January(1)

                                    2020 has already started.This means that everyone gets older.

                                    My mother-in-law, who lives with my husband and me, is turning 100 years old this year. She has good health but has a very short memory: 
                                    she forgets what happened 30 seconds ago, but her mind is surprisingly clear every moment. She still has some things to enjoy herself.

                                    There are many different ways of aging, and everyone gets old in their own unique way.

                                     These are the Japanese paper fans she used to use when she performed traditional Japanese dance, which was one of her hobbies.

                                     She studied dance for more than 80 years, and it looks like one needs paper fans when dancing.

                                     She still keeps her fans in her drawer and these are just a small part of her collection.

                                     

                                                                                                       　   She enjoyes opening her fans in the sun after the new year's holidays.

 This fan was  bit wet and she placed it by the window.

                                                                          　　　　　　　　　　  　　　 今年１００歳になる同居している義理母が大切にしている扇子。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　８０年以上趣味で日本舞踊を習っていました。
　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　まだ足腰がしっかりしてるのは，そのおかげかもしれません。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　正月が終わってから、陽に当てました。


                                                                                           
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  　　　　Tomoko

December (2)

some memories of this year

 There are only a few days left this year.

                                                     This May, I visited our family grave in Tokyo, where my late parents and younger brother rest in peace.

                                                     This photo was taken in the underground passage leading to Tokyo Station late at night.
                                                     There was such a quiet moment in a busy place like this.

                                                           This December, my husband and I traveled to a small fishing village facing the Pacific Ocean.

                                                           While he was fishing, I was walking around the village all day long and taking a local bus to tour around the village.

                                                           During my adventure, I was able to meet some nice local people and had good conversations with them.

                                                           Talking with locals is always one of my favorite things to do when I travel.

                                                           In the long history of this village, the locals experienced some disastrous tsunamis that washed away the place.

                                                            Learning from the ancient people's tragic experiences, people have built some sets of long emergency steps
                                                            on the mountain slope behind the village to escape from tsunamis.This is one of them.

                                                                          When I was holding my camera halfway up the steps, a former fisherman said,
                                                                         "Be careful!" while approaching the bottom of the steps.

                                                I learned from him that there was a big tsunami hitting this village when he was a 3-year old boy 70 years ago.

                                                Her mother carried him on her back and ran to a higher place, walking up these steps.

                                                                           Then I met this woman, who has lived here for 50 years since her marriage.

                                                                           When weather permits, she just walks for a few minutes to the sea and enjoys fishing,

                                                                            With a smile on her face,she told me a list of names of the fish she recently caught.

  Thank you for visit.

                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                     All the best for 2020
                                                                                                                Take care over the holidays.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tomoko

December(1)

Sumisaka Shrine festival

This is an autumn festival held in a small town,Haibara in Nara prefecture.

The local people are holding up a small mobile shrine, parading around the town.

I visited the town to see the festival November 3.

                                                                               　　       This parade starts around II a.m and finishes at 4p.m.

                                                                                                            They prepare for the parade,using thick ropes.

     
                                                                                                 　　　　     The parade continues.

                                                                                                 　  This friendly man is one of  the  members of organizing the festival.

                                                     
                                                                                               
                                                       　    about Sumisaka Shrine festival is here

                                                                             　　Tomoko

November(1)

The season for autumn roses has come.

These are the photos of the rose garden I often take a tour.

I feel spending time there, it is like an adventure .

It gives me good feeling.

This is a man who is responsible for all the roses here.

He converted this cart for his use.

How pretty it is!

                                                                                                                          and a pair of ...........he uses....

                                                                                                              Tomoko



Thank your for visit.

October(2)

October 19 was an autumn festival day at our local shrine.

Many programs were held in the garden shrine to say thank you for the local good harvest, health, and our prosperity.

There are many festivals in Japan in fall and spring, and the Japanese drums play a big part in  every festival.

The sound continued in the shrine.

Hearing the sound, we feel excited and energetic.

I was excited too,clicking shutters.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                edit using photoshop

                                                                                                        I smiled seeing little boys dancing with the sound.

                                                                                                                                                    no editing        




                                                                                                                                              Tomoko


Thank you for visit.
I still care my eyes. Comment closed.

October(1)

                                                                In the beginning of October, I walked around Shibuya, Tokyo.

                                                 When I was a high school student, I used to get off a train at Shibuya Station and transferred to a local bus to go to school. 
                                                 Recently, Shibuya has been greatly changing into the town filled up with youth culture.

                                                 Thanks to Google Maps on the mobile phone, I no longer get lost in the busy town, Shibuya.

                                                                                                   These  are just some of the photos  taken in Shibuya that attracts the young.

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                      I have no idea what this building is.

                                                                                                                              This is my favorite.

                                     
                                                                                         
                                                                           
                                                                                  　　　　　　　　　     Tomoko

Thank you for visit.

September(2)

                       

                                   One day in September, the gate of a shrine, called "Torii" in Japanese, near my place got repainted: it gets repainted once every couple of decades,
                                   according to the painters. I came across this scene while I was taking a walk with my camera.

                                  The painters willingly allowed me to take photos of them at work as well as posting the photos on my blog.

                       

                                             They  are making coating materials by mixing chemical substances that can prolong  the effects of  insect repellent.

                                                                              They were very friendly people.  I tried not to disturb their work, and enjoyed seeing their work. Thank you.


                                                                                                                             Tomoko





Thank you for visit.Comment closed.