2016.10.31

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat? 

Did you get treats?

I did.

It was fine today.

In the afternoon I had a chance to listen to the lecture of  Professor Satoshi Omura(大村智), who is a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine last year. The theme was "Unearthing Beneficial Microbial Compounds: Discovery, Development, International Partnership." He has discovered more than 500 new bioactive compounds. Among them he talked about the discoveries of Cerulenin, Staurosporine, Lactacystin, and Avermectin.

I do not understand professional matter, but I understood he loves his research and enjoys his work.

This is the second time for me to listen to the lecture by the winner of the Nobel Prize. First was by Dr. Leo Ezaki(江崎玲於奈) in 2005 in Aichi when there was Expo 2005. 

He and his wife were my VIPs of Expo 92 and I went to see him because I worked at Expo 2005 and was in Aichi.

This time I just saw him very close and listened to his lecture. But I am glad to do so because I have been looking forward to attending his lecture for half year.

2016.10.30

It was a rainy day and cold.

In the morning I went grocery shopping.

In the afternoon I went to Yokohama to see three movies because my invitation tickets are valid until tomorrow.

First movie was "Jane Got A Gun ."  Second was "Jason Bourne." Third was a Japanese movie "Scoop."

There are many new movies released yesterday, and will be released this weekend, so I am looking forward to seeing some of them.

2016.10.29

It was cloudy but became rainy.

I was going to have lunch with ex-colleagues after a long time, but it was canceled last night for the unforeseen reason.

So I needed to change my schedule. I had some choices today.

First I went to Kimono-Style Miya to have my hair set, makeup, dressed, and pictures taken as planned in the morning.

Then I went to Ginza (銀座) to see the wooden soccer ball shaped tea room which does not use any nails. This technique is called Kumiko (組子). I knew about it by my friend's shared post of Facebook this morning, and felt like going to see it.

Unfortunately all of the tea tickets of the day was sold out and I could not taste green tea there.
But fortunately I met three students who made it and took pictures together.
I wanted to take pictures from inside and title "Kimiko in Kumiko" but could not.
My hair dresser made today's special hairdo imaging this tea room, and I like it very much.

Since there is a festival from October 27 to  November 3 in Ginza, if you are interested in tasting Green tea, there are some places you can taste tomorrow.

There was one more thing attracted me today in Ginza was a rose made from lipsticks at SHISEIDO.

Then I went to Ueno (上野) to visit two special exhibitions at Tokyo National Museum. One is about Zen (禅), the other is about the hidden statues of Buddhist images.
Fortunately I got the invitation ticket for the former and a discount coupon for the latter.
The former was a rather big exhibition.

When I got to the Ueno Park, there was a Halloween parade.

Then I went back to the Kimono- Style Miya to pick up my carry case.

At stations of Keikyu line and inside the train I saw many ad of the Photo Exhibition of People in Miura. The model is my former student whose family owns one of the most famous tuna restaurant in Misaki (三崎). I am glad to see the posters here and there.

2016.10.28

It was cloudy in the morning, but started raining and is very cold as the weather forecast mentioned.

After work I went to the Fuji Film Square and they had three new exhibitions.

At the entrance of Roppongi station, some staff were distributing the orange garbage bag for Halloween parties starting tonight.

I was going to see my friends tomorrow, but it was canceled.
So I am thinking what to do.

TGIF

2016.10.27

It was fine today.

There was a once a month luncheon of my Department at office. 16 people joined. Everyone brought their own lunch and ate together in a meeting room.  After a while the Director talked about Nogizaka (乃木坂), literally means the slope of Nogi where our work place is. They say the name Nogizaka has been used since the funeral of the General Nogi Maresuke (乃木希典) of the Meiji era. Before that the slope had many names including Yureizaka (幽霊坂), the ghost slope at the Edo period.
I did not know about it.

2016.10.26

It was fine and beautiful.
In  the night when I came back, it was slightly raining.

It seems it snowed at the top of Mt.Fuji for the first time after summer this year, and it was covered with snow.
This was 26 days later than average, and 15 days later than last year. This was the tie latest record as 1956.
The temperature at the top of Mt.Fuji was 7.2 degree centigrade.

The first snow at the top of mountain after the hottest day of the year is called hatsukansetsu (初冠雪).

2015.10.25

It was cloudy in the morning, but rained in the evening and became very cold.

I made use of the flex time system and left the office around 15:00 to attend a monthly night meeting in Yokosuka from 17:00. There were 10 paricipants and it lasted until 22:15 or so.

Our flex time system requires us to work from 10 am to 3 pm as a core time, and the total of 7 hours and 45 minutes per day.  We can adjust the total working time during a month frame, so if you want to leave earlier, you can come earlier or you can work extra hours in another day.  It is possible for us to take hourly off too, which is very convenient. 

This is one of my favorite conditions of my work place now.

2016.10.24

It was fine but getting cooler these days.

There was an event and I helped at the reception. While waiting, I had a chance to talk with my colleague who has traveled around the world for more than 14 months by the travel around the world ticket.
It is one of bucket lists to do so.

I love traveling. I like to see waterfalls and northern lights. So the top of my wish list of destinations is Iceland. 

I like to take pictures and I like to write.
Therefore someday I hope to publish about the traveling around the world with lots of pictures.

2016.10.23

It was fine.

I wore kimono and went out for luncheon. There were about 24 participants, and all of them were wearing kimono. We had an Italian course lunch at a restaurant in a hotel in Yokohama.  It was very volumy but tasty so that I ate all.

I was going to Nihombashi to see my friend later, but the luncheon finished later than expected and I had to give up going there.

Instead I went shopping.

Halloween is coming soon, so there are many Halloween decoration here and there.

2016.10.22

It was cloudy.

I walked to the station.
First I went to Hinodecho to get massage after a long time.

Then I went to Ueno to see the special exhibition "Philipp Franz Bathasar van Siebold as a pioneer naturalist of Japan" at the National Museum of Nature and Science. 
It's been 150 years since he died. Therefore there was another exhibition at Edo-Tokyo Museum.
I was going to see both, but there was a festival at the Ueno Park and there were so many things to see in the museum, I gave up to visit Edo-Tokyo Museum.

At Tokyo-Suki-Fes, I enjoyed soap bubble exhibition Memorial Rebirth,  tea tasting, and balls at Shinobazunoike.
I bought a tea pot which is able to mill tea.

I felt geijutsu no aki (芸術の秋), Fall for Art.

2016.10.21

It was fine.
I hope to see shooting stars tonight.

After work I visited the Fuji Film Square which has the two new exhibitions starting today.
One is Mt. Fuji, the other is "Self. " I enjoyed both. 
At Mt. Fuji part, I got an advice how to take the Diamond Fuji which is now in the season at Lake Yamanaka.
At "Self" I had a chance to have my pictures taken like a self portrait.
This service will last until November 3, so if you are interested in, please visit.

Fall is a good season for appetite, reading, sports, and art.

From today there is a big art event "Roppongi Art Night 2016. " I saw some installation here and there. This event started at 17:30 tonight and lasts until 6:00 Sunday, October 23.
If you are interested in, please check 

http://www.roppongiartnight.com

I hope you enjoy Roppongi.

2016.10.20

It was fine and hot like summer again.

I went out for lunch at Tokyo Midtown. After lunch I went to see the exhibitions of Design Award Competition and Fuji Film Square on my way back to the office. Since today was the last day of current exhibitions at Fuji Film Squre, I was lucky to see them again.

Here are some pictutes for you.

2016.10.19

It was fine and hot.

After work I went to Nihombashi (日本橋) to attend a seminar by my ex-colleague who is a Vegetable sommelier. Today's theme is chestnut. Chestnut is kuri (栗) in Japanese.
Its season is from August to October.
Last year around this time she brought cooked chestnut with inner skin called Shibukawani (渋皮煮) to the office, and it was very tasty. Last month I happened to see Shibukawani cooking program on TV which reminded me of her. When I wrote her last, I mentioned about it and asked her to invite me when she has a lesson about chestnut and compares different chestnuts.  She was about to have it, and I joined tonight.

This was the first time for me to attend her class. It cost yen 3,100 for two hours with chestnut tasting and a bag of chestnut. There were four (two males and two females) participants including me. All of them were her ex-colleagues at different companies.

First there was a lecture about chestnut such as ingredient or characteristic, and the ways of cooking.  They contain zinc. If you lack zinc, you will have a problem of tasting.

Next we thought of the menu to take zinc.

Then we cooked kurikinton (栗きんとん) which is a sweets made of chestnuts with sugar.

Finally we ate five different dishes (boiled chestnuts, steamed chestnuts with rice, cooked chestnuts with vegetables in seasoned broth, Shibukawani, and Kurikinton) of four kinds of chestnuts, namely Farmer Kato's original, Tsukuba (筑波), Arima(有馬), and Banseiguri(晩生栗).
Original chestnuts were three to four times bigger than the smallest Arima.
I liked Shibukawani best.

It was an interesting experience!