Track And Field Competition in Kanto, 2011

Rina runs right side on the track. Her grandpa cheers her up loud.

Rina went to Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium in Tokyo to attend the track and field competition in Kanto.

Kanto includes Tokyo and six prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa.

The population is said to amount approximately one third of the total population of Japan.


Rina was nominated from Tochigi prefecture as an athlete of 800-meter-run and 1,500-meter-run this time.

Rina’s competitors were so strong that she finished XXth out of  YY members.
XX and YY are secret numbers withheld by Rina’s earnest request.

Anyway, she had a wonderful experience. Congrats. Rina.

A Randoseru or a school bag for primary school kids.

Most elementary school freshmen are given a new Randoseru from their parents or grandparents before starting school in Japan. Children become excited while touching it, wearing it and smelling the new leather of the bag in the end of March. They want to go to school and have new friends as soon as possible. That happened to Rina exactly six years ago.
Upper two pictures were taken six years ago and following two pictures were taken today. The Randoseru has become smaller, hasn't it? I think a Randoseru or a school bag has a special meaning to evey elementary school kid. It keeps a lot of good and painful memory in thier school age.
I don’t know when such a custom that classmates write blessing or comments on their friend’s bag has started in Japan.
What kind of memories in your elementary school days do you have?
Is everything wonderful for you?

Congratulations Rina on passing the exam for a junior high!

Parents are nervously waiting for their kids finishing the exam at the school entrance.
Congratulations Rina on passing the exam for a junior high!
My younger daughter Rina took an entrance exam last week. More than two hundreds sixth-grade school kids came with their parents at the school early in the morning on Saturday. Even prep school staff came there.
They displayed banners, “You Pass The Exam! Do Your Best!” There are two major prep schools in Utsunomiya. Prep school staff delivered their own school students leaflets to encourage them to do a good job at the exam.
As for me, I chose a public junior high school. So, I did not take an entrance exam for junior high. Of course, passing an exam is very important for all of us. But studying hard in this sixth-grade age has become a very good experience for Rina in her life. I believe what she has learned must be precious as well as the good result.

Merry Xmas!

It says in today's Yomiuri Newspaper that only 16 percent of 6th grade elementary school girls, 13 percent boys of the same age believe in Santa Claus. Do you agree to the article? One of my daughters is in 6th grade now.