Sunday, February 28, 2021

2021.2.28

It was fine.

The last day of February. How fast time flies!
One sixth of the year has gone.

What did you do?

I went to the Ise shrine to spend the new year of the lunar calender and travel around there before and after that which was really nice.

I published the 19th ebook and it became N9.1 in Japan and the USA.

I teleworked for two days.

It was a fruitful month.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.


Saturday, February 27, 2021

2021.2.27

It was cloudy, windy, and cold.

I listened to a laughter yoga lesson on the train and went to Kawasaki to see three movies.
The first one was a Finn movie "Mestari Cheng," which Japanese title was "the happiest dining in the world: Sekai ichi shiawase na shokudo (世界一しあわせな食堂)."
The other is a Japanese movie " Hanataba mitaina koi wo shita(花束みたいな恋をした)."
Another was also a Japanese movie "Liar vs Liar"

All were love stories. Two of them were happy ending.

Tonight is the fullmoon. It was so beautiful.

My 19th e-photobook became No.1 in the USA.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2021.2.26

It was cloudy and cold.

Today was a day of telework. I stayed at home all day long.

From today the free promotion of my 19th ebook started.

I hope you enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X8JDQ85

Friday, February 26, 2021

2021.2.25

It was fine but very cold.

Cherry blossoms at the station are having more and more yellow green leaves.
To my lucky I took the front right seat on the train, I saw the cherry blossoms and rape blossoms road along the railway and took a video. Combination of pink and yellow makes us feel the approach of spring.

I finished reading a book finally.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

2021.2.24

It was fine but very cold again.

My 19th ebook is published. It is the 6th e-photobook series of "My Favorite Places."
This time I chose Australia where I have been to 5 times by now.  I focused on the pictures I took during my 5th trip in September 2018.

Here is a link.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X8JDQ85

I hope you enjoy.

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

2021.2.23

It was fine.

Today is a national holiday called tenno tanjobi (天皇誕生日), Emperor's birthday. He became 61 years old today. Happy Birthday!!

I started the day with laughter yoga after a long interval.

I stayed at home all day long to make the 19th ebook. It is a photobook of my fifth Australian trip in September 2018.

2021.2.22

It was fine and rather warm today.

They say it will be warm until Wednesday and become cold again.

There is a phrase to describe this time of the year. It is sankanshion (三寒四温), which means three cold four warm.

Gradually spring is approaching.

Kawazu zakura at the station is in full bloom and leaves started coming out.




Monday, February 22, 2021

2021.2.21

It was fine.

I started the day with Kid's yoga for adults.

I stayed at home all day long.

I watched some recorded seminar, cleared kimonos of the last week, and prepared kimono for the next event, and chose some pictures for the new photobook.



Sunday, February 21, 2021

2021.2.20

It was fine.

I slept long to recover from the five days trip.

I listened to some recorded seminars.

At night I watched the Australian Open Women's singles final match. Naomi Osaka became a champion again for the second time after 2019, and the fourth grand slam title. 

Congratulations!


Saturday, February 20, 2021

2021.2.19

It was fine.

This was the second time I chose telework.
This time it happens only once a week on every Friday starting today just for three weeks. 

I could sleep longer, cook lunch and attend a zoom seminar on time at night.  I could receive the re-delivered goods, have a visitor and change the contract of insurance.
I could utilize about four hours and a half of commuting time effectively.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

2021.2.18

It was fine and cold.

Today is usui (雨水), one of nijushisekki(二十四節気), the 24 solar terms. Last one was risshun (立春) on February 3, and the next one is keichitsu (啓蟄) on March 5.
Usui literally means rain water. It is the time when snow changes to rain.

They say if you decorate the dolls for the Girl's Festival on March 3 today, your daughter will meet the best partner.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

2021.2.16

It was fine.

When I got up, it was already 7am. I took a later train than usual but fortunately I was in time.

Today's lucky food is something that you do not choose usually. I usually eat salad, soup, bum, chicken or croquette, milk jelly, and milk tea for lunch. I chose a boxed lunch which includes rice, spicy cod eggs, seaweed, fried chicken, croquette, fried spring roll, cabbage, seasoned boiled egg, and pickles.  Instead of corn soup, I ate Muso soup. 
To my lucky they had a campaign of 50 yen off.

After coming back home I attended a zoom meeting which lasted for one hour and a half.


2021.2.15

It was fine in the morning, became rain and fine again in the afternoon, and windy at night.
To my glad I saw a rainbow in the afternoon.

Cherry blossom trees started to have leaves these days.

I went to the nearby shrine before going to work as a 15th day's ritual.

After coming home I watched dramas and some 
recorded zoom seminar.

Since I climbed up two mountains or two days I felt pains here and there.




Monday, February 15, 2021

2021.2.14

Happy St. Valentine's Day!!

It was fine and cloudy.

My friend and I went to Tsubaki okami yashiro (椿大神社) shrine by her car.
After visiting shrines, we went up to the Okumiya (奥宮) shrine on the summit of 906.1 meters  high. It took about three hours to go up and one hour and a half to come down.

There was snow on the top.

It was a very nice experience.

After coming back we visited Matsushita Konosuke sha(松下幸之助社) who is known as "God of Business Management" in Japan. I have worked at Panasonic where Matsushita Konosuke founded for 5 years and 7 months, so I wanted to thank him.

After that we visited the tea room "Reishoan(鈴松庵)" where Matsushita Konosuke dedicated to Tsubaki okami yashiro.  It cost yen 800.  Besides having sweets and green tea, we were given the dish. We were so glad to visit there according to my friend's advice.

After that we headed for Tado taisha(多度大社).

I attended a zoom seminar while moving. It lasted for four hours.

After comig back to Nagoya we ate supper and I took a later Shinkansen than schedule.

I came back home safe and sound.

It was a nice day.

Saturday, February 13, 2021

2021.2.13

 It was fine.

Six of the Power spot meisters went to Kongoshoji (金剛證寺) temple together in the morning. We happened to see 4 more meisters, and one more later at the temple.

After coming back to Isuzugawa station, I said good-bye to them and took lunch first, and got on a bus to Futamigaura to see the meotoiwa (夫婦石) couple rocks and visit some shrines there. It's been several years since I went there last. I hope to visit there on summer solstice someday.

Since today's lucky food is oshiruko (お汁粉) sweet red bean soup, I ate zenzai(ぜんざい) at Akafuku (赤福) branch where I ate rice cake yesterday at the main shop.

After that I walked to the Futamigaura station and took two trains to go to Kaminogo, and visited Izonomiya (伊雑宮), where I have been to sometimes before. It's been a while since I visited there last before. I usually visited there by a big group. I walked around this time and visited new places.

I came back to Iseshi and had dinner, and picked up the suitcase and took a train to Yokkaichi where I stay tonight.

I walked a lot, more than 25,000 steps  today.


Friday, February 12, 2021

2021.2.12

Happy Lunar New Year!!

It was cloudy.

We visited the Naigu (内宮) of Ise jingu shrine and dedecated okagura again.

After having lunch we walked around naigu again.

The famous okageyokocho (おかげ横丁) street looked different from the last time I came here.

I went to Akafuku (赤福) where is very famous for rice cakes with sweet red bean paste.

We came to Ise city by taxi and checked in the hotel with hot spring.

10 of the group members enjoyed having the new year's party.

It was a nice New Year's Day!

2021.2.11

It was fine.

Today is a national holiday called Kenkoku kinen no hi (建国記念の日), National Foundation Day. 

Today is also new year's eve of the Lunar New Year.

I came to Nagoya last night.

This morning I visited Atsuta jingu (熱田神宮) shrine first.  

After coming back to Nagoya I ate breakfast at the Coffee shop. Nagoya is famous for good morning set service. They offer bread and egg or something for free. I chose ogura (小倉) toast which is a specialty of Nagoya. Ogura is sweet red bean paste.

After that I came to Ise (伊勢), and visited two shrines, Sarutahiko jinja (猿田彦神社) shrine and Gegu (外宮) of Ise jingu (伊勢神宮) shrine and dedicated o kagura (お神楽) to Gods.

At night we enjoyed delicious dinner as naorai (直会).

After that we had a lecture for two and a half.

It was a nice day.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

2021.2.10

It was fine.

After work I went to the Tokyo station to get on a shinkansen. My destination tonight is Nagoya.
I sent a suit case last Sunday and it has already arrived at the hotel so that I can travel with my hands free. To travel without having luggages is one of my ideal travel styles.

At the Tokyo station I took some pictures and bought a boxed food called ekiben (駅弁). I chose Shinagawa Clam Bento which got the gold medal in 2017 Bento Grand Prix.

My main travel purpose this time is to spend the lunar new year eve and the new year at the Ise Shrine where is the most important shrine in Japan.

On the shinkansen I attended a zoom session.

I arrived at Nagoya and checked in the hotel and received my suitcase as planned.
Everything went well.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

2021.2.9

It was fine.

Kawazu zakura (河津桜), pink cherry blossoms, are full in bloom at my station, and they are so beautiful.

Japanese people really love to see cherry blossoms in spring.  They are pale pink flowers and called Somei yoshino (ソメイヨシノ), and usually full in bloom in the late March to early April in Kanto area and they last only a week or so. 

But Kawazu zakura is bright shocking pink and last longer.

Every year around this time we have a cherry blossom festival, but because of COVID-19 there is no festival this year.

Here are some pictures.  I hope you enjoy.

Monday, February 8, 2021

2021.2.8

It was fine.

When I got to the station, I found that I did not have a commuting pass  in the bag and I came back home to get it. To my lucky I could get on the next train and was in time.

I am planning the details of the latter half of the trip this weekend.

The Nikkei Stock Average has become about yen 29,000 after 30 years or so. 


2021.2.7

It was fine. I stayed at home all day long.

I got up later than I was going to. So I joined Kid's yoga for adults just for 10 minutes or so.

From 10 am to 3:30 pm I attended an online seminar of the Master Number. This was the fourth time for me to listen to this seminar.

I prepared kimonos for this week and packed them in the suitcase. I arranged the home delivery trader to pick it up and deliver to the hotel.

Tonight there was the last program of NHK's taiga drama which usually lasts from January to December. This time because of COVID-19, they could not make new programs for a few months and lasted longer.

From next week the new series  begin. It deals with the life of Shibusawa Eiichi who is the father of the Japanese modern capitalism. He wiil be appeared in the 10,000 yen bill next time.

Sunday, February 7, 2021

2021.2.6

It was fine.

I attended a zoom exchange meeting in the morning.

After eating lunch I went to Yokohama to see a Japanese movie titled "Tengaramon (天外者)" which dealt about a life of Godai Tomoatsu(五代友厚). The main character is performed by Miura Haruma (三浦春馬), who killed himself on July 18 last year. I wonder why he chose to die.

I picked up the JR tickets which I ordered by Internet. How convenient the world has become!

I went grocery shopping to a big supermarket nearby. I was surprised to see the full of cars at the parking lot.

Mt. Fuji from there at sunset was so beautiful.

At night I attended a zoom meeting. 

Saturday, February 6, 2021

2021.2.5

It was fine.

When I got up, it was the time I usually leave home. I was so surprised and in a hurry that I stumbled at the entrance and hurt my right foot.

On my way to work in the train I booked the hotels and train for the next week.

At night I saw pictures of Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain by Facebook post, and I got many video clips of our birthday pictures of 20 years ago from my best friend in Seville, Spain which included our mutual friend in Granada. What a coincidence!

I hope to travel around the world safely soon.




Friday, February 5, 2021

2021.2.4

It was fine.

Our workplace will temporarily introduce telework for one day per week for a month or so.

I took an hour off to attend a monthly meeting in the evening. Whenever I attend, I am inspired by the talks of speakers. 

On my way home on the train I attended another monthly zoom meeting too. It was nice to see people I know even on the screen

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

2021.2.3

It was fine.

Today is risshun (立春), one of nijushisekki(二十四節気), the 24 solar terms. The last one was daikan (大寒) on January 20, and the next one is usui (雨水) on February 18.

Risshun literally means stand spring. It is the first day of spring.

Today is ichiryu manbaibi (一粒万倍日), the day when one grain becomes 10,000 times. It is a good day to start something.

I made a photobook for January.



Tuesday, February 2, 2021

2021.2.2

It was heavily raining in the morning, but rather warm.

Today is setsubun(節分), the day before spring.Setsubun literally means to divide seasons. There are four seasons in Japan, therefore there are four setsubun in a year. However when we say setsubun, we mean the day before spring.

Usually it falls on February 3, but this year it is February 2 which happens after 124 years.

There are special foods and custom on this day. We scatter the roasted beans saying "Oni wa soto fuku wa uchi (鬼は外福は内)" meaning evils out fortunes in.
And we eat roasted beans as much as our age.

We eat rolled sushi with seven ingredients called ehomaki (恵方巻き) facing the good direction of the year without saying anything.
I did all.

Monday, February 1, 2021

2021.2 1

A new month has started. February is nigatsu (2月 or 二月) or kisaragi (如月).

It was fine in the morning.

This morning I used the prime salt (morijio: 盛り塩) maker for the first time to offer at the shinto shrine alter.

I went to the nearby shrine before going to work. I saw the beautiful sunrise.

When I got to Tokyo, it seemed rained there.

After work I dropped at Shinagawa to visit a travel agency. Unfortunately it was closed due to COVID-19.

Free promotion of my 18th book will be over soon. I am glad to communicate with friends around the world by announcing about free promotion.

Thank you  thank you, thank you