July 2010 Archives

Kids, wearing Yukata(Kimono for summer)

By miko on July 26, 2010 9:01 PM | 180 Comments
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I joined the summer festival was held at the kindergarten where my daughter goes.dash
boys and girls were very cuteshineeverybody wore ''Yukata'' so I took a nice picturecamera
This time, tell you about ''Yukata''.

The yukata is clothes to conceal the nakedness when bathing by several people in the Heian era (About 1000 years ago), and "Yukata [bira]" at that time is clothes of the origin. 
Yukata are typically made of hemp cloth or cotton,so it is easy to dry and strong in water.
It has been kept putting on after the bath and was for nightclothes(pajamas) even if it becomes an age afterwards.
Therefore, Yukata is not formal clothes today either.
moreover,putting on Yukata tidy body after the shower is beautifulconfident, so this is not good that smell sweaty and heavy makeupgawk
There is a clean feeling, and wearing neatly is chic. good

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Today, people chance to wearing Yukata at the festival,Bon-odori and fireworks in the summer.not many.
at this festival in the kindergarten, all children came up with their colorful Yukata with enthusiastic. their teachers toohappy01

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a girl who is running usually putting on T-shirt and jeans,but when wearing Yukata like this, it can create and the atmosphere that return to 1000 years ago.confident
Traditional clothes such as kimonos and yukatas still suit the Japanese. happy01

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Boys were wearing that　↑↑↑
In recent years, more casual style Kimono ''Jinbei'' is popular though the boy also wore the Yukata of the same design as the girl in long long time ago.
Jinbei sets consist of a top and short pants.
It was originally a kimono used as man's work wear. 

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They were dancing(Bon Odori;name of dance) which learned at the their kindergarten.↑↑↑
both adult and children's Yukata is really nice, it feast for the eyes looks cooling in the summer.eye
If the person who wears Yukata is walking the town,it would be buoyant and cheerful in the town,and feel ''it's summer time''sun
So at the amusement parks and restaurants etc,they said ''the admission feeticket is free when you wear Yukata'', ''a grass of beerbeer is free for people who wearing Yukata'' etc,they have their original services to call in customer.flair

People who are wearing Yukata as well as not wearing Yukata,all people is able to savor the summer. that is a Yukata.confident
If you visit to Japan in the summer season, you should try it on.shine

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Hey wait a minute, what do you think? today's my fashion, looks nice??smile


YAKINIKU(Japanese barbecue)

By miko on July 26, 2010 11:24 AM | 169 Comments
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I went to Yakiniku restaurant with my family.restaurant
It spreads to Japan after World War II though the grilled meat is originally a food of South Korea, and it evolves originally in Japan.flair
These are different between Japan and South Korea, the taste, the kind of meats, and the atmosphere of the restaurant I thought that when I ate the home of grilled meat at South Korea.
Here is introduced restaurant of ''Yakiniku'' in Japan this time.

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at the Yakiniku restaurant.↑↑↑
only tables, not chairs. (these colorful cushions are Korean style)
We arrived this restaurant at 5pm, so no customer was there yet.. we were earlier...coldsweats01
This restaurant that the butcher is managing famously there was filled to capacity at once after this because it supplied delicious meats. good
There was no custom of generally eating beef and pork, etc. in Japan until the Meiji era. 
Eating habits at mainly rice and the vegetable and the fish usually continued long though the person who lived in the mountain village was eating the wild boar and venison. 
Many people didn't believe it ate the animal though the restaurant where it ate meat in Tokyo at the Meiji era began to become popular. 
Still, the meat dish that spreads gradually popularity was "Sukiyaki. "
The time it spent for 100 years or more, and eating meat is completely general now for people.
However, Japanese intestines are not suitable for the digestion of meat because it is thinner and longer than the Europeans and Americans.
The sicknesses such as obesity and the lifestyle diseases increase by eating meat too much, and it is a problem now.down

I know, I do know that! but sometimes really really want to eat meats!!delicious don't yousign02
especially, young people with healthy appetite loves Yakiniku!!
asking boys ''What do you want to eat out?'' most people answer ''Yakiniku''

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In a Yakiniku restaurant,center of a table has a hole and put a gridiron on the there.↑↑↑
That is a smokeless roaster!! it was developed by Japanese company!! genius!shine
you know, Yakiniku is delicious but smoke is billowing up at the inside...
Smoking with mixed oil makes inside of a restaurant dirty, and hair and clothes smell, it doesn't come off..that's why most women didn't want to go to Yakiniku restaurant before.
Smoking hardly rises up so that the smokeless roaster may inhale smoking from the hole below.　and the smell is hardly anxious.good
The broiled meat restaurant has been changed to be a clean and fashionable by this invention, and a lot of Yakiniku restaurants are growing up by customer of family and couples.

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OK, let's start cooking, this is the most famous in the menu at the Yakiniku restaurant a part of beef ''Kalbi''.look at this! a good balance the red meat contrast with fat, it was tender and seemed to melt.happy02
It was a really good one, of course expensive!! its 1800yen(about US$20.00) one plate.

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the other plate is ''Gyutan'', its a beef tongue.
see that?? there is not smoke! you believe it now?
There is not a ventilation fan on the ceiling either. 

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when it changed color,ready to eat!! dip it into the homemade original sauce.
This chopsticks are Korean style, yes stainless chopsticks.

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next plate is ''Horumon''(offal) yes these are internal organs.these are delicious too! each different taste and chewy.

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after grilled↑↑↑ these are fresh and it doesn't stinky smell because soaked them in this restaurant's original sauce.delicious

well, it is different for each people,I order the rice or noodle at the end when I go to Yakiniku restaurant.
This time, I ordered some of these for you!(this blog)smile
These are Korean foods.(Korean people disagree?).
first, ''Bibimbap''. white rice topped with some dishes and Kimuch, mix by yourself then eat.

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next, ''Reimen''(Naengmyeon; meaning cold noodle)↓↓↓
This Reimen is arranged Japanese taste, so it is a little different from Korean.

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the last one is ''Tokku''.its a rice soup.This is very delicious!!

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It makes us feeling warm and a close bond that sit around table with family or friends then eat one pan dish.confidentheart04
How about your country? do you have a dish like that?


''Tanabata'' (the star festival)

By miko on July 18, 2010 2:15 PM | 66 Comments
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Tanabata is held on July 7th every year.shine
Tanabata is a festival transmitted from China 1000 years or more ago.flair
and in China and South Korea is held this festival in this time too I think this festival has expanded in different respectively shape which the culture of country mixes in each country.
I introduce you the Japanese style Tanabata festival this time.up


as shown in the first photo, the branch of bamboo grass is prepared at shops and public places when the Tanabata festival approaches, and the stripe of paper(Tanzaku) that writes wishes there  be hung.pencil
Tanaba festival used to be for women who originally wished the progress of needlework in China,then now people still believe that their desire fulfill, when they hung the wish on the branch of the bamboo grass.

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My daughter writes her wish on the Tanzaku(stripe of paper) at the library when we return the books.
''I want to become a cake shop'' she wrote. it means I want to work at the cake shop or be pastry chef.cakeconfident

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There is many many wishes.
one of them, ''I want to be a good soccer playersoccer'' ↑↑↑↑
(I guess, he watched the world cup game then got something impression from Japan teamsmile?) the other Tanzaku, ''want to be a model'', ''be a person who work at the hospital in the future'' etc.

They said, take it bamboo if you want,hmmm some people take it to home then decorate it and hang on Tanzaku which write family's wishes.↓↓↓

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The decoration that hangs to the bamboo grass and Tanzaku is usually made with the Origami(paper folding).
I will introduce you someday about ''Origami'' which is popular and traditional pleasure for children in Japan.pen

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well, Tanabata has another legend except doing to hang the wish on the  bamboo grass,it is one that this was transmitted from China in old time. I explain shortly, 
Orihime(Vega) that floated on the night sky was a lady of a hard worker every day and good at weaving.
Hikoboshi(Altair) was also hard worker as cattleman.
They married as the god of the heaven admitted,then the marriage life was too happy, Orihime did not weave, and Hikoboshi did not look after the cows.
The god of the heaven knew it and was angry with them, god separated the two lovers across the Amanogawa(the Milky Way) and forbade them to meet.However, it was permitted to be only July 7th laid of the bridge once a year in Amanogawa(the Milky Way) and to meet. heart04
The star and Amanogawa disappear when it is rain then, so people worry about it two lovers(Orihime and Hikoboshi)can't meet then people wishe the day of the Tanabata festival to be clear skies for two lovers. mist

This year on July 7th, it was a cloudy sky.cloud
Two lovers couldn't meet this year......weep
What a far long-distance love they are.....but it is a married love that continues for thousands of years and so it is nothing to them can't meet one year?? sweat02


Let's go to JIDOUKAN(child welfare public) in a rainy day

By miko on July 14, 2010 8:39 AM | 70 Comments
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I watched TV the other day, this program that foreigner who live in Japan introduced a good place  in Japan. one of them, they said ''JIDOUKAN''(child welfare public) is nice. It is normal thing for Japanese people,but sometimes it is valuable for foreigner or the other countries.flair

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Jidokan is public place for children to play mostly these are on the premises school and community center. anyone can go to there whoever wants.
This Jidoukan open from 9am to 5pm, some staff who has a license of counseling or childcare is all day at there.
There is lots of toys and playground equipments,so kids are completely absorbed in playing with them for hours.note

on the TV program a mother, she is foreigner said ''my country doesn't have a place like this,it is difficult to find a place where kids play safety and fun, also this system of Jidoukan is good for mother too,because we can have a communication each other at here''

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by the way, it is rainy season now in Japan,rain　rain, rain rainy everyday, it's gloomy weather. 
I know,it is important the rainy season for next season of summer, but makes me feel be depressed.despair
Especially, mother who has small children can't take them to a park and stroll around there.
I take my kids to Jidoukan at such time.
Honestly, going to the park with kids is unexpectedly tired one.coldsweats01If it is such a Jidoukan, the worry of a traffic accident and a big injury is not needed and there is equipping fully the air conditioninggood
It is free to enter,don't need money and there is always clean.

My daughter enjoy fishing which are handmade by staff.↓↓↓fish

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and jumping and hopping on the cushions.↓↓↓
you know, in Japan people take off their shoes inside of the room,so not make dirty your shirts.

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Do you remember? this place is not only for kids,yes there is good for mother or parents too, yes we can have a communication each mother or parent.
Because parents who have almost the same child mutually gather, information can be exchanged.flair
and just talking and chatting for change feeling then you can escape from stress of child care.
If you are in trouble of have worry about your child or family, you can ask to staff who is in Jidoukan, they will give you some advice.

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They look fun↓↓↓
I went to there in the morning, about 30 of mother and children were there. staff said, about 80 of mother and children are coming a day. 

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at this Jidoukan, staff read a picture book for children and play eurhythmics.sometimes, librarian come to Jidoukan then introduce picture books and musician holds a concert to play piano and flute etc.note
parents who has small children, sometimes fighting a small stress everyday, it is helpful for them easy to going to a place where is a like Jidoukan.
What do you think system of Jidoukansign02

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a House of 200 years ago

By miko on July 1, 2010 5:53 AM | 29 Comments
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Slip back in time of 200 years ago, it is more past than ''Showa Era'' last time.
This is a old Japanese style house, it was moved and constructed in the museum of premises.
In Japan, old houses built 100 years or more, we called it ''Kominka''　in Japanese and we are keeping it.

That house in the photo was built before 1850 years, family of Takayama lived that house this family run farm and fishery in nearby Hamanako. yes this is Japanese old architecture.
This is around Hamanako.↓↓↓
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These houses are modern style in around Hamanako, but that ''Kominka'' used to be there.

Takayama family was common people in Edo Era(1603-1868), we can find out how their life style was it with this ''Kominka''.
This is entrance of house. ↓↓↓ there is cool and dark.
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a wide ''Doma''(earthen floor) continues from the entrance, and there is a kitchen in the earthen floor.
That photo of above is  ''Kamado''(kitchen range).the oven that was made by clay,it makes fire and cooking.
In Japan, people take off their shoes inside of the house, but people of old time used put on shoes at the ''Doma''(at the kitchen).
Therefore women old times put on shoes when they cooked and took off shoes when went up to the room for carrying meals.

By the way, the heat source of "Kamado"(kitchen range) is firewoods. 
the firewood was piled up at the back of the house.
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Let's get back to inside the house again.
It is "Zashiki"(its like a living room) that extends on the opposite side of the ''Doma''(earthen floor).people eating meals and sleeping at the Zashiki.
In the Japanese architecture, each room is not delimited with the wall, and it partitions it in the ''Shoji'' and ''Fusuma'' (the sliding door). 
Therefore, if all doors are flung open, it is possible to make a big space(its like a banquet hall).
Can you see it?  white paper was hung on the rope, and in the photo, that was the one to enshrine the god, and might have had the household Shinto altar in that place. 
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The house is built only with the entire tree, the bamboo, the straw, and paper though it is natural. it is possibly built only by construction materials of nature,I have been surprised.
People of old times who made the one to here by using the thing of nature are great.I proud of them.
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There is garden in front of the house.
A Japanese house has the ''Engawa''(its like a veranda) between the garden and the room.
The Engawa has been loved by the one like a long and slender wood deck as a space that connects in the house with the outside by the Japanese.
Drinking tea, chatting with neighbors and cat lying down at the Engawa, yes people used to be enjoying at the there.

The house where people don't live and becomes antiquated and thinks it is dark, so my kids said that scared to entering the dark house.
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