Kasumigaura is the 2nd largest lake in Japan. Just an hour and a half by train from central Tokyo, Lake Kasumigaura is also considered one of the 100 most beautiful places in Japan. Erin Fowler came to Japan from the US 3 years ago, and works as an English teacher at an elementary school in Ibaraki Prefecture. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, Erin visits the Kasumigaura area for the first time.

Because Japan's landmass extends north-south through a number of different climatic zones, farmers can cultivate a wide variety of different produce, reflecting the local environment and conditions. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, we look back at episodes from past years celebrating the variety of summer vegetables that are grown around the country. We follow our reporters as they visit farms in 3 parts of Japan. We find Renkon (lotus root) being cultivated in the fertile soil and abundant water of Ibaraki Prefecture. We discover how Rakkyo (a kind of shallot) is grown in the sand dunes of Tottori Prefecture. And we introduce Kanpyo, a preserved food produced in Tochigi Prefecture, which has been part of the Japanese diet for over 300 years.