2013.4.16

I am on the vacation. 
First part I went to Hawaii to attend the International Conference in Honolulu for 4 days and stayed there for a week.  I went to see 2 doctors because of the side and back pains.  Besides these I could visit some touristic places and enjoy shopping too, so it was a fruitful vacation.
Now the second part began.  I am going to travel around Asian countries because I have worked for 4 years regarding exchange programs with Asian countries' youths, I would like to see their countries by myself.
I went to see a doctor again by the different reason at Haneda this morning and Hong Kong in the afternoon before arriving Bangkok.
I hope to be fine soon and enjoy my vacation.

2014.4.15

When I got to Haneda, it was around 10:20 PM on Monday, so there were only less than 2 hours for me for April 15.
I sent some clothings and souvenirs to home from the airport.  There was no post office at the International Terminal of Haneda, so I used the delivery service.  The cost of the box seemed different by the company.
I wished to use the card holder's lounge, but it is only available after leaving Japan, I had to spend the night at the lobby.....

2013.4.14

I wanted to see Manoa Falls today, but I had a back pain and gave up hiking and went to see a doctor.
The Doctor's on call where I visited last time was closed today, so I had to go to the other place.  Last time the doctor was a Japanese, but this time there was a Japanese translator. 
When I got to the airport, it started raining.  While I was in Hawaii, I did not have to use an umbrella.  So I was lucky.
On my way to Honolulu, it took about 6 hours and 20 minutes, but it took about 8 hours or more on my way back to Japan.  I could watch two movies, Argo and Lincoln.

2013.4.13

The last day of the international conference in Honolulu.  In Hawaii they say the first immigrants were from China, then Portgal, then Japan especially Yamaguchi, Kumamoto, and Hiroshima, then Philippines, Korean and from Okinawa.  There are many Japanese American here, so as Japanese tourists.  Therefore most signs were written in English and Japanese and many people understand Japanese language.
In the morning there was general session III.  In the afternoon there were country workshops.  In this conference there were about 5,000 participants.  In the Japan room there were about 1,700 participants.  Isn't that something?  I am glad to attend this international conference for the first time.  I got much inspiration.
In the evening we visited Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site again.  Then we went shopping here and there and enjoyed the last night in Honolulu.

2013.4.12

I attended the General Session II in the morning.  At the last part there was a special guest.  It was Ms. Brooke Shields.  She started as a model at the age of 3 and has been a movie star and a mother of two daughters.  When I was young, I was her fan.  Therefore I was so glad to see her today.
In the evening I attended the sunset cruise. 
After coming back I went to see the award ceremony and the party.
The style of parties in Japan and other countries seem somehow different.  However it seems music and dance are very important parts of the party.  At the cruise we enjoyed seeing Hula dance and Polynesian dances.  At the the other party there were western music and dances.

2013.4.11

I had a backpain today.
In the morning I attended the general session I.
After lunch we went to measure our true age.
In the afternoon we went window shopping and walked around Waikiki Beach. There we saw a turtle swimming.
At night we bought something to eat and had a small party.
I walked neary 20000 steps today.

2013.4.10

I had another long day.
I went to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa to hear about a lifetime of ground vacations in the morning, then to see a doctor because I have pain on the right rib, then to register for the conference, then went to see my friends to attend a half day tour.
We visited many places and enjoyed the tour.
At night I attended the welcome reception and enloyed taking pictures.

2013.4.9

I am now in Hawaii. 
Yesterday I left Haneda at night and arrived at Honolulu around 11 AM.  So I had a very long April 8.  But when I go back to Japan, I will lose one day instead. 
Yesterday after checking in the hotel, I went to see the Hitachi Tree in Moanalua Gardens.  Have you seen this tree?  Maybe yes.  It is famous in Japan.  It is a kind of symbol of Hitachi Group.
Today I joined the one day tour to Hawaii Big Island.  It started at 5:25 AM and I came back to the hotel around 9 PM, so I had another long day.  I enjoyed visiting the Rainbow Falls and Black Sand Beaches.

2013.4.8

It was fine and warm today.
April 8 is known as hana matsuri (花まつり), literally flower festival, but actually Buddha's birthday.  I remember this day of last year.  I went to attend the lecture in Asakusa (浅草) and there were so many people celebrating Buddha's birthday at Sensoji (浅草寺).  I also drank amacha (甘茶), sweet tea and got a flower.
How fast time flies!
In one more month it has been a year since I published my first essay which is about my Florida experience.
As the second essay I would like to write about Asian experience which I have worked for 4 years.  So I will be visiting Asian countries for 3 weeks from next Tuesday. 
But before that I will go to Hawaii to attend the international conference for a while, therefore I may not be able to write the blog every day though I will try.
See you!

2013.4.7

It was fine but very windy today.
From the morning I was busy.  I went to banks, grocery shopping, filling up the car, cooked lunch for Father, and went out for lunch with my friend from primary school.  Before lunch we visited two shrines nearby the restaurant.  We enjoyed eating and talking with the owner.  After coming home, I cooked dinner, pressed some clothes for traveling and am still preparing for the travel for the next one month.
I wanted to print something, and I changed the ink, but after that there is something wrong with it, and I can't print out.  This is very stressful.

2013.4.6

It is rainy and windy like a storm now. 
I went to Shinjuku to do many things today.  First I attended the meeting, then went to the travel agency to buy insurance, then watched  two movies (Die Hard and TED) with ex-colleagues, and finally met my friend from Australia with her husband and a daughter and had dinner.  We became friends at Expo 2005.  We have not seen each other since then, but we have been connected via Facebook.  Therefore I did not feel it's been about 7 years and a half since we met last time. I hope to see them again in Australia next time.

2013.4.5

It was fine and warm today.
April 5 is a starting date for school year. It seems there were entrance ceremonies called nyugakushiki (入学式) at primary schools here and there.  To take a picture under the cherry tree is a thing to do on this day, but this year cherry blossoms were already full in bloom two weeks ago, so it was somehow different.
I had 4 appointments and enjoyed seeing old friends today.
I went to the Hibiya Park to attend the events sponsored by a travel agency with two ex-colleagues.   Before that we enjoyed Friday Concert by Tokyo Fire Department Band.  It was 842nd events.  They will have about 18 concerts until the end of October.   Three of us enjoyed the concert and travel festival which included the concert of Kantele, an instrument of Finland. 
There were many beautiful flowers in the park and we enjoyed the spring of Tokyo.

2013.4.4

It was fine today.
I cleared old newspaper, mail-order catalogs, and so on.  Newspaper is shimbun (新聞) in Japanese, but the old one is called shimbunshi (新聞紙 ) or furu shimbun (古新聞).
Shin means new, bun means to hear.  After one day passed, it is not new any more.
However there are many articles which are useful after the day it was issued such as story, cooking, book review and so on.  Sometimes when I went to business trip for 10 days or so, I like to read them through after coming home.  But to read for a month volume at a time must be too much.

2013.4.3

It was windy and rainy like a storm today in the Kanto (関東) area.
At the Koshien (甲子園) there was the final game of the 85th senbatsu high school baseball championship after 13 days.  Urawa gakuin (浦和学院) from Saitama (埼玉) became a champion for the first time against Saibi (済美) from Ehime (愛媛) by 17 to 1.  Congratulations!

2013.4.2

What kind of Japanese culture do you know?  There is a very famous traditional Japanese culture called Kabuki (歌舞伎) which is a performing art played by only male actors.  Today its new history was opened.   The new Kabukiza (歌舞伎座) theater in Ginza (銀座) was finally opened after 3 years' reconstructing.   The formal opening of a new theater is called kokeraotoshi (杮落とし).   There were so many big stars played today, though two big stars (Nakamura Kanzaburo: 中村勘三郎 &  Ichikawa Danjuro :　市川団十郎) passed away suddenly last December and this February respectively.  Kabuki has about 400 years' history.  I only watched the live one for a few times.  I do not understand well but last time when I went to see them with Mongolian Japanologists I enjoyed a lot.  I recommend you to see at least once in a life time.

2014.4.1

A new month has started.  April is shigatsu (四月), its old name is uzuki (卯月).  April is the starting month for schools and fiscal year.  There were entrance ceremonies so-called nyushashiki (入社式) at the companies.  New TV programs also started.  Many people must have started the new life.
Tonight I saw a popular TV program titled "Tsurube no kazoku ni kanpai (鶴瓶の家族に乾杯: Tsurube's Toast to the Families)."  Because I happened to know it was shot in our city Miura (三浦).  It was a first half and the latter half will be on air next week.