まだまだ肌寒いが梅の華は綺麗です。

Beautifully decorated Yokohama China town during chinese new year using red lantern, chinese hoardings and lantern dragons.

マイホームにて。初節句の雛祭り🎎
じぃとばぁから貰った雛人形をバックにカチャ📸
毎日笑顔で過ごせますように❣️

撮影地 長崎

行事 「精霊流し」

故人の好きだったものや写真などを精霊船にのせ
川や海に流す行事。その際行く道にて爆竹を盛大に鳴らす。

成田山新勝寺にて撮影しました。📸初詣のときに敷地内にある五重の塔の造形美に惹かれて撮影。1500年の歴史を垣間見ることができました。

今日のメジロさん。
網戸越しですが、良く撮れました。

淡路島淡路市に陶器を焼く登り窯があります。
毎年2月年一度だけ4日間寝ずに薪を入れていき温度を上げ奥の窯から大きな炎が燃え上がり
陶芸家前田幸一様の手掛けた数々の作品がこの窯で生まれます。
朝ドラのスカーレットでもこの様なシーンがあり情熱に満ち溢れた時間素晴らしくゆっくり時間をかけて冷ましていき新な作品が生まれ
手間を惜しまず一生懸命目標に向けて取り組む姿勢は格好よく自分自身もいろんな事に向き合い頑張らないとと痛感し勉強になりました。
去年アポを取り貴重な体験をさせて頂き本当に感謝です。

タイトルは『踊るよさこい旗』
いつかまた踊り子さんたちと観客の熱気を感じられる特別な4日間が訪れますように

[English／日本語]
February 22 is "Cat Day" in Japan. In Japan, February 22 is "Cat Day", and there is a lot of excitement as people upload pictures of cats on social media. Do you like cats? Or do you prefer dogs? In this article, I would like to talk about the pet situation in Japan.

1 Cat boom
In Japan, many people have always owned dogs, but in 2017, the number of cat owners surpassed the number of dog owners. The reason for this is that Japan is an aging society. Dogs have to be accompanied on walks, and elderly people who are worried about their physical strength tend to choose cats that don't need to be walked. Also, more and more people are keeping pets because they are spending more time at home due to the influence of Corona. I wonder if it's the same in your country?

2Can international students have pets?
Very few international students have pets. To own a dog, you have to pay several hundred thousand yen at a pet store and also have to get shots. In addition, most apartments in Japan do not allow pets. However, sometimes people keep hamsters, which are relatively cheap and do not have as long a life span as dogs and cats. I heard a story about a Japanese language school that had a problem with a student who suddenly decided to return to his home country and asked them to take in his turtle. Pets are life. It is important to keep them responsibly.

3 If you miss your pet...
Some people who used to have pets in their home countries may become stressed out because they cannot interact with their pets during their long stay in Japan. Recently in Japan, there has been an increase in the number of cafes with cats and dogs, where you can casually interact with cats and dogs for just a fee and a drink. In addition to cats and dogs, some of these animal cafes also have birds and reptiles. Please try to use them.

Our school does not allow pets in the dormitories. However, there are cat cafes and dog cafes around the school. There is also a zoo just a few stops away from the school. If you are an animal lover, I think you will enjoy your study abroad experience at our school.
2月22日は日本では「猫の日」です。雑貨店などでは猫の絵が描かれた商品が売り出され、SNSでそれをアップする人で盛り上がっています。みなさんは猫が好きですか？それとも犬が好きですか？今回は日本のペット事情についてお話します。

①猫ブーム
日本では昔から犬を飼っている人が多くいましたが、2017年に猫の飼育数が犬の飼育数を上回りました。理由としては日本が高齢化していることにあります。犬は散歩についれていかなければならないということもあり、体力に不安のある高齢者は散歩の必要のない猫を選ぶ傾向にあるそうです。また、コロナの影響により家で過ごす時間が増えたため、ペットを飼う人も増えているそうです。みなさんの国でも同じでしょうか？

②留学生はペットを飼える？
留学生でペットを飼っている人はほとんどいません。犬を飼うためにはペットショップで数十万円払い、さらに注射を打たなければなりません。また、日本のアパートなどではほとんどがペットを飼うことを禁止しています。しかし、比較的安く寿命が犬や猫ほど長くない「ハムスター」を飼う人はときどきいます。ある日本語学校で、急に帰国することになった学生から亀をひきとってほしいと言われ、困ったことがあったという話を聞いたことがあります。ペットは命です。ちゃんと責任を持って飼うようにしましょう。

③ペットが恋しくなったら…
母国でペットを飼っていた人は長い留学生活でペットと触れ合えず、ストレスがたまってしまう人もいます。日本では最近、猫や犬のいるカフェが増えていて、利用料とドリンク代だけで猫や犬と気軽に触れ合うことができます。また、この動物と触れ合えるカフェは、猫や犬だけではなく鳥や爬虫類などを扱っているところもあります。ぜひ利用してみてくださいね。

本校では寮でペットを飼うことを禁止しています。しかし、学校周辺には猫カフェや犬カフェがあります。また、動物園も学校から数駅のところにあります。動物好きの人は本校で留学生活を楽しむことができると思いますよ。

ひなまつりは今から約1000年前、平安時代にその頃の貴族の間で始まったと言われています。
その頃は３月初めの巳の日に無病息災を願っておはらいをする「上巳の節句」が行われており、この日には陰陽師（占い師）を
呼びお祈りを捧げ、紙や草木で作った簡素な人形にお酒や供え物を添えて、自分の身代わりとして川や海に流しました。
当時はお人形のことを「ひいな」と呼んでおり、この「上巳の節句」と「ひいな遊び」がひとつになって今のようなひなまつりになったと考えられています。
この様に昔から伝わる桃の節句にお雛様を飾り子供の健やかな成長を願う意義深い行事を子供達と一緒に飾って後世に伝えたい物ですね

The shrine and its nearby area at China town, Yokohama were well decorated with lights and lanterns before the Chinese new year. It looks very beautiful and charming.

Just some more photos to wrap up our trip to Nikko.

I took a bunch of photos of different monuments and buildings that seemed important or had lavish decorations.
I can't make out what the writing on the monument says but I can at least make out the kanji for heart 心.

I also liked the golden palanquins inside the the building in the forth photo, although I'm not sure if they were used at some point or are simply for decoration.

The other photos are from Futarasan Chugushi Shrine 二荒山中宮祠神社 located in front of Lake Chuzenji.
Unfortunately we didn't have time to go inside the shrine but I was at least able to take some nice photos of the torii gate.
Apparently it has a kagura hall as well and the entrance to Mt. Nantai is located inside the shrine as well.

And finally, just an assortment of food that I haven't posted yet.
All of it tasted great.
It was definitely a trip I'm never going to forget!

ひな祭りですね
旧吉田邸にて。

Some more photos from our trip to Nikko.

There were so many awesome monuments, landmarks, and buildings that it'd be impossible to fit it all into one post.

I was so glad that I had my mobile battery with me because I was taking so many photos that I was just burning through my battery lol.
I really liked how the incense burner looked and I tried looking up how old it was but I wasn't able to find anything about it, only the one in front of Tokugawa Ieyasu's burial site.

I would have liked to use the chozuya as well, but unfortunately it was closed off due to covid.
I also liked seeing the sake barrels as well as they always brighten up shrines.

The "Ippon Toro" lantern was interesting as well.
I'd never heard of Empress Tofukumon'in before either, so it gave me some interesting things to read about Japan's Edo Period.
Apparently she helped rebuild prominent temple in Kyoto and collected art and pottery from famous artisans of the time and even those of the past.

Some buildings I'd have to look at a map to know their names but there was definitely no shortage of decorations.
Unfortunately we weren't able to take photos inside some of the main buildings, but a few of them had ceiling paintings done by famous painters.
Many of them were birds, and I'm not an expert, but I think they were mostly cranes and they were all really beautiful.

楊谷寺 花手水
2年前来たときは柄杓に「そうだ京都、行こう」のロゴは入っていなかったのですが、ここ数年でSNSで話題になり変わっていました。
相変わらず紫陽花が敷き詰められております観光客の方も多く来られておりました。

望遠で圧縮効果、不要な物を一切映さずシンプルに撮影しました。

Famous Dragon Dance during Chinese New Year Festival at Yokohama's famous China Town. The dragon dance is very cute, funny and interesting. It was a vibrant and colorful festival.

Continuing on from yesterday's post...

On the second and final day of our trip we woke up and ate a light breakfast followed by some udon and soba at a nice little restaurant on the way to the Kirifuri Highlands 霧降高原.

We were originally planning on hiking up to the observation deck around 880 meters up the mountain, but it proved to be a little farther than we thought it would be an had to stop at around 650 meters as there was a massive staircase to reach the observation deck and not everyone in the group was up for the challenge lol.
Not having the proper gear didn't help much either.
Most people had on snow shoes and they could easily trek through the snow but wearing just boots or tennis shoes we were a bit under-equipped and decided it'd be better not to overdo it.
We got to see some really amazing views and talk to an 85-year-old man who told us what gear we should buy if we're planning on hiking in the snow, about how the dam located on the mountains across from us rises and falls during the day/night, and how this was his ~60th time climbing the mountain but the woman he came with has done it more than 300 times.
She had to turn back early that day, but those are some impressive numbers!

After enjoying the outdoors we headed over to Nikko Edomura/Edo Wonderland 日光江戸村 and had a blast exploring the theme park.
We arrived at about 2pm so we got a nice discount on our all-day passes.

Walking around we got to see all of the different buildings that gave the theme park its Edo-Period-feel.
We also got to see the oiran procession 花魁道中 which was really awesome as well.

It seemed like they tried to make it as accurate as possible too.
The way the courtesan walked was in the traditional figure eight style which, from what I've read, is not easily done, so I assume that this is a sort of special type of profession as she was doing it to my untrained eye perfectly.
One funny thing was that the girls in red in front of the courtesan had to slouch somewhat because they were too tall and the theme park obviously can't employ children to play the role like they would have traditionally.

We also got some temporary "tattoos."
They got some cute Nyan-mage tattoos and I got a Shinsengumi tattoo lol.

After that we watched a really awesome performance inside of the ninja theater, but we weren't allowed to film or take photos so I don't have anything to post unfortunately.
It was really cool seeing the ninja actors jumping off of rooves and fighting though.

On top of that we also tried out the ninja maze where I was unfortunately the last one to make it out as I got unlucky and hit a dead end at the last part of the maze.
This was a really fun experience as there were a lot of hidden and revolving doors that you had to find to escape the maze.

We also did the shuriken experience and I managed to get 3/5 but I gave one of my shuriken to my girlfriend in the hopes that she would stick one in the target but unfortunately she wasn't able to lol.
I guess I was technically 3/4 because of that.

Overall the whole trip was a blast and we got to make some awesome memories out in Tochigi.
I definitely recommend it as a travel destination!

小野私立好古館にあるひな祭りの雛人形を見て来たのですが、かなりの数が盛大に雛壇に並べられ入り口正面にあり圧巻でした。

Vibrant and colorful attire, graceful performers ,jolly faces .... Every good things were present during the 38th Samba festival of Asakusa.

Took a trip out to Nikko, Tochigi over the three day weekend and had an incredible time.
The purpose of the trip was to celebrate my girlfriend's sister's college graduation so we wanted to make it as memorable as possible.
I don't have enough room to fit this into one post so I'll post the rest throughout the week.

We started out from Tokyo and had lunch somewhere Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
I'm not sure if Yuba is a local specialty but it seemed like literally every single restaurant in the area was selling it so I'm assuming that was the case.
It was my first time trying it and it was pretty interesting I guess you could say.
It tasted alright with the soy sauce and radish but I think I prefer normal tofu instead. Either way it was a nice experience.

After eating we headed out to Nikko Toshogu Shrine nearby and man was it amazing.
Everything was so lavishly decorated that I couldn't stop taking photos.
The pagoda was incredibly beautiful as well and the snow covering the Nikko area made everything even more beautiful.

I was lucky enough to get a really nice shot of the corridor full of lanterns while no one was walking through the area as well.
I also took a photo of the torii gate at the top of the steps as it had a very strong presence and signaled the end of the long journey up the steps to reach the inner shrine.

Unfortunately the main gate was undergoing repairs so it was completely covered in tarp and surrounded by staging so I wasn't able to get a photo of it, but I did get some really cool shots of the main shrine.

I tried as hard as I could to get some good photos of the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and while I think the photo of the gate isn't bad, I think I'd need a better camera to get a good shot of the crane and his tomb.
That being said it was still really awesome to see.

After checking out the shrine we headed out to Kegon Falls and I managed to get some really nice videos and some decent photos as well.
I can't post the videos or I would.
It was really awesome seeing the icicles surrounding the waterfall and all of the frozen scenery as well.
Even just taking the lift down to the waterfall was an experience.
After we left the waterfall observation deck and went back up the elevator we got some suiton 水団, flour dumplings in soup and shared it between the three of us as a light snack before dinner later that evening.
We also visited Lake Chuzenji and admired the scenery there for a bit as well.
We didn't spend a ton of time here so this photo was the best I could do.
I like that I was able to get the sign in the shot though so I can't complain.

After enjoying the view of the lake we headed to our hotel and ate dinner and had some wine.
The place we stayed at was called "Lamb Chop" ペンション・ラムチャップ日光.
The food was great and service provided by the the owners was top notch, so I definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking for a place to stay in the area.

After dinner we headed back to our room and I was so exhausted I fell asleep almost instantly.

And that was the end of day 1! I'll post day two tomorrow since this post is getting quite long now!

［English／日本語］
Currently, most people are wearing masks due to the coronavirus, but since there have always been so many people in Japan wearing masks from February to April, all foreign tourists are surprised. The reason why they wear masks is "hay fever". Especially at this time of the year, people who are allergic to cedar are wearing masks. Many foreign students are suffering from hay fever. In this article, I would like to tell you about this hay fever.

1 One out of three international students has hay fever?
According to some data, one out of every three international students will develop hay fever for the first time after coming to Japan. Also, the number of international students who develop hay fever in their third year in Japan is the highest, followed by those in their first year. International students may misunderstand that they have a prolonged cold at first because there are no hay fever sufferers around them in their country and they do not know what hay fever is like. Unlike a cold, hay fever has strong symptoms of runny nose, itchy eyes, and an itchy nose. If you have any idea what it is, please consult with your school teacher first.

2Hay fever prevention goods
So how do Japanese people get over the hay fever season? Most people take medicines prescribed by hospitals or over-the-counter medicines. In addition to medicines, there are many other goods that are sold on the streets to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever. For example, glasses for hay fever and high quality tissues that do not damage the nose. Sales of air purifiers also increase during this season. For those who don't have the money or the time to go to the hospital, there is a life hack that says applying Vaseline to the entrance of the nose can reduce the symptoms. Also, lack of sleep and alcohol consumption are said to worsen hay fever symptoms. Take care to delay your healthy lifestyle.

★Extras
In Tokyo, one out of two people is said to have hay fever. The topic of hay fever is also an opportunity to get to know Japanese people. It is said that when a person who has never had hay fever before gets hay fever, the person who has had hay fever for many years will say "Welcome ☺". I urge you to talk to them!

現在、コロナウィルスの影響でほとんどの人がマスクをしていますが、日本では昔から2月から4月にかけてマスクをしている人がとても多いので、外国人観光客はみんな驚くそうです。マスクをしている理由は「花粉症」です。特にこの時期は杉のアレルギーの人がマスクをしています。留学生の多くが花粉症に悩まされています。今回はこの花粉症についてお伝えします。

①留学生の3人に1人が花粉症？
あるデータによると留学生3人に1人が日本に来て初めて花粉症を発症するそうです。また、花粉症になった留学生は3年目にかかる人が1位、次いで1年目が2位という結果が出ています。留学生は国でも花粉症の人がまわりになく、また花粉症がどのような症状かわからないため、最初は風邪が長引いていると勘違いしてしまうことがあります。花粉症は風邪などと違って、鼻水の症状が強く、目のかゆみや鼻のかゆみがあります。心当たりのある人はまずは学校の先生に相談してみましょう。

②花粉症対策グッズ
では、日本人はどのようにして花粉症の時期を乗り越えているでしょう。ほとんど人が病院で処方された薬や市販薬を飲んでいます。薬以外にも花粉症の症状をやわらげるグッズなどが街ではこの時期によく売られています。例えば、花粉症用のめがねや鼻を傷めない高級ティッシュなどです。また、この時期は空気清浄機の売上も伸びます。お金がない人や時間がなくて病院に行けない人などは鼻の入り口にワセリンを塗ると症状が軽くなるというライフハックもあります。また、睡眠不足やアルコールの摂取は花粉症の症状を悪化させると言われています。健康的な生活を遅れるように気をつけましょう。

番外編
東京都では2人に1人が花粉症であると言われています。花粉症の話題は日本人と仲良くなれるチャンスでもあります。今まで花粉症ではなかった人が花粉症になると、長年花粉症だった人から「ようこそ☺」と言われるそうです。ぜひぜひ話しかけてみてくださいね！

Although the samba dance is from Brazil but I saw it 1st time in Tokyo at Asakusa area. It was from 38th Asakusa Samba carnival in 2019. I was really very excited and happy to see it. Unfortunately from 2020 because of corona the event is not happening but I wish this 2022 I could see it again.

福岡県北九州市にある恵比寿神社でのお宮参りの様子です。
赤ちゃんの健やかな成長を願い、生後一ヶ月頃に御参りします。
その後も、七五三や成人等、人生の節目に御参りする人が多いです。お宮参りは、その1番初めにあたるもの、神様への初お目見えです。
見守ってくれる神様がいると思うと、何だか心強いですね。

河津桜が開花しました

過去から現在まで人間が作った物も
自然もいいものは全て
未来に残していけたらいいな☺️

初めて上まで登れた金比羅山!!
めっちゃ筋肉痛で痛いけど
登れて良かったなー😁
リベンジ成功✌️😆

長崎市で10月7〜9日に行われる祭礼
［ながさきくんち］
国の重要無形民俗文化財に指定されています

写真の山車は［コッコデショ］
ながさきくんちの中でも人気がある奉納踊です。
山車を空高く放り投げ、投げた腕を伸ばしたまま掴むという荒技と男らしさ、掛け声の勇ましさ
観る人を夢中にさせる魅力溢れる事は間違いありません

他の奉納踊りも個性豊かでとても楽しめる祭礼行事だと思います
出店もたくさん多く出店していて子供も大人も楽しく過ごせる時間を満喫できる事間違いなし！！


空高く放り投げる瞬間の力強さと躍動感を捉えたくてシャッタースピードを落として撮影。
手元の動きと担ぎ手の表情を自分なりに上手く捉えれたと思います

岡山県の美観地区をお散歩しに😆
昔の事は全然分からへんけど
歩くだけでワクワクする
何回行っても大好きな場所☺️
美味しー物食べて飲んで幸せしかない♡

On the occasion of Chinese new year the Yokohama China town was well decorated during pre corona situation in 2019. It was my first chance to enjoy Chinese new year in China Town. It was really a great fun. Wish after corona it will be back in full form.

[English／日本語]
Snow is predicted to fall in Tokyo this week. In Japan, there are many tourist destinations where winter sports are popular, such as Hokkaido, but in Tokyo, snowfall is not that common and the city is not prepared to handle it. As a result, even a 5 cm accumulation of snow can cause many problems. In this article, I will tell you how to deal with snow in Tokyo.

1 Transportation
When it snows, train schedules are often disrupted. Trains may be cancelled or the number of trains may be reduced, so you may be late for work. Try to leave your house early on snowy days. Roads can also be crowded, and few people buy snow tires for the rare snowfall in a year. As a result, many people drive with regular tires on snowy days, which can cause slip accidents. Try not to walk near cars on snowy days.

2 The day after it snows
Unlike Hokkaido, the snow that falls in Tokyo has a high moisture content. Therefore, the day after a snowfall, the roads are often icy. Since there are many buildings in Tokyo, there is no sunlight and the snow may not melt even after a week. Some people slip on the icy roads and get seriously injured because of it. On the day after a snowfall, try to walk in the sunshine.

3What to wear
What you wear the next day is more important than what you wear when it is snowing. The roads are very slippery, so it is best to wear long boots or other non-slip shoes. You should also wear gloves because the ice can cut your hands if you slip and fall on them. A hat is also necessary to protect your head. A backpack or other bag that allows you to keep both hands free is also a good idea. If you don't have boots, there is a life hack to prevent slipping by putting an adhesive bandage on the back of your sneakers. Please give it a try.

Many of the students at our school come from warm countries. Some of them have caught colds from playing in the snow because it was their first time to see snow. Please play in the snow in moderation. This time, we are planning to spread snow-melting agent in front of the dormitory. If your neighbors are having a hard time shoveling snow, let's help them out. It's also a chance to make friends with Japanese people. Also, it's best not to go outside too much on snowy days, so get your shopping done as soon as possible!

今週、東京では雪が降る予報になっています。日本では北海道などウインタースポーツが人気の観光地も多くありますが、東京では雪が降ることはそこまで多くないので、東京の街は雪に対応できるようになっていません。そのため、雪が5㎝積もっただけでも色々な問題が発生します。今回は東京での雪対策についてお伝えします。

①交通
雪が降ると電車のダイヤが乱れることがよくあります。電車が運休してしまったり、本数が減らされてしまうので、会社に遅刻をしてしまう可能性があります。雪の日は早めに家を出るようにしましょう。また、道路も混むことがあります。1年に降るか降らないかの雪のために、雪用のタイヤを買っている人はほとんどいません。そのため、雪の日は普通のタイヤで運転している人も多く、スリップ事故を起こす人もいます。雪の日はなるべく車の近くを歩かないようにしましょう。

②雪が降った次の日
東京に降る雪は北海道などと違って、水分が多いです。そのため、雪の降った翌日は道路が凍っていることが多くあります。東京は建物が多いので、日の光があたらず、1週間たっても雪が解けない場合があります。凍ってしまった道路で滑ってしまい、それが原因で大けがする人もいます。雪が降った翌日はなるべく日があたる道を選んで歩きましょう。

③服装
雪が降っているときよりも翌日の服装が大切です。道路がとても滑るので、長ぐつなど滑りにくい靴を履きましょう。また、滑って手をついたときに氷で手が切れることがあるので、手袋をしましょう。頭を守るための帽子も必要です。また、鞄はリュックなど両手があくものがいいです。長靴がない人はスニーカーの裏に絆創膏を貼るとすべりにくいというライフハックがあります。ぜひ試してみてください。

本校ではあたたかい国から来る学生が多いです。雪を見るのが初めてだとはめをはずして雪遊びをしてしまい、風邪をひいてしまった人もいます。雪遊びはほどほどにしましょうね。今回は寮の前に融雪剤をまく予定です。近所の人が雪かきで大変そうなら協力しましょう。日本人と仲良くなれるチャンスでもあります。また、雪の日はあまり外に出ないほうがいいので、買い物は早めに済ませましょうね！