeds for a little one.

Using up this year's
summer vegetables.

- It's a little cooler here.
- This is a nice spot.

- Let's relax with some iced coffee.
- Cheers!

- The day's almost over.
- It was so hot.

But it feels nice and cool to listen to
the evening cicadas.

Autumn is drawing near.