A Happy New Year! / Spending 2011 year-end holidays in Macau

 I left Utsunomiya for Narita International Airport by car in the early morning on December 24th.

It took five hours from Japan to Hong Kong by air.

After arriving in Hong Kong, we took an airport express train, a taxi and an express ferry.

Finally we got to Macau in the same day evening.

We spent our Christmas in Macau eating Chinese food, looking around ancient town streets, historical monuments and several World Heritages.


Macau had been a Portuguese colony in China and handed over in 1999.

It lies on south-western China, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea to the south.



We visited Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral.
The cathedral was built in 1602 and destroyed by fire in 1835.
The picture taken there follows.

At Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral

Every Chinese food perfectly suited our palates.

An Alpaca Baby Was Born in Bell Mall.

 When I went to Bell Mall Shopping Center the other day, I found a new alpaca baby there. One of Bell Mall staff who was in charge of taking care of alpaca family said the baby was just born one month ago and her name was not decided.

At first, I felt strange that there were alpacas in Shopping Mall but now I never fail to see them every time I go shopping there.

Now, the family consists of dad, mom and two sisters.

Fudan Café

The other day, I went to a cool restaurant called Fudan Café near our condo with my wife Kiyono. 

We enjoyed delicious food and a comfortable atmosphere in the late afternoon. 

We live in the center of downtown in my city. So, there are quite a few restaurants within walking distance. 

Maybe it’s impossible to visit even one-tenth of them in a few years.

Mt. Fuji and The Tokyo Sky Tree

On the contrary to a cold rainy day yesterday, it’s crisp clear and sunny day today. On a day like today, the first thing I do in the morning is taking a look at Mt. Fuji from the south west window of my condominium. It’s there today as usual.

So, what’s different today from a usual sunny day? … I found the Tokyo Sky Tree at the time of sunset. Yes, it can be seen from Utsunomiya!

The Tokyo Sky Tree is currently the tallest tower, 634.0 metres (2,080 ft), in the world.

Tennis Tournament and Foggy Morning View from My Condominium

I took part in the Kiyohara Singles Tennis Tournament with my five tennis friends today. The result was terrible. I got beaten in the first round and other two guys did the same.

While thinking why I got beaten and how I had to cope with the opponent, I left the tennis courts before knowing the results of the rest of my friends’ matches.

Spending much time in practicing, I know, could be an answer but It’s not so simple for me. 

Spending too much time in practicing means, at my age, injuries of knees, shoulders or elbows. 

How should I practice effectively within a limited time?  That’s the key.

Maybe, … I haven’t had enough pieces of advice since my tennis club had closed almost two years ago.

I may have to find a good tennis coach or should ask a lot of advice from well-skilled players.

That could be an answer in my case, couldn't be? 

I have decided myself to ask advice from now on. 

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.

Kikusui-Sai Festival

The other day, I happened to meet an autumn festival called Kikushui-Sai near my condominium. I’ve lived in Utsunomiya city for more than fifteen years, but it’s the first time for me to see the splendid autumn festival.

Many people wearing traditional samurai clothes marched with horses in the central Utsunomiya city. It’s very beautiful and they held mind boggling Yabusame practices.


Yabusame is a traditional Japanese mounted archery in which an archer on a running horse shoots wooden targets.


Why haven’t I seen the festival for years?

Twenty Roses

November 3rd ,three days ago, came to us a bit different from usual year, with this year marking our 20th wedding anniversary.

I married Kiyono at a small church in Chiba prefecture on the national holiday(Culture day in Japan), November 3rd  in 1991.
It’s not too long ago, just twenty years or two decades ago.

We had a party to cerebrate the anniversary at a small restaurant called ‘AG Café’ on the top of a hill viewing Utsunomiya city.
On our way back home, we dropped in a local flower shop and bought big size red roses.

How will 30th anniversary come to us? What will I be thinking of? Where or which country shall we live in?

Maybe, I don’t know. The answer is blowing in the wind.

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.

Bike Festival in Utsunomiya

We had a bike festival today and yesterday.

They arranged a bike road race or Criterium race, an imported bike exhibition, bike parts shops, a live concert, street performers, … you name it.

Weather was not perfect, but I enjoyed them as one of bike fans.

Monkey Show Was Held Next to My Condo.

 When I went out to a shop in front of my condo to buy some bottles of beer, a guy was doing a street performance with a monkey.
The monkey did imitating human actions,  jumping bars and walking on stilts.
We call the monkey show Saru Mawashi in Japanese. It’s usually carried out in New Years Day or at festivals.
I don’t know why he’s doing Saru Mawashi now.
Did Utsunomiya civil servants planed it to attract tourists?  It has still been a mistery.

It’s Health-Sports Day or Sports Day Today.

Sports Day falls on today in Japan; it's a national holiday held annually on the second Monday in October.

My wife and I went cycling to Bell Mall which is the largest shopping mall in Utsunomiya city. It's sunny warm day perfectly fitting for cycling.

At bell Mall, they keep alpacas in its front space. Every time I visit there, it’s my pleasure to see how alpacas have grown up comparing the last time.

On our way back home we dropped by a newly opened noodle soup restaurant “Miyakoya” to which my colleague highly recommended to go.

Taste was nice and they were reasonably priced.
Yes, it’s worth visiting.

Higanbana Flowers

I went to Takanezawa Green Park located in northeast of Utsunomiya to play tennis and to see a cosmos flower field.

I played tennis from 8:30 in the morning to 4:00 in the evening.

I've been very exhausted by playing tennis so long.

During a short lunch break, I took several pictures of cosmos and red spider lily (Higanbana in Japanese).

They were very beautiful, weren’t they?