Ever since June started, my mind has felt perpetually busy.

Nothing particularly happened. But I’ve been stuck in a pattern of overthinking lately. Today is my day off. Typhoon No. 6 is apparently moving northward from Kyushu. They’re saying it’ll rain starting tonight.

“Guess I’ll go for a walk.”

That’s all I thought before heading out.

A park before the typhoon

The wind is strong.

I realized it immediately after starting to walk. The trees are swaying restlessly. The sky is overcast, somehow heavy. It’s around 26 degrees Celsius, but the humidity is thick. The damp air clings to my skin.

Yet somehow, it’s not bad at all.

There’s Mizumoto Park in my neighborhood. Even though I live nearby, I rarely find myself going there. Today, I headed in that direction. As soon as I entered the park, I heard birds. The loud calls of crows. Mixed in beyond that, smaller bird voices too. Apparently there’s a kingfisher around—I spotted a few birdwatchers with cameras standing quietly in wait.

I never expected to have time like this the day before a typhoon arrives.

The 45th Katsushika Iris Festival

When I reached the center of the park, I suddenly noticed something.

It was different from usual. There were food stalls. Takoyaki, squid grilled on skewers, butter-coated potatoes, sweet potato sticks. Not quite like a traditional Showa-era street fair, but arranged in a more modern way. A stage had been set up, with flower display stands lined up in front of it. A banner read “45th Katsushika Iris Festival.”

It seemed the festival was scheduled for this Sunday.

The whole park area had been planted with irises as preparation for it.

Purple and white, irises in all varieties

To be honest, I think today might be the first time I’ve really looked at iris flowers properly.

I’d certainly heard the term “iris festival” before. But I’d never actually gone. I had this vague assumption that it was something for older people, something distant from my world.

But seeing them in person, they were far more beautiful than I’d imagined.

Purple. White. Pale lavender. Deep purple. The shape of each flower petal differs. Some stand tall and slender, others are more squat. With each gust of wind, they all sway in unison. In the strong winds that felt like harbingers of the typhoon, the irises alone seemed to move with quiet grace.

As the sections changed, different varieties appeared in each one. By the time I’d made a full circle, I’d seen quite a range of them.

I took plenty of photographs.

A small tea house and dango

By the edge of the pond, there was a small tea house.

They were selling dango—those sweet little dumplings. A few customers were seated on low benches, sipping tea while gazing out at the irises.

It felt like the Edo period, I thought. It was truly just like that. Admiring the flowers while eating dango. Japanese people must have been doing this for hundreds of years. Thinking about that made me feel a bit amused, and a bit happy too.

Getting older, maybe

As I looped back and headed toward the park exit, I found myself lost in thought.

Hydrangeas were blooming too. Those big blue-violet flowers typical of the rainy season. Different from the purple of the irises. Both are colors you can only see at this time of year.

When did I start coming to places like this and thinking flowers were beautiful? When I was younger, I never would have wanted to come to a place like this. I was chasing after more stimulating things than flowers.

But today, I stood in front of the irises for a while, just looking at them. And it felt good.

I think I’m getting older. But not in a bad way. I think it’s actually a good thing that I’ve come to appreciate beauty like this.

It was just an hour or so of walking the day before the typhoon arrived.

The clutter in my head seemed to thin out a little. There are various ways to relieve stress, but I’m realizing that walking might be what suits me best after all.

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As long as I’m someone who can find beauty in flowers, I think I’m still doing okay.

※ This article is based on personal experience and publicly available information. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. If you have health concerns, please consult a doctor or registered dietitian. See our Disclaimer.