Went out and ate ramen over the weekend. Was the first time I've done so in a while. The restaurant was called '背油とんこつらーめん 雷門' in Monzen-nakacho I got the spicy miso ramen (I don't remember the exact name, it was something special) and it was really good. My girlfriend got just a standard miso and it was good as well. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be going back there because I want to try the other ramen they serve now lol. The miso that I got was more of a brown color than the usual orange that I see so I was kind of skeptical at first, but it turn out to be delicious and the chashu was really thickly cut and also tasted great. There was even an egg topping and I didn't have to pay extra for that or the chashu! I definitely recommend it to anyone that likes ramen! Other than that the whether wasn't so bad this weekend, but the leaves have started falling so we're definitely in fall at this point. It's starting to get colder outside as well. I've already starting using the heater instead of the air conditioning. Looking forward to some hot pot and oden though!

茨城県常陸大宮市 三王山自然公園
展望塔から撮影し初秋の雲海

日本の秋

秋空の富士

山梨県にて

福岡県
宮地嶽神社
10月と2月しか見られない景色
秋の光の道
嵐のCMでお馴染みの場所
一直線の道に太陽が落ちる

福岡県
宮地嶽神社
10月と2月しか見られない景色
秋の光の道
嵐のCMでお馴染みの場所
一直線の道に太陽が落ちる

大分県
岡城趾
紅葉の下で休む侍
満開の紅葉の下の日陰で一息着く侍の姿

「秋に囲まれた華厳の滝」
落差100m近くある滝と滝が打ちつけられる爆音、四方八方を色とりどりの紅葉に囲まれた華厳の滝は圧巻でした。

「榛名湖」
半月山展望台からも絶景です。登山はハードでしたが、疲れが吹っ飛ぶほど美しい景色がそこにありました。

「湖面の彩り」
半月山展望台からの八丁出島を見るためにハードな登山をし待望の絶景を目にすることが出来ました。

「赤い装い」
朝日が当たったいろは坂の紅葉をドローンで撮影しました。

「赤いろは坂」
朝日が当たったいろは坂の紅葉を上空から切り取りました。
真っ赤に燃える木々が美しいです。

「燃える森」
焼けるように赤い木々が美しいです。

「赤いろは坂」
朝日が当たったいろは坂の紅葉を上空から切り取りました。
真っ赤に燃える木々が美しいです。

「秋日」
満開の紅葉を前ボケに使いカタチの綺麗な赤葉にピントを合わせました。

「秋の始まり」
家の側にある公園の木も綺麗に色付き始めていました。

去年の秋に地元で撮影した紅葉です。
静かなお寺で秋を感じました。

去年の秋に川越水上公園で撮影しました。
ぽかぽか陽気で公園をカメラを持って散歩しました。

紅葉広がる秋の磐梯山。

日本の秋

昔ながらの庭 好古園

兵庫県にて

日本の秋

秋の山道に紅葉絨毯

兵庫県にて

日本の秋

夜明けの吉野山

奈良県にて

I am ready for the weekend lol. Not sure why, but I am just super tired this week. I wasn't able to workout during my lunch break today, so I'm going to have to do it tomorrow. Just needed to get a little rest in. I think it's probably due to the rain and it being darker outside lately. Was looking at some old photos and I found one of a manhole cover in Kumagaya that I never posted. Japan has so many cool designs on manholes, that there's actually quite a few people who go out of there way to take photos of them when they visit Japan. It's one of those unique things that you don't find in other countries and it's really neat. I like this one because it represents what Kumagaya is - a rugby town. I'd like to go back and visit again as it seemed like a really nice place. I don't know if I'd be able to play rugby at this point, but I'd definitely like to watch a game if I get the chance.

Starting to rain more and more lately. I guess we've finally left summer and are headed into fall. I had some nice Okinawan noodles today. Really tasty restaurant. The karaage was really delicious as well. I usually eat the karaage and salad separately but I was curious to try them together this time and it tasted amazing. I regret always eating them separately now lol! I don't remember what the restaurant was called but it was somewhere in a shopping mall. I can't remember what the seaweed dish is called either but it had an.. interesting flavor. Really healthy I imagine though! The cookie was a great dessert too. Just a small little snack and not too sweet either. I definitely want to go back here and try some of the other stuff they serve!

Man, yesterday I was just too busy to even log in. I did manage to eat some delicious pasta though. It was a small restaurant I found at Oji Station called "Ombra." The noodles were really interesting. They were thick and hollow. I forget what they were called but the pasta tasted great and the salad did as well. I definitely recommend eating here. I didn't manage to take a photo of the outside of the restaurant but it shows up on google easy enough if you just search it. The interior was really nice as well. Quiet and dim and there were a lot of photos on the wall as well. It made waiting for my food quite enjoyable. There was also an award on the wall as well, although I forget exactly what it said. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with excellent quality, or something similar to that. Also the pasta seems to change daily so I'll have to go back and try the other kinds

[English／日本語]
Continuing from the previous article, I would like to introduce the public transportation system in Japan.

Are trains and buses quiet in Japan?
I often hear from international students that they are surprised at how quiet buses are in Japan. In Japan, it is against etiquette to talk loudly or make phone calls on the train or bus. Therefore, when you see people on the train, most of them are operating their phones or reading books. Also, you may see women dozing off because it is not only quiet but also safe. However, there is one sight that surprises foreigners, even among Japanese people who are said to have good manners. That is, there are women who wear makeup on the train. I've heard many people say that they stared at the dexterity of these women as they applied their makeup on the train. It would be interesting to look around and see what they are doing when you get on the train or bus.

The hellish commuter rush
Compared to people in other countries, the Japanese are a nation of people who keep their distance from each other. However, on the train during commuting, you will see scenes that make this hard to believe. In Tokyo, from about 7:30 to 9:00 in the morning, the train occupancy rate is about 180%. The boarding rate is the ratio of the number of people actually on board to the capacity. When the ratio is 100%, all the seats are occupied; when it is 180%, the train is so crowded that people standing in the train have a hard time just keeping both feet on the ground. In this crowded train, fights often break out. Everyone is irritated and it is a dangerous train. I have heard that some foreign tourists ride the train on purpose to experience this commuter rush. This is not something that I would ever recommend doing, so please do not do this.

Do you ride the bus from the front? Do you ride from the back?
Did you know that the way to get on a train is the same for all trains, but the way to get on a bus is different depending on the bus? Basically, buses have a front door and a back door. Some ride from the front, while others ride from the back. Also, some buses have a flat rate and you pay at the beginning, while others have different rates based on the number of bus stops you pass. The system differs from bus to bus, so when you get on a bus, ask the bus driver how to get on, or watch other people before you get on the bus. By the way, when you want to get off, listen to the announcement saying the name of the bus stop and press the button. This is the same for all buses, so don't worry.

Forgotten items will be returned.
What should you do if you have forgotten your luggage on the train? If you notice that you forget something right away, tell the station staff right away the train you were on and where you were sitting. If you are lucky, you may be able to get it from a station staff member at another station. If you notice it after a while, go to the Lost and Found Center. Lost-and-found centers are located at major stations, as well as the last and first stations. Tell the station staff what you lost and when you lost it there. Lost and found items taken to the Lost and Found Center may be given to the police station after a certain period of time. If you have forgotten something on the train, you can almost always find it if you take care of it as soon as possible.

I hope you were able to learn about trains and buses in Japan. Our school has a dormitory on the upper floor of the building. Since you don't have to take the commuter train and you don't have to pay for the train, you can concentrate on your studies from morning. Please come and visit the dormitory.

今回も前回に引き続き、日本の公共交通機関について紹介します。

日本の電車やバスは静か？
留学生から日本のバスがとても静かで驚いたという話をよく聞きます。日本では電車やバスの中では大きな声で話しをしたり電話をかけたりすることはマナー違反になります。そのため、電車に乗っている人を見ると、ほとんどの人がスマホを操作したり、本を読んだりしています。また、静かなだけではなく、治安もよいので居眠りをしている女性を見ることもあります。しかし、マナーが良いと言われている日本人でも、外国人を驚かせてしまう光景があります。それは、電車の中で化粧をしている女性がいるということです。揺れる車内でも上手に化粧をする女性を見て、その器用さついじっと見てしまったという話しもよく聞きます。ぜひ、電車やバスに乗ったら周りを見渡して、何をしているのか観察してみると面白いかもしれませんね。

地獄のような通勤ラッシュ
日本人は他の国の人と比べて、人と人との距離をとる国です。しかし、通勤時の電車ではそのことが信じられない光景を見ることができます。東京では朝の7時半くらいから9時くらいの電車は、乗車率が180％くらいになります。乗車率とは、定員に対して実際に乗車している人数の割合を表すことです。乗車率が100%の場合、座席が全て埋まっている状態を指します。180％の場合、電車内に立っている人たちは両足が地面についているだけでも大変なほど混雑しています。この混雑した電車では、しばしば喧嘩が起きることもあります。みんながイラついていて危険な電車です。外国人観光客の中にはこの通勤ラッシュを経験してみたいと、わざと乗る人もいると聞いたことがあります。このようなことは決しておすすめできるようなことではないので、絶対にしないでください。

バスは前から乗る？後ろから乗る？
電車の乗り方はすべての電車で同じですが、バスの乗り方はバスのよって違うことはご存知ですか。バスには基本的に前の扉と後ろの扉があります。前から乗るタイプもあれば、後ろから乗るタイプもあります。また、一律の料金があり、最初にお金を払うバスもあれば、通り過ぎたバス停の数で料金が異なるバスもあります。バスによってシステムが違うので、バスに乗るときはバスの運転手に乗り方を聞くか、他の人の様子を見てバスに乗りましょう。ちなみに、降りたいときは、バス停の名前を言っているアナウンスを聞いてボタンを押します。これはすべてのバスで同じなので安心してくださいね。

忘れ物が戻ってくる
電車内に、荷物を忘れてしまった場合はどうしたらよいでしょうか。忘れ物にすぐ気がついた場合は、自分が乗っていた電車と座っていた場所をすぐに駅員に伝えましょう。運がよければ、他の駅の駅員によって、もらうことができます。時間がたって気がついた人は、電車の忘れ物センターまで行きましょう。忘れ物センターは大きな駅や終点・始発の駅などにあります。そこで、いつ、何を落としたか駅員に伝えてください。忘れ物センターへ運ばれた忘れ物は、一定期間をすぎると警察署に渡されることがあります。電車で忘れ物をしてしまった場合は早めに対処すれば、ほとんどの場合見つけることができますよ。

日本の電車やバスについて学ぶことができましたか。本校は、校舎の上の階に寮があります。通勤電車に乗らず、電車代もかからないので、朝から勉強に集中して取り組むことができます。ぜひ、寮の見学も来てくださいね。

これぞ日本の田園風景(〜?・ω・)〜?

ひまわり畑?✨満開だったー！
雲と山もくっきりと見えてコントラストが美しかった✨

神社の風鈴祭り✨鳥居のような赤い木枠にたくさんの風鈴が吊るされていて、風が通る度とても綺麗な音色が鳴っていました?✨

撮影場所：IWGP（池袋西口公園）噴水で遊ぶ子どもたち3

撮影場所：IWGP（池袋西口公園）噴水で遊ぶ子どもたち2