2023.12.30

It was fine.

I attended a zoom seminar from 9 AM.

I cleared the things and cleaned the house in the morning.

After lunch I went to my parents' graveyard.

I went grocery shopping at three supermarkets in the afternoon for new years.

After coming home, I noticed that my garden was taken care of. How nice it is!

I decorated flowers, rice cakes called kagami mochi (鏡餅), and new year's decoration at the entrance to prepare for the New Year.

At night I held the 28th Bilingual Fortune Sharing Tea Party. There were 5 participants tonight. I am very glad to see them.

My 107th present campaign was over and the 108th present campaign has started.

2023.12.29

It was fine.

My winter holiday started.

I went to Shinagawa first to attend a meeting and to Yokohama to see movies. I watched a Japanese movie and an English movie "Wanka."

I went to a bookstore to buy "My Book 2024.'' It is a blank paperback we can use as diary. I have used the series more than 20 years.

I published the 110th ebook today. This is the 50th ebook of this year.

To my delight the 107th ebook became No.1 in the USA and Japan.

At night I attended a zoom year end party.

2023.12.28

It was fine.

I got up early before the alarm, and made rice balls for lunch because the cafeteria is closed.

Today was the last working day of this year.

I enjoyed talking with colleagues at lunch time.

I shredded papers I have kept for a long time.

I published the 109th ebook. To my delight it's been No.1 in Japan.

I made the 110th ebook which will be the last publication of this year.

2023.12.27

It was fine. 

I saw very interesting clouds in the morning and evening.   

Today is the fullmoon.

I worked at home today.

I cooked French toast for lunch.

After work I prepared the 109th ebook.

2023.12.26

It was fine.

Campaign of 106th ebook was over and 107th started.

To my delight 107th ebook has become No.1 in Japan.

106th ebook is No.1 and 105th ebook 

is No.2 in Star gazing field in Japan.

I hope to publish two more books within this year.

2023.12.25

Merry Christmas!

It was fine but very cold.

I published the 108th ebook.

I got up very early to catch 6:00 train. I arrived at Maihama at 8:09 and got together with a friend who invited me to the Tokyo Disney Sea. 

There were so many people waiting at the entrance before opening more than 30 mimutes ago.

It's been 40 years since the Tokyo Disney land opened, and 22 years since the Tokyo Disney Sea opened.

It's been 40 years since I passed the Christmas at Disney and this is the very first time for me to go to Disney Sea where I have wanted to visit for a long time.

We enjoyed walking around tulips, riding some attructions, watching shows, eating special menues, seeing beautiful sceneries, and selecting special edition of souvenirs.

It was a nice holiday.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2023.12.24

Merry Christmas!

It was fine.

I went to Ginza to see the performance which I got the invitation tickets. It started at 12:30.  There were many songs and dances. First part was like musical. It was about two hours show with 15 minutes break. I invited a friend and she gave me a box of chocolates in return.

I sent a Christmas letter by emails.

To my delight my 107th ebook became No.1 in Japan.

At night I attended a zoom seminar which was nice.

2023.12.23

It was fine but very cold.

 

To my delight my 106th ebook became No.1 in the USA and Japan for several sections.

I published the 107th ebook.

I wore kimono and headed for Kimono Style Miya to have my hair set, make up, dressed up, and my pictures taken.

After that I went to Iseyama kotai jingu shrine and Naritasan temple and headed for a Japanese style restaurant in Kannai to have lunch with high school tennis club mates after 10 years or so.

We talked, talked, and talked.

After that we went to Minato mirai and enjoyed sweets at a Japanese style tea house.

I got many presents today.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2023.12.22

It was fine.

I got up earlier and left home earlier.

Mt.Fuji looked so beautiful that I stopped at Tateishi to take pictures.

Today is Toji (冬至), winter solstice. It is the time when the day is the shortest in a year.

We eat pumpkin and take yuzu bath on Toji. So I do.

They say it is good to start something.

My 105th ebook campaign was over and of the 106th started.

2023.12.21

It was fine, cold and windy.

On my way to work I posted Christmas cards. I should have started earlier which I think every year.

After supper I watched Men's Figure Skating Short program on TV.

After that I chose pictures for three books.

What shall I make after that?

2023.12.20

It was fine.

I worked at home.

I received the redelivery goods of the return of hometown tax. I tried it for the first time and got 1kg of 40 bags of mixed nuts by yen 5,000. It was good and I liked it.

At lunch time I went to post office to buy new years post cards and send a Christmas present to UK. It's been a long time since l sent a small packet abroad. The postage was yen870.

They say the domestic postage will be  raised next fall after 30 years, for post card from yen 63 to yen, and for letters yen84 to yen110.

I prepared some Christmas cards tonight and knew the postage became from yen110 to yen140. I have not noticed about it.

2023.12.19

It was fine.

Today is taian (大安), a good day to do anything special.

After work I went to a supermarket to buy  the decorations for the new year, one for entrance and the other for the alcove.

I went to another shop to buy wrapping goods.

I got a delivery notice of the return goods of hometown tax. I arranged to receive it tomorrow.

2023.12.18

It was fine.

To my delight my 105th ebook has become No.1 in the USA and Japan, and 106th ebook has become No.1 in Japan.

After work I went to a coffee shop to see somebody and tried the new menus.

After that I went to a shop to look for wrapping goods, but did not buy anything.

There I knew today is a good day to buy new year's decoration because today is the 18th and 8 is written as 八 in Japanese which means widening at the end. 

There are only two weeks left. How fast 2023 passed!

2023.12.17

It was fine.

I stayed at home all day long.

Free promotion of my 105th book has started. I announced it as a gift of my appreciation of becoming No.1 in Japan. So many people replied with "Congratulations!"

I published the 106th ebook.

At night I attended a zoom seminar.

2023.12.16

It was fine and rather hot, in some places it became the mid summer day. It seemed to have rained in Miura.

I went to Kitakurihama to take a Microsoft Office Specialist Word 365＆2019 Examination in the morning. To my glad I passed the examination.

After that I went to Shinjuku to have lunch with three classmates. We stayed there for more than three hours and a half and ate many freshly baked bread.

After that I went to see the Dragon Art Exhibition. I saw the artists too.

My 105th ebook has been No.1 in Japan.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2023.12.15

It was cloudy at first and became rain.

I threw away four bags of leaves and other things and went to the nearby shrine as a ritual of the 15th day, and went to the post.

I worked at home. 

After a while it started raining and became windy.

Today I published the 105th ebook after two months account suspension. It is the 30th ebook of the Sunlight series. I am glad to be able to publish again.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2023.12.14

It was fine.

I attended a zoom seminar at night which was really inspiring.

They say tonight is the peak of the Geminids Meteor shower.

At this moment it is cloudy, so I will try later.

Unfortunately my account of the Kindle Direct Publishing has been closed for two months without knowing why, and I have contacted with them many times.

Tonight I finally got the favorable reply from the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. I will be able to start publishing again soon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2023.12.13

It was fine.

Mt. Fuji looked very beautiful covered with snow about the 6th or 7th station.

Today is the new moon, the start of November in the lunar calendar.

I visited the nearby shrine before going to work.

After arriving the office, I went out to take pictures of mount Fuji.

After coming home, I cooked using the ingredient I bought in Okinawa. It was rather good.

2023.12.12

It was rainy.

Every year one Kanji character is chosen to represent the year.

This year zei (税) is chosen as the Kanji of the year. One of the reasons is the introduction of a new Invoice system since October.

I cooked a new dessert which I saw from the Facebook reel post recently. I am looking forward to tasting tomorrow.

After dinner I had a free zoom session about the Sweet Spot Theory. I was advised to watch the videos first, and I did after that.

Maybe it is not the time now to learn about it.

Yesterday Shohei Otani announced that he would move to the Los Angels Dodgers by the contract of $700,000,000 for 10 years. Wow!

2023.12.11

It was cloudy and cool.

I am organizing two reunions this month.

One for this Saturday, the other for next Saturday.

The former is for the classmates for travel related school I attended from February to March. I chose a restaurants in Shinjuku from which I got the invitation card with yen 500 off coupon. We have been there to have Afternoon Tea on my last day at the school.

The latter is for high school tennis club mates. It's been so long since we got together. We have been to Hokkaido to eat crabs when we were in the 20s, and a crab restaurant in Yokosuka last time. So I looked for a crab restaurant in Yokohama this time. I picked up 4 restaurants and asked the members to choose. I booked the one tonight.

I am looking forward to seeing them.

They say it's been 30 years since the first UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in Japan were listed.

2023.12.10

It was fine and very warm.

So I dried the futon after a long time.

I stayed at home most of time.

I went to pay the community fee to the chief. She gave me two big apples from Nagano. She said it would be more delicious if you use the microwave.

So I ate a half as it was for lunch and a quarter of warmed one for dinner.

Both were good but I like fresh one better.

My neighbor came to return of condolences for her husband.

At night I attended a zoom seminar for calendar reading.

2023.12.9

It was fine and warm.

I stayed at home all day long.

I checked the antenna and found the reason I could not watch some channels.

I did gardening in the afternoon after a long time. I will have a lower back pain and mustle pain near future.

At night I watched an old Japanese movie "Kukai" on Smart phone which I happened to know from  my friend's blog today.

2823.12.8

It was fine.

I worked at home in the morning and took a half day off in the afternoon.

I headed for Suidobashi to visit my friend from the university.

After that I went to Roppongi and visited two shrines and art exhibition

After that I went to Kayabacho to attend the monthly meetinng. There was a special guest. 

I ate supper and came home around 10:30.

On my way on the train I read a book about the way to study.

2023.12.7

It was fine and windy but not so cold.

It is taisetsu (大雪), one of nijushisekki (二十四節気), the24 solar terms. The last one was shosetsu (小雪) on November 22 and the next one is toji (冬至) on December 22.  Taisetsu literally means big snow.

After dinner I watched the Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating 2023 Men's short program on TV. 

After that I stayed tuned the same channel and watched a drama without knowing any thing about it and news program too.

I set up some schedules of December. 

2023.12.6

It was fine.

After work I had an appointment at Komeda coffee shop. There were new menus and I tried them.

After that I went shopping.

I am scheduling some events of this month. 

I like planning.

2023.12.5

It was cloudy and cold.

From tonight I started eating new rice. When I bought it last month I did not notice, but the bag had a campaign.

From today ichiryumanbaibi (一粒万倍日), when a grain becomes 10000 times, continues for four days. It is very rare.

At night there was a zoom seminar for three hours and a half or so to welcome a special 2024.

I decided to take an opportunity of free consulting to learn about Sweet Spot Theory.

2023.12.4

It was fine. Mt.Fuji looked beautiful on my way to work.

I have had a lower back pain since yesterday. Maybe sitting too long?

There has been something wrong with TV sets since November 30.  I do not understand but I can't see NHK and other channels though I can see NHK E tele.

　

I watched too many programs. They were funny.

As a dish of the year delicious rice ball was selected.

2023.12.3

It was fine.

I stayed at home all day long.

There is a night festival in Chichibu on December 3, and I was there last year. 

I was wondering if I should go this year or not.

There is a bus tour and I applied, but it was already full and I was on the waiting list. However I did not get a call from the travel agency. 

It is possible to go there by myself but since I could not book the hotel nearby.  So I decided to stay home this year.

I watched some YouTube programs.

2023.12.2

It was fine.

I wore kimono and went to Kimono style Miya to have my hair set, make up, dressed up, and pictures taken.

After that I visited Iseyama Kotai jingu and Narita san temple. Since today is taian (大安) good day for everything, there were many families celebrating shichi go san (753).

After that I had Italian lunch with my friend who runs a real estate company. It's been a long time since we met last. We enjoyed eating and chatting.

I went back to Kimono style Miya and enjoyed trying new kimonos.

In the evening I went to see the movie "Napoleon."

2023.12.1

It was fine.

New month has started. December is junigatsu (12月 or 十二月) or shiwasu (師走) in Japanese.

There are something I do on the first day of the month. One of them is to change the plants, rice and salt of the Shinto altar. The other is to change the 5 mounted salt. Another is to visit the nearby shrine. 

There is only one month left. 

How was your 2023 so far?

I have traveled around Japan a lot but not abroad yet.

I have started the new job.

I got the license of tour conductor.

I have enjoyed wearing kimono and eating Afternoon Tea.

I have published more than 100 ebooks.

Today I went to the gas station to fill up the car. It ran about 500km this time.