Hot Air Balloon International Championship

“Tochigi Hot Air Balloon International Championship” was held from November 21st to 25th in Utsunomiya city.
I got up early in the morning yesterday, even on Sunday and went to the taking-off place of the race, Kinu River with two daughters, Emi and Rina. The taking-off place is just 15 minutes away from home by car. It was sunny but freezing cold morning.

When I lived in Tokyo, about 20 years ago, I once rode a hot air balloon with my colleagues. I remember that it was also freezing cold in the morning.
I had come all the way from Tokyo to Watarase Swamp in Tochigi prefecture midnight. In the next morning, we prepared the flight before dawn and lifted off just when it was dawning. We watched the sunrise from the sky. It was amazingly beautiful.
I thought it was cold when we were flying because of the wind. But I could not feel the wind blowing while flying. Do you know why? The reason is simple. The hot air balloon flew at the same speed as that of the air or the wind.
Anyway, I was just a spectator of the race this time. I could not enjoy the view from the sky, though I enjoyed watching colorful balloons in the beautiful autumn sky. It’s worth getting up early on Sunday morning!

Business Trip to Tokyo

I went on a business trip to Tokyo last week to attend a seminar on semiconductor production process engineering. I’m a member of software development department of semiconductor equipment in my company, CANON.

Even being on the wrong side of forty, I feel satisfied with learning something new. I like playing tennis, web surfing, taking pictures, biking, camping, … Last but not least, learning new things or acquiring new knowledge always gives me great satisfaction.

I can’t post pictures of the seminar but instead, post the pictures of Tokyo in which I lived for eighteen years.

Hijiribashi bridge from the platform of Ochanomizu Station

View from Kanda station

Locomotive park in front of Shinbashi station

Kamosu Jinjya in Matsue

Hi guys, I've uploaded my favorite pictures on this site again. I took those pics in Matsue during my trip from Oct. 17 to Oct. 23. No need to say about the beautiful lake, the castle and the quadricentennial drum festivals, there are wonderful old shrines and temples in Matsue.
Pictures of Kamosu Jinjya(Shrine) follow,

Kamosu Jinjya(Shrine) is about half an hour bike ride away from my family’s home. I went there on sunny Thursday. There were few tourists. I walked in the site of the shrine alone. They were holding an autumnal harvest rite.
Kamosu Jinjya is written ‘神魂神社’ in Japanese.
The meaning of Japanese charactors ‘神魂神社’ is ‘the Spirits of God Shrine.’
---神 :God, ---魂 :spirits, ---神社:shrine
Isn’t it cool?

Halloween Party

I usually go to a pub, Lion’s Head to drink beer with my friends on Wednesday. But it was too crowded for eight members at pm 9:30 on October 31, the day of Halloween. The owner of Lion’s Head made it a special day for the pub; a customer who wears Halloween clothes gets a chance to draw a lottery for presents.

We wanted to go there but changed our mind to go to a nearby pub to have a small Halloween party. We enjoyed drinking beer and talking. I upload some pictures at the party.

It’s becoming colder and colder in Utsunomiya these days. I’ll wear gloves while going to my office by bike in the morning soon. Ski season is coming closer to Utunomiya. :-)

Drum Festival in Matsue, Japan