The 25th Utsunomiya Marathon

Rina and 351 female runners took part in the 5 km women's long distance race of the 25th Utsunomiya Marathon at Kiyohara Industrial Park (K.I.P.) today.
She won the race.
The Utsunomiya Marathon holds 2 km, 3 km, 5 km, 10 km and 21.1 km races for both men and women.
Congrats Rina! Great job. I'm proud of you!

To tell you the truth, I didn't go to K.I.P. to watch her running. I practiced playing tennis as usual. My wife Kiyono went to Tokyo to meet her parents and elder daughter Emi.
I guess that her two friends, one of them finished 3rd, and her field and track club coach of her high school watched the prize awarding ceremony.

I wish I could have seen the ceremony.

The Season For Autumn Leaves

I played tennis today with Rina and some of my friends in Kiyohara Industrial Park.

The leaves there were at their peak color.
I enjoyed the changing colors of autumn leaves and, of course, playing tennis.

To tell you the truth, I've had a shoulder pain since early September this year.
I usually play tennis three to four times a week, but now I do only once a week.

I'm happy to think that even only once a week to play tennis is far far better than never.

We Won The Tennis Tournament.

We won the Kiyohara Industrial Park (KIP) tennis tournament 2010.

KIP holds a tennis tournament on the first Saturday in September or on the last Saturday in August every year.
A team consists three doubles, all members should be working in KIP, can attend the tournament.

We participated in the tournament last year, but we became runner-ups.

I asked five brave colleagues who were very good at playing tennis to join my team and to win the tournament together.

Some of them were the same as the last year's team members, the others were newcomers.

We won the tournament, then got a trophy, a certificate and a prize (about 90US$ wroth coupon) for the winner.

One of the team members, Mr. Ikeda accidentally broke the trophy.

Kiyohara Industry Park Tennis Tournament

A tennis club I belonged to for twelve years closed in the end of March this year.

After the closing, my weekly tennis routine has changed a little. I used to play tennis on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the club.

I couldn’t do that any more, so I looked for colleagues who play tennis. Then, I found a group of people who practice and play tennis on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Without hesitation, I asked them to join in the group and I have become a member of the group.

Two weeks ago, I attended to the Kiyohara Industry Park Tennis Tournament with one of the members and got a prize of doubles consolation tournament winner. The prize was about 18US$ wroth coupon.

It’s fun to practice in a new group and with new members.

It Snowed in Utsunomiya

After snowing two days consecutively, yesterday and the day before yesterday, it became sunny day today in Utsunomiya.

I played tennis with my friends today on Sunday as usual.  It covered beautifully with snow near the tennis courts.

I enjoyed both playing tennis and taking pictures of beautiful snow-covered nearby scene.

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.
-

Tennis Tournament in Kiyohara Industrial Park

I took part in the Kiyohara Industrial Park Tennis Tournament yesterday. The tournament this year is different from the past ones in several points.

First, it is usually held on the first Saturday in September, but it's held in August this year.

Our company, CANON offers part of employees to take promotional examinations on the first Saturday in September. One of my tennis friends had been unable to participate in the tournament because he should take the exams. I was happy to ask him to attend the tournament this year.

Second, my closest tennis friend Mr. Ogata was transferred to Tokyo Head Office in the end of August. Our branch has been targeted to reduce the number of employees as a part of our company's slim down policy to fight against the world wide economic recession. I feel sad that we have to compete the tournament without him this year.

The result was that we became a runner-up. We won the tournament two years ago, but all three doubles teams were defeated by the winner's three teams at the final this year.

We promised to win next year.

After coming back home, my wife advised me that the shorted way to win the tournament next year is to ask the winner's team to become one of their members, lol.

Utsunomiya Marathon 2008

Utsunomiya marathon was held in Kiyohara Industrial Park, Utsunomiya city today. I went to the marathon with Rina, my younger daughter. She took part in the race and I was just a spectator.

It’s said about 5,200 people participated in the races. There were half marathon, 10 km, 5 km and 2 km races for both men and women, being divided into their age groups.

Rina won the silver medal in the junior high school women’s race. 75 runners ran 5 km (roughly 3 miles) course. Great job again, Rina!

Unfortunately, it was raining all day long. But, we enjoyed the race and autumn scenery.

Last but not least, thanks all volunteers for the nice management of the races. Volunteers everywhere were great and made the race run smooth and enjoyable.

Annual Tennis Tournament

The first Saturday of September has come yesterday: it's the day of a local tennis tournament in the area of my company. I had asked my colleagues to take part in the annual tournament and five brave colleagues joined my team.
We won the tournament last year but, to our regret, could not this year.
We were defeated at the preliminary league.

They prepared for first league losers to make a consolation tournament.
So, we took part in the consolation tournament. Then we won the tournament. We got no trophy but little prize.
We vowed to win the next year’s tournament.
Anyway, I enjoyed playing tennis very much on wonderful Saturday.
:-)

Tennis Tournament in Kiyohara Industrial Park

On the first Saturday of September, Kiyohara Industrial Park (KIP) association in Utsunomiya holds a tennis tournament.
Every KIP company team consisting three doubles can attend the tournament. I attended the tournament with my five colleagues last year and a year before the last, but couldn’t win.
This year is different. I’ve become a very strong tennis player… I want to say so, but actually I can’t say.
I asked four colleagues including two freshmen to join my team. All of them are very good tennis players. Luckily, they all said “YES” to join my team.
We attended the tournament and, as a result, “WON” yesterday.
We got a trophy, a certificate and forty bottles of beer as a prize of the winner.
The taste of the beer I drunk yesterday was excellent!

Summer Heat Continues.

It’s been still very hot in Utsunomiya. I played tennis with my colleagues for a whole day yesterday.
One of our company’s optical equipment development centers is located in Kiyohara Industrial Park in Utsunomiya.

Luckily, KIP association arranges tennis tournament several times every year for all employees working for companies in KIP. Comparing to other tennis tournaments, it’s a bit different. It’s free of charge and even KIP association gives a winner, finalists, and semi-finalists a prize. Why it’s possible? Because, I guess, companies subsidize KIP association.
Our tennis team couldn’t win though, we got a prize. (^o^)Y