The peak time for harvesting the taste of winter. A wintertime scene of wakame drying in the sun/Yokosuka

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1202100004/

February 10, 2012

A scene of wakame drying in the sun, common during Japanese winters.

At the fishing harbor of Yokosuka city, the harvesting and production of wakame ("the taste of winter") goes full speed. At the beach, signifying the season, a vast scene of wakeme lying in the sunlight.

From the end of January, harvesting has increased in Kamoi, Yokosuka city. Here and there along the coast, wakame can be seen carefully laid out to dry. At the same area during November of last year, rafts were set up in the sea for wakame to mate. Now, the season of cultivation has begun.

Husband and wife Taka (62) and Kaoru (60) Koshiba both get up at day break for their wakame harvesting business. Collected wakame is hung up for two nights. After that period, it's laid down on a mat to dry further. Taka-san spoke of the process "The air allows it to dry out. A cold northerly wind is even more effective."


Original text
冬の味覚収穫ピーク、風物詩のワカメ天日干し/横須賀
2012年2月10日

風物詩のワカメの天日干しの風景

横須賀市内の漁港で、冬の味覚、ワカメの収穫作業が本格化している。浜辺には、風物詩の天日干しの風景が広がっている。

横須賀市鴨居では１月末ごろから収穫が盛んとなり、海岸沿いのあちこちでワカメを丁寧にのばしながら干す姿が見られる。同地域では昨年11月、海に設置したいかだにワカメの種付けをし、今シーズンの養殖が始まった。

小柴薫さん（60）、たかさん（62）夫妻も晴れた日はワカメの収穫作業にあたる。採取したワカメを二晩つるし、さらにもう二晩、ござに置いて寝かせる。たかさんは「空気が乾燥し、冷たい北風が吹くと乾きも早い」と話していた。