2015.5.1

A new month has started. May is gogatsu (５月), its old name is satsuki(皐月). I like May because of my birthday month.

It was fine and hot.  So called cool biz started to save energy.

I went to shrine before going to work. 

University was closed because of transferred holiday of yesterday.  So there were few people.

After coming home, I prepared for tomorrow and watched a Japanese movie o TV.

2015.4.1

It was a rainy day.

One fourths of the year was over and another month has begun.
April is shigatsu(四月), its old name  is uzuki (卯月).

This is the begining of the new academic and fiscal year in Japan.
There was an orientation for the new graduate school students.

I went to the nearby shrine before going  to work.
I make it a rule to visit there in the morning of the first and the 15th of each month as much as possible.

At the station I happened to see my friend after a few month.
She has just finished visiting the 88 temples in Shikoku by four times.
She went there with her friends by plane and used a taxi.
I am glad to see her and listen to her experience.

2014.10.23

It was a cold rainy day.

It is soko（霜降）one if nijyushisekki（二十四節季）the twenty four solar terms.  The last one was kannro（寒露）on October  8  , and the next one is ritto（立冬）on November 7.
Soko literally means frost fall.
It is the time to have frost.

This morning I saw a guide dog on the train for the first time.  It is modoken （盲導犬）in Japanese.  They are so trained. Since it was raining, it wored a rain coat.
When there were enough space, it guided to the seat and went under the seat to wait. It was impressive.

Tonight I went to see a movie ゛Lucy. ゛Today was the last day of showing. 

Now I am waiting for a night bus to go to Kanazawa （金沢）.

2014.8.7

It was fine and very hot.

 

Today is risshu （立秋）, one of nijyushisekki （二十四節季） 24 solar terms. The last one was taisho （大暑） on July 23, and the next one is shosho（処暑）on August 23.
Risshu literally means stand fall, and it is the first day of fall.
From today our greeting becomes "Zansho omimai  moushiagemasu　（残暑お見舞い申し上げます）" instead of "Shochu omimai moushiagemasu　（暑中お見舞い申し上げます）."

 

I took a day off to take my father to hospital for once a month check up.  We went out for lunch after going to one department and went back to hospital again to go to another department.

 

There was a guest to our house in the afternoon and after that I took my father to barbershop and we went to pharmacy to get medicines later.

 

After dinner I went to see the 34th fireworks festival at Miurakaigan.  There were so many people at the beach and station.  It started at 7:30 pm and lasted for 40 minutes or so.  There were 3000 fireworks.  I saw some new fireworks related to Miura such as radish or watermelon.  The finale was really great and so impressive.  I am glad to see them this year too.

2014.5.1

A new month has started.  May is gogatsu (五月) in Japanese.  Its another name is satsuki (皐月).  I like May very much because it is my birth month.

The weather today was fine but a little bit windy.

I stayed at home in the morning, and had some visitors in the afternoon, and went to see my friend from high school later.   We had a fun time.

There happened a bad thing for me tonight.  While I was writing a reply to my friend from the iPhone, everything disappeared and I lost all the data including contact addresses, photo, schedule and memo.  I feel so depressed and tried to recover them again and again but besides saved addresses and photos in Dropbox I lost data.
This must be a sign of getting something new.   

2014.2.4

Today is risshun (立春), one of the nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was daikan (大寒) on January 20, and the next one is usui (雨水) on February 19.  Risshun literally means stand spring.  It is the beginning of spring.  However it was very cold and snowed somehow.

Today we renewed the contract of fire insurance for 5 years.  They say these days there are so many natural disasters, and the insurance companies are in the red.  Especially the damages from wind are increasing.

I got two letters, one was the reply for the new year's card and the other was the invitation for the reunion trip from the friend of the 44th Peace Boat Cruise.  It's been already 10 years since I circumnavigated by the 44th Peace Boat.  Some people have got together every year since the trip was over.  And this is the 10th trip and the last one.  I have never joined the reunion trip but it may be interesting.

2014.2.1

A new month has started.  February is nigatsu (二月) and its old name is kisaragi (如月) in Japanese.  There is another kanji character (衣更月) which means that it is the coldest season and to avoid the cold we wear one more clothes.
It is the season of the old new year or Chinese New Year.
I think it is a good time to start something new.  And I started writing an email letter to my friends who have the same vision to the future.

Today is the last day of my commuting ticket to Yokohama so that I was going to Yokohama to see a movie.  But I had a very important monthly meeting and dinner, and the schedule did not meet, then I gave up going.  Instead I visited some shrines and went to grocery shopping.  On the first day of the month is a good time to visit shrines.

The meeting and dinner was very nice, there were eleven people tonight and we enjoyed once a month getting together at a special restaurant. 

2013.12.7

Today is taisetsu (大雪), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms.  The last one was shosetsu (小雪) on November 23 and the next one will be toji (冬至) on December 22.  Taisetsu literally means big snow.  However it is not so cold as it used to be around this time.

Today I went to Shinjuku to attend a monthly meeting in the morning.  Unfortunately I had to leave before it was over.
Then I went to Yokohama to attend a rehearsal of the Kimono Fashion Show for tomorrow.  My appointment time was 14:00 but after all it started around 15:00 so I hoped to stay at the previous meeting longer and do some shoppings.  There I met some people whom I had traveled to Gokayama and Hidatakayama in the summer together.  Since the travel was really nice, it was interesting to see them again.  There will be about 200 Kimono models tomorrow.
Then I went to Yokosuka to attend a meeting for the high school reunion committee in the evening.  We will have the first big reunion of our high school next March.  There were no class changes at our high school,  if you were in a good class, you had a happy high school life, but if you were not in a good class, it must be hard to be there.  There were 10 classes which had 45 students each.  I was rather in a good class and we have had some class reunions for several times after graduation.  But there were other classes which have seldom had the class reunion by now, and it is very difficult for them to contact each other.  It was interesting to see old friends after such a long time. 

2013.8.1

A new month has started.  August is hachi gatsu (八月) in Japanese.  Its old name is hazuki (葉月), literally leaf month.  It is the hottest month in a year.  Today it was also very hot.  Sweat comes out without doing anything.

In the morning I clipped some articles from the July newspaper.
In the afternoon I visited two shrines.  One is the closest one from my house and the other is what I happened to know recently.  It was very close from my ex-student's house.  When I was a teacher, I did not notice. 
And I visited the sports park where I have felt like seeing whenever I saw the sign.  It contains a football pitch, a baseball ground, and two tennis courts.  Young students were playing football.
Then I went shopping.

From tomorrow I go to Yokohama to learn international business administration for 6 months.

2012.10.23

Today is soko (霜降), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), 24 solar terms.  The last one was kanro (寒露) on October 8 and the next one is ritto (立冬) on November 7.  Soko (霜降) literally means frost fall.  It is the time that dew changes to frost because of coldness.
This morning it rained heavily therefore I wore raincoat and rain shoes and brought a long umbrella.  However it stopped raining when I needed to walk and I did not have to use it on my way to go to the office.  At night it started raining again and I used it.  When I got on the train on my way back home, I was so tired that I slept there putting my old umbrella at the handrail near my seat.  When I got to my station, I was so surprised to find it disappeared.  Usually Japan is thought as a safe country.  I have left something behind such as umbrella on the train before, but I have never lost anything on the train.  Since I was sleeping, I do not know if it rained heavily or not while I was on the train.  I just could not believe what have happened. 

2012.5.5

May 5 is a national holiday called kodomo no hi (こどもの日), Children's day. It was very fine today. I met many people today. In the morning I saw one of my students whom I taught so many years ago. We have not seen each other for a long time, but I remembered her very well. From 11 AM to 13:30PM I had a meeting, then I had another meeting for lunch. Then I met a couple whom I have wanted to see for a long time for 30 minutes. I gave them my book and he gave me his book in return. Then I had a party to commemorate my birthday and publishing the first book with friends at a cafe in Shinjuku (新宿) from 16:00 to 18:00. There came about 20 people or so. To my glad the publisher sent me a big flower basket. I shared the story why I decided to publish the book. Then I went to Shibuya (渋谷) to meet one of my teachers. We went to the newly opened spot called "Hikarie

(ヒカリエ)." He also celebrated my birthday and publishing. I am so glad to have such nice people in my life.

2012.2.19

It 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 5. Usui literally means rain water, that means the ice melts and the rain water becomes warm. But it was still very cold though it was very fine today.

The Japanese toilet is very advanced and when you enter the room, the toilet cover is open and starts warming up the seat. There are shower, bidet, and drier. These days there was something wrong with the toilet seat at my house. The seat does not warm up. Therefore I asked the repair. And it was fixed today. Since I was used to the convenient life, I am so glad it became comfortable again.

2012.2.4

Today it is risshun (立春), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms. The last one was daikan (大寒) on January 21, and the next one is usui (雨水) on February 19.
Risshun literally means stand spring, and it is the beginning of spring.
On the calendar it is already spring, but we have a cold winter.
Today I went to the dentist, and now I have a tooth pain.

We have had a reform of the kitchen since yesterday. We were informed it would take 3 days. So I was ready to cook something very simple for 2 days. But the carpenters in charge were very professional and they finished just for 1 day and a half. So it was a nice surprise.

１２月２２日（jyuni gatsu nijyuni nichi）： December 22

Today is toji (冬至), one of the 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 literally means winter reach. It is the day when the daytime is the shortest and the nighttime is the longest. There are customs to eat pumpkin and take a yuzu (柚子) bath on this day and it is said we won't get a cold.
Tonight I had a year-end party so called bonenkai(忘年会). It was also a farewell party for those who will leave the office. There were some performances and I was surprised to know their secret talents.

１０月１日（jyugatsu tsuitachi）： October 1

Another month has just started. October is jyugatsu (十月) in Japanese. Its old name is kannazuki (神無月), literally god without month. All Japanese gods gather in Izumo (出雲), therefore there will be no gods in other areas. In Izumo it is called kamiarizuki (神在月), literally god exists month.

The last day for NHK's morning drama ohisama (おひさま), the Sun.

I was very busy today. I renewed the car insurance in the morning and went grocery shopping and to Shinjuku to see the performance of Japanese drams so-called wadaiko (和太鼓). It was very powerful.

９月２８日（kugatsu nijyuhachi nichi）： September 28

It was cool in the morning. Autumn is coming.

First day after the vacation. There were many emails and meetings.

When I passed out the souvenirs, I was surprised to know that some colleagues have been to Nepal before. I knew about five colleagues have been there before but today I knew at least two more people went there on a business trip.
Among high school friends or college friends I think I am the only one who went there.
But since I am working at the international related office, many colleagues have many international experiences which is very interesting for me.

９月８日（kugatsu yoka）： September 8

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 (白露) literally means white dew. The air becomes cool and the dew looks white.

Tonight I went to the Italian restaurant with my colleagues. We ate 4 appetizers, 3 pizzas, 2 pastas, and drank many glasses of beverage.

５月２１日（gogatsu nijyuichi nichi）： May 21

Today is shoman (小満), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節季), the 24 solar terms. The last one was rikka (立夏) on May 6, and the next one is boushu (芒種) on June 6. Shoman (小満) literally means little full, it is the time when people feel satisfied little bit because sowed seeds in the fall come into ear.

It was fine and warm and windy.

I went to see the Friendship Concert of my high school classmate which was held for charity and the entrance fee is free but asked donation which will be sent to the Tohoku devastated area.
I enjoyed dinner with my old friends and new one after that.

七月二十三日(shichigatsu nijyusan nichi) ： July 23

It is taisho (大暑), one of nijyushisekki (二十四節気), 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 hot. And it was really hot today. In the morning there was an earthquake.
July 23 is known as fumi no hi (ふみの日), Day of Letter. It was instituted in 1979 by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (now Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) to aim to be a help to succeed the letter culture through the pleasure of letter and happiness of receiving letters. They usually issue special stamps on this day every year.
Tonight I had a welcome and send off party of the colleagues. 31 people got together including special guests, 3 of those who have already left the office earlier this year. It is nice to have contacts with ex-colleagues. We enjoyed the party. The presents were really nice. We made a special book for each person with many pictures and messages from all colleagues and ex-boss. We wished their good luck.