Spring Equinox Day

Many areas of Japan were hit by strong winds and thunderstorms in the early morning.
Decade and a half ago, I had an injury due to scaffolding collapse a spring storm caused. So I couldn't enjoy looking at cherry blossoms that year.

The 82th Spring High School Baseball Tournament began today. It will be held at Koshien Stadium to April 1st on the sidelines of spring vacation. Thirty-two high schools from throughout Japan will compete.

Baseball was once the most popular sport in Japan, so many people used to be glued to the TV to watch high school baseball. Now, people choose from a variety of sports in doing or watching. Recently, major-league scouts come to watch preliminary games of the senior high school baseball tournament.

During the opening ceremony of the tournament, the sky was blurry because of Yellow sand(黄砂). Annually, the sand is brought to Japan by high winds from the deserts of Mongolia and China. A large amount of yellow sand reduced visibility and caused the cancellation of airline flights.

In recent years, a large amount of yellow sand often reaches Japan from March to May. Desert growth causing the spread of yellow sand and industrial pollutants contained in the sand has become major issues.
Northeast Asian countries share the problem of the yellow sand.