The land called Uenohara.
The Katsura River,
and spring's avenue.
Through the heart of town,
the Katsura River flows quietly.
In spring, cherry blossoms stretch on and on;
in summer, white clusters of acacia sway.
All around town there are flowers for the bees to visit.
Here, the turning of the seasons carries
straight through into the taste of the honey.
Where there is no
large-scale farming.
Uenohara has little large-scale farmland,
and very few agricultural chemicals are used.
Flowers the bees can visit with ease
remain scattered along the foot of the hills.
A land with few chemicals —
above all, a kind home for the bees.
The honey gathered here is clear
thanks to that quietness.
Cherry, wisteria, acacia,
chestnut, yabukarashi.
Each time the season turns,
the flowers in bloom change with it.
Cherry, wisteria, acacia, chestnut,
and the yabukarashi that blooms at summer's end.
The bees trace the town's passing hours
with the hum of their wings.
This diversity of nectar is the source
of each honey's distinct character.
A quiet place,
for the bees.
Few people, and little traffic.
For the bees, it is a home with little stress.
A quiet land, and careful handwork.
Only when these two come together
is honey born that needs nothing added to it.