Tyhpoons are very common in Japan but apparently last year there were more than usual and several very strong ones. The results can be seen quite clearly during any drive into the mountains and even in some areas on the edge of Tsuyama. In some places the ubiquitous pine trees, bamboo and other plants that cover the mountain and hill sides have been completely flattened. Once the trees were gone, the heavy rains soon caused landslides to add to the mess. This wasn't restricted to just the north of Okayama prefecture, we saw similar sights all along the way on the journey by bus south through Honshu and across Shikoku towards Matsuyama.
Typically after a typhoon work would begin to clear up the fallen trees, replacing them where feasible with new saplings and shoring up the hillsides that overlook roads to prevent more dangerous landslide situations. This is now 6 months on from the worst of the typhoons and most of the trees are still there were they fell... there are just too many to deal with across too large an area. I heard that the wood from fallen trees isn't suitable for (or at least can't be sold for) timber to be used by the building trade so I wonder what will happen to all that wood once the trees have finally been cleared.
In a funny sort of coincidence Chi-chan was born on the day of one of the biggest typhoons last year and on the day when my wife was born there was also a typhoon... spooky.

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