The view on New Year's one night before eve

I was taking pictures on my iPhone camera from the restaurant windows.
They are really interesting photos kind of magical mirror.

I was charmed by the tricks of the view for a while, saying good bye to the year 2010.
I'm now welcoming the coming year soon.
Hope everything goes well and the happy come around us!

Even a dog in the floor heater with blanket

One Japanese old children's song tells that dogs are running around outside in the garden and cats are staying in the warm heater inside when it snows and never stops hail in cold winter days.

Nowadays not only my dog but also other dogs living inside like cats seem to like staying in the warm place especially near the heater.
They have been made tame and they can no longer live outdoors like those before.....
I'm afraid of their losing instinct and independence.

You know the development of the culture and society brings us great prosperity and wealthy but somehow we might lose something important ...we can't live without electronics nor technology.
Left alone in the deserted Island, most of us would never survive because we are too tame!

It comes to my thoughts that even the dog staying in the warm shouldn't be blamed.
Anyway my dog thinks herself the same one as us....she is of course a member of my family.

Marie in the blanket

Awesome iband

Here comes an incredible band, called 'band'

They are playing with no instrument but iPads and iPhones.

They play the band so happily and nice.

I've never imagined such techno music so cool.

Steven Jobs might be so proud of their playing.

I totally admid he is really an entertainer as well a presenter of great pleasure.

The hung salmon

I happened to find salmon being hung in front of the shop when I stopped in my car.

It was special view in winter so common when I was small but theses days are hardly to be seen.

It's  because of the great progress of preservation technology, such as fridge and freezer at home. We can easily keep food fresh for a while.

The salmon is called ' aramaki sake' which is salted and dried hanging in the air to keep it edible  without fridge or freezer but only in winter season.

It's one of the wisdom how to make stored food for winter period in the past.

Then I was very nostalgic at those traditional food and gazed it until the signal light turned to blue.

rainbow over the mountain

There was an extremely low atmospheric pressure and after it has gone, it appeared a big arch.
I stopped driving the car and gazed it for a moment. It was really a beautiful rainbow and behind it was a great view of the Mt.Tate.

But I'm very sorry that I can't show you not so good picture as the real view I saw.
I hope you can have the chance to see the big arch over the mountain next time.

Special view in winter 2

We can see lightenig up with great illumination at night In winter.

My friend sent me a photo of the night view in Sapporo. It shows a crane in the center of the object. It seems very different from my area.

We enjoy various kinds of light art in winter.

light up in Sapporo

light up in Toyama

Special view in winter

The season for viewing swans coming back to stay over here during winter.

They are going to immigrate for a few months in the rice field after the harvest.

The owner takes care of swans for food and water pool in the vacant field to let them swim.

I love watching them swimming and flying around there.

It's also a great view of Mt. Tate when it's clear fine.

I took some pictures in the early winter.

                                              

                                              

What a wonderful world

It was a brilliant today and yesterday, too.
I enjoyed warm and bright sunshine for two days.
I really welcome the sunlight after the cold weather in winter.
It reminds me of the popular song ' What a wonderful world '

I couldn't help singing to myself for a moment in the rest of winter coldness.

What a wonderful world


I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"

They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow

They'll learn much more than I'll ever know

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Oh yeah

The last red leaves

No sun in the dark sky
Cloudy cold weather is more often than shiny fine days.

Winter is just now on.
Leaves have fallen and covered the pavement.
It looks like a carpet with natural color.

I still find brilliant red among bared trees.
They seem burning and trying to show their best lives just before dying.
I'm touched with the color and impressed the last autumn this year.

Duck family

Walking along the river, I found a duck family going in line on the water.
They were very carefully changing their directions as if not to be taken their shots by me.
So it was very hard to catch them in my iPhone camera as they were moving and escaping from me. But I was trying to take their photos and finally got it!

I don't know if they were migrant birds or not.
Never know where they are from and they are going to.
No idea whether their ancestors lived around here.

I just felt lucky to have seen them and shared time for a moment with wild life.
I'm convinced we are saved and healed by nature and we should love natural lives.

Bread made of wheat gluten called ' Fu '

I was given a gift, which is called Fu in Japanese. It's been one of the Japanese traditional ingredient food but had been imported from China for almost a thousand.
It's wheat and gluten bread,as you know, very healthy food as well as Tofu, which is made from soy beans.
We often eat them at the memorial ceremony only with grain and vegetables without meat. Especially at the meal after funerals and memorial services.

I'm going to cook with Fu and planning to make imitation pork and rice ball.
People who like to cook with Fu told me it's very delicious like real pork cutlet.
I will try to cook imitation pork and rice ball  using Fu instead of pork for dinner.

Salmons came home

Salmons have been returning back home to lay eggs.


The river is near my house and it's called "the river Game".
Every year salmons come back at this time but this year is a little bit later than usual because of warmer climate.


Salmons have come to this area for ten years. They seem to have been born this river and grew up in the ocean.

The neighbors are glad to see them come back and people are looking forward to seeing them from the distance.

Ivy in red

I can still find autumn color every day.
On my way to work, found ivy lying on the wall of an old building and showed lovely red leaves.
It seems like a classical time in which the song ' The time when I was a student ' was.
I don't know if you remember or not.
I liked the song and used to sing by myself. It begins from the phrase,
" At the chapel covered with ivy growing and lying on the wall ..."

It reminds me of sweet and bitter memories in the past.
I feel like a wanderer between the past and the present because of Fall for nostalgia.

Myanmar's symbol of hope

This is one of the rare good news in the world that Aung San Suu Kyi released for more than twenty years under house arrested by the Myanmar's ruling military junta.


I wrote about her when I watched the film ' Burma VJ '


Burma VJ

I was worried about her, NLD members and also monks who devoted to recover democracy but they were compelled to break down by the junta.

Now Suu Kyi comes back to her people and starts to work for her people.
She lives in her mother land and never gave up helping people and her strong will never die.





Suu Kyi tells her supporters

iPhone under the water....

I carelessly went out of the car door without noticing iPhone on my lap and it fell down and rolled into the water stream.It was almost taken to the stream and I put myself into the water and caught iPhone! Oh....I won't recall the bad moment. I regret my careless and stupid behavior. I hope I will learn from the failure ....never leave iPhone on my lap.

Anyway...I needed to solve the problem after that.
Firt, I turned off the iPhone and ran into the nearest shop to learn how to deal with the wet and soaked iPhone.
A few weeks ago, I read the twitter of Mr.son who is the Softbank president,had an accident that he carelessly put iPhone into the bath tub and under the hot water. He reported how to rescue iPhone working normally. It had been nothing to do with me until then.
But this time....it got to  really close to me.

Second, I asked the staff of the support shop to put the sim card away from the body and what to do next. I was just advised to tried to keep it dry for a day packed with desiccant in a ziploc and see for a couple of days.

Now I turned on and use the iPhone. It works for me so far....but not knowing what will be going on because once the iPhone had water inside, it will harm it in the future.....they say.
I was warned by the support staff and I understand its all my fault on that.

Promise myself  not to do that failure again !

Color of the day

It was chilly and wet yesterday but turned clear and brilliant today!
I liked to wander around the neighbor and found the beautiful color.
I took pictures in my iPhone and wanted to keep them the best memory of the day.

I talked to one of my friends what lovely color in this autumn and she replied to me that
I had told the same last year as well.
So to speak,as for me the most beautiful color every year!
It means 'No day but today'. I really love this word.

As long as I live,every moment I live is the best and want to make my day.
I really enjoy Now and never be worried about tomorrow.
As time goes by,the color will die and the fallen leaves will be swept away.
We need to be patiently waiting for breaking spring.
I will find something interesting and share with you.....thank you.

Knitting addiction ....

It was cold rainy Wednesday. Chilly wind and rainy have been covered these days.

I was knitting shawl with my fingers as I was given some roles of wool thread by an acquaintance, which she had bought for knitting but will never use. She said it would be wasteful to throw away than letting it reused.

I like to make use of unused things and create something new.
I'd like to save resource, money and recreate precious in my life time.

By the way, my friend is now in Hokkaido,where is much colder than here and the temperature is around 5 degrees C. She is also knitting in such cold weather.
We enjoyed exchanging photo of recent products each other.
But we should be careful for stiff shoulder after the hard work.....so need to be slowly.

Dog remains faithful to dead owner

It's a very sad and heart warming story.
A dog's owner was killed by a car accident five months ago and his dog has been waiting for his owner every moment along the street where he used to meet him.
The dog doesn't know that his owner was dead but he trusts his faith and never give up waiting for his owner coming back.
It reminds me of the Japanese ' Chuken Hatchi '. It was also remade to American movie.

Dog remains bfaithful to dead owner ......it shows us something missing in our mind.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/11/05/dnt.dog.defines.loyalty.wfaa?iref=allsearch

My boom

The season for knitting!
It's been my boom for years knitting in winter.
I'm stuck in knitting at home or gathering friends having knitting cafe especially in winter.

I used to do finger knitting without needles or knitting sticks, made maffler scarf by thick threads.
I've found a new item this time. It's a thread of ribbon tape.
I've already done three pieces of muffler scarves made of ribbon tape.

My winter boom has just started now!

Autumn Cherry

I found a line of flowers of Cosmos on the flower vase along the street.
Actually I like Cosmos very much, one of the best three flowers which I love!
They are not showy nor outstanding but just elegant and simple.




Cosmos means Universe and Space. It has large scale for a small flower.
It's said 'Autumn Cherry' alias 'akizakura' in Japanese.
I enjoyed one Indian summer in late autumn seeing the end of the Autumn Cherry.
It reminds me of the song 'akizakura' by a famous Japanese singer.

This video is English version of the original ' akizakura '

A little autumn color

Here comes the leaves turning  colorful day by day. We can enjoy natural color variation for a while but in a short period.
I took a picture on the walk side where cherry blossoms were full in spring.
The red leaves of the cherry trees are dying and get to prepare for the new born babies next year.

It is said that cherry blossoms never bloom without having cold weather. They need to experience hard time before giving birth brilliant flowers.
So do we make effort and pain to find the way to be successful.
That's the way we can learn from the nature.

Battle with nature

Extremely hot this summer effected on the lack of food for the wild animals, especially bears. They are now suffering from hunger,can't help invading area of humans and they are chased or killed because they are harmful to humans.I'm so sorry to hear that their lives are in danger in the future. I wonder our human life might be based on the other livings in nature.

On the other hand, a beehive was fond in the backward of the compressor unit yesterday. It was surely built in a short term after summer during the air condition was turned off.
I needed to exterminate the nest of the bee because it will bother and harm my life.
But it seems too selfish deed for the nature as we are not the owner of the earth but a temporary rent for a while.

I feel very contradict of myself but at last I killed many bees in my garden.
I feel very sorry for that.

Start from chemical free to be ecological and safe

If you want to be ecological and safe, you should begin with using natural thing and chemical free.
For instance, you can easily try wash your hair with Sodium Bicarbonate instead of shampoo, use vinegar instead of rinse. You don't have to buy expensive hair care product but making head massage by yourself. That's enough for your hair treatment.

One more natural care for the face skin is to use honey instead of face washing soap.
It's said that honey makes your skin moisture and vitality and you will feel your skin get back young.

I've just started that ecology trial and keep going.
I really want to report the result later soon !

Japanification today and yesterday

Japan was once said "Japan as No. 1" in the late 20th century but it has been losing the position after the collapse of bubble economy.

"Japanification" is the word when Japan was in such strong economic status but now not any more.

Another meaning for the word seems to appear, the NYtimes says;      

Still, as political pressure builds to reduce federal spending and budget deficits, other economists are now warning of “Japanification” — of falling into the same deflationary trap of collapsed demand that occurs when consumers refuse to consume, corporations hold back on investments and banks sit on cash. It becomes a vicious, self-reinforcing cycle: as prices fall further and jobs disappear, consumers tighten their purse strings even more and companies cut back on spending and delay expansion plans.

The Great Deflation: This is the first in a series of articles that will examine the effects on Japanese society of two decades of economic stagnation and declining prices.

NYtimes

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/world/asia/17japan.html?scp=1&sq=Japanification&st=cse

Mr. Ito in the cerebral palsy opens the door of the new bar examination passing judicial officer by one finger.

Shoichi Ito who passes this year's new bar examination. The cerebral palsy is held, and Sapporo City during day when the keyboard of the personal computer was taken to the strike examination by one index finger of the left hand.

The man in Sapporo City where a serious disability existed in the cerebral palsy passed this year's new bar examination. The keyboard of the personal computer is stricken by one index finger of the left hand, and the thesis is written. It was a heroic deed the third times that were the upper bounds of the examination frequency.

"I want to become an all-round lawyer who can digest any event."It is Shoichi Ito in the same city south district eagerness (37).

Excerpt from Kyodo press

cerebral palsy 脳性麻痺
new bar examination 新司法試験
disability. 障害

Everlasting life

Little Charo 2 Episode 28 ' Everlasting life '

Numtaka said to Charo,

" To live is to have limited time to shape the future, to have limited time to follow your dream.

   Do you understand me?"

Charo didn't understand what Numtaka said but he began to cry without reason.

Numtaka went on talking to Charo knowing he couldn't understand but he would later.

" Life is beautiful because it ends."

" Nothing lives that does not die."

I'm very impressed by Numtaka's words.

It reminds me of the movie" Green Mile" originally from Stephen King's.

Numtaka and the main character of the movie were both given everlasting life as well.

They seem unhappy and suffered from the long life which never ends and had to see off many people around them. As time goes by, ordinary people live and die but they never end their lives.

Everlasting life does not always make us happy and beautiful.

In other word, we might live to make the happy end of life.

Then, what is the happy end of life?

The answer is in you.

I'm still asking myself .....What about you?

Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China

A Japanese young guy is the most famous Japanese in China.

He lives in China and work as a writer after graduated from the university in China and published several books in Chinese.

He speaks Chinese fluently and his Chinese is not less than native speakers'

His name is Kazuyoshi Katoh and he is called"an envoy to Tang China Now".

He has been trying to make better understanding between Japan and China by giving his note to column. His column is very popular among people and works hard traveling around the country.

He knows how hard it is to let the people what it is around the world because Chia is not open nor free for the people to express. The government still control all the information from the Internet.

He won't give up his mind until his mission will be pursued.  

Tribute John Lennon

October 9th is John's 70 years old Birthday.
Yoko Ono is giving message to keep his memory alive.

Think peace, act peace, spread peace and imagine peace !


I LOVE YOU.




Imagine

English words originally from Japanese

We have a lot of adopted words from English called ' gairaigo ' which are spelled with katakana.
While letting some Japanese words exported instead.

Almost of all the English words originally from Japanese are Names and special in Japan.
We tend to borrow or lend new words to share each other. It makes faster as the globalization goes.

I will pick up familiar words first.

Sumo, Judo, Geisha, Samurai, Shogun, Kamikaze, Shintoism are popular which doesn't exist in other culture and are accepted as symbols of Japanese culture.
Recently new word are rushing into the world, for example, Tsunami, Anime from Japanese animation, Karaoke all over the world and so on.
My American friend Jimm let me know a new word ' Japanmation ' from Japan animation.
It seems really popular among anime fans.

I've also noticed another word which is introduced into English I had never expected.
It's ' Satori ' from Zen.
I think it's a really deep and specific word in abstract, spiritual and religious category.
It is explained that is " enlightenment in Zen Buddhism."
I'd like to translate it " a great achievement given by yourself "
I can say Satori is not brought by chance but caused by yourself having had an effort.

I'm glad to know one of Japanese solemn word is universal.
We need to be proud of our culture and share the goodness with people in the world.        

Weekend reading

I'm very interested in different culture, especially Chinese recently.
I've known a man who immigrated to Japanese after he had lived in Japan for more than 20 years and he really got to like Japan and made up his mind to throw away his Chinese nationality.
I was searching his website and checked one of his books.
I finally found two books of him at the library which were both discussion about Japan with other two immigrants from Taiwan and Korea.

The books are ' Traitors ' and ' Japanese Immigrants '
They are Seki Hei from China, Kou Bunyu from Taiwan and Oo Son Fa from Korea.
They talked a lot about Asian history, each different custom, education, and their own biography.

The three foreigners from Asia seem like' traitors' who fell in love with Japan because they became Japanese but I found braveness and real broad mind who will be expected to be the bridges between the  different cultures.
They frankly described their opinion of the bad point of their mother countries  and really worried about the future of the mutual relationship with Japan.

All of them are already admire Japanese culture and Japanese life.

From their view, Japan has a soft animism which could lead Asian with old and new waves and technology. Without Japan no China, no Taiwan, no Korea and no other Asian countries now.

But two of the countries, China and Korea don't take it but they hate progressive Japan above them and blame the post war. They think Japan should be inferior country to them because of the history, Japan had been effected by the civilization of China and Korea far from the ancient days.

Anyway,the three immigrant Japanese are saying that Japan is very wonderful country.
I feel like confident of being Japanese after reading these books.

animal therapy その2

Have you seen a pet owner  talked to the pet with such word as to be used for the babies?

I thought it was strange to see the old lady who was speaking to the dog, " Good boy! ", " Come this way" or 

" You can eat food later " with high tone and gentle voice.

But it happens to me and also to my family members when we talk to the pet dog in my house.

It's funny to think about why we tend to use the word slowly and clearly as letting it to be understood by the pet.

I think it  because human beings might instinctively  try to help and protect someone who is inferior to themselves.

story1

There was an old woman who couldn't walk nor speak to anyone being depressed in a nursery home. 

One day a helping dog visited the home and met the old women. 

She loved dogs and wanted to touch the dog. 

She tried herself at the most to go get to touch the dog and finally she moved by herself .

Then she had a passion inside her and her love made her break the disability.

For her, the dog treats her well enough to recover her ability.

story2

When I took my dog for a walk near my area and came across an old man who seemed blank. 

But as soon as he found my dog walking with small body and  tiny legs shaking, he smiled and bent his legs and said, " Small doggy coming here, walking and walking ". Even he was a stranger to me but he talked to my dog not me!  My dog made a good communication with him.

Nothing to say, pets are good at communication among people.

They can be naturally communicative  if we live in harmony with them.

I strongly  recommend better life with pets and happier time with pets.