Day out.

~Walking in Tarui area~

I went to Tarui with my dad.
The weather was pretty good. Sometime cloudy, but I could see blue sky.

At first we walked around the town.
We visited 'Jinjya' (shrine).


In front of the shrine.
There were two kind of cherry bloosoms. (Normal one and droopy one)


Droopy cherry bloosom. Behind 'Torii' (Gate of shine)

When we were walking in the town, we found something cute...


In front of someone's house there was a dog...

The dog was really quiet and just sitting in the small garden.
He/She (?) was so cute. I liked very much.

We also visited different shrine. This was different type of shrine is called 'Taisha'.
Before the shrine there were two gates. One of them was huge.


Huge red gate...
You can see some cars bottom, so you can tell how big this gate is.


Top of gates with blue sky.
So gorgeous...

From the red gate, we walked about ten minutes.
Finally we found shrine is called 'Nangu taisha'.


Entrance of shrine.


Inside of shrine.

There was a river in the town that called Aikawa (Ai river).
It was spring festival, so there were lot of peole, but not so crowded.

This river is famous for 'Koinobori' (Carp streams).


'Koi' is a kind of fish which is like above.
This one was in the town when we were walking in the town.

Many 'Koinobori' are here...


'Koinobori' with cherry blossoms and Ibuki mountain.


One of my favourite photos of the day

It was gorgeous day. I could see so many things just for one day.
Thanks my dad.

Day trip with my parents.

~Iwakura city at Gojyou river~

I went t oday trip to Iwakura city with my parents.
There were so many people both side of the river... so it was really difficult to take photos without people.

Near the river some people were making 'Koinobori' (Carp streamer).

This is called 'Nonboriarai' which is washing carp stream. This for taking off 'Nori' which is like laundy starch.

There were a lot of cherry blossoms and rapeseeds.

It was really tired... because of heaps of people were walking narrrow riveside.

Other than that it was really nice day.

Tradition

Momo no sekku/Hinamatsuri (Peach festival/Girl's festival)

This festival for girls. When family has girl/girls we celebrate for them. We pray for girl/girls happiness and health.
Usually each girl has Hina ningyou (Hina dolls). Hina ningyou for protecting from bad luck. We decorate them in the house. There are several type which are different steps.
I have three steps ones. Those are so gorgeous. I wish I could decorate again, but I can't decorate all.. Even prince and princess.. Need lot of space... Sometimes in the future I wish I can show you here...


Chirashi zushi (Decorate sushi)

-Chirashi zushi- (Quick version)
Ingredients
Dried shitake mushroom 3
*Mirin, soy sauce and sugar- 1table spoon each
Rice- 4cups
Vinegar- 7table spoons
Sugar- 4table spoons
Salt- 2tea spoons
Egg- 1or2
**Mirin, milk, sugar and salt- little bit each
Shiso (Japanese Herb)- 3
Sesame- half cup (As you like)
Carrot- half piece
Smoked salmon
Katsuo (Bonito)
Sakura denbu (Cherry blossomed coloured, seasoned codfish powder)

Recipe
1. Day before the cooking put dried shiitake in pot with few water, *mirin, soy sauce and sugar then cooked little while and cool down. (Need to reconstitute.)
2. Cooked rice in rice cooker or pot. (This time, water is little bit less than when normal cook.)
3. While cooking rice, prepare other things. First of all, cooking Suhizu(Shishi vinegar)
4. Put vinegar, sugar and salt in container and mixed. Then put in microwave until sugar and salt are dissolved.
5. Put **Mirin, milk, sugar and salt in to egg and beat and baked thinly in the pan. Then cool down and cut into thin pieces and 3-4cm length.
6. Cut finely carrot and put in microwave few minutes to until soft.
7. Heat up shitake then cut into small dice.
8. When cooked rice, put out the rice in Hankiri (Wooden bowl), pour the Sushizu evenly. (If you don't have Hankiri, you can use normal bowl instead.)
9. Mixed well, but do not knead. Mixed like a cutting.
10. Put carrot, shiitake into the bowl and mixed.
11. Roasted sesame in the pan then put in the bowl and mixed.
12. Decorate on the rice with egg, sakura denbu, shiso, smoked salmon and katsuo.

Enjoy your meal!!

P.S. You can make normal sushi with Sushi meshi (Mixed rice with sushizu).

2010

Happy New Year!!

It's started 2010...
It was snow New year which is unusual day. Usually it's just cold. Not snow. Around my area snow is maybe few times per year. This time was more than last time, so even I live in apartment, I could make a snowman...


This is my little snowman with strawberries.
It's cute, isn't it??

'Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. (Happy New Year)' to my family...




Some traditional Japanese New Year meal... It's called 'Osechi'.

I went to shrine with my parents..
Pray for this year...


Shrine where I went. Every year I gone to this shrine.
This time it was snowing.

Happy New Year for everyone.
I hope everyone has gorgeous year..
Best wishes...

Merry Christmas!!

~Christmas~

It was a nice Christmas with my family...


I made most of the meal... except sushi and cake.
My mum bought some sushi and baked cake on Christmas Eve and decorate after came back from the work on Christmas.


I put on my dish... You can see what I made.
Tomato soup, Vegetable gnocchi and roast beef and vegetables with gravy.


My mum broght back a bottle of red wine after work..

Shiraz Cabernet vintage 2006
From Australia (Jacob's creek)

Taste: Slightly dry and spicy
Aroma: Fruity, bit woody and depth
Colour: Deep red

Lunch...

Lunch at the hotel...

I went to have lunch with my mum and mum's friend at the Tokyu hotel.
It was a buffet style lunch, so I could eat as much as I want.
The food was really nice. I also had dessert too.


Some food on the plate. I liked prawn one.. I love prawn.
And fish also yummy.


Dessert plate...
Lots of tasty cake and mousse.

I had really good time.. Eat too much, but I noticed I couldn't eat alot after came back to Japan...
I guess food style is still Australia. Australian dish is one dish each meal. Sometimes huge, but normally not really big. Japan is usually several dish and pick from the dish on to own plate, so sometimes eat to much..

New thing...

Finally I got one...

Since I came back to Australia I really want to buy hair straightener. I was looking at some advertisement and website. At first I was looking cheap one, but there weren't many good comement which someone put on internet...
Finally I decided to buy expensive one. This is better than the other which I was thinking of.. My straightener is comes out steams and have comb. Also high temperature is 200 degree which is almost same as professional straightener. You can see bottom photos..



Special bag for straightener and my new straightener...
You can see comb on the plate.


It comes out also ion.. Good for hair. Less damage.


It was in this box..

Actually it's bit heavy than I expected, but it's really works, so I like it.
Also very quick. 60 sec to heat up and few mins to finish straight my hair.

Morning snow...

Good morning!!

When I woke up and walk to living room, I saw something from the window.

... ... ...

Wow, it's snowing...


From the balcony part 1..

From the balcony part 2

Snowing, snowing. Long time no see...
I usually don't like winter, becasue it's too cold, but except snow.. I like in winter time with snow.

Beauty...

-Eye colour-

I do some make up, but just it's simple. Recently I feel like I need to more. I want to makeover... so I read few fashion magazines and articles. I found out (?) one thing. I should put colour on around eye.
I bought this for change myself..


Eye colour/Eye shadow..

I reckon this one is very nice.
It can do two type of eye shadow. One is brownish which is you can be more cool and gorgeous lady. The other one is pinkish which is you can be cute and sweet girl.
Also it depends on how much you put. You can put alot if you want to show off...

For me I can't put alot right now... because I've never worn a lot of makeup. A bit is enough for now... and little bit scare to put more. Maybe later I might put more. Who knows? Need practice, researching and learn from friends's advice...

Day trip...

~See some Ichou (Ginkgo trees)~

I went to Sobue-cho to see some Ichou (Ginkgo trees) with my parents.
It was nice weather. Blue sky with yellow Ichou.


Some flowers with Ichou. It's so colouful..


This is Yuzu (Citrus) tree


We saw teow kittens. They were so cute..
Walking aroung the fallen leaves of Ichou.


We could entre the someones house. They show many people to see old tree and front garden.


I found big Ichou. It was got lots of sunshine. Shining golden colour.


Today's best shot!!
Ichou, train and rice field. Feel countryside...

After that we went to temple and river...


-Temple-
There wasn't not many people. Peace and quiet..


Great art of carving..


Different from normal Ojizousama (Guardian deity).


It's really big flowers which are called 'Dahlia'.

We went to the big river.
I found something interesting, but finally comes here..


It is talked about spiders from Australia... Redback.
I heard some news about redback long time ago. Recently I read on Australian news. It was said about redback spider in Japan.
This sign is said 'Don't touch when you find!!'.


This is Kiso rive. Looks like lake... It's huge.

Day trip with mum...

~Went to Obara town~

I went to day trip to Obara town with mum.
It was cloudy, but not cold.
Obara town is famous place to see cherry blossoms in autumn. The cherry blossom is usually bloom in spring, but this trees are different kind of species. That's why bloom in autumn.


Can you see the seed? It looks like a wing.. When it is fallen, they turn like a propeller.


Yellow tree is calleed Ichou (Ginkgo biloba). On the back of the Ichou, there is cherry blossom.


Kaede (Acer) with Cherry blossom.

I found some funny Daikon (Japanese radish).

Someone drew face, hand and feet. They are so cute.

Abandoned railway...

Day trip to see abandoned railway...

It was a great day to take some photos and went out with my family.
There were some tunnels. And many people, because this place is normally prohibited area. Only this weekend was opened.


One of the tunnel and coloured leaves...


River, tunnel and gorgeous weather.


Near the river. Some part is really strong current...


From the abandoned railway and the other side of mountain with coloured leaves.


Kusagi (Clerodendrum trichotomum/Harlequin glory bower)
This flowers are look cute, but if you touch it, it's so stinky...
Actuallu my mum explained me, so I din't touch it. Lucky.


This is coloured kaede (Acer) leaves...
We had lunch at park and there were this tree here and there.

~Special video~



Long time ago there were railways, but no longer exist. There are only small rocks and tunnels..
I felt bit sad... only this time we could see. Other time, no one see tunnel or might be some people never known there were railways and train.

It's small BGM, sorry... if you ccouldn't listen, please up the volume.