May(1)

🚶🚶🚶🚶🚶

Last Sunday, I took a walk along the river, where many of the locals take a walk, and I do several times a week as well.

        There were fewer walkers than usual in this difficult time, but to my joy, I found a group of active young men fishing here.

          They seemed to be enjoying fishing at this place, which is a convenient place for them to stay away from the crowds  

and spend their free time. Catching this big size carp, they were excited.

                                                                                               📷  permission photos from them

They soon returned the carp into the river after taking photos of the fish with their phones.

                                                                                                                                       Then, this window caught my attention.

 This one covered with road dust and dry grass seemed sad.

After walking for an hour, I got to this playground near my house. As I stood by the slide, one idea came to my mind.

It is that I take a picture of my reflection on the slide. I like this strange photo as I look slim.

                                                                                                                                             Tomoko

 Thank you for visit.

April(2)

The time of wisteria blooming has come.

In the early morning of the 23rd of this month, my husband and I visited the Kasuga Taisha Shrine to pray 

for the first time in the year and  see the wisteria blooming in the garden of the Shrine.

🚓To avoid trains expected to be crowded, we drove to the Shrine, taking 30 minutes.🚦

The parking lot was almost empty, and only a few visitors were heading toward the Shrine on the long approach.

 

  

 

my husband and a chief priest at the gate of the Kasuga Shrine

　After praying and strolling the garden, we moved to the Kasuga Museum adjoining the garden of the Shrine.

 Photography was allowed only on the first floor of the museum.

  I decided to take the image on the screen beautifully changing, which shows the seasonal Kasuga forest.

Perhaps, the image of the moment I took would show the purplish color of wisteria.

                  After clicking the shutter, I put my camera away in my bag and went up to the second floor, where many artifacts are displayed.

Tomoko

   

       Thank you for visit.

April(1)

                                                                                                                                                       🌸cherry blossoms🌸

                                 There were some rainy days in the week when cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Even though the weather was changeable,

                          I went for a walk to see cherry blossoms several times. Many Japanese people feel like something happy will happen 

                          when they enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms blooming at the right timing in spring. Cherry blossoms are beautiful 

                          when they are in full bloom and fall gracefully in a short period of time. This appearance is also beautiful.

                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                 

                                                                      I found this car covered with scattered petals while walking.

                                                                     my pink umbrella reflected on the car window 

                                                      Cherry blossom petals are falling, which is the final show of the flowers.

                                                                                                                          

                                                                                 My husband takes a walk with our loving dog(Bulldog）.She is 3 years old.    

              

                                                                        

                                                                                              

                                                                                                 Tomoko

Thank you for visit.(●'◡'●)

March(1)

🎎  sacred service  🎎

              Little Hina dolls I bought for myself 15 years ago.

In Japan, it has been believed that gods exist in nature and many things.

So people feel grateful for nature and take good care of using things.

          This concept has led to a ceremony that shrines and temples have performed, where old dolls are burned 

                as part of sacred service. When the dolls’ little owners grow up, get married, or pass away, people sometimes 

      have to decide to part with such dolls with their feelings of gratitude.

                                            Awashima shrine in Wakayama received about fifty thousand of old Hina dolls from many places in Japan, 

                                                                         and performed a ceremony to say good bye to the dolls on March 3. 

                                                               

                                                                                               The dolls are placed in plain wooden boats and floated on the sea. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         📸    by Tomoko                                                                                                                      

Now, we have a serious concern about marine pollution.

Boats are pulled up on the beach after traveling offshore for less than an hour, and then, dolls are burned.

                                                      

                                                       

                                                                                                                                     Good bye dolls.........
 

                            

                                                                                                              Tomoko

February(2)

                                                                   

                                                                                                                                  🎵.....spring..... 🎵

                                 

                                           Plum blossoms that bloom in the chilly season are the blossoms that tell the coming of spring.

                                          While uncertain days are continuing, I have almost forgotten the seasonal changes surrounding us.

                                          By getting closer to plum blossoms, I took my mask off and then took a deep breath.

                                                                                                     February 19.               taken at the  garden of nearby Art Museum 

                                                                       COVID vaccinations for healthcare professionals started last week.

                                                      I wonder the time when each of us can start making a new everyday life without shrinking 

                                                                               from the fear of the coronavirus will come soon.

 

                                                                       Tomoko

Thank you for visit.

February(1)

　　　　　

　　　　　　　            　      This is a typical fishing village in Wakayama that stands on the slope surrounding the bay,

                                     where many houses line along the pathways. The pathways, like a labyrinth, are something unique. 

                                     So I walked along the one-meter-wide alley with my camera; TV sounds and talking voices were coming 

                                     from inside of the houses.

                        

           

     As going up the slope, abandoned houses are here and there.

The population has been decreasing.

              

 

           

                                

                                                                                                                                       at the beach

　　　                                       　This fishing village was prosperous long ago and now grows seaweeds (wakame) as their key product.

　　　   　                      The other day, I received a clipped newspaper article with mail from a local person I met during my trip

                                       to the village last summer. According to the article, some locals have begun landing the grown seaweeds, 

                                       which had been seeded on the ropes last autumn and grown underwater.

 

Tomoko

Thank you for visit. 

January (1)

 

                                In the early morning of one day this week, the first snow came at last. However ,the snow in Nara melts very soon 

                              as the sun rises higher. I wrapped myself up warmly and started walking around my local area, where the snow 

                            was falling, with my camera. That time, for the moment, was like I almost forgot the coronavirus threat.

   the water fountain was frozen.... in the garden of nearby temple

                                                                                                                                         the garden of nearby temple

                                                

                                                                                      Be careful, it is slippery!..... I am holding my camera on the right.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                   

                                                 It was the day that my mother-in-law's home doctor would pay a monthly visit to our house to see her.

                                                 Looking at my watch while the snow was falling, thinking about the doctor's appointment time, I decided to 

                                                 give up clicking shatters to go back home early.

                                                 It was a shame, but when I reached home, the snow was gone. I was relieved to see the doctor.

                                                 

                                                                                            health check  at our living room

                                                                                                   She has lived for a century.

                                                                                                            Tomoko

Thank you for visit.