Snowed Tokyo- 2

Snow accumulation reached 27 centimeters, the heaviest snow in the Japanese capital since March1969, the Asahi shimbun said.

" 都心４５年振り大雪、仙台でも史上３番目　東北なお警戒"（朝日新聞）

Finally Tokyo people was relieved.
It was fine weather this morning.

a train in snow!

Snowed Tokyo

This is unusual.
Tokyo has been covered snow since this morning.

It's winter in Japan, so you might be confused.
Why? Snow in Winter, it's not surprising.

Please read this,
"Japan snowfall disrupts air, rail and road transport"(BBC News)

The truth is, Tokyo barely has snow even in winter.

heavy snow wind blew my umbrella off.
a woman who was hurried to the station stopped and said,
"are you ok, miss?"

Chiba Zoological Park

It's a small zoo in Chiba city, about 50 minutes from Tokyo by train.

The nearest station is "Dobutsukoen" station of Chiba Urban Monorail.

You can see many animals such as kangaroo, penguin, reindeer, elephant, giraffe... and much more.

But the most famous animal in this zoo is lesser panda. Lesser panda named "Futa"（風太） has family, and people come to the zoo to see them.

But, why they are so famous?

"stand up!" but this is not "futa".
one of his family.

When A Boy Meets A Girl... My Favorite CM

Do you remember when you were kid?

This is TOKYO ELECTRON' TV commercial. A small story but so heartwarming. Two adorable kids, a boy who lives in Miyagi, and a girl from a city, they meet in a classroom, at school in Miyagi.
The girl have just moved from a city because her father has transferred to a new factory in this small town.

The girl is so cute, isn't she? Because this situation is so common when we were kids, I guess you might remember someone.

A Taxi Driver Despaired

It was in Iwaki city in Fukushima Pref.. I took a taxi at the Izumi station. Because I had a reservation for a small business hotel near Onahama port where has been damaged by earthquake and tsunami last year.

A cheerful taxi driver chatted.

"You will be surprised, Onahama port was repaired. Have you ever been to Aquamarine before? It is a very nice aquarium, we're very proud of it. Before earthquake and tsunami, people came to visit many times from all over Japan. I think a director of the aquarium is a really smart person. Oh, it's about 10 minutes walk to the aquarium from your hotel..."

This taxi driver also gave me a information about "Iwaki La La Mew" where people can enjoy shopping and dining. He said only 5 minutes walk from the aquarium.

a small single hotel room, 5,680yen/night.
book a room via internet.

a small and compact bath room.

breakfast includes.
simple buffet, rice, bread, pork miso soup, vegetables, soup, egg...
orange juice and coffee.

I had lunch at La La Mew.

uni-ikura don (a sea urchin and salmon roe bowl),
crab miso soup. 2,500yen.
yummy!

A cheerful madame served with smile.

"Hello! Come in, this counter table is ok for you? Where are you from? Thanks to come to visit Onahama...".

And also I was enjoy shopping! I bought an alfonsino at small fish market in La La Mew. There was a cheerful madame too in the market.

"This fish is really yummy! Very nice price too, only 2,800yen. This fish is usually sold with about 6,000yen in Tokyo. How many person in your family, miss? We can cut a fish. Transport to Tokyo? Oh, no problem. We run a fish shop, we know how to send fish to other area. Tomorrow you can eat this fish at home. Well, do you like clam? "

But the last person, this taxi driver was not cheerful, actually he was a little bit despaired.

"You know, today many people visit Onahama, but still they are only from Tohoku area. People from Tokyo never come to visit here, they think Iwaki city is too close to the nuclear power plant. People don't want to eat Fukushima fish, because they are worried about radiation. But fish constantly move, so how can we recognize which fish is from Fukushima? "

"Decontamination takes a lot of money, I'm afraid the government will not be able to afford it. Recently I tend to think, I live here or I will move to another place is same thing. People worry about radiation, but another different disaster can be happen in another place. I don't want to move and honestly I don't feel I need to move."

"I think everything is depend on each other's thinking. There is no clearly answer. Well, I always try to think simply, do not need to do in complicated way... but still, I'm really disappointed. If people never want to come, how can I make living? I'm a taxi driver...."

Before arrived at Izumi station, this taxi driver apologized politely, because he thought he made me uncomfortable.

People I met in Fukushima have warm hearted hospitality and I can say they are honest.
I have not clearly answer too.
But still, this is a good experience to visit Fukushima, to think about them, think about us, and think about our future.

at onahama port, iwaki city, fukushima.

"Anti-nuclear Friday movement spreads beyond capital"(The Asahi Shimbun)

A Door to Somewhere Else

Sometimes a girl feels, she wants to go to somewhere. Somewhere, not here, a place where she never been to.

Far away from a daily life.

Far away from people who have known her.

But she doesn't know where she is going.

Sometimes she feels as if she is in a narrow path.

Or she is in a field where there is nobody.

Or she is in the dark.

But if she just believes that she will be given the best things for her, she would realize that she can manage her life easier.

It's so simple.

Let's sing a song "The First Noel",
THEY LOOKED UP AND SAW A STAR...

A star is always there even if she can't see.

The thing is, she just needs to look up the sky.

She would find what she hopes in her life.

A door has been opened, now she know.

Pieces of Japan (9 June 2012)

This time I collect scenes around "eating", but there is no restaurant. All of them is "fast food"(except the last one).

"Fast food", I mean, quick, easy, good price and delicious!

"Gyudon(a beef bowl)" is said "Japanese fast food". Actually I love gyudon shop! A beef bowl with miso soup(290yen) and salad(100yen),  this is really enough for lunch.

tokyo-chikara-meshi.
gyudon(a beef bowl) shop.
usually a beef is simmered, but fried in this shop.
always full of students and businessmen inside.

a food court in a shopping mall.
texas steak shop on the right side
and quick pasta shop in front.

other choices in this food court.
you can eat noodles(ramen, udon, champon), curry rice
gyudon and ice cream.

or you can eat "bento" which you can buy at supermarket in the shopping mall.
green vegetable juice: 380yen.
pork bento: 498yen.

at the table of RINGERHUT.
special Nagasaki champon-noodle shop.
not only students/businessmen but also girls love this noodle shop
since champon is cooked with lots of vegetables.

negi(long onion)-shio(salt)-chicken burger by LOTTERIA.
shrimp burger and cheese burger is also popular.

something extra; this is not a fast food shop, but a bar.
I love this one. a signboard of bar(uma-no-hone bar: a horse's bone bar).
a skeleton says, "I hear that bar's entrance is in back of this building."

Pieces of Japan (19 May 2012)

I love small pieces of life.

Because sometimes small detail can tell more than a small story.

So, about Japan, there are so many aspects too.

I just want to collect them, since they might be old memories someday.

May- the rice planting season

an area for parking bicycles near a station

a public telephone

there is no telephone in the booth.
it is difficult to find a public telephone nowadays
since most people have their own mobile phones.

from a subway station

an apartment building at night

Everything is changing, so am I.
Let's start a new day every single morning...