The sakura trees that line the main boulevard in Akizuki are far from blooming. That moment is still half a year away, when the trees along the avenue flower to become one of Fukuoka Prefecture's best spots for cherry blossoms.
Now, at the end of September, the colors are fading from bright summer greens into muted autumn hues. The edges of the maple tree leaves are turning slowly yellow, heralding Akizuki's other seasonal display, momiji, the turning of the leaves.
Up in the hills above the town's center, farmers are harvesting their rice fields, making the best of a crop that was harassed by the intense storms that plagued northern Kyushu in early July — though Akizuki itself seems relatively unaffected. Its stone walls, which date back several centuries, have weathered storms, battles and bloodshed, and seem mute to the passage of time. Even the moss that covers them seems fixed in place.