Sunday, December 25, 2016

I Go to Heike House Musemum




I went to 'Heike House Museum' with my wife in this autumn.

It was a sunny peaceful day when we visit the site during my five-day-consecutive-day-off vacation.

My company gives every employees a five-day-consecutive-day-off once a year.

One of places we went spending the days was the old Japanese soldier Heike's monument.












Sunday, December 18, 2016

I Go to a Japanese Restaurant, 'Nonoji'



November 3rd is Culture Day in Japan and, at the same time, it is our wedding anniversary.

It was our 25th anniversary on the day.

Yes, we got married a quarter century ago, in the year 1991.

We took a picture for our memory and went to a Japanese restaurant 'Nonoji' for lunch.

Five years ago, we cerebrated the twentieth anniversary like this.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

I Go to Utsunomiya Museum of Art



 Star Wars exhibition was being held on the day we visit the museum.

The day, November 3rd, is Culture Day and a national holiday in Japan.

The purpose of the day is promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor.

The local government makes it a rule to offer admission free at various municipal facilities including the museum on the day.





The museum has a huge garden next to the exhibition building.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

I Go to a Stock Farm



My wife and I went to Ozasa Ranch of Kirifuri highland in Nikko city a couple months ago.

Kirifuri Heights are about 1,200 meters above sea level in the northwestern part of Tochigi prefecture..

Even it was early autumn, a cold winter breeze was blowing in a foggy atmosphere.

Farm animals were gently browsing in the field.








Sunday, November 27, 2016

I Visit Traditional Japanese Shops in Narita City

 There were many shops which kept a traditional Japanese style tiled roof and having a warehouse on its first floor.
 On our way home after visiting the city, we had a dinner of boiled oysters on steamed rice with egg, fried oysters, a cold soybean Tohu, Soba noodles and Azuki bean sweets. All of them were delicately Japanese flavored, tasted more than perfect and reasonably priced.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Closest Supermoon Since 1948 Comes Up


It is said that the closest supermoon since 1948 came up November 13 and 14.

I was not able to see it due to the bad weather on the day.

I took those pictures almost one year ago in  New Caledonia located in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

While walking along beach side, I coincidentally found a beautiful full moon.

I have not seen such a perfect full moon since then.



The hotel my wife and I stayed near the beach


Sunday, November 13, 2016

Japan Cup Cycle Road Race 2016





Japan Cup Cycle Road Race was held on a road in front of my condominium home the other day.

My wife and I went out to watch the race

Thousands of passionate spectators lined the roadsides of central Utsunomiya city on the day to see the exciting bike race

Team TREK led the race from the beginning to the end.

The guy, second from the left was the winner of the race.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

I Take a Stroll Along Omote-sando Street to Shinsho-Ji Temple




I guess that houses, hotels and shops along Omote-sando main street to the temple were preserved by the local government.

The architectural style of those buildings must be a traditional Japanese one.

I felt as if I were transported back in time to the middle of  Showa era or the 1950's.

The only silver lining of cancellation of Taiwan trip was that we could enjoy our short visit to Shinsho-Ji temple in Narita city.


Sunday, October 30, 2016

I Go to Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple


The scene I was taking a photo.

After having canceled the trip, my wife and I went to a famous temple near Narita International Airport just half an hour driving distance.

Contrary to the weather in Taiwan, it was sunny gentle on the day in Narita city.

Every buddhist building there was elaborately designed and decorated.

It can be said "totally awesome. " 






Sunday, October 23, 2016

Journey to Taiwan Is Cancelled


I had been planning to take a one-week-break from my office and go to Taiwan.
But the flight to the country was unbelievably delayed due to a typhoon directly hit the island.

My wife and I asked a ground staff about a prospect of flights: she said that the severe tropical storm would probably affect another couple of days because of the slow moving speed.

So, we cancelled the journey, a reserved parking lot and came back home by car.

I ever have experienced long delay of flights but it was the first time for me to cancel the travel itself.




Sunday, October 16, 2016

I Go to Mushroom Mountain




 Two hours driving brought my wife and me to a hot spring area located north of my home town.

We visited a local temple and walked into a mountain trail from the backyard of it.

Unexpectedly, we found various mushrooms here and there.






The mushroom in the left picture was the biggest one.

I guess that the weather and the temperature at that time fit their ecological system perfectly. 



Sunday, October 9, 2016

I Have Breakfast at 'Just Cafe'




 My wife and I went to 'Just Cafe' to have breakfast in the early rainy morning the other day.

They served excellent drinks with beautiful drawings on the top of them and delicious foods.

There were only two groups of customers, a mother and her daughter and us.

We spent a quiet and congenial morning hour hearing just drops of rain from outside.