2020.1.6

It was fine. 

Today is shokan (小寒), one of nijushisekki (二十四節気), 24 solar terms. The last one was toji ()冬至 on Dec.22 and the next one is daikan (大寒) on January 20.

Shokan literally means small cold. It is also said kan no iri (寒の入り), which means entering coldness. It is the start of coldness.

It will be cold tomorrow.

2020.1.5

It was fine.

I wore kimono at home by myself and went to Kimono-style Miya to have my hair set and got dressed. I met some friends there. I ate sushi lunch with some specially prepared dishes by our kimono teacher there and left earlier for the first visit to Iseyama kotai jingu and Narita-san by myself.

After that I went to Machida to see the Hatsuwarai (初わらい) literally first laugh event with my friend. I was lucky to be presented the ticket.  There were five rakugo, comic story tellings. It was fun.

The main speaker is Katsura Bunshi (桂文枝) who used to be Katsura Sanshi (桂三枝). He has been an MC for 50 years at the popular program titled  "Shinkonsan irasshai (新婚さんいらっしゃい)" literally "Welcome the newly wed couples!"

It's a half century. It is amazing, isn't it?

Today is the last day of 9 days vacation. I enjoyed gathering with friends as well as staying at home.

2020.1.4

It was fine.

Usually January 4 is the start of working in the new year which is called shigoto hajime (仕事始め). But it is Saturday so that most people start from January 6 this year. Today is one of the peak days of returning from abroad.

I watched recorded dramas in the day time and the one at night.

In the afternoon I went to Toyota and got sponge cake and towel of  ne (子), rat, 12 zodiac sign of this year as new year's gift. 

After that I went to a post office in Kurihama where is open in spite of weekend. The postage of postcard abroad is yen 70, in Japan is yen 63. So I needed yen 7 stamps. They only had yen 5 and yen 2 stamps. For envelope it costs yen 110 for Europe and America. I feel they are very cheap.