2015.11.30

It was fine.

The last day of November.
I can't believe it has been already 11 months past and there is only one month left.

How was your 2015 so far?

Mine was another unforgettable year.

The worst is because of my father's passing.
I became sick in summer which made me not to go to Hokkaido.

There were some good things too. I got many kimono & obi and attended the Kimono fashion festival in Toji in October.
I accomplished visiting 88 temples in Shikoku on my birthday and went to Koyasan and Zenkoji temple too at their special memorial year.
I attended big events such as Morinda's ILC in February,   Golden Life Program in May, and a university reunion after 30 years in November.

2015.11.29

It was fine.

I went to see three movies. First I went to Kamioooka and watched a Japanese movie, Ore monogatari(俺物語!!), My story. This is a high school students' love story, and it was very nice.  The actor gained much weight to be this character.
Then I went to Kawasaki and watched "The man from uncle." It is a spy movie.
Finally I went to another theater in Kawasaki and watched another Japanese movie "Grasshopper." It was a revenge movie, and has a surprising ending.

2015.11.28

It was fine.

I went to Shinjuku to see movies and shopping.

At first I watched 3D "Everest" by myself.  Then I watched Imax "007 Spectre" with my mother's friend. 
I was impressed by camera work for Everest, and the action scale for 007. Film making must cost a lot.
After the movie we went out for dinner. 
We tried to find the place where we can eat crab. But there were full here and there.  We decided to go to the Izakaya Hokkaido where we can eat and drink. First they ushered us to the smoking area, but I refused. Then they led us to the small room which was much better to talk. We could have some crab too.
It's been about a half year since we met last.  At that time we enjoyed hotel lunch, cruise and Tokyo sky tree.
My mother and she met about 27 years ago or so when my mother was traveling Okinawa by herself while my parents lived in Kanoya, Kagoshima for my father's job.
My mother's friend has come to our house several times after that.
We have met each other several times even after my mother passed away 13 years ago.
This time she felt sorry for me receiving my mochu hagaki (喪中ハガキ), mourning greeting card recently and wanted to encourage me.
I am glad to have such kind of people around me.

2015.11.27

It was fine and very beautiful. Sky was blue, Mt. Fuji was covered with white snow, the sunset was orange, and the moon was white in the dark.

Today is Black Friday in the USA. When I was there I was wondering why people go shopping from early in the morning.
Did you buy anything?

2015.11.26

It was a cold rainy day, but stopped raining later.

After working I attended an open lecture about interpreters in the history books written by Akira Yoshimura. The lecturer was a famous professor and she used to be an interpretater.
When I was young,  I used to listen to her English lessons by radio.  I am glad to hear her lecture by live.
It started at 18:30 and ended around 20:00. It was interesting and I learned a lot. She introduced four books which I hope to read someday if possible.

2015.11.25

It was cloudy and rainy, and very cold.
They say it snowed heavily in Hokkaido after 62 years.

Today I got a flower gift from my university friend for my father.
Since I sent mochu hagaki (喪中ハガキ) some people wrote me emails and a post card or called me. 
Even my father's friend wrote me.
Since my uncle sent mochu hagaki, some relatives sent me
Okoden(お香典), monetary gift for the departed  soul.

I have not replied when I used to receive them, but I felt important to express my feeling.

2015.11.24

It was cloudy in the morning but became fine in the afternoon and the sunset was  beautiful.

It has been 100 days since my father passed away. The day after 100 days of one's death is called hyakkanichi (百か日). This is a milestone of this year.
Next big day is August 17, 2016, just one year after the death which is called isshuki (一周忌) and we will have a ceremony with relatives. And the next after that will be August 17, 2017 which is called sankaiki (三回忌), the third year anniversary though it is only two years after the death.
After that we have seventh year service called nanakaiki (七回忌), 13 years later we have jyusan kaiki (十三回忌), and 17 years later we have jyunana kaiki (十七回忌), 23 years later we have  nijyusan kaiki (二十三回忌), 27 years later we have nijyunana kaiki (二十七回忌) and 33 years later we have sanjyusan kaiki (三十三回忌), and 50 years later we have gojyu kaiki (五十回忌). 
But it will be impossible to have such a ceremony.

2015.11.23

It was a cold rainy day.

It is a national holiday called kinro kansha no hi (勤労感謝の日), Labor Thanksgiving Day.
However school is open and I went to work.
The trains were not so crowded.
And I could come home  in two hours, which is more than half hour earlier than usual though I had to stand for the first 30 minutes or so from Shinagawa because there is no express train starting from Shinagawa on weekend and holidays. On weekdays there are express trains starting from Shinagawa, so I usually wait for the one I could sit down.  There are other trains called "Wing go (ウイング号)" which start from Shinagawa but you need to buy a ticket.
They say from December they start the service like Wing go from Miurakaigan which is the second end station of Keihinkyuko line.

2015.11.22

It was cloudy.

I stayed home except visiting two neighbors whom I could  not meet yesterday to collect the third district fee. I felt relieved to collect all the district fees for our area this weekend.

I was going to watch a movie at home, but I was somehow busy and could not.

November 22 (1122) is known as iifufu no hi (いい夫婦の日), day of good couple. There must be many couples who get married today.

2015.11.21

It was fine and Mt.Fuji looked beautiful capped with snow.

I went to Yokohama to buy a commuter ticket. Last week I tried to buy it by the vending machine using the credit card but since I input the wrong PIN and could not buy.  I tried the next day too but I could not use the credit card. I did not know why. I totally forgot about the ride ticket. If your commuter ticket starts on the day or a few days later, the ride ticket to get there  on the day will be reimbursed. Since I forgot about it, I used PASMO on my way. So it was not reimbursed. I should have bought it yesterday at Shinagawa.

After that I went to see two movies. One is The Monuments Men and the other is a Japanese movie titled "Galaxy Kaido. "

After that I went to the beauty salon to have my hair cut and permed.

Then I went to a kimono shop.

It was a nice Saturday to have done many things.

2015.11.20

It was cloudy and a bit cooler.

Lunch time is one of the relaxing times during work. I usually go to buy salad and croquette bun and dessert at the supermarket on my way to work and take lunchtime from 12:30 to13:30 and eat them with soup and milk tea at the lounge with colleagues. From 12:45 to 13:00 I watch NHK's TV drama, and from 13:00 to 13:05 I watch the news with my smartphone. Besides these I enjoy talking with colleagues.
Today there were three of us who have lived in the United States before. One was in California, the other was in Arizona, and I was in Washington and Florida. We enjoyed talking about the differences between Japan and the United States especially car and driving, Christmas and New Years and so on.
It is fun to have someone to share the same experiences.

2015.11.19

It was fine but getting a bit cooler.
Leaves are turning yellow and red, and some of them are already dead and start falling.

The third Thursday of November is known for the opening day of Beaujolais Nouveau. Serveral years ago there was a boom to drink it  just after midnight but these days I do not hear the news about it.

Do you like wine?

2015.11.18

It was fine in the morning but became rain in the afternoon.

I took a compensatory day off today. 
There are something we can do only on weekdays such as bank related issue or calling.  I could finally go to a bank to ask the account transfer payment for water charge, and change the name of registration for photovoltaic facility.

There was a meeting with friends and I enjoyed listening and talking and eating.  So it was a good day off.

2015.11.17

It was fine and rather warm.

After work I went to see a doctor to consult about the result of health check. Data said the treatment is needed but the doctor said I do not have to worry and there is no need of medication.
I have been worried since I received the result but it is over now. It cost nearly $20 but I felt relieved.

2015.11.16

It was fine in the daytime,  cloudy in the evening, and rained at night.

I sent mochu hagaki (喪中ハガキ) this morning finally. When I input them to the post, I found the collecting time. It said something like Monday to Friday at 10:30, Saturday at 11:00, Sunday at 10:36. I felt it interesting. Why 36? Since it is estimated time of collection, I think there will be no problem writing 10:30 or 10:40, but it was not.

On my way to work, there was something wrong with a door of the train ahead of us and they checked the car and our train delayed for 20 minutes or so.

2015.11.15

It was cloudy in the morning, but became fine in the late afternoon.

I went to the Toyota car dealer to have my car fixed the place where there was recall.

I went grocery shopping later.

November 15 is Shichi go san (七五三), literally means seven five three.  Girls of three years old and seven years old, and boys of five years old get dressed and go to local shrines to wish their healthy growth.
There is a special long candy called chitose ame (千歳飴), literally means 1000 years candy for this occasion. 
I did not see any shichigosan children today.

2015.11.14

It was a cold rainy day.

I stayed home all day long.

I made two types of mochu hagaki (喪中ハガキ).  One is for my father's friends to thank their friendship while my father was alive, the other is for my friends to let them know that I am in the mourning and cannot celebrate the new year as usual.

2015.11.13

It was cloudy and a bit cold.

I took a comp holiday.
I went to Yokohama to attend a monthly meeting in the morning and afternoon.
During lunch time I went to Kimono Style Miya. There is a rugby shop in the same building and they say there will be ruggers tomorrow. I asked if Mr. Goromaru would come or not and there won't.

After the meeting I went to a post office to buy some stamps for mochu hagaki.  There I found other memorial stamps too and bought three different sheet. It's been a while since I bought these stamps. I like to write letters and cards but these days I seldom do so and write emails instead.

After that I went to another kimono shop. There was a  lottery and I got the fourth prize which was a washable kimono.  There was an roketsuzome (ろうけつ染め) artist whom I met on Oct.18 last year.  I enjoyed trying to wear some kimono. One of them was so expensive, yen 5 million. 

2015.11.12

It is cloudy and getting cooler.

I received two okoden (お香典) from my father's relatives in Iwakuni.  I have never met them so I am not sure who they are.
I think they must be my father's cousins.
I have been wondering why.
Now it is the time to send mochu hagaki so that those who received the post card from my  uncle decided to send okoden.

2015.11.11

It was cloudy.

They say today is the day for care, kaigo no hi (介護の日) which was established in 2008, the day for battery, the memorial day for world peace, the day for peanut, and jewry day.
I did not know any of them.
November 11 is written as 11 11, so I understand somehow about the day of care and day of peanut.
11 is possible to read as ii which means good in Japanese.  Therefore "ii hi ii hi (いい日いい日)" which means good day good day. Thanking for warm care every day is the reason of establishing this day.

2015.11.10

It was a rainy day.

I received the first mochu hagaki (喪中ハガキ), the mourning post card, of this year. It informed of my friend's father's death at the age of 77.
Mochu hagaki is sent around the middle of November and early December to let the people know that they are in the mourning and refrain from greeting the happy new year message next year.

I myself need to prepare them for my father soon.

2015.11.9

It was cloudy but the sun was shining in the morning and rained in the evening.

They say today is the day of 119.
Do you know what this number means?
It is for emergency such as ambulance or fire.
I dialed this number on June 10 when my father had a difficulty for breathing.  It was really hard to dial when in panic. I felt long until the ambulance came. There were three emergency medical technicians and one of them was my student. While they were contacting hospitals, I felt long again.
My father was brought to the hospital and saved his life at that time and I appreciated.
But after all that became a trigger for his death...

2015.11.8

It was a rainy day.

Today is ritto (立冬), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), 24 solar terms. Ritto literally means stand winter, it is the start of winter.

I went to the graveyard of my friend's uncle who took care of me a lot when I was young. He died of lung cancer at the age of 70. It's been 15 years and a half since then, but I have never had a chance to visit there.
After that my friends and I went to see the art festival of Shimoda citizen and watched some dances and saw the picture exhibition. I was surprised to see some of them made of seaweeds.

Then we ate lunch at a local fish restaurant and came back by local trains. The seat was set differently from other trains and people can enjoy the beautiful scenery.

I went to the Kimono style Miya to ask for laundry.

I had a nice weekend to see many friends from college.

2015.11.7

It was fine in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon.

I was rather busy today.

In the morning I had a local representative meeting, then evacuation training.  There I happened to see my friends from primary school.

Then I went to Yokohama to dress up in the afternoon and headed for Mishima to attend a reunion of university. It's been a long time since I went there last. There were about 60 people from 8 classes, two of them came from abroad, and there were 8 people from my class.  I have seen some people from other classes at other regular reunions before, but this was the first time for me to see my classmates. Two of them own their companies, three of them are housewives, one of them is an official sevant, and one of them is an office worker. 
Two hours passed so quickly and I could not eat so much but enjoyed talking.

After that I met another classmate after a long time.

Now I am on the train heading for Shimoda where my friend owns pension.

2015.11.6

It was fine.

These days the sun set is so beautiful.

I hope it will be fine tomorrow too.

There were many things to do at work and I overworked. I could finish some of them, and others were postponed till next week.

TGIF

2015.11.5

It was fine.

It's been 24 years since the kick off meeting of Expo 92 was held.  There were 35 Japanese attendants and we met each other for the first time on November 5, 1991. We had some training at Kawaguchiko before leaving for Spain on March 20, 1992.  Expo was held from April 20 to October 12. We have lived and worked together for 7 months. After Expo some went back home soon and others traveled or kept staying in Spain.
After 24 years I think about one third is still living abroad. We have had many different experiences, but whenever we meet we can go back to the feeling when we used to be together.

2015.11.4

It was very fine and Mt. Fuji looked so beautiful from my house in the morning and from the office at sunset.

It was the first day after 6 days off so there were many things to be handled at work.

In Japan there were many news too.

One of them happened at the stock market. Japan Post Group went public on the stock market.  There are three group companies and all of them had higher prices than expected. I wanted to book but they were so popular and few so it was impossible.

Another news attracted me was the case of using different surnames for married couple, fufubessei (夫婦別姓). In Japan if you marry, usually women change their surname to husband's name.  It is kind of discrimination.  I support having different surnames if they wish because one's name is very important to identify oneself. Why do only women have to change their names?
They say Japan is the only country that insists to have the same family name when married.

2015.11.3

Today is a national holiday called Bunka no hi (文化の日), Culture Day.

It is known as hare no tokuibi (晴れの特異日), singularity for good weather. As it is, it was fine and warm.

The other day my friend from the graduate school sent me an invitation ticket for a Japanese movie. I have got the tickets before too but I had never had a chance to see them and wasted them and felt sorry about that. The movie will be shown until this Friday, so I went to see it in Kawasaki. It was only shown twice a day there, and I decided to see another movie by the free ticket of stock holder's before that. I chose "The Intern" because my friends recommended. 

Before watching the movies, I went shopping for the postcards called mochu hagaki (喪中ハガキ).  Usually Japanese people send new year's cards, but those who had lost family members during the year send them to let the people know about the loss and mourning between the middle of November and early December so that people will refrain from sending the family "happy" new year's cards.  So when we are in the mourning, we won't celebrate the new year as usual and we will have a kind of sad new year instead of "happy."
But I found the template which says something like "We are in the mouring and refrain from sending the new year's greeting but please send us new year's cards as usual because they encourage us."
I have never received such postcards but I understand the feeling without receiving the new year's cards.

2015.11.2

It was a cold rainy day.

This is the fifth day of the special fall holidays and there is only one day left.

I got three lenzes which I ordered through Internet. They are wide lenze, macro lenze and fish eye lenze which seem nice and I look forward to using them.

In the afternoon I had a visitor who was supposed to come after 3 pm but came around 4:30 pm.

2015.11.1

A new month has started. November is jyuichigatsu (11月), the  eleventh month, its old name is Shimotsuki (霜月), frost month.

On the first day I feel refreshed and feel like starting something new.

It was fine and cloudy.
I could dry futon after a long time.

In the morning I delivered the monthly city newspaper to the seven neighbors, and had a chance to talk with one of them.

In the afternoon I visited the car dealer which has renewally  opened recently.  They had a campaign and I got a sweet and suvenir.