Tennis Tournament in Mohka, Igashira Park

I attended a Mohka tennis club tournament today with my friends. One club team consists two doubles teams and one single team. Each club team which wins more than two matches out of three wins against its opponent club. In the preliminary league competitions, we battled against two clubs.

The result of our club was terrible. We lost all six matches (lost against two clubs, all three team matches). As a result, we can’t go on a winners’ tournament next week.
Only losers’ tournament waits for us next week. Saaaaaaaaaaad!

Tennis courts are in the beautiful forest park called Igashira-Kouen in Mohka city, Tochigi prefecture. As I wrote you, visitors on my blog before, it is a beautiful place. Even game losers can enjoy walking around and taking pictures there.
Pictures of a persimmon tree and flowers beside the tennis court follow,

Today is Health and Sports Day in Japan.

Today is Health and Sports Day or Sports Day. It's a national holiday in Japan. It’s held annually on the second Monday in October. It commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics being held in Tokyo, and exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle.

I was born in 1959, so I was five years old then. To tell you the truth, I don't remember the live Tokyo Olympics. Of course I know many famous scenes of the Tokyo Olympics, but most of them are scenes I watched on TV after the event.

Anyway, in spite of Health and Sports Day today, I haven't done any sport today. Even I didn't go anywhere outside my condo, just stayed home. I got up late and had late breakfast. Then I made a video of pictures I took yesterday in Kanuma, Tochigi prefecture. This time, I used “Photo Story 3 for Windows” instead of “Windows Movie Maker.” One of my web friends, Pachipro recommended it. It is quite fast, easy to use and capable with enough functions to make videos. Thanks Pachipro.

I still have had a slight backache since few months ago. I wonder I can recover the pain completely. Many athletes have some troubles on the part of their body. Professional athletes sometimes should retire in their early age. Luckily I'm not a pro-athlete. I want to continue sports like biking, climbing, playing tennis and skiing more several decades. lol

Autumn sceneries in Kanuma, Tochigi prefecture follow,

Business Trip to Ohita

I left Utsunomiya at AM 9:11 for Haneda airport to take a plane to Ohita prefecture in Kyushu isle. I have to work at Canon Ohita branch for coming three days from Monday to Wednesday.

Kyushu isle is located in south of Honshu main isle. It was heavily raining at Haneda airport but it’s not raining here in Ohita.

After arriving at Ohita airport, which is surrounded by the sea, I took a hovercraft to the outskirt of Ohita city. The vehicle could run both on the surface of the sea and on the land seamlessly. It’s cool!

The hovercraft is lifted by downward blasts of air which create a cushion of air between the hull and the land or water. And it is driven forward like an airplane by the thrusting force of the propellers mounted on it.

I had few hours walking around the city alone in the afternoon. Now I am staying in a hotel near JR Ohita station and typing in my note PC.
An occasional business trip refreshes me by seeing different scenery and eating local foods. It's fun to me.

Today is Autumn Equinox Day in Japan

It’s Autumn Equinox Day today. Autumn Equinox Day falls on around September 23 and is a national holiday.
Memorial services take place at temples and people make visits to graves to comfort the spirits of their ancestors. Especially, Japanese elder generation perform the ceremony on the holiday.

It has been cooler in Utunomiya since a week ago. The morning glory flowers on my balcony keep their shapes till the evening.



I had nothing special to do today, so I just relaxed and took some pictures of the flowers at home.

Today is Respect-for-the-Aged Day in Japan

Today is the national holiday of Respect-for-the-Aged Day, which honors and shows respect to the aged. I don't know there is a similar holiday in other countries.
Do you know how many people aged 80 or older in Japan?
According to figures released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number has topped 7 million, almost 4 times as many as the population of Tochigi prefecture. I'm not sure that I can outlive 80, but I want to be a man being able to do anything he wants to do, even aged.

Midori Ishii, she is a famous dancer in Tochigi, now living in Tokyo held a performance in Utsunomiya city today.
She was born in Utsunomiya in 1913 and now 94 years old.
Her daughter is also a dancer, made a speech and explained some parts of her dances choreographed by her mother.
All dances including her apprentices’ were splendid.

Actually, my wife went to the performance instead of me.
I think being involved in one’s work at that age should be respected.

Happy Respect-for-the-Aged Day!

The picture on the top left was taken in Tokyo in 2006 when she was 93 years old.
Photographer: unknown

---

Sports Festival in Junior High

I went to the junior high (from 7th year grade to 10th year grade) sports festival yesterday.
It reminded me of the days I was a junior high student. It had been a fun not only to join its competitions, but also to spend for hours and hours to prepare the festival with classmates.
Thanks school guys for showing your efforts, smiles and twinkling sweats for us.
I enjoyed a lot.

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!

"Julia, Ocean Child, Beach, John ..."

I made a video with pictures in Ajigaura beach and John Lennon music.
Please take a look!

Hot Days in Utsunomiya / World Athletics Meet in Osaka

It’s been very hot days here in Tochigi. I didn’t feel going out and do anything this weekend. I just stayed home and watched TV.
Do you know World athletics meet or the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics began last Saturday in Osaka, Japan? I’ve watched the competitions on TV.
The 100 final, scheduled tonight, features world-record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica and American Tyson Gay. It’ll start in few minutes. It must be an exciting race!

The morning glory in my balcony bloomed four flowers this morning. Its vines are creating nice summer shade on the fence.
All but this one goldfish died of summer heat. I changed the goldfish’s pot smaller one.

Ocean Child

“Julia”: John Lennon

Half of what I say meaningless
But I say it just to reach you, Julia

Julia, Julia, ocean child calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

Her hair of floating sky is shimmering
Glummering in the sun

Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

When I cannot sing my heart

I can only speak my mind, Julia

Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me

So I sing a song of love, Julia

Hum hum hum hum …calls me
So I sing a song of love for Julia

Julia, Julia

Camping in Ibaraki Prefecture

I went camping with my family to Ajigaura beach in Ibaraki prefecture last Wednesday. I was able to take a lot of pictures of the beach side and the Pacific Ocean view. The route from Tochigi to Ibaraki was not crowded; it was an enjoyable three-hour-driving.

But, as far as camping, it became the toughest one for me. Why was it? Because it was too hot both day and night. Can you imagine four people are sleeping in one tent at 33 degree centigrade (92 Fahrenheit) without an air conditioner or fans. Furthermore, you were kicked and hit by kids every hour and enduring continuous mosquito bites.

What is worse, I suffered from diarrhea due to drinking tap water at the camping site. I’ve almost recovered from it but I don’t have enough appetite yet. I knew Ibaraki was hotter than Utsunomiya but I couldn’t imagine that much.

My Recommendation
Simple. It’s better to avoid camping on too hot day! Or, you can’t sleep.

Do you have any recommendation on hot day camping?

Scorching Summer in Utsunomiya, Japan

It is said that the Utsunomiya castle was burnt down in 1868 as a result of the war between the government forces at that time and the anti-government forces. Recently, a group of citizens were driving the reconstruction of the part of the castle and it was finished this year.

As I haven’t visited there so far, I decided to go to the newly reconstructed castle with Rina.

I had thought it would be crowded since most of Japanese companies and schools were in summer holidays this week. But luckily it was not.

I took pictures and enjoyed walking in a burning hot day. We stayed in the castle park for a couple of hours and, on our way back home, we ate cups of ice candy together.

I love this burning Japanese summer!

This hole is for shooting arrows.





I guess this hole is for gun shooting.







Yummy, ice candy. It's the "Summer delight!"

Videos, "Traveling in the American West."

I’ve finished editing two more videos of travel in the States last April. It took me a lot of time. The reason is simple. I put too much pictures (about 2,000) into short two videos.
While editing, every time I change the order of pictures, duration of pictures, music, and titles, my PC freezes for few minutes. Sigh.
I’m not satisfied with the quality of uploaded pictures on YouTube. But, I think it’s bearable.
I featured Japanese POP singer Hikaru Utada as background music.

I’m glad you watch those videos.

#1



#2


#1 (1st day to 6th day) Music:Hikaru Utada/ Exodus '04
Places we visited
Needles, NV/Colorado river.
Williams, AZ/Route 66, The Grand Canyon.
Kayenta, AZ/The Grand Canyon, Monument Vally.
Page, AZ/Monument Vally, Mokee Dugway.
Bryce, UT/Hoseshoe Bend, Bryce Canyon.
Zion, UT/Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park.

#2 (6th day to 13th day) Music:Hikaru Utada/ Traveling (Bahiatronic Mix)
Places we visited
Zion, UT/Zion National Park.
Las Vegas, NV/Zion National Park, Fremont Street.
Las Vegas, NV/The Las Vegas Strip.
Los Angeles, CA/Santa Monica, Hollywood, UCLA.
Anaheim, CA/Disnyland

Miya Matsuri Summer Festival in Utsunomiya

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the rainy season in the Kanto region ended on last Wednesday. My long waited summer has finally come!
We have exciting summer festivals everywhere in Japan. The summer festival called Miya Matsuri was held today and yesterday in Utsunomiya. The first Saturday and Sunday in August are the days for the festival.
I haven’t gone to the festival for nine or ten years, because I always went back to my hometown, Shimane during the festival. This year, daughters are excited to be able to go to the festival.

Do you know what’s the most fun for young girls in summer festival? Most of young girls love to wear traditional clothes, “Yukata.” They are kind of summer version of Kimono. My two daughters wearing Yukata, went to the festival with their own friends separately. They bought sweets, frozen pineapple, candy and goldfish. After that, they took Purikura pictures. I asked them what they did and what they bought. Believe or not, things they bought and did were amazingly the same.

Before going to the festival, Emi prays to the small shrine next to our condo.




Rina has a dark suntan, since she attended an athletic competition today till four o’clock.
A hectic day, wasn’t it?

Upper Purikura pictures: Emi and her friends. Those of Rina and her friends follows.