View from a Bridge Is Changed One Day After the Storm

I took the following pictures from a bridge located between my office and my home one day after the big rainfall. The surface of the park near the river had been brought off to downriver.

The amount of water in the river could be two to three times larger than usual, I guess.

A Big Storm of Rainfall Hits in Eastern Japan

We were suffered from a big storm last week for the first time in the last several decades.

Three people have been reported dead and fifteen people are still missing.

I go to my office by bike every day. It was raining like cats and dogs in the morning on the day.

I took several pictures when I crossed a big bridge which divided my town and my office.
The day was perfectly unfit for photo taking.

I Go to Irie Cafe

My wife and I went to a cafe called "Irie Cafe" the other day.

We ate Japanese food for lunch there. 

Among them, cut raw fish and avocado on a bowl of rice with a dried seaweed topping was nice.

"Irie" was unfamiliar word to me. So, after coming back home, I checked it on the web dictionary.

It says,

"Irie" is used and is synonymous with hello, all right, good, fine, I’m alright etc. However, on deeper examination the findings indicate that it’s origins are far more spiritual.

Irie is a Jamaican noun meaning good, excellent, great and good quality. Thus a number of companies and traders in Jamaica use Irie in their names.

The name of the cafe is also nice, isn't it?

Cafe and Restaurant OASIS at Utsunomiya Tobu Hotel Grande

We went to a nearby hotel called Tobu Grande the other day.

There are three restaurants in the hotel. We chose OASIS for lunch.

They served delicious vegetable curry, salad and sweets.

Every time, eating at a hotel makes me feel like traveling abroad.

I Go to a Chinese Restaurant, 'Renge Saro'

My wife and  I went to a Chinese restaurant called 'Renge Saro' the other day.

Since we did not go to a Chinese cafe for long time, we could enjoy both their meal and its atmosphere a lot.

By the way, my injured left knee becomes better day by day.

To tell the truth, a healthy body is far far better than nice meals, I think.

Don't you think so?

Emi and Rina Come Back Home

My company offered every employee one week summer holiday last week.
The holiday is called Obon Holiday.

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors.
The spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household during this Obon season.
My two daughters, not spirits of ancestors though, came back home last week separately on different days.

My wife and I went to a sushi restaurant to have dinner with each daughter on different day.

Oops, It's Too Early for Going To Sunflower Fields

 A week ago, we went to sunflower fields to take some pictures.

Buuuuut, it's too early to see beautiful flowers there.

Please take a look at photos I took several years ago at the same place.

On our way back home, we dropped by Japanese noodle shop for lunch.

Miya Matsuri Summer Festival

Miya Matsuri summer festival was held today and yesterday in Utsunomiya city. 

Many women wore beautiful Yukata and little kids wore cute Happi in this occasion.

Aside from summer festival, I hurt my left knee while playing tennis about three months ago.

Since then, I've been absent from practicing tennis and canceled all tennis tournaments.

I sometimes have a hard time even when I just walk at natural speed.

It's must be the first time for me to stop playing tennis for such a long time.

I booked a thorough medical checkup at a big hospital scheduled a week later.

Miyaichi-Sai Summer Festival in Utsunomiya

Miyaichi-Sai or Miyaichi summer festival was held for three days last week.

The festival is held on a period between the rainy season and the hot summer season expressing people's joy of coming summer.

Hustle and bustle of the festival remind the citizens of the arrival of the summer.

Chinowa Kuguri Ceremony

A large ring or Chinowa made of grass is erected on the pathway leading to a shrine.

Worshipers at the shrine pass through the ring as an act of purification from misdeeds, impurities, or bad luck.

Participants pass through the ring reciting a verse invoking long life and avoiding diseases.

Ceremonies of passing through the ring, sacred music and dancing are dedicated to the shrine on the ceremony day.

Hydrangea Flowers and a Dragonfly

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The picture on the left was taken a few weeks ago at Isoyama shrine.



The following picture was taken at the same place ten years ago, June 2005.

Rina, left on the photo, is now a college student was an elementary school kid at that time.

Rina and Kiyono in 2005

I Go to Isoyama Shrine in Kanuma City

We are still in the middle of rainy season.

I picked up a sunny day among this rainy season and headed to Isoyama shrine which had tens of hundreds of hydrangea flowers at its garden.

Those pictures show how I take photos usually.










The shrine was preparing to hold a hydrangea festival.

Though we went there just several days before the festival period, the flowers were in full bloomed.

Utsunomiya Animation Festival 2015 Part-3

Needless to say their clothes were well prepared, their postures and facial expressions seemed far better than B-class movie stars.


When I was taking their pictures, I thought, they were able to become professional actors or actresses.