The Year-End Party, 2009

Year-end parties with friends or co-workers are said to be an annual event in Japan.
Most office workers have, at least, two to three times year-end parties in December.

A few weeks ago, I had a year-end party with my tennis friends.
I always feel more relaxed having a party not with coworkers but with tennis friends.

It's really interesting talking with people from different walks of life, including a medical doctor, engineers, a mechanic, a sales person, house wives, a college professor and a tennis couch for kids.

It’s my last working day in this year tomorrow. New Year Party season is not far: it’s coming soon. lol

Family Pictures

 Even email is very popular among Japanese, we still have a custom of sending New Year's Day postcards to our friends and relatives as Westerners send Christmas cards to their friends and relatives.

I'm not the exception of Japanese.
I always make my New Year's Day postcards using my family pictures in the middle of December.
I took pictures for the postcards yesterday at home.

It’s hard to know the growth of my daughters because I live with them and see them everyday. But, when I compare the following pictures, I realize that our daughters have grown amazingly.

The picture I took yesterday.

Year 2008

Year 2007

Year 2006

Tennis, Tennis and Tennis.

Mr. Ikeda and I became runner-ups at the Ichikai doubles tennis tournament a few weeks ago. The prize was two right hand gloves for tennis players.

Mr. Takano and I won the CANON Utsunomiya division employee’s tennis tournament a week ago. 5,000 yen, about US$45 worth restaurant coupon was the prize.

Ms. Tajima and I became runner-ups at the Mohka beginner’s level mixed doubles tennis tournament today. We got two middle size towels as a prize.

I have been a tennis bum for almost one month, he-he.

To tell you the truth, I have tons of things to do within this year. One of the biggest tasks is to take family pictures and make new-year greeting cards. I may need 48 hours a day.
Time really flies … sigh.
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Utsunomiya Marathon 2009

Rina, my younger daughter, earned a bronze medal at the 2009 Utsunomiya Marathon.
Congratulations Rina!

There were half marathon, 10 km, 5 km and 2 km races for both men and women, being divided into their age groups at the Utsunomiya Marathon.

She took part in the women's junior high school students division in which about one hundred athletes participated.

Even it had passed a few months after she retired her track and field club at her school, she did a great job.

Most of Japanese high schools have the same policy or practice that all third grade students should finish their club activities in autumn and start to prepare for their high school entrance examinations.

But, after retiring her club, Rina kept running long distance on Saturday or Sunday morning alone till the day of the marathon race.

Unfortunately, she could not beat other two competitors nor her last year's her own record, I'm proud of Rina.
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Shibamata, Tokyo

I made a movie with pictures and video files that I took when I visited Shibamata, Tokyo last year with my family.

The background music “Otoko Wa Tsuraiyo” is played by Koichi who is an amateur electric organ player.
He uploaded numbers of tunes on his YouTube site. I impressed his skilled technique a lot.

One day, I wanted to make a video with his music, I asked him a favor of using his music in my video. That is about two months ago.
After getting his generous permission by email, I spent almost a month to complete the video.

I’m happy you watch and enjoy the video.

7-5-3, Shichi-Go-San Festival

Shichi-Go-San, literally translated "Seven-Five-Three" is a traditional festival day in Japan to celebrate the healthy growth of children, three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys.

It is not a national holiday. It is generally held on the nearest weekend around November 15.
When I went to Tokyo a few weeks ago for a college reunion, I visited Kanda Myojin Shrine on Sunday morning.

Two families were celebrating Shichi-Go-San festival there.
They were dressed up in their best clothes and held a ceremony of purification.
Parents didn't fail to take pictures of thier lovely children.

One young couple were having a wedding ceremony at Kanda Myojin on the day.

Tokyo Sky Tree

I stayed in Tokyo on the day of the college reunion party. Then, the next day, I went to "Tokyo Sky Tree" with three former photography club members who had come to the party.

"Tokyo Sky Tree" is now under construction in Sumida Ward, located about 1km east of Asakusa, Tokyo.

It will be completed in 2011. The height of the tower is said to become 634m and will be the world's tallest.

According to the notification showed at the construction site, the tower was a little shorter than 200m when we visited.

Even it was one-third of the final height, its huge skirts of the building impressed us very much.

Many tourists were posing before the tower to be taken a picture.

Mr. Yamamoto (center) and Mr. Nakahigashi (right) in the subway.

College Reunion Party

After walking together with Michel and Keita to the area near Utsunomiya station, I hopped on a train heading to Tokyo to join a reunion party of college photography club.




I was a member of photography club in my college.
It was five years ago that the club reunion party was held last time.

Twenty people gathered to the party that was held in Ochanomiz. One of campuses of my alma mater is located in Ochanomizu about a five-minute train ride from Tokyo station.

Most people joined the party had come to the party five years ago. They looked far different from they looked in college days, but amazingly not changed from five years ago.

To think about their characters, either good or strange, I felt that most of them had not lost their own characters that they had in their youth, even about thirty years had passed.

I met some of the members for the first time at the party.

I was very happy that I could talk with those who were once in the same college photography club and never talked with in my adolescence, since they had already graduated before I entered the college.

We were really enjoyed eating, drinking, talking, laughing, singing, exchanging ideas and, of course, taking pictures at the party.

We all promised to keep our health good and have a party five years later again.

Michel and Keita Come My Home.

My friend Michel and his son Keita who live in Canada have come home for the first time since one and half year ago. They are staying in his wife’s parents’ home in Tochigi and their one-month-trip will end in few more days.

They’ve traveled from Nikko, Gifu, Nara, Osaka and many places in Japan, I heard.

I really envied both his energy to go such many places in Japan and being able to take four weeks off from his work.

In my case, I made trips in Japan to Tochigi, Tokyo and my hometown Shimane. Those were my only destinations of traveling in Japan for the past several years.

My wife Kiyono and two children Emi, Rina and I, all enjoyed talking with Michel and were happy to see Keita becoming such a cheerful nice boy.

Tennis Tournament

We won the beginner’s level of Mohka Tennis Club Tournament title last week.

Our team consists of five members, 5th grade of elementary school student Takeru, freshman of junior high student Hikaru, third grade of junior high Rina, Takeru’s mam and I.

We got the certificate of the winner and small gifts.

Though Takeru and Hikaru, already taller than my daughter Rina, are quite young, they played tennis very well. I thought they were very prospective.

We were very happy both getting the tile and being able to enjoy playing tennis in the tennis court located in such a beautiful autumn forest.

My Wife's Birthday

My wife Kiyono became forty three years old two days ago on October 17.  I gave a red rose to her on the day.

I usually play tennis on the top of the building on Saturday afternoon. After finishing the tennis, I went to a flower shop located on the basement floor in the same building and bought it.

I don’t think I’m such a romanticist as a guy who buys 43 roses to his wife. But even it is only one rose, it can brighten and change atmosphere of our small condominium.

Our rabbit was watching the rose enviously for a long time.

Hot Spring and Table Tennis

I went to a spa located half an hour drive away from my home with my family. It was the first time since we had been there exactly one year before.

When my children were smaller, to be exact , early elementary school kids, we often went to various hot springs in Tochigi or even Ibaraki prefecture. At times, it took us more than a few hours driving.

But now, we don't go to spas so often as my daughters have their own pastimes and want to spend holidays for their own ways.

Anyway, I relaxed and refreshed myself in the outdoor hot spring, watching colored leaves of the trees in the twilight for long time.

The hot spring resort has table tennis equipments for free; it's quite common in Japan. Every time we go there, we make it a rule to play table tennis together before bathing.

Indian Restaurant in My Town

We moved here in Utsunomiya from Tokyo about thirteen years ago. In the year we moved, every weekend, curiosity made me walking various places in the city. Seeing those places, like parks, shops and restaurants were really exciting memory.

I found a small Indian restaurant ‘Taj Mahal’ near my condominium at that time. I have been thinking that I will go there some day next time. For more than ten years, I’ve never been to the restaurant.

Finally, I went to the restaurant with my wife for lunch last week. Needless to say the delicious authentic dishes, everything in the restaurant, music, displays and its atmosphere, were very nice.

I promise you also have a wonderful moment while having fine Indian cuisine there.

My Hometown Matsue

I uploaded a new video on YouTube. I made the video spending my spare time for about one week. I like it. Please take a look. (^^)

Kuri Gohan / Autumnal Equinox Day

September 23, it's Autumnal Equinox Day today and Japanese national holiday.

My tennis friend, Mr. Kobayashi gave me dozens of chestnuts the day before yesterday.
So, I cooked Kuri Gohan or 'boiled rice with chestnuts' with my wife Kiyono.

I had bought peeled chestnuts when I cooked Kuri Gohan last time. But this time, chestnuts wore hard skin.
Though it took longer time for preparing or peeling chestnuts' skin, cooking delicious food was fun to me.

My family members all enjoyed the beginning of the autumn season by eating autumn delight.

The recipe of Kuri Gohan

Peel the chestnuts.

Cut some vegetables.

Rinse four cups of rice.

Put them into a rice cooker with water.

Put some soy sauce, sugar and one spoon of liquor.

Turn the cooker's switch ON.

Wait for about an hour.

Then, yummy Kuri Gohan will be ready.

Business Trip to Mizonokuchi

I went to CANON Mizonokuchi Training Center for taking lectures of management skills last Wednesday and Thursday.
The lectures were, to say the least, not exciting nor interesting to me, but I could have been able to refresh myself by forgetting about daily routines.
It was a crispy sunny day on Wednesday. I took pictures near the Training Center at the afternoon break, as I did when I went there three years ago.
I walked along a small stream, looking flowers and butterflies for ten to fifteen minutes.

The view from the 7th floor of the Training Center