Hinomisaki Light House

I went to Hinomisaki light house when I stayed in Shimane prefecture.

It took me an one-hour train ride and a forty-five-minute cycling from Matsue city to the light house via Izumo Taisha station.

It’s amazingly beautiful. The wonderful color contrast between the blue sky and the white building and the view of the ocean made me forget everything of a tough 8 km bike ride in the scorching sun light.

I've Come Back From Shimane, My Hometown.

I had spent Obon holiday season in my hometown Matsue city, Shimane prefecture for ten days and just came back the day before yesterday by airplane.
I met my mother, my brother and my sister-in-law living in Matsue city.

Obon is a Buddhist festival to recognize ancestral spirits in Japan.
It is believed these spirits return to their families during the period.

We invited a monk to the house and asked him to recite a religious sutra for ancestral spirits.

Before my father passing away, we had never invited a monk for Obon ceremony, nor had we been such a religious family at all.

During this Obon season, I took a ten-day-off from my office, adding a five-day-paid-holiday to my company’s predetermined five-day-Obon-holiday for every employees.

I stayed there so long that I could have really been relaxed.

Left: my mother, Center: my sister-in-law, Right: my brother

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Miya Matsuri Summer Festival in Utsunomiya

Miya Matsuri Summer Festival is held in the center of Utsunomiya city in early August every year.

Many people, young, old, men, women wearing Yukata come to the center area of the city to watch parades of decorated floats, eat and drink street foods.

My elder daughter Emi is too busy for studying to go to the festival. Younger daughter Rina went there wearing Yukata with her friends.

I didn’t have a chance to take pictures of Rina in Yukata but took some pictures of decorated floats and young guys carrying a Mikoshi or portable shrine.

Piano Concert

My wife Kiyono has started taking piano lessons once every two weeks since January this year.

Last week, she participated in a small piano concert with other piano learners and a teacher.

The concert was arranged by the piano school to which she goes.
It was the first time for her to play the piano, Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2, in front of the audience.

Most of the participants of the concert seem to enjoy their opportunities to play in a concert hall, just as I enjoy opportunities to take part in local tennis tournaments.

I’m not cut out for classical music though, it’s fun to listen live music. Kiyono and other eager learners did great jobs.