浅草のカフェのおにぎりランチ
安心するお味で美味しかったです๑´ڡ`๑

Visited Machiya again. I'm not sure why but I seem to really like the atmosphere there. I think the streetcar passing through gives it a different feel than other places.

Anyways, I decided to grab some lunch and found this nice restaurant called Tokyo Local Base. I got this omurice and wow, it was probably the best omurice I've ever had. The sauce tasted really good and the egg was perfectly cooked.

I wish I would have taken a photo of the inside of the restaurant because it was quite relaxing and, just like Machiya, had a really nice atmosphere. It was a bit crowded when I came, but I managed to enter the restaurant right when the lunch rush was starting to die down and so there wasn't many people by the time I got my meal. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking to grab a bite in the area.

7月下旬の野球野帰り道、最寄り駅から家に帰る途中の道端でたまたま見つけた成虫になりかけてる蝉。自分自身この状態の蝉を見るのは初めてだったのでつい写真を撮ってしまいました。
とても白くて綺麗でしたが、翌日またそこを見てみるとお馴染みの茶色い羽を持つアブラゼミになっていました。

I stopped by the Jujo Ginza Shopping Arcade over the obon weekend and managed to take these two photos.

The first one was taken at Nanushi no Taki Park 名主の滝公園.
It was kind of an interesting place to find in Tokyo. It felt really removed from the rest of the city and its surroundings and had a completely different atmosphere from even just a block away. Once you got inside the park itself it seemed a lot quieter and it was quite cool as well. It's completely surrounded by greenery and the water must help keep the area cool. There's a walking course around the inside of the park but I opted against walking it as there were a fair number of mosquitoes biting at me. The waterfall itself was quite nice though.

The next spot was just before the shopping arcade near a railroad crossing. Thought it was interesting so I took a quick photo of it.

I believe the first one is GeGeGe no Kitaro, a famous anime, and everyone knows Doraemon

お盆休みは密を避けて近場の高尾山を散歩

ここ高尾山は2007年にミシュランガイドで、最高ランクの三つ星の選出された東京の観光地で年間の登山者数は約260万人で、世界一の登山者数を誇ります。
東京都内からも約1時間で訪れる事が出来るため、外国人観光客にも人気です。
この日も多くの外国人の方とすれ違いました。

[English／日本語]
A temple called "Shinshoin" in Nishi-Hachioji has a café attached to it. Visitors can spend tea time in a quiet atmosphere. The school introduces students who are interested in matcha to places in Hachioji where they can drink it.
西八王子にある「信松院」というお寺にはカフェが併設されています。静かな雰囲気の中でティータイムを過ごすことができます。学校では抹茶に興味を持った学生に八王子市内で抹茶が飲める場所を紹介しています。

Was back in Kanda today for the first time in a while, but I decided to go back to the same izakaya I visited a few months ago. The food is really great and again it wasn't very crowded since I went a bit early. If you're in the Kanda area I recommend checking it out. Kakuuchi Inagaki 角打 いながき. They offer extra helpings of rice for free and also free refills of miso soup!

クリームソーダで有名な旅する喫茶のクリームソーダ🥤
お店の雰囲気もレトロで良かったです🙆

夏休み。神津島へ親子旅行！
天上山へ一合目から登山。
絶景の景色で風と夏を感じて。

夏休み。神津島へ親子旅行！

Had some tasty cheesecake at a small cafe near Machiya

[English／日本]
The other day, we had a summer festival as a school event. At that time, we went to Hiyoshi Hachioji Shrine, a 5-minute walk from the school. Girls wore yukata and boys wore happi of Okunitama Shrine. It was a very hot day, but the breeze through the shrine grounds was very pleasant.
先日、学校のイベントで夏祭りをしました。そのときに、学校から徒歩5分の「日吉八王子神社」へ行きました。女子は浴衣、男子は大國魂神社のはっぴを着ています。とても暑い日でしたが、境内を抜ける風がとても気持ちよかったです。

海の灯まつりinお台場
毎年7月の海の日にに海の安全を祈願して、七色の紙袋にろうそくの火を灯し、お台場ビーチに光のページェントを織りなすイベント。

富岡八幡宮の例祭は8月15日を中心に行われます。俗に「深川八幡祭り」とも呼ばれ、赤坂の日枝神社の山王祭、神田明神の神田祭とともに「江戸三大祭」の一つに数えられています。3年に1度、八幡宮の御鳳輦が渡御を行う年は本祭りと呼ばれ、53基の町神輿が勢揃いして連合渡御する様は「深川八幡祭り」ならではのものです。深川のお祭りは「ワッショイ、ワッシヨイ」の伝統的な掛け声と「水掛け祭」の別名通り、沿道の観衆から担ぎ手に清めの水が浴びせられ、担ぎ手と観衆が一体となって盛り上がるのが特徴で、江戸の粋を今に伝えるお祭りとして、多くの人々によって大切に受け継がれています。

[Englsih／日本語]
We recently went on an excursion to the Takao Komagino Garden. It was a 15-minute walk from Takao Station. It was a very hot day, but there was a stream running along the way, which was very cool. It was very cool inside the Japanese house, and the students looked in wonder at the bonsai trees that were displayed in various places. I was amazed at the beauty of the dry landscape in the garden, and was fascinated by the beauty of Nishikigoi carp. The lotus flowers were in full bloom.

先日、遠足で高尾駒木野庭園に行きました。高尾駅から徒歩15分。とても暑い日でしたが、道の途中で小川が流れていて、とても涼しげでした。日本家屋の中はとても涼しくて、ところどころに飾ってある盆栽を学生たちは不思議そうに眺めていました。学生たちは庭の枯山水のすばらしさにおどろき、錦鯉の美しさにうっとりしてました。ちょうど蓮が見ごろでした。

[English／日本語]
Continuing from last week, I will talk about a crepe shop in Nish- Hachioji. There is a crepe shop called "Twin's Crepe" just a minute walk from the school.The crepes here are so popular that they have been introduced on TV many times. The crepes are beautifully rolled in thin crepe dough and are a work of art. The taste is of course very good. You can eat them as a reward for studying hard😊✨
先週に引き続き、西八王子のクレープ屋さんについてお話をします。学校から徒歩1分のところに「ツインズクレープ」というクレープ屋さんがあります。ここのクレープはテレビに何度も紹介されるほどの人気店。薄いクレープ生地で美しく巻かれたクレープは芸術品と言っていいくらいです。味はもちろんとてもおいしいです。勉強をがんばったご褒美に食べてもいいですね😊✨

[Englsih／日本語]
Nishi-Hachioji, where our school is located, is famous for its many delicious crepe shops. Among them, "Crepe Anne" opened in 1983 and has a long history and many fans. Most of the crepes are handmade. In autumn, you can enjoy eating while viewing the rows of gingko trees. Students who are tired of studying can refresh themselves with a sweet treat.
本校がある西八王子はおいしいクレープ屋が多いことでも有名です。中でも「クレープアン」は1983年にオープンしたお店で歴史があり、ファンも多くいます。クレープの中身はほとんどが手作りです。秋は銀杏並木を見ながら食べることができます。勉強につかれた学生たちもスイーツを食べてリフレッシュしているようです。

[Englsh／日本語]Continuing from last week, here are some photos from Komagino Garden. The garden was magnificent. There was also a suikinkutsu a device in which water droplets fall into a hollow created in the ground and reverberate the sound they make, which made a very cool sound.
先週に引き続き、駒木野庭園の写真です。庭園も見事でした。また、水琴窟（地中に作りだした空洞の中に水滴を落下させ、その際に発せられる音を反響させる仕掛け）もあり、とても涼しげな音を奏でていました。

[English／日本語]
I went to Komagino Garden in Takao as a preliminary inspection for a field trip. The hydrangeas were still in full bloom. The lotus flowers are about to bloom.
校外学習の下見で高尾の駒木野庭園に行きました。紫陽花がまだ見ごろでした。蓮もそろそろ咲きそうです。

[English／日本語]
Tanabata decorations appeared in front of Hachioji station. The strips of paper fluttering in the wind are very cool. We are also holding a Tanabata event at our school. Students write their wishes on tanzaku strips and do origami, and it is a popular event.
八王子の駅前に七夕の飾りが登場。風になびく短冊がとても涼しげです。本校でも七夕イベントを行っています。生徒たちは短冊に願い事を書いたり、折り紙をしたりと人気のあるイベントです。

[English／日本語]
We went to Hiyoshi-Hachioji Shrine, a 5-minute walk from the school, to see hydrangeas. It was wonderful to see so many different kinds of hydrangeas ✨.
学校から歩いて5分の日吉八王子神社へ紫陽花（あじさい）を見に行きました。いろいろな種類の紫陽花が咲いていてとても素晴らしかったです✨

Continuing from last week, we discuss Hachioji and subcultures.
We visited the famous Ryohoji Temple in Nishi-Hachioji. This temple is known as a "moe temple" and has original anime characters from the temple. It is said that many worshippers come to visit this unusual temple. I got another Goshuin（red seal） this time!
moe＝feelings of affection, often towards an ideal anime character
先週に引き続き、八王子とサブカルチャーの話。
西八王子で有名な「了法寺」を訪れました。このお寺は「萌え寺」と言われていて、お寺のオリジナルのアニメキャラクターがいます。この珍しいお寺を見に、多くの参拝者がやってくるそうです。今回も御朱印をもらってきました！
※萌え…アニメキャラクターをかわいいと思う気持ち

[Englsih／日本語]In front of Hachioji Station, there is animate, a store specializing in anime goods. Here you can buy goods and books of popular anime. There are a lot of international students who like anime. There are many rare items here, so you may be able to show them off to your friends in your country ☺ If you like something related to Japan, you will be able to improve your Japanese quickly. Please try to find something you "like" too.
八王子駅前にアニメグッズの専門店「animate（アニメイト）」があります。ここでは人気のあるアニメのグッズや本を買うことができます。留学生でアニメが好きな人はとても多いです。ここでは珍しいものもたくさんあるので、国の友だちに自慢できるかもしれませんね☺日本に関係することで好きなものがある人は早く日本語が上手になります。みなさんも何か「好きなもの」を見つけてみてください✨

[Englsih／日本語]
In Hachioji City, you can eat dishes from all over the world's cuisines. The other day, I had Sri Lankan home cooking at "Milis," a Sri Lankan restaurant a 5-minute walk from Hachioji Station. It is a healthy dish that doesn't use oil, and it consists of rice topped with various curries and side dishes. It was a complex combination of "sweet", "spicy", "salty", "sour", and "bitter", which I had never tasted before, but it was very delicious. The service at the restaurant was also warm ☕️I will ask more about Sri Lankan food next time since we sometimes communicate with Sri Lankan agents at our school 😊.
八王子市では世界の料理各国の料理を食べることができます。先日、八王子駅から歩いて5分、スリランカ料理のお店「ミリス」でスリランカ家庭料理を食べました。油を使わないヘルシーな料理で、ご飯の上にいろいろなカレーやおかずがのっています。「甘い」「辛い」「しょっぱい」「すっぱい」「苦い」が複雑に合わさっていて、食べたことがないでしたが、とてもおいしかったです✨また、お皿の何より見た目も美しくて感動しました。お店の方の接客もあたたかかったです☕️本校でもスリランカのエージェントさんとやりとりをすることがあるので、今度スリランカ料理について詳しく聞いてみようと思います😊

Wanted to post this earlier this week, but better late than never I suppose.

Was walking around Arakawa and they were having a rose festival sort of event it seemed like. Over by Arakawa Amusement Park there was a little area set up with some stalls. I didn't get to check it out but it seemed like there were a lot of people there.

The amusement park was also open. I don't think I've seen it open for a while so it was nice to see people are able to visit it again. When I was passing the Arakawa tram I noticed there were tons of roses along the sides of the track that I'd never noticed before so I decided to snap this photo of the pink tram passing by with them.

Great way to enjoy the sakura season. I saw many people spent their day off on pleasure boats and enjoy the view of beautiful parks and garden near the river. At the same time few love to feed birds and fishes.
This picture was taken exactly that moment when a pleasure boat was floating near skytree and one family was feeding those seabirds and you can see the blooming sakura in the background too.

[Englsih／日本語]
In Hachioji City, you can eat dishes from all over the world's cuisines.The other day, I had dal bhat at the Nepalese restaurant "Naoya", which is a five-minute walk from the school and is located alongside the Hachioji Central Library. "Daal" means bean soup and "bhaat" means rice, just like a set meal in Japan. Nepal is famous for its curry, but daalbhaat was not spicy at all, and had a gentle taste 😊I was glad to finally try this dish, which was introduced to me by a student a few years ago ✨I also tried Ras Malai cottage cheese dumplings dipped in honey for dessert for the first time, and was surprised at how sweet it was!
八王子市では世界の料理各国の料理を食べることができます。先日、学校から歩いて5分、八王子中央図書館の並びにあるネパール料理「奈央屋」さんで、ダルバート（दालभात）を食べました。ダルは豆のスープ、バートはご飯の意味で、日本の定食のようなものです。カレーで有名なネパールですが、ダルバートはまったく辛くなくやさしい味でした😊数年前に学生から紹介された料理なので、やっと食べられてうれしかったです✨デザートにラスマライ（ रस मलाई カッテージチーズの団子を蜜につけたもの）も初めて食べましたが、甘すぎてびっくりしました（笑）

Japan has a deep rooted cultural heritage and the ethnicities of this country is versatile and beautiful. When my foreigner friends wore those vibrant and gorgeous kimonos they got so much appreciation from the people around them that was overwhelming. And yes it was also my first hand experience as a photographer too.. On that day we enjoyed a lot.

[English／日本語]
Hachioji City has a market called the Hachioji General Wholesale Center. Here, you can find rare fish, etc. There is also a store specializing in halal foodstuffs, which is convenient for international students to shop. The school plans to visit this market as a field trip.
八王子市には「八王子総合卸売センター」という市場があります。ここには珍しい魚などが売っています。また、ハラル食材の専門店もあり、留学生が買い物をするのに便利です。本校では校外学習として訪れる予定です。

Had a nice relaxing golden week and to finish it off I saw some carp streamers billowing in the wind at some park along the river near Kita-senju. Had some really nice weather the past couple days too, which was great. Hope everyone had a nice holiday/vacation!