2025.12.22

It is Toji (冬至), Winter solstice today. It is the day when the daytime is the shortest.

On this day we Japanese eat pumpkin and take a yuzu bath so as not to get a cold.

Do you have anything to eat like this on this day?

There are some shrines and temples which start distributing special charm written Ichiyo raifuku (一陽来復) meaning when yin reaches its peak, it becomes yang.

Today I published the 187th ebook.It is the  sequel of the 186th ebook.

2021.12.22

It was fine.

Today is toji (冬至), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節気), the 24solor terms.

The last one is taisetsu (大雪) on December 7 and the next one is shokan (小寒) on January 5.

Toji is winter solstice when the day time is the shortest in a year.

On this day we eat pumpkin and the foods which has the sound of "n" and take yuzuyu (柚子湯) bath with yuzu for not to get cold.

Today I published the 29th ebook. It is a photobook of my trip to Cambodia from April 29 to May 4, 2013. I hope you enjoy.

2020.12.21

It was fine.

Today is toji (冬至), winter solstice. It is the day when the daytime is the shortest and the night time is the longest in a year. 

On this day we eat pumpkin, and we take a yuzuyu (柚子湯), hot bath with yuzu fruit. If we do so, it is said we do not get a cold.

They say the new era of wind starts tomorrow.

I took an earlier train to go to health check in Tachikawa. It was rarher far. I took two gynecological examinations after a long time, one for breast cancer, the other for uterus cancer. Both exams are painful.

For lunch I bought a pumpkin dish.

I took a yuzu bath.

2017.12.22

It was fine and beautiful.

Today is Toji (冬至), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節気), the 24 solar terms. Toji literally means winter reach. It is winter solstice. It is the day when the day time is the shortest. On this day we eat pumpkin and take a yuzu bath not to get cold.
On my way back home I went to buy yuzu (柚子) and pumkin dish.I felt I am really Japanese.

There was a year-end party of our department at lunch time today. I wished to do it at dinner time, but there are some staffs with small children and it is hard for them to attend at night. Therefore we decided to hold the party at the lunch time so that everyone can attend. We ordered the hors d'oeuvres and some pizzas. One of our staffs who is a man made cheese cake which was the most delicious dish of today.
We enjoyed one hour lunch time by eating, drinking, and talking.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2016.12.21

It was fine and rather warm.

Today is toji (冬至), winter solstice when the daytime is the shortest. Toji literally means winter reach.
On this day we take a yuzuyu (柚子湯) bath, and eat pumpkin to avoid getting a cold. Yuzu is a kind of citrus fruits and smells good. We use them for seasoning too.

In the morning I went to post office to submit the document and bought some stamps. There I saw a nice money saver shaped like a post. I asked who gets this post. They say if you deposit more than yen 300,000, you can get.

At lunch time I went to post office again to move money from the regular account to the  fixed sum account to get the saving box which you can save yen 20,000 if you save 40 of yen 500 coin.
On my way there I dropped at Fuji Film Square. They had an exhibition of 100 beautiful sceneries of Japan. I liked waterfalls pictures very much.

At night I had dinner with my high school friend at a nice Japanese restaurant.

2015.12.22

It was fine and warm.

Today is toji (冬至), winter solstice, one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms. The last one was taisetsu (大雪) on December 7 and the next one is shokan (小寒) on January 6.

Toji is the day when the daytime is the shortest in a year.  In Japan there are customs for us to eat pampkin and take a bath with yuzu (柚), which is called yuzuyu (柚子湯). If you do so, we won't get cold or sick.