Spring Flowers in Japan

Hello there! Long time no see! How have you been so far? I am sorry that I hadn’t posted anything on my blog for a while. Now, I have returned!

In Japan we are in the mid spring and I would love to show you what kinds of flowers we can see in this season.

A couple of weeks ago, I went into my neighborhood and took some photos of these flowers called Renge in Japanese.

They bloom only in Spring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalus_sinicus

I love these tiny flowers because they are my favorite color purple! They bloom in rice fields.

 

 

 

When I was a little girl, I used to make crowns or necklaces with these flowers with my childhood friends.

Look at the center of the photo! Can you see a bee?

The bee seemed to be busy to gather honey from the Renge flowers.

 

 

What kinds of flowers can you see in your area where you live now?

I will post other flowers for spring some time soon! So, stay tuned!!

Thanks for taking a look at my blog post! See you around!

 

-Yumi

 

Autumn in Japan

Hello there! How have you been? It’s been a while since I have posted my last blog. I had been busy for a while and, when I realize that, it’s the season that we can see leaves changing.

Last week, my husband and I went hiking the closest hill called Pon Pon Yama. It was the best timing for us to enjoy the autumn view. Since I took some photos, I want to show them to you. I hope you enjoy Japanese autumn views.

In the hill we have a Shito-shrine, and it’s popular among people who live in the area.

 

This statue is a guardian for a Shito-shrine called Komainu.

 

 

I think this is a monk’s house of the Shito-shrine.

 

 

This statue is called Jizo and God for children. He is my favorite God because his face looks always peaceful.

 

 

 

I am very proud of these Japanese maple leaves. I love their red. This is the Japanese autumn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The color green and the red are so pretty!

 

 

 

 

I found six cute zizou.

We enjoyed the views, the clean air, and walking. I realized that hiking is so much fun, and good for exercise. I want to do this more often from now on with my hubby.

It’s getting colder here. I think in some places it’s getting hotter. Stay warm or cool and don’t get sick.

See you around in two weeks again here!

-Yumi x

 

 

 

Rose Garden

Hello there! How have you been?

I am doing good, and I am sorry for the delay. I am glad that I can post something today.

It’s fall and not a season for roses. I took these photos in May when I visited my closest rose garden with my hubby.

Every year I go there with my hubby to take some rose photos, and I am glad that this year the rose photos look much better than last year. I admire a lot these nature. They are just so beautiful, and I think the words, “flawless” or “divine” are just for them.

I hope you enjoy looking at my rose photos and can get some inspiration form them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which color do you like the best in roses? I love pink roses the best.

I am already looking forward to visiting this garden to see them again next year. I hope they will bloom prettier flowers then!

Have a lovely weekend/ week! See you soon!!

-Yumi

 

 

 

Cats

Today I am going to write about cats. I really think Japanese culture connects with cats deeply.

For example, 招き猫, maneki-neko.

I think everybody knows this cat statue. This is for business and people believe that when we put this in our shops, we can get more customers because the cat calls them to our shops.

Cat-Cafe

This is our pop culture. Some coffee shops have cats as pets. When we go to the cat-cafe, we can pet the cats whenever we want. It’s very weird. People love going to the cats cafe to make themselves relaxed or healed. My daughter loves going there even though we have a cat, Jiji as an indoor cat at home. I have no idea why people pay money to pet cats.

Cat islands

We have several islands where cats’ number is larger than people’s population. For example, we have a small island, named Aoshima. In the Island we have only 15 people, but we have more than over one hundred cats there. Japanese people love cats and to see them, people visit the island. Now, the island is trendy for people who love cats.They visit the island to take photos of cats.

http://nekonoshima.miau2.net/aoshima/

Expressions relates to cats

We have so many expressions relates to cats. 猫舌、猫に小判、猫をかぶる、猫なで声、猫の手も借りたい、猫の額ほどの庭 and so on. I don’t translate them into English. If you are curious about the Japanese expressions, I recommend to go to Google Trantlator them.

I want to write about cats more on my next blog entry.

I hope you are having a relaxing weekend!

See you here again next weekend!

-Yumi

Japanese Castles

Hi there. How are you doing today? I have been sick for a while, and that’s why my blog entry was delay. I am sorry for that. I am getting better now, and you don’t need to worry about it.

Well, today I want to write about Japanese castles. As you know, our castles are quite different from Western ones.

During the world war 2, we lost lots of castles. Even so, we still have some original ones. I’ve been moving around many places because of my husband’s job in Japan. Through my experiences, I want to show some of my favorite castles here. I hope you enjoy it.

Osaka Castle:Osaka city, Osaka prefecture

I took my British friend, Maryn and my American friend, Zach to Osaka castle. We lost the original version during the ww2. However, it’s still beautiful and it’s a symbol of Osaka city where I live.

Osaka Castle

 

Osaka Castle

 

Osaka Castle

Click it. You can go to YouTube and see a video clip of Osaka castle

Matsumoto Caslte: Matsumoto city, Nagano prefecture

My family and I lived there 7 years ago before my husband got a promotion. Our first dog, lala was alive at that time, and walking around the castle was Lala and my working out. We still keep the original version of castle. I really love the castle because it’s so pretty in snow.

Matsumoto Castle

Wakayama Castle: Wakayama city, Wakayama prefecture

My family and I lived there almost 20 years ago. Our daughter was born in the city. The castle is one of the biggest castles in Japan. I still remember I really loved walking though in cherry blossoms seasons. The castle has tons of cherry trees and when they blooms, it’s so pretty. The castle isn’t original. We lost it during the ww2.

Wakayama castle

Hikone Castle: Hilone city, Shiga prefecture

This castle belongs to my home town, Shiga prefecture close to my husband’s university.

Hikone castle

This blog enty’s only a part of our castles. We have lots of castles everywhere from small to large. When you are interested in them, go to google image and search them. You can see a lot of pretty Japanese castles there.

I hope this blog entry helps you understand our culture a little bit.

Thanks you as always for visiting my blog.

See you next week!

-Yumi

The Best Season Ever in Japan!

Hi there!

How have you been? I still have had a really bad cold and can’t stop coughing…….. Cough, cough, cough…….

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine lives in Tokyo came up, and I took her to Kyoto!  That’s because it’s the best season ever for us to enjoy viewing leaves changing!!!

It’s my first time to see her in person in 4 years. We used to go to the same porcelain school for years, but after I moved to Osaka, I quit the school. Since then I hadn’t met her for a while.

We had a great time in Kyoto!!

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Since the day was clear and fine, it was the best day for me to take a lot of photos.

I hope you can enjoy the Japanese leaves changing season through my post!

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

The place where I took my friend is called, Arashiyama, and it’s very popular in spring and fall.  When you come to Arashiyama in spring, you can enjoy viewing cherry blossoms and it’s a completely different scenery from this one.

This time everything here is red, and at that time everything here is PINK!

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

I love spring the best, but I love fall as well.

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

I love the place and it reminded me of Hayao Miyasaki movies a lot.

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

Arashiyama, Kyoto

I am planning on going back to my previous porcelain school in Osaka again next year. I am really looking forward to it.

I asked my friend if she could come up again in spring. I hope she can make it. Then, I can take her here again to enjoy viewing cherry blossoms!!

Countryside in Autumn, Japan

Hi, friends!

Looooooooooooong time no see. I am very sorry that I haven’t updated anything new. Since I got a new puppy, I have been extremely busy for taking care of her, gardening, painting, learning English and so on. I have been really fine and enjoying my life with our new puppy. I will write about her soon.

Today, I want to show some pictures in autumn, Japan. Since our puppy came to our house, I’ve been stuck at home. To ｒelieve my stress, I took my camera with me when I walked around my neighborhood. Then, I found some small autumn.

These are typical views of fall in Japan. I hope you can enjoy them. Fall in Japan is short, but I love this season. It’s a little bit earlier for leaves changing.  When it starts, I will post more pictures here.

Cosmos

Rice Fields

Cosmos

Bye Bye Fukui, The Last Time in Fukui

Hi there!

It’s been a while since I posted my last blog entry. Last week I returned to Japan from my trip in America and Mexico and have been really busy for settling up our new house.

Before moving to a new town, I took a lot of pictures of our previous city where we lived. At the time the cherry blossoms in Fukui were full blooming.  To keep memories in Fukui, I want to post this blog entry for myself.

Asuwa Liver was really close to our previous house and it’s only a minute on foot. The place is very popular among people in the Hokuriku area as one of the best spots for cherry blossoms.

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

I think Fukui has a lot of cherry trees and one of the best prefectures for cherry blossoms. My favorite season in Fukui was of course the cherry blossoms season.

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

This day I took these pictures with my daughter. She and I stopped by a Pizza restaurant. We ordered Teriyaki Pizza.

My Favorite Japanese Style of Pizza at Texas Hands

Cherry Blossoms on Sakura Douri

Cherry Blossoms on Sakura Douri

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui

My daughter and I also enjoyed the night view of cherry blossoms in Asuwa, Fukui.

Night View of Asuwa, Fukui

Night View of Asuwa, Fukui

I really love the place! We have a very pretty cherry tree that is 100 years old in Fujishima temple, Fukui. I think the night view is the best.

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Don’t you think the cherry blossoms seem to be a fire work? The blossoms is called “Shidare Zakura” in Japanese.

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Cherry Blossoms in Fujishima Temple, Fukui

Night View of Asuwa

Night View of Asuwa

My daughter and I stopped by some food stands.

Night View of Asuwa

Night View of Asuwa

We ate the fried potatoes. According to the food stand that was selling the fried potatoes, the idea came from Korea.

Cherry Blossoms at Fukui Castle

The following day I went out to take some pictures of cherry blossoms again.

Cherry Blossoms at Fukui Castle

Cherry Blossoms at Fukui Castle

Cherry Blossoms at Fukui Castle

Cherry Blossoms at Fukui Castle

Since I took some pictures of our moving, I want to add some of them.

Moving

Moving

Some moving people are moving our furniture from upstairs while using a machine.

Moving

Moving

Moving

Our Previous House

I moved to a new town a couple of months ago. I left Japan a week after I moved to the new town to America and couldn’t updated my blog entry at all. While posting the pictures, I miss our previous house, pretty cherry trees, nice views and everything in Fukui.

I hope one day I can go back there as a tourist. Bye bye Fukui! I really think I was lucky to be able to live in such the pretty city for three years!

Puffer Fish!

A couple of weeks ago I went out to eat some puffer fish with my family in Obama city, Fukui. It was my husband’s idea because we would have to move out and enjoy some seafood here where we current live. He reserved a nice restaurant where we can stay for us. Puffer fish is my favorite, and I really enjoyed it!

Appetizers

Raw Tai （sea bream）, called sashimi in Japanese

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparidae

Raw Peffer Fish

We eat raw fish and seafood with some soy sauce and wasabi (わさび、green horseradish paste). I love the combination, and I eat stake with soy sauce and wasabi! That’s also my favorite!! Every time I go to study abroad in the U.S of America, I always bring a small bottle of say sauce and put it on anything I want. I can’t survive without any soy sauce!!!!

Fried Puffer Fish

I also love fried puffer fish! It’s the best fried stuff every for me!!!!

Nabe （Japanese style hot pot dish）

Nabe is a Japanese style of hot pot dish. We put some veggies and seafood, in this case we put some puffer fish in a pot. After they are boiled, we eat them with some ponzu sauce (ポン酢、ぽんず, ponzu）. The flavor of ponzu is mix of citrus, vinegar and soy sauce. The nabe is for the Winter season and it keeps us warm.

Grilled Shirako (milt)

I know for Western people, it’s disgusting! We Japanese people eat everything of seafood even some milt!!!!! I love some soup of some milt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe

Desert

A View from Our Hotel

A View from Our Hotel

We will move to a new town next weekend, and I’ve been walking around to take some cherry blossoms’ pictures here. I will miss our current town because the town has a lot of cherry trees. The view of Spring is the best.

My text blog entry is supposed to become cherry blossoms! Stay tunned!

-Yumi

A Japanese Garden in Autumn

Hi there!

Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time no see!! I’m very sorry for this. I’d been very busy for three months to attend the porcelain convention in Thailand. I had been painting 4 pieces for the convention. I also had been painting three pieces for the other competition. That’s why I haven’t updated this blog for a while.

Meanwhile, I went back to my blog again! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Today I want to show some of lovely pictures of a Japanese garden. The garden is called Youkou-kan and the location is in Fukui.

A couple of days ago I went there to  see the fall leaves once more before it becomes winter. 5 months from now I will move out here to another prefecture again because of my husband job. He got a transfer and promotion again. So, this is my last time to see the fall leaves in Fukui.

Enjoy the Japanese fall leaves. The day was very fine and I took some really pretty pictures!

Youkou-kan. A Japanese Garden in Fukui

You an see a moat and it was a vacant lot for the Fukui Castle before.

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Castle in Fukui

The Entrance of YouKou-Kan in Fukui

I payed for three US dollars and entered the garden.

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

This is very famous in Hokuriku area. In winter we have a lot of snow, so to guard some trees, we bind some trees with ropes, and it is called Yuki-tsuri in Japanese.

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

This is my favorite picture. Look at the reflection. I love Japanese garden because we can enjoy both real scenery and the reflection on the pond at the same time!

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

A stone bridge for the winter version and save people not to slip because of the snow.

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

This picture is also my favorite! So pretty!!!!!!

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

The building is for the leasers of Fukui castle in the Edo era. They took their concubines to the building and spent some time together to look at the garden.

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Koi fish! I love Koi fish and I got some inspiration to paint them!

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Orange colors and blue colors are complimentary colors. So, the orange of the leaves and the blue of the sky were so stunning each other!

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

Youkou-kan, A Japanese Garden in Fukui

I hope you enjoyed our Japanese garden in fall! Thank you for visiting my blog and taking a look at the pictures!

-Yumi