January 2010 Archives

Every day is still cold in Hamamatsu.

Maximum temperature is 12℃, minimum is 2℃ now

I feel so cold when  I turn on the stove in the morning, and I hold my 2years son at midnight

when he start crying.

At that time, This kimono is so useful. We called " Hanten".

"Hanten" is special kimono in Japan, it came into fashion among the people at

the Edo period.

This is waist-length jacket, we used to be wear on top of kimono.

There is a cotton inside. That why so warm!!

( By the way,we have a different kind of  "Hanten" which doesn't have cotton inside.

When the time was Edo period, Carpenters, craftmans and firefighters wore this kind of

"Hanaten" very well.)

We can buy this new style "Hanten" in these days. This is a checked pattern.

A cuff has elastic band, there is a many pockets. It is good for housekeeping.

And the front side has a buttons not strings.

In really, I wear this type now.

There is a cotton inside, so so warm!

When it get duty, I can wash by myself.

With Japanese moral sense,

maybe, It's no problem if you go to garbege bump with wearing "Hanten" ,

but not for shopping.

This is for kids!

I bought this to my daughter at old kimono shop.

This is better than anyone's else in my family.

I thought that this is so cute!

It's remind me of a little boy who appear in the old tale.

It's 3 years since she wore.

Getting small .....

My son wears "Hanten" too.

But he has never wear at daytime in order to he is the person who is sensitive to the heart.

I made him wear "Hanten" for taking a picture by force.

He loves to wear the time after took a hot bath and catch a cold.

It seems he likes this warm taste at that kind of occasion.

Economy is booming in Japan in these days.

Wear "Hanten" getting popular not use an air conditioner often.

Thus, there are various kind of "Hanten" now. 

On the one hand, it is western teste which like I wear.

On the other hand, you can see very Japanese taste's "Hanten".

The price is about ...from 8000yen to 5000yen for the adult,

about 3000yen for the kids.

A person who hate gets clod, shall we wear "Hanten" together

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Continue from last week, I 'll introduce yours to Hiroshima again.

The first picture is Hiroshima castle.

It started building from 1589, and then 2years later, the lord "Terumoto Mouri"

started live in here.

After that, Hiroshima castle was the symbol of Hiroshima during long time.

But, when atom bomb was dropped down in August 6 1945,

Hiroshima castle was also destroyed.

Present castle tower has been rebuilted after World War Ⅱ.

There is a moat and gate around the castle. It's park now.

Anyway, Hiroshima is so convenience for sightseeing becasue of there are

Hiroshima castle and  the skeletal domed building for memorate the atom bomb

at the city center.

There is a Miyajima ( Miya island) which is acknowledged as a world heritage too.

I think Hiroshima is a great sightseeing place.

Opposite side from Hiroshima castle,

there are baseball stadium, pool , and planetarium, museum and so on.

It is a gymnasium on the right side of above's picture.

It was designed by SUMO wrestler's hair style.

The hair style called "MAGE".

When you turn to next corner,

you can see this scenery....yes,

I took a picture from passanger seat.

Let's enjoy drive with me.

Population of Hiroshima is

1,170,000 people.

Unexpectedly, big city, there are

many high building.

City center of Hiroshima has a tram.

I 'm get used to see tram from childhood, that why I don't feel any special with tram.

However, it's rare to see such a sight in Japan.

Tram is so popular among the turist.

This tram is new type, there is a also very old type.

The tram is still running which re-started few days after the atom bomb dropped down .

I couldn't happen to see old type in this time. It's sad....

But they runs many.

By the way, the parking garage is kind of fun I always use when I do shopping.

There is an underground of high building,

at first, drive into underground in this way.

Along the sign, drive to the building you want to go, and get parking ticket.

Go ahead more, there are an alphabet letters entrance from A to F.

You can park wherever you want.

There is a stuff at every booth, he will guide your car. Like this!

When you get off your car, enter into the door,

there is a such a place like this picture ↑.

You can go to underground city directly from here.

Your car is put on a belt conveyer, sliding the side,

housed in a parking garage. ↓

I can't smell the typical stinky smell with exhaust gas at all.

It's no problem even if you are not good at parking.

When you spent 2,000yen for shopping, the fee will be free with 2 hours.

  How useful isn't it?

The person who working at here, he asked me that why I take a picture such a place.

I answerd " Because of it's rare! ".

He explained to me" The head building of MATSUDA's parking garage is more incredible than

hereThe car will go up in a moment not sliding."

But I couldn't figure out what he wanted to say me!

( Hiroshima is the head city for MATSUDA. MATSUDA is the name of famous car maker in

Japan.)

When you go home,

there is an unhebited booth with

opposite side .

Put the ticket into the machine,

your car will be came up with

sliding from the entrance which

has a car sign on top of the door.

 Shopping was so fun today too!

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I took a various pictures when I was in Hiroshima at New Year's day.

This isn't introduce famous place of Hiroshima, Sorry,

I just want to show yours where I always go in Hiroshima.

Please enjoy to read this is normal Hiroshima citizen's life

The first picture is the entrance of the department store which placed at city center.

An entrance hall built in wellhole style like 10 floors,

It's so comfortable big space.

Depend on the season, the decoration has been changed.

Now it was New Year's decoration , you know!

There are many stores, hotel, offices and restaurants in this building.

It's also connected to large underground city.

I'm addicted to 100yen shop at this city in these days!

There are many goods which looks like not 100yen.

This shop is so popular.

There is a lots of people everytime!

Girls tends to admiring goods, like

french taste(?).

Therefore, those goods are also

popolar at here.

On the other hand, cute japanese

goods are also popular in these days.

That's why, half of goods is franch

taste, lest of half is japanese taste

in this shop.

We moved middle of city by car,

and then, we ate lunch at restaurant of hotel.

Entrance of hotel , they decorated the new years decorative pine, we called " Kadomatsu".

This hotel called " Oriental Hotel Hiroshima".

I love this restaurant, " New York Cafe".

We called " Viking" (this is a strange word isn't it??) about "buffet-style".

(If you have a plan to visit Japan, I prefer, you had better remember this word.)

When you ordered main dish, after that, bread, soup and salada, drink, dessert

are buffet-style in this restaurant.

The price is about 1800yen.

Buffet-style for dessert isn't

rare in Japan.

Especially, cake, pudding and coffee

are so yummy in this restaurant.

You can also enjoy chatting at large

space with eating delicious lunch!

You can get food many times as much as you want. Not one time!

Waiter bring new cake, macaron and pudding from kitchen one after another.

The person who loves sweets,

don't you think want to visit here once??

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A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you for checking Miko's blog in this year!

It has been over a year since I started blog, still I have a lots of topics

in my head.

Please enjoy my blog from now on!

Anyway, I came around new year's day at my parents house

which is located at Hiroshima-city, Hiroshima prefecture.

From December 31th to January 1st, Hiroshima had a heavy snow.

I enjoyed scenery of snow after a long interval.

( Yes, Hamamatsu doesn't have a snow at all !)

My kids excited their first snow in their life,  I said many times

" you have to go home, It will be cold soon, Be careful!"

But it was too excited to come home!  

They had been continue rolling snowman,

 it became too big to put up snowman's head on it.

Hiroshima city located on the southwest from Hamamatsu.

Here is warm place, but around my

parents house has a big snow about

once a year.

Because of there is a secluded

place in the mountains.

My mother decorated entrance with new year's style.

Shellfish in front of flower arrangement and small Kite on the wall

are lucky ornaments.

Family and relatives were came around,

we ate "Oseti" ( festival food for the New Year) together.

We drink a sip of Japanese sake  for a toast in reallly.

It called " Otoso".

However,  there are many young people who doesn't

drink Japanese sake, so we drink a toast with champagne

in these years.

I think "Oseti" is good with wine and beer.

Children are looking forward to get " Otoshidama".

Children are given about 3000yen small money by adult at New Year's day

from long time ago.

Above picture is " Potibukuro" ( tiny envelop).

Adult put new money into this small envelop and then give it to children.

Children can get "Otoshidama" from uncle, neighbors and so on.

And then, they goes to city for buy toys which they really wanted to buy

in this day.

But they already got Christmas present before the New Years'day.

Besides,parents bought toys to them normaly.

Therefore, they are not so excited with "Otoshidama" anymore.

When my father was child, "Otoshidama" was the only money he could use

with free once a year.

Now, this custom was changed completely.

......But   when they get "Otoshidama", they hold envelop with both hands and bow,

It seems they are still very Japanese!!

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