October(2)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

                                                       We are in the middle of autumn. Higan flowers blooming is over by end of summer. They are usually seen 

                                         in the footpath between rice field to protect growing rice  from wild mice as their bulbs are toxic.

　　　　　　　　　　     However the beauty of flaming red petals attract people's attention. Some residents plant Higan flowers 

                                         on their side walk, which tells people autumn is coming soon. I walked around to find Higan flowers 

                                      in my area, taking photos of them.

                                                                                    at  Hanya temple garden.

                                                                                         at Hanya temple 

I like your passionate red color, Higan flowers!

         Tomoko

     Thank you for visit.

October (1)

                                                                 

                                                                                                    It is getting cool and comfortable.

                                                                      Yes, finally new season has arrived. It is time to breeze autumn air.

                                             

                                                                      I enjoy walking around the neighborhood, finding autumn flowers blooming.   

                                                                  
 

                                      

                                                                       

                                                                       Since coronavirus  pandemic has started, I cut my  hair by myself 3 times. My hair looks messy now.

                                                      The other day, my favorite hair salon sent me a mail offering 35% off during this October.

                                                      Many businesses are facing difficulties to bring customers back.  The hair salon is also struggling.

                                                      After thinking a lot, I decided to have my hair cut at the salon with a mask.

                                                                   

                                                                                                     Be safe and happy

                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                 Tomoko

Thank you for visit.

September (1)

                                                         

                                                                                 How are you spending your time at home during the coronavirus pandemic?

                                                                                 I've been facing "quarantine fatigue" because it's been a while since the pandemic started.

                                                                                 However, I'm enjoying a relaxing time for the first time in a long time, listening to music while time passes by slowly

                                                                                 in my living room, which makes me realize just how busy I was before.

                                                                                 I'm also enjoying watching online movies and various history documentaries about other countries, which tell me 

                                                                                 there were so many things I didn't know.

                                                                                 The travel ban between the metropolitan area and other prefectures was lifted to keep the economy going.

                                                                                 Knowing that the pandemic hasn't been contained, I find rushing to return to our "normal" lives very scary

 

    

           　　　　　　　　　　　　                             These photo were taken from Ena fishing village in Wakayama. My husband and I traveled in August.

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                   Stay safe.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                         I hope you find something positive and watch nice movies, read books and talk to your positive friends.

　　                                                                                                                                        Tomoko

Thank you for visit.

June(1)

                 　　   On June 1, the state of emergency was partially lifted in Japan, but it is obvious that we have to keep practicing social distancing.

                 　　   Having hurt my lower back after weeding and carrying heavy flower pots in my garden, I was able to get some rest at home during the entire month of May.

                 　　   My back pain has been getting better, and the rose garden in the area opened again for the first time in a month.
                               

                  　　    
                 　　   A professional gardener kept taking care of the roses even during quarantine and they finally started to welcome visitors back.

                  　　 There weren't many visitors in the garden, but everyone seemed to be enjoying the fresh air and their own time there.
                  　　 I strolled through the garden for an hour and came back home.

                                                                                 She is going to make potporri with these roses the gardener cut off. She said.        

                                                                                        She likes to draw red roses the most..... She said.

                                                                                      　　　 　　　    　　　There are also sad stories.

                                                            Hydrangeas in Yata Temple in Nara and 800,000 tulips in a flower field in Saitama were cut down.

                                                            It was a tough decision to make so that this would keep visitors away during the COVID-19 pandemic.



                                                                                                                       I hope you all are safe and happy.


                                                                                      　　　　　                                      Tomoko                                    

                                                                                             　　　　　

                                           

April(3)

                                                                                                                    I stay at home to escape crowds.

                                                                   I wear a face mask and rubber gloves when go grocery shopping once a week.

                                            This is the view from our balcony.I enjoy looking at a few carpenters working, and hearing the sounds they hammer nails                                                                                           into the wood.This is a little enjoyment in such a period of uncertainty. 

                                                    

                                                                             I do pray for everyone to pass through this critical time.

                                    

                                                                                                                                             Tomoko               

April(2)

                                                                                   All societies across the world are now facing great difficulties.

                                                                   Let's focus on what we can do now as individuals and believe we can overcome the coronavirus threat.

                                                                                  Let's believe beautiful days will return to us someday in the near future.

                                                                                                                 2020 April 5

All my activities, such as going to an English class, sport club and giving piano lessons have been suspended.

My husband takes a walk with our family dog every morning. Recently I decided to join them with my camera. She is two years old.

                                                Because of the corona threat, the physical threrapists that visit my mother-in-law three times a week have been suspended.
                                     However, she still has some caregivers who help her taking a bath twice a week. We appreciate their help. 
                                     She does sutra-copying every day at our living room.


                                                                                                                                            Thank you for visit.

                               
                                                                                                               Tomoko        

                                                                                               

April (1)

The coronavirus is raging across the world.

I hope we will be able to overcome this difficult time and the outbreak will end someday in the near future. 

                  Akashi Strait Ōhashi is a 3,911-meter long suspension bridge, which connects the city of Kobe on the main island of Japan to Iwaya Village on Awaji Island.

                  Since last autumn, my mother-in-law, who lives with my husband and me, has started staying at a nursing home two nights every month.

                 When this happens, my husband and I travel to Awaji Island, where he goes fishing and I enjoy walking around the fishing villages on the island.

                 The villages we visit aren't famous tourist destinations, but there are many old-fashioned buildings preserved in good condition today and
                  we enjoy a special atmosphere every time we go there. Let me show you some from my archive.
                
                                                                                                                   

This is a public bath in Iwaya on Awaji Island.

Even though it is located in such a quiet fishing village, many people come to visit the retro-inspired public bath from various parts of Japan.

                                                                                                  


                            There was at least one in every neighborhood in Edo period(1638-1868). Public houses are not just places where you go to wash yourself clean.
                           It was a kind of community place where local people could get together.The difference between hot spring and pablic bath is that
                           hot spring uses natural water while public bath uses boiled water.

                                                                       The owner is getting ready to open the place by preparing the bath.

                                                                                                 It looks like this used to be a bed for changing babies' clothes.

                                                                                                                        These photos are all permitted to post.

         

                                                                 

                                                                                              You can see many cats here and there in the fishing village.

                                                                                                                                   Thank you for visit.
           

                                                                                                                                            Tomoko