September 27, 2011

First Mushroom Hunting in Fall 2011/2011秋の最初のきのこ狩り

On September 25, my son and I went mushroom hunting for the first time in this season.
9月25日、息子と今シーズン初めてきのこ狩りに行きました。
Beware of bears!!!
クマに注意!!!

There was more water in the river. It looked like a pond or something.
川には水がいっぱいありました。池か何かのようです。

The aftermath of the flood that took place in late July was still apparent.
7月下旬に起きた洪水の影響が、いまだにありました。

Somewhere near here,
この近くで、
my son found some maitake. He was overjoyed! It was too old to eat, though.
息子は舞茸を見つけ、大喜びでした。老菌で食べれませんでしたが。
For no particular reason, I found this particular tree very impressive.
特に理由はないのですが、この木がとても印象的でした。
I am very sorry that these photos just don't justify the beauty of the tree.
写真では、この木の美しさが伝わらなくて、とても残念です。

Some of other mushrooms we found:
他に見つけたきのこ:

Numeri sugitake modoki, according to my son:
息子によれば、ヌメリスギタケモドキ:
I forgot its name...
名前を忘れました...。
Hanaiguchi (Suillus grevillei):
ハナイグチ:
Hatake shimeji (Lyophyllum decastes):
ハタケシメジ:

12 comments:

Sissi said...

I envy you so much mushroom picking! I have no one to share this pastime :-( I dream of picking mushrooms and fishing in the river...
Hanaiguchi (Suillus grevillei) is actually a very popular European mushroom, it has a sticky cap, doesn't it?
I think I don't know the others.

Sissi said...

I have just ooked at wikipedia. Actually I think I have seen shimeji at one of my Japanese grocer's.

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: In Japan, hanaiguchi is much less popular. I don't know why. Yes, it has a sticky cap.

I think what you saw is buna shimeji. It's very popular in Japan.

okasan said...

Mushroom hunting sounds like a fun family activity. Is this a popular activity in Japan? Seems like you and your son know your mushrooms well.
You must be able to distinguish what not to eat!

Hiroyuki said...

okasan: Hi! How have you been??

I don't think it's a popular activity, but I must add that sansai hunting in spring is a very popular activity in Japan.

I'm proud to say that my son is almost an expert on mushrooms!

okasan said...

ひろゆきさん、
私はすごく元気です。ありがとう!
最近は忙しいから、だからひろゆきさんのブログは静かに読んでいます。
I would love to be able to collect sansai or mushroom in the wild. However, I do have a lovely apple tree that I am able to harvest from my own backyard. The apples are not big but never sour; almost like a Gala-this variety may not be available in Japan. Here is a link on this variety. Mine are a little smaller but have similar colors and shape. For Canadian prairies, it is not bad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gala_%28apple%29

okasan said...

I forgot to mention that over here people hunt for deer, elk, geese and buffalo!笑!

Fräulein Trude said...

Mushroom hunts are well liked in our country. But people sometimes collect mushrooms they don't know well enough. That is really dangerous. Each and every year people get seriously sick or dy (we have some really poisonous mushrooms) after a nice but maybe the last mushroom lunch. Our community (people working for the ecology and nature protection department) provides some mushroom hunting guided tours. Isn't it a great idea? Your son could make a good tour guide later on.

Hiroyuki said...

okasan: Thanks for the link. As you say, I have never seen this variety.

I wish I could plant some fruit trees, but my yard is too small for them.

In Japan, hunting for bears and other animials is limited to those who are licensed to own rifles.

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: Yes, really dangerous!! My son (15) was interested in wild mushrooms even before entering elementary school, and we have attended several workshops since then. But I believe that the most reliable sources of information are books. My son have read his favoriate books on mushrooms again and again, and he is now capable of identifying many mushrooms quite easily.

Fräulein Trude said...

Hiroyuki-san: It is good to have a such serious interests as child and teenager. He may study biology with the major mycology later on. It is a very interesting materia. I can recommend it highly, but I don't know about the job opportunities related. I had mycology tutorials at university. My points of interests were pharmacology and physiology. It were the poisons and effects which were interesting - and I always tell husband just behave (laugh).

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: Thanks for your suggestion. My son still cannot decide on his future course in life. Mushroom hunting may end up being just one of his hobbies. I want him to major in a field related to mushrooms. Then he may be able to get a position in the laboratory of a giant mushroom company like Hokuto or Yukiguni Maitake. Up until years ago, one of this dreams was to succeed in the artificial cultivation of matsutake mushroom.