2023.5.6

It was fine and windy.

I stayed at home all day long. 

According to the calendar, today is koshi (甲子) which is the first day of the 60 days cycle counting.

And today is rikka (立夏), the first day of summer.

What is more today is the full moon.

So it is a good day to think about something new and start something.

I planned the trip to Koganeyama jinja shrine in September for the second year and booked the room.

2020.7.1

A new month has started. July is shichigatsu (七月 or７月), the seventh month or fumizuki (文月) , letter month in Japanese.

It was slightly raining and very windy in the morning and is heavily raining at night.

Before getting on a train I visited the nearby shrine as a ritual of the first day of the month.

Today is hangesho (半夏生), which is one of the 72 seasonal terms. It is a time when the herb called hangesho appears. This kind of time frame is very important for agriculture. By this time planting rice should be finished.

Today is the day of snake which is deeply related with money, and ichiryumanbaibi(一粒万倍日) when one grain becomes 10000 times. So it is a good day to start something related money or investment.

At office I had a meeting from 11 am. I thought it would be about an hour long, but it lasted for three hours and a half without having a break.

I hope to have a better half of 2020.

2015.2.4

Today is risshun(立春), one of nijyushisekki(二十四節季), the 24 solar terms. The last one was taikan (大寒) on January 20 and the next one is usui (雨水) on February 19.
Risshun literally means stand spring which means the first day of spring.
But the weather forecast says it would snow tomorrow.

2015.1.20

It was fine.

The sunset was so beautiful.
The sun was very close to the Mt. Fuji when it iwas set.
Someday we may be able to see the diamond Fuji from the office.

Today is taikan or daikan (大寒) one of nijyushisekki (二十四節気), 24 solar terms.
The last one was shokan (小寒) on Jan. 6 and the next one is risshun (立春) on Feb.4.
Taikan literally means big cold and this is the coldest season of the year.

2014.9.8

It was a cool rainy day.

Since today is jyugoya (十五夜), literally the fifteenth night, which is August 15 of the lunar calendar, and it is the day to view the harvest moon.  I expected it would be fine, but it has been raining.

Today is hakuro (白露), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was shosho (処暑) on August 23, and the next one is shubun (秋分) on September 23.　Hakuro literally means white dew.

 

2014.7.23

It was fine and warm.  Today is taisho (大暑), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季) the 24 solar terms.  The last one was shosho (小暑) on July 7, and the next one is risshu (立秋) on August 7.  Taisho literally means big heat.  It is the hottest season in a year.  Actually the rainy season was over yesterday and it was very hot.  We need to take care of ourselves, especially necchusho (熱中症), heat injury. 
July 23 is known as fumi no hi (ふみの日), Day of Letter.  Every year commemorative stamps are issued on this day.

2014.7.1

Another month has started.  July is shichigatsu (七月), seventh month and its old name is fumizuki (文月) or fuzuki (文月).  Fumizuki literally means letter month.

It was cloudy.

I wanted to get up earlier to visit the shrine, but I could not.  Last night a Japanese tennis player, Kei Nishikori (錦織　圭) won the game at the Wimbledon.  Since there is time difference between Japan and Wimbledon, we tend to be sleepless.  Now he is playing at the 4th round which is the best in Japanese Men''s history.

2014.5.5

There was a big earthquake this morning.

Today is a national holiday called "Kodomo no hi (こどもの日)," Children's Day.  The family with boys decorate "kabuto (兜)," helmet at home, and "koi nobori (鯉幟)," carp-shaped streamers outside.  We eat the sweets called "Kashiwa mochi (柏餅)," rice cake with sweet red bean paste wrapped with oak leaves.

Today is rikka (立夏), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  Last one was kokuu (穀雨) on April 20, and the next one will be shoman (小満) on May 21.  Rikka literally means stand summer, it is the first day of summer by the old calendar.

It was a cloudy and rainy day.
I went to beauty shop to have my hair cut and perm, and went shopping micro SD card, mobile battery, and protection seal for the new smart phone, and grocery shopping too.



 

2014.3.6

It was cloudy and very cold.　Mt. Fuji got snow again and was so white.
Today is keichitsu (啓蟄), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was usui (雨水) on February 19 and the next one is shunbun (春分) on March 21.  Keichitsu is the day on which an insect's hibernation ends.  It should be warm, but it was very cold like winter.  It seems this coldness will continue till next Tuesday or so.

I went to tea lesson in the afternoon, and stretching lesson in the evening.

2014.2.19

Today is usui (雨水), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was risshun (立春) on February 4, and the next one is keichitsu (啓蟄) on March 6.  Usui literally means rain water.  It is the time for snow to melt and become water, however it was still very cold today.

I went to the yoga lesson in the morning.

 

2014.2.3

It was fine and rather warm today.

Today is setsubun (節分), which literally means dividing the season.  There are four seasons in Japan and there are four setsubun.  However we mean the day before spring especially as setsubun.  On this day we scatter the roasted soybeans to drive demons away, and eat the same number of soybeans as your own age.  At night we eat a piece of the rolled big sushi called ehomaki (恵方巻) to face the good luck direction of the year without saying anything but wishing your dreams.

Today I went to the recently opened home goods store and bought four trees though I did not mean to do so.  I have wanted to have some fruit trees for a long time.  I happened to find the nursery trees in front of the shop and decided to plant them.  They are cherry, plum, persimmon, and kawazu zakura (河津桜) which is pink cherry blossom blooming in February.  I hope they will grow and bear some fruits in the future.   

2013.12.22

Today is toji (冬至), 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 5.  Toji literally means winter reach, winter solstice.  On this day the daytime is the shortest in the year.  There are customs to eat pumpkin and to take a yuzu bath not to catch a cold.

In the morning I went to grocery shopping, gas station, banks and so on.
In the afternoon I went to yoga lesson which is the last one of this year. 

2013.12.1

A new month has started.  December is jyunigatsu (十二月), and its old name is Shiwasu (師走), which literally means teacher run. 
How fast time flies!  There is only one month left.  And this one month will pass very fast.
The first day is tsuitachi (1日).  And I feel refreshed on the first day of each month.

December 1 is known as eiga no hi (映画の日), movie day.  On this day you can see a movie at yen 1,000 at any movie theater.  Usually it is yen 1,800.  I used to go to see a movie on this day but this year I did not go.

It was very fine today and I went grocery shopping and practice Yoga.

2013.11.7

It was rainy but became fine.  At night I saw the very beautiful crescent moon which is mikazuki (三日月) in Japanese.

Today is ritto (立冬), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was soko (霜降) on October 23 and the next one is shosetsu (小雪) on November 22.  Ritto literally means stand winter.  It is the first day of winter.

There was tea lesson today.  November is the new year for the tea world.  We start using the new tea of the year which is called kuchi kiri (口切), opening the new jar of tea leaves. 

2013.10.23

Today is soko (霜降), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was kanro (寒露) on October 8 and the next one was ritto (立冬) on November 7.  Soko literally means frost falling.  It was not so cold as frost falls however it was cloudy and cool today.
Our classroom today was different from the regular one.  It was ocean view room and bigger than usual, and we could enjoy the beautiful Yokohama view.

2013.10.8

Today is kanro (寒露), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was shubun (秋分) on September 23, and the next one is soko (霜降) on October 23.  Kanro literally means cold dew.  But it was very hot like summer today.

After the training I went to China Town with my 4 colleagues.  It's been a long time since I visited there last.  We did not go to a Chinese restaurant but to a Karaoke room.  But it was not for singing but for chatting because it is very cheap, less than yen 300 per person for an hour with free soft drinks in a private room.  We enjoyed talking for an hour. 

2013.9.23

It is a national holiday called shubun no hi (秋分の日), today.  Shubun literally means autumn divide.  It is autumn equinox day.  It is one of the nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was hakuro (白露) on September 7, and the next one is kanro (寒露) on October 8.  Shubun is the day the length of day and night are equal.

It was cloudy and partially rain. 

2013.9.9

September 9 is known as choyo no sekku (重陽の節句), Double Ninth Festival.  It is also called kiku no sekku (菊の節句), Chrysanthemum Festival.  It is one of the five festivals in a year.  But we do not do anything special.

It seems the air became cooler at night.

2013.7.23

Today is taisho (大暑), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was shosho (小暑) on July 7 and the next one is risshu (立秋) on August 7.  Taisho literally means big heat.  It was hot actually, and in the Kanto area it rained heavily depends on the places, but not here.

July 23 is known as fumi no hi (ふみの日), Day of Letter.  On this day commemorative stamps are issued every year.  I went to the Post Office and bought some of them.

2013.7.2

Today is hangesho (半夏生), one of shichijuniko (七十二候), the 72 solar terms.  It is the 11th day since geshi (夏至), the summer solstice.  It is the time when the rainy season ends and last term for planting rice.  It is also the name of plant which leaves have white in the half bottom.
It was fine and hot today.
I took my father two different hospitals for examination and for monthly check up.  It took all day after all.
I started reading a very interesting book.