December 2009 Archives

I went to my parents house with my familiy for spend new years day together.

Japanese highway used to be so expensive.

But from this year, government made reduce the price to 1000yen only for weekend and

holiday. (This rule is for car which carried ETCsystem.

ETC mean is Electoronic Toll Collection System.)

My car has ETC, when the day we used highway was holiday.

I expected the price might be 1000yen...!??

However, it was 2500yen. I don't know why, but we used pay 12000yen!

Compare to 12000yen, it still cheap, well, all right

When we take on the highway, go throught Hamamatsu,

At first, there is a beautiful scenery of Hamanako( the name of lake).

And then, there is an industrial area which represented Nagoya and Yotsukaichi in Japan,

Toyota is the most popular industrial company in Nagoya.

Yotsukaichi is also famous as a chemical industrial area from long time ago.

There are huge tanker and many chimney of factory at harbor.

I think service area is so fun in Japan in these days.

People who works at service area make big effort to show their local originality

for make tourist want to stop at service area .

"Kariya highway oasis" is the most famous service area in Japan.

Here is in Aichi prefecture.

There is a ferris wheal, but here is not amusement park.

There is a ferri wheal, hotspring, and huge souvenir stores in big service area.

It looks like kind of theme park.

There are many souvenir stores.↑

This service area is placed on Kariya, there are not only Kariya's local products,

but also Nagoya, Ise and Hamamatsu's local products.

←　This is very famous luxury

bathroom!

I think this bathroom is the best in Japanese service area.

Because of the floor has beautiful rug,

there is a big-name brand sofa.

Anyway, so wide space,

washstand and powder room are like

gorgeous hotel.

when women tired for long journey,

it makes us relax.

By the way, man's bathroom' s design

was like futurism.

←　This is natural hotspring.

This is outside, only for foot hot

spring.

We called " Ashiyu".

Fee is 100yen.

There are many "Ashiyu" in Japan,

but we seldom find "Ashiyu" at

service area. so here is popular.

We sould had to drive more and more, we couldn't take hotspring so long.

We just drunk free tea (!) at cafe, and continued our journey again.

Pass through Aichi prefecture, here is Mie prefecture.

We can see "Nagashima supa-land"(amusement park) soon.

They have famous roller coaster which may speed is 153km, fallen down from

97m hight at the falling angle of 68°

I don't want ride on this ever never!

We went through Iga, Kouga( here is famous for Ninjya) in Mie prefecture.

We took a rest at Otsu in Shiga prefecture.

They have the biggest lake which name is Biwako.

There is a service area around Biwako.

When we went to restaurant for lunch, we found this ornament near by entrance.

This area is famous as town of pottery.

It called "Shigaraki-yaki".

This raccoon dog is represented on Shigaraki-yaki.

There is no japanese who don't know this raccoon dog.

He holding sake bottle with one hand,

holding bankbook with the other hand.

Lucky ornament!

Normally, they are placed on entrance

at Japanese restaurant.

Do you want to buy???

We ate soft ice cream at Otsu service area.

There are lots of soft ice cream with local original taste ones at Japanese service area

from long time ago somehow.

Peach, muscat grapes,milk taste and so on.

There is a taste of Boysenberry which grown at this area.

This was yummy!

We should had to drive more until get to Hiroshima prefecture.

After Otsu, kids were fall in asleep. Terefore we didn't take a rest anymore.

550km from Hamamatsu to Hiroshima.

550km seems long long distance for us. But for example,

it is not so faraway for Franch or American people their country has huge land.

Next time I will introduce yours to Japanese new years day at Hiroshima prefecture.

Have a great new years day!!

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Finally I got Swine flu.

This flu is so popular at all over the world.

How about your country?

The number of Swine flu's patient became up to 12.46 million from this July in Japan.

Many elementary school and kindergarden are still closed.

Students has to wear mask when they go to school at my neighbor's school.

And when I go out, there is a disinfectant liquid everywhere.

This has never happen in Japan until a year ago.

We have a special order for the patient who has a fever or cough.

At first, They have to report about their symptoms,

and have to wait separated room from normal waiting room or

have to wait at their car  until their turn came!!

                                                             ↑Disinfectant liquid at the entrance of

                                                                grocery store

In fact, when I went to see a doctor, they let me waited 40min in my car!!

( It was so hard to wait in my car! Unbelievable!)

My husband went for work, so I asked my neighbor to take care of my 2 kids during

I were in hospital.

And then, I could go to see a doctor. After I had a check, I knew I got the Swine ful.

My doctor prescribed Tamiflu. When I took it, my fever went down soon,  I seems recovered.

I heard that the symptom of Swine flu is depend on the person.

I seems that my case was a mild.

Most of Japanese company has a strict rule which is if one of their family member get

Swine flu, they can't go for work.

(Because of they already might be get Swine flu.)

My husband couldn't go for work during 2days.

Anyway, at last government just started to do vaccination for Swine flu.

 We don't have enough vaccine. Therefore, government made the order of priority.

The people who work for medical treatment, the people who has a disease,

pregnant women, under 10years old kids. (my children couldn't take a vaccine yet.) 

Speaking of shortage, we also don't have enough Tamiflu for children.

Doctor uses Tamiflu for adlut to children.They open the pill, and make small amount

for children one by one at the pharmacy.

You can see clearly how Japanese medical system get in trouble with Swine flu.

Anyway, I am tottally fine now.

Please take care of yourself!

Don't you use MIKO's blog for study language?

Please enjoy new blog sait MICODICO!  You can see 2 different kind of languages

at once.

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I got comment " I would like to see Japanese church " on the other day.

I visited my favorite small church at Hamamatsu. Because of Christmas will come to soon

There is in a forest near by lake which name is " The Catholic Hamamatsu Church".

This church is hard to find, but they say mass regulary.

By the way, why am I like this church.....

The reason is, when I open the door,

there is an extremely beautiful like take my breath away! 

It is totally opposite from the exterior of a church.

As you can seen, their roof is made by wooden frame. It is like the bottom of the ship.

The part of the ceilling is only made by glass, you can see a nature light.

When I stand at here, I always feel warm and calm like I am in a forest.

This is the picture when I looked up.

Most of beam and pillar are made by good wood.

The light from above is not too bright, not too dark, I feel so comfortable.

Red and green parts are staindglass.

There is no letters and pictures on it. Is there any reason with it?

Sorry, I can't figure out.

When I came here last year, The christmas Belen doll were decorated.

It was not yet in this year.

What is the name of this stuff which is hanging from ceilling in front of altar.

This design remind me of a folded japanese paper.

Don't you think so?

About Japanese style, there is a shoji(a paper sliding door) both side of an aisle.

Maybe, I think architect dare to put shoji at here.

There is a common silence between architect in Japanese culture and western church.

Shall we enjoy Miko's blog with several languages?

New open, Miko Diko, you can read 2 diffrent languages at one screen.

Please check it at once!

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 This is the maple tree.

I took this picture at the park I often visit.

Autumn is the season leaves chenges their color into red or yellow in Japan.

This maple leaves was fresh green from spring to summer, But the color has been

changed to the red now.

Especially, I love the way of changes their color in this tree.

I had a hunch that the color would became red, and then I went to the park with camera.

How coincidence!

The maple trees are at their best now! Not too late, not too early!

A forest is surrounded by load in the park.

I will introduce you to other beautiful trees which has a flower, and many autumnal tints trees.

Do you know what kind of tree's leaves they are?

Except for maple tree, I think this tree also very Japanese style's one.

The answer is..  Ginkgo trees (Ichyo)!  A half of leaves already had been falled.

you can see many ginkgo tree at the temple and old school.

That's why, I feel nostalgic to this tree somehow.

This is the camellia.

About 4meters high, big camellia.

Many people plant camellia their garden, because of they can enjoy various kind of colors and

figures.

We can make an oil from this tree's fruit, We called " camellia oil" ("tsubaki").

Camellia oil was very handy to keep Japanese women's black hair beautiful at the old time.

The treatment soap with camellia oil is popular among Japanese women now.

And this is green tea's field after reaped. So quiet.

In fact there is a my favorite flower in this season too.

This is a flower of green tea tree.

Don't you think how sweet and beautiful flower it is??

Very smal flower like 3cm, White petal....it is pure white.

And again, maple tree once more.I wish I could gaze at this tree forever.

Why the color is so beautiful which is made by nature....

The human being can hardly make it.

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I am reading the book " The COMPLETE BEATLES Recording sessions" now.

My friend, Kinoko-san gave this book to me.

( I made link to Kinoko-san's sait "ochagayu" on the left side of my japanese page.)

I started listen The Beatles  when I was 12, after then, I'm fan of them.

I listened many kind of music after I knew The Beatles, The Beatles is still be fresh, and they

are in my core of heart.

When they were broken up, I was not born yet.

So, sometimes I imagine how the people was shocked who knows

The Beatlels at that time get shocked by broken up.

Are you listen The Beatles?

Perhaps, Many people might have this book.

" The COMPLETE BEATLES Recording sessions" is not story.

This is only about record of The Beatles's member, it like when, how, which song they

recorded. This is very thick book.

But, this book is extremely fun for the fan of them who listen their music again and again.

I listen The Beatles with reading book in these days,

They are so cool even if I listened many many times,

Mico's favorite album ..."The Beatles (White Album)"

Mico's favorite songs best 5 ( However this is cahgeable!)

         Dear Prudence

         All My Loving

         I'm So Tired

         Blackbird

         Nowhere Man

Tell me your best 5

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