2021.5.31

Last day of May.

How was your May this year?

I have been to Samukawa shrine, Kuzuryu shrine, and Takeda shrine with friends.

I tried a piano lesson, attended a special ceremony to open chakura, had my pictures taken wearing kimono, attended the Universe Live Summit in the Earth, Okuraku life seminar, and master number related seminar in Kofu.

It was an eventful month.

2021.5.30

It was fine.

I published my 22nd ebook about the Caribbean Cruise.

When I traveled to Mexico in January 1997, I took tours to Isla Mujeres and Cozumel and I was enchanted by its beauty and felt like going back there someday.

After 20 years a chance has come. I went to The Bahamas and Key West by 4 nights 5 days cruise leaving from Miami.

This is the e-photobook of the Caribbean Cruise.

I hope you enjoy.

Today I went to Yokohama to see a Japanese movie and to Shinagawa to see friends.

2021.5.29

It was fine.

I got up early to get on 6:05 train to go to Kofu, Yamanashi. This is the third time for me to go there this year to attend a seminar.

It took 8 hours to commute and attended 4 hours seminar and 2 hours dinner party.

Before that I got together with my online seminar friend and visited the Takeda jinja shrine after a long time and had lunch of local foods.

It was fun.

2021.5.28

It was fine.

Today is the telework day. I could save the commuting time and attend tbe laughter yoga in the morning.

I started making the 22nd ebook. It is the photobook of my Caribbean Cruise Trip in August 2017. About 20 years before that the Caribbean sea was the most beautiful sea in the world for me. But to tell the truth I was not impressed by the sea at that time.

Maybe that's because I have been to many places for the past 20 years...

2021.5.27

It was a rainy day and rather cool.

This Saturday I will go to Kofu to attend a seminar in the afternoon. If I could get up early, I hope to visit a shrine there.  I contacted someone whom I got to know last summer by online seminar who lives next to Kofu city. We decided to see in the morning. To my surprise she belongs to the same study group.  So she may join to the saminar too. 

I am looking forward to seeing her face to face for the first time.

2021.5.26

It was fine but became cloudy in the evening.

Today was the super moon, the full moon, and total lunar eclipse but unfortunately I could not see it on the time.

There were many online gatherings and Facebook lives tonight.

I attended one of them completely and learned a lot, and two of them to say hello.

2021.5.25

It was fine.

I hope it will be fine tomorrow too because it is a special full moon of the total lunar eclipse.

There was a farewell ceremony today. Since she and I have a mutual friend, we will get together someday near future.

On my way back home on the train I watched Facebook Live of three educators. I sent a friend request and it was approved. This will be a trigger to learn Japanese History.

2021.5.24

It was fine.

I received the pension documents. I have paid for 379 months by now.

We can choose the starting date of receiving pension between 60 and 75 years old. The later starting, the more receiving. At 70 years old it would be 42% more than at 65 years old.

If we choose from 60 years old. it would be about 30% less than 65 years old.

Every one month later, 0.7% will be added.

If we start receiving at 65 years old, there are still 24.63 years to live if we could live up to the average life expectancy.

If there is still income at the age of 65, we could postpone the starting date later to receive more.

In any case, pension is very limited.

We need to think the way to survive.

What do you do to earn enough money?

2021.5.23

It was fine.

I stayed at home all day long.

In the morning I harvested the Japanese butterbur. It took long to cook them.

In the afternoon from 1 pm to 7 pm I attended a zoom seminar. Last year I attended the same  theme seminar. There were some additional infornation since last time. I am looking forward to trying what I learned today.

2021.5.22

It was cloudy and rainy.

I started the day with laughter yoga.

In the afternoon I attended seminars from 2pm to 7pm in Shinagawa. My friend and I tried to have dinner, but most of the restsurants close at 8 pm, and we could not.

I watched the TV program I missed yesterday while I was on the train. How convenient it is, isn't it?

2021.5.21

It was heavily raining all day long.

I am glad today was the day of telework, and I did not have to go out.

I could attend the laughter yoga in the morning after a while.

There was a zoom meeting in the morning.

Today is shoman (小満), one of nijushisekki(二十四節気), the 24 solar terms. The last one was rikka (立夏) on May 5 and the next one is boshu (芒種) on June 5.

Shoman literally means small full. It is the time everything grows and reach certain size.

There were zoom seminars at night. 

2021.5.20

It was a rainy day.

Today is another ichiryumanbaibi (一粒万倍日) when one grain becomes 10000 times. I could finally experience Club House this morning. It was like a radio. 

There was a farewell luncheon today. I did not have a chance to work with her, but we had worked at the same organization before, 

It was a very international gathering composing of Japanese, American, Australian, Mexican, and Chinese.

2021.5.19

It was cloudy and rainy.

Today is ichiryumanbaibi (一粒万倍日), a day when one grain becomes 10000 times, and taian (大安), a good luck day for everything. So I thought I should start something. Since I knew Clubhouse for Andoroid has just released, I tried to register.

There was s big News of marriage. Both of them  performed as a couple in a TV drama in 2016. It was a big hit. January this year the special version was on air. 

They started dating after that and decided to get married

Congratulations!!

2021.5.18

It was cloudy and rainy.

At night there was a zoom gathering of reporting session of the pilgrimage of Shikoku 88 temples.

I have been there from December 2014 to May 2015 clockwise. She did it counterclockwise last November

They say benefits will be doubled if you do in counterclockwise in a leap year.

I hope to try it someday.

2021.5.17

It was cloudy in the daytime and rainy in the evening, but to my lucky I saw the beautiful double rainbows when I got out of the office building. I felt lucky to see them.

The train back home delayed.

I dropped at Yokosukachuo to go to banks.

At night I attended a zoom gatherg of spiritual lovers. It was very interesting to talk with people who have the same interest.

2021.5.16

It was a rainy day.

In some places the rainy season has set in. It seems it is about a month earlier things happened such as the blooming time of flowers.

I slept long today.  Maybe I was too tired or it was because of the influence of yesterday's special event.

I went grocery shopping in the evening and cooked dinner.

At night I attended a zoom gathering to enhance the 6th sense ability. We tried to compare the taste of three different water. Eight of us attended. It was fun.

2021.5.15

It was cloudy at first but became fine and rather hot.

I wore kimono and visited the nearby shrine as a ritual of the 15th day of the month.

I went to Shin Okubo to see friends and visited a place to get a special ceremony which is only available once in a life time.

After that we had vegetarian lunch and visited one of the biggest wooden statue of the Happy Buddha.

After saying good-bye to them, I went to Waseda to visit Ana hachimangu shrine where I visited in January to return the charm of the last year. It is only available between Winter Solstice and Setsubun, a day before the first day of Spring.

There are only three days to be able to put the charm on the wall of the direction of good-luck of the year. I went there to buy the one of this year, and there were still two weeks or so  before setsubun, I could not return of the last year.

After that I went to Kimono Style Miya to have dressed, hair set, and pictures taken.

I went to see the creator of today's kimono. He was really pleased to see his kimono and shawl.

I got many presents today.

Thank you, thank you, tank you!

2021.5.14

It was fine.

Today I worked at home. For the next three weeks once in a week we are allowed to do telework.

I saved the commuting time for four hours and a half, and attended laughter yoga in the morning, and a zoom seminar at night.

Today was the last day of the NHK's morning drama which lasted for half year.

2021.5.13

It was a rainy day.

Usually I go to covenience stores to buy lunch before going to office, but this morning when I woke up it was the time to leave home and took a later train and could not go there.

Since it was already raining at lunch time, I decided to go to the dining hall of our office building. I only used there when it was raining or there was a little time to eat. I went there earlier, and I could choose the daily lunch.

Free promotion of my 21st ebook was over. I hope every my friend could download and enjoy it while it was free.

2021.5.12

It was fine.

There was a meeting in the afternoon to review what I do and think what I want to do in the future.

Today is the new moon of Taurus which governs wealth and abundance. It is a good time to make a wish list.

At night I attended a zoom tea party without having any information. 

2021.5.11

It was slightly rainy and cool today.

Yesterday there were two notices of deliveries and I asked to re-delivery between 19:00 and 21:00 today.

One seemed to come around 19:20 and I could not receive again. 

The other came around 20:20. It was the mail ordered 850g mix nuts I ordered by using accumulated and given points. I am glad to receive it and enjoyed tasting four nuts, that is, walnuts, almond, cashew nuts, and macademia nuts. Which nuts do you like?

2021.5.10

It was fine.

Today is my mother's death anniversary. She passed away 19 years ago when I went to Spain to spend the birthday with my Spanish best friend. Therefore I did not see her when she passed away.

May her soul rest in peace!

From this week we are allowed to take one day per week to do telework.

Basically I will work at home on Fridays.

2021.5.9

Today is Mother'd Day.

Tomorrow is my mother's death anniversary.

Therefore I went to my parents' graveyard in the morning.

After that I listened to a zoom seminar on the train and went to a beauty shop in Sugita to have my hair cut and permed.

After that I went to Yokohama and watched "Nomadland" which won the best film of the Academy Award this year.

It was a nice day.

2021.5.8

It is my birthday today.

I started the day with laughter yoga. Laughter is very important for your health.

I wore my favorite rose design kimono and went to Kimono Style Miya to have my hair set, dressed up, and pictures taken at the Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum at Yokohama.

There is a Rose Garden nearby, and there were so many beautiful roses here and there. Roses are my favorite flowers.

The free promotion of my 21st ebook has just begun.

I hope you enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093TCYXT6

2021.5.7

It was cloudy during the day time and rained in the evening.

I hope it will be fine tomorrow.

Today is my birthday eve and my best Spanish friend's birthday. We celebrate at night.

It is nice to have someone to share the happy event.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2021.5.6

It was fine.

After the Golden Week, I felt it was like Monday though it was Thursday.

My smartphone to watch TV drama at lunch time was out of battery today, and I went out to see the program by the regular smartphone which does not get the radio wave inside the building.

Tonight there was the third day of the zoom seminar which I listened on the train.

It was an amazing program.

2021.5.5

Today is a national holiday called kodomo no hi (こどもの日), Children's Day, and the last day of the official Golden Week.

The family with boys decorate carp shaped streamer called koi nobori (鯉のぼり), helmet called kabuto (兜), eat kashiwamochi (柏餅), rice cake with sweet red bean paste wrapped by Oak leaf, and take shobu yu (菖蒲湯), bath with iris to wish their healthy growth.

It was cloudy in the daytime and rain at night.

I stayed at home all day long and attended four zoom seminars.

It was a learning day.

2021.5.4

It was fine.

Today is a national holiday called Midori no hi (みどりの日), Greenery Day.

I went to the Kuzuryu jinja (九頭龍神社) and waterfalls in Tokyo with four friends. It was about three hours to go there.  

It was so beautiful.

At night I attended a zoom seminar.

It was a nice day.

2021.5.3

Today is a national holiday called Kenpo kinenbi (憲法記念日), Constitution Day. Japanese women owe Ms. Beate Sirota Gordon who tried hard to include the gender equality to the constitution. Thank you, Beate san!!

It was fine.  I stayed at home all day long. I listened to some zoom seminars, washed, cleared and prepared kimonos.

I could relax today.

2021.5.2

It was fine.

I wore kimono and left for Fujisawa to see three friends and visited Samukawa jinja (寒川神社) shrine. This is the third time for me to go there, and finally I could visit the sacred garden. We had sweets and tea there. We visited a temple and a shrine nearby and went for lunch at an Italian restaurant owned by a Japanese Sake brewery.

After that we visited Shirahata jinha (白旗神社) shrine to see wisteria and Ryukomyojinsha (龍口明神社) shrine.

We had tea at a nice cafe and went to see the sunset at Enoshima.

Three of us had dinner too and enjoyed talking a lot.

It was a nice day.

2021.5.1

A new month has started. May is go gatsu (５月、五月) or Satsuki (皐月).  It is my birthday month and my favorite month.

I started the day with a zoom seminar of tuning body from 6:30 am.

Since it is the first day of the month, I changed plants, rice, and salt of the Shinto altar and visited the nearby shrine.

I went to massage which is my once a month health treatment. Since this is the birthday month, she discounted for yen2,000 and treated me with sweets. I visited Kimono Style Miya to ask the laundry. I did not have any intention of buying the new kimono, but they offered me an incredible service as a birthday present and I bought.

I had a delicious lunch.

After that I visited Iseyama kotai jingu (伊勢山皇大神宮) shrine and Naritasan (成田山) temple. I took an unusual way back and have happened to find some other holy places.

From 2:30 pm I took a trial piano lesson for thirty minutes. It was fun. I wish I could play the piano!

I took another new way and happened to see the art exhibition and saw many works.

I went shopping at Kamioooka.

It was fine first, but started raining, stopped while, but rained heavily at night. There was an earthquake in the morning.