Mt. Ibuki Hiking

Mt. Ibuki is a bald turtle-shell shaped peak located near the city of Maibara on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest fresh water lake.　It was my first hiking experience in Japan, though the weather was bad and the sky is cloudy it doesn`t stop us to climb the mountain. From Nagoya we took JR Tokai line bound for Ogaki and get off at Omi-nagaoka then we change to a bus bound for Ibukiyamatozanguchi.

The hike: From the bus stop, we walk up the road past the shrine, through the trail leading into the forest. The trail starts off steep for the first 20 minutes or so, and then flattens out as you approach the top of the first ski lift. There are lots of run down buildings here that function as restaurants and ski rental shops during the short ski season. There’s a public toilet a short distance up the ski field, which is open all-year round. The water in the sink is safe to drink, and it’s your last chance for water before the summit. This is where the real hike begins, as the trail heads straight up through the resort. After about and hour of steep climbing, we reached the mid-point of the ski resort (and the top of the gondola). We took a quick break, because we still got over 600 vertical meters to climb before reaching the summit plateau. At first the hiking is quite gentle to the end of the ski lifts, where you’ll reach a hut selling refreshments. This is the 5th station (五合目). A little further up, you’ll find an immaculate emergency hut at the 6th station (六合目), which is free to stay in (but has no toilet or drinking water). From here until the top, it’s a series of never-ending switchbacks, but it really is enjoyable if the weather cooperates. You’ll have a panoramic view of Lake Biwa, and the views keep opening up as you get higher and higher. After a seemingly endless ascent, we finally come to the summit plateau, but a bit disappointed because the clouds spoil the view from the top but indeed it was an accomplishment for me to have reached the summit. There are shops and canteen at the summit so after our 3 hour hiking we ate lunch. It started raining, instead of heading back the same way we decided to take the bus at the parking lot which is 20 minutes from the summit. Anyway, if the weather is clear then you can forget about all of the ugly buildings and enjoy one of the greatest panoramic views in Japan! (No lie). All of Lake Biwa stretches out to the west, as Hakusan dominates the northern horizon. The endless stretch of the Japan Alps are visible to the east, and the skyscrapers of Nagoya glitter to the southeast. Due south, the rolling sea of mountain ranges in Mie Prefecture majestically overlap themselves.

Enjoying Paraglyding

Sun shines so bright, Saturday morning, a perfect weather for our paraglyding activity. My friend pick me up at the house around 7:15 then we headed to Skytry headquarters in Okazaki. At exactly 8:00 AM we leave the office to go to Gamagori, Tahara or Toyohashi. Since the wind is good in Toyohashi as they say, we drive all the way to Toyohashi. After an hour drive we have reached Takatsuka, the place has an elevation of 70m or more, the area is close to the Pacific coast facing the sea. As we reached the top the instructors started to put out all the gears and gadgets we will use for our flight simulation. My friend Chiyo was the first to take off, the instructor put on her safety gear then instruct her what to do, then all I know Chiyo had already take off. I am not afraid of heights so when it`s my turn I am still calm but when I already jumped the clip I freaked out. It`s like a suicidal attempt. We started to fly and I was really amazed. The view is awesome, it`s a great feeling to feel the wind on your face, flying together with the birds. It`s the longest 1 hour of my life and it`s an experience worth trying for.

Try Sky Ltd. 〒 444-0004
Hobo-cho Okazaki, Aichi Santanda 19-1
TEL 0564-47-3239
FAX 0564-47-3249
Contact Us
HP http://www.skytry.jp/
(S) and Paragliding Association Official School Hang Japan

Yokohama for the 2nd time around

My friend was very eager to meet his girlfriend in Yokohama, since it will be his first time to go there, he asked me if I could come with him and make me his guide. This will be my 2nd time to visit Yokohama so, I barely knew the place.

Yokohama is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region of the main island of Honshu.

Going there we decided to take the Highway bus because it`s cheaper. We leave Okazaki around 7 am and take the bus in Nagoya around 8:30. Spending 6 hours at the bus does not even bored me. We have reached Shinjuku around 2 pm and take a 20 mins. train ride to Yokohama. We directly went to our hostel, A Silk Tree Yokohama located in Ishikawa Cho.

Last time we went to Yokohama we tour the city by bicycle, so with another friend we decided to rent a bicycle. We will only stay in Yokohama for a day, since we have no time, I took my friend in Minato Mirai 21, it`s good to see it at night. It`s a good thing to roam around with a bicycle. We went to World Porters for dinner, went to Cosmo world, ride the largest Ferris wheel n the world, watch a street performance at Queen`s Square Yokohama. For the 2nd time around, staying in Yokohama for just a day still don`t satisfy me, but made me want to explore for more...

Chillin at the Beach

I am always looking forward for OBON yasumi or Summer holiday. This year Obon was held from August 8-16. Last 2 obon seasons I travelled back home in the Philippines, but this year I decided to stay and enjoy my vacation here in Japan. In Japanese practice obon is a time to remember ones own ancestors as well as the dead in general, in short it was like All Saints Day and All Souls Day in Roman Catholic calendar. As for my yasumi, I reserved my first 3 days holiday for my part time jobs, Then do some household stuffs like cleaning and so on. My family decided to go to the beach just to chill, I forgot the name of the place where we went but I think it is in Nishio just near Okazaki. Here in Japan we only get the chance to go to the sea once or twice a year so my cousin Arisa was looking forward for it, in fact, she`s the one who woke me up early in the morning that day. The place we went is not so crowded, we built our own tent, arrange the table and the seats for our relaxation. Though, it`s hot as usual, I felt relaxed because of the wind blowing softly. We had onigiri (Japanese rice balls), packed lunch, chicken, snacks and refreshments. I had a great time swimming in the sea, sleeping at the tent, enjoying the view and taking pictures. So, here are the pictures I have taken at the beach....

People were swimming towards the raft for a dive experience

Ouch! it hurts, my aunt with Arisa

Ayumi with his name written on the sand

Arisa taking a pose with her name on the sand

And me...

Cute kid enjoying the sand

Smile... me and Arisa

Arisa`s rubber clogs
People at the beach

Okazaki Summer Festival Part 1 2009

This year Okazaki`s biggest festival was held on July 31-August 1. Since it`s my first time to witness Okazaki`s summer festival, I manage to attend the festivities, despite the bad weather condition. The festivities start with the Yosakoi and the Gomangoku Odori dances and Gomangoku Mikoshi (portable shrine) parade. A lot of people dress in kimonos and colorful costumes and parade through the streets. Parade participants will march east along Tenma Dori. The Yosakoi dances started at 17:05 then followed by the Gomangoku Odori dances at 17:50; floats at 19:10 and Gomangoku Mikoshi parade at 19:20 and concluded with a Samba parade from 20:30. Aside from the parade, stage performances at Kagoda Park from 17:40 to 18:25 and again form 19:25 to 20:10 was held. We spent most of our time watching the performances in Kagoda park then shift to the parade to watch the samba performances. It`s a good thing that the rain never fell during the festivals activity.

The ceremonial opening parade

The orchestra at the portable shrine

The lanterns at the street

Again, the lanterns that lit the street

The parade performances

Again at the parade

The audience at the Kagoda park

The performers at Kagoda Park

This is the Samba performance:

The JOI in Learning a Language

In preparation for my JLPT examination in December, I decided to study Japanese online via JOI. JOI which stands for Japanese Online Institute is an online Japanese school. Studying online is like chatting using a messenger software. JOI has its own software to run the lesson specially built for online teachings. The atmosphere is similar inside a classroom: boards, students and teachers. You can participate in the discussion, answer quizzes and interact with your classmates. Teachers were native speakers and professional teachers of Japanese. Studying online is more convenient and cheaper. You don't need to travel to attend the class, you can take the class whenever you want it to, just connect your headset and join the classroom. For those who are interested to study Japanese online please visit this link: http://www.japonin.com/

Goodbye Michael Jackson!

June 26, as I sat down at the table for breakfast, an early news about Michael Jackson's being rushed to the hospital greeted me. Busy preparing for work, I am less focused about the news. After work, a Japanese co worker of mine opened up about Michael Jackson's death. In a hurry to go home, I just ignored it. When I came back home at the doorway my cellular phone rang, my friend called me to say that Michael Jackson was dead, that he got the news from a Japanese friend of him who likes MJ so much. Day after, I called my sister in the U.S. and she greeted me with a "Michael Jackson was dead, mom will be sad about it". OK, people were really buzzing about it.

Michael Jackson's impact to people is really unbelievable. From my grandfather whom every weekends of beer day never missed to play MJ's CD, to my mom who I recalled enjoys dancing to the beat of Rock with you and even to us who kept on listening to MJ. We are a family of music lover but sad to say none of us have got the talent to be an entertainer. Our house is perhaps the noisiest, loudest in our subdivision. My grandmother will start the day early playing her favorite hits, no wonder why I know "Que sera sera", "Tell me Quando quando", Elvis, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra etc. By the time we wake up, we change the CD to R&B, Rock, and my brother who likes MJ so much will play MJ's hit songs. All of us were dancing to the tune even grandmother and my sister can do moonwalk. Wow! I wished I can do that too. Michael Jackson's songs were timeless, I still listens to his songs that were released even before I was born. I even have a Jackson playlist on my Ipod. And during karaoke MJ's songs were still a favorite picks. Well, Michael Jackson is really a music legend. Thank you for the music King of Pop, May you rest in peace.

MICHAEL JACKSON'S IMPACT IN JAPAN

The news of Michael Jackson's death caused such a stir in Japanese society that three Cabinet ministers took the unusual step of commenting on his passing.

Fans ranging from teenagers to 50-somethings -- many dressed in Jackson's trademark outfits -- staged an impromptu candlelit memorial June 27 in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park. While some showed off dance moves and sang songs, others wept openly and prayed at makeshift altars.

"It's funny," one attendee said. "The gathering at (Harlem's) Apollo Theater was like a celebration of his life, but Japanese people go straight into mourning."

Jackson won over Japan like few Western stars before or since. Famous in the country since the release of "Off the Wall," he became even bigger in 1987, when he started his "Bad" world tour at the Tokyo Dome. He sold out 14 shows, drawing about 450,000 fans and taking in an estimated 5 billion yen ($52 million). Hundreds of screaming girls greeted his arrival at Tokyo's Narita Airport, which was covered by 1,000 journalists; another 300 covered the arrival of Bubbles, Jackson's chimp, who came on a separate flight.

"No other performer had Michael Jackson's star power in Japan," says Archie Meguro, senior VP of Sony Music Japan International. "He was so loved for his talent, his music, his dance and his gentle soul."

Sony reports career album sales of at least 4.9 million for Jackson in Japan, making him one of the top-selling international artists. "Thriller" alone sold 2.5 million copies. But his impact went beyond sales. His 1987 tour helped reshape J-pop's choreography, as performers tried to appropriate his moves.

Sales of Jackson's catalog have spiked, and six of his albums made SoundScan Japan's Top 200 Albums chart. By the morning of June 27, Tower Records' seven-story flagship store in Shibuya had three displays of his albums and DVDs. Jackson had attended an event there in 1996, presided over by then-Tower Records Japan president Keith Cahoon. "The fan club members who attended were mostly young girls who shrieked 'Michael!' in incredibly loud and high-pitched voices," he recalls, "and Michael replied in a soft voice that was nearly as high."

"Michael is the biggest entertainment influence on the Japanese people after the Beatles," says Ken Ohtake, president of Sony Music Publishing Japan. "He will always remain in the hearts of the Japanese people as an extraordinary and unparalleled artist."

-- Rob Schwartz (Reuters)

I post a video of MIchael Jackson's visit in Japan in 2006, his first public appearance after his acquital in child molestation case. Despite years of child molestation accusations and deep financial difficulties, He still remains big in this country, see the proof:

Ayumi's Birthday

Today is my cousin Ayumi's birthday he turned 13 years old, look how time flies. Ayumi was born in the Philippines and spent his 7 childhood years in there. Like me Ayumi is also a Lola's kid (grandmother's kid), with his physical attributes you can never deny the fact that he is of Japanese blood. While still a baby we used to call Ayumi as a shaolin kid, hes eyes were small and does'nt have any eyelids at all, bald, chubby and cute. He's really a source of happiness in the family. When my aunt and his husband decided to bring Ayumi in Japan, off course my grandmother felt so bad about it but later realized that Ayumi also needs to be with his family. When I came here I was surprised how Ayumi can now relate being a Japanese, he's now good speaking the language, he's attitude is more of a Japanese, much more is, he even eats vegetables and even get used in eating Japanese food. Though he's ability to speak Tagalog became poor, but still I am glad he still knows how to speak it. Most half Japanese kids don't even know how to speak Tagalog. The adjustments Ayumi has made is not that easy. Maybe it's lesser but discrimination still exist and that's basically one reason why Ayumi is having a hard time in school. A part of Ayumi is still Filipino. And it really draws a lot of attention from his friends and schoolmates, other Filipino Japanese in their school don't even talk about themselves as being a Filipino. Confused, shy and misunderstood, I guess it's really difficult to show yourself who you are. Japanese has their own style when it comes to fashion and hairstyle, I must say it's a bit weird though. My aunt and Ayumi always argue about his hairstyle. At adolescent stage, Ayumi is starting to have acnes on his forehead, my aunt wants Ayumi to have a clean cut hairstyle revealing his forehead to avoid more acnes, the kind of hairstyle my aunt wants for Ayumi is not "in" he refused and still wants to maintain his anime hairstyle look. My aunt even mind the way Ayumi wears his uniform in school, for us Filipino being groom and neat before going to school is important, and that's what my aunt wants Ayumi to be. Well, Ayumi is a grown up now, I hope he figures that out.

JAPANESE HAIRSTYLES

Hair is the center of Japanese fashion, Japanese people care about their hair more than any other country people. It plays important roles as one of Japanese fashions.

There are so many kinds of hairstyle in Japan. Briefly, women have three kinds, "Long", "Medium" and "Short". These are just length of hair. Hairstyles for male are usually categorized into just one "Men's" Japanese hairstyles are always changing, so it is too many to count.

These hairstyles are created by hair conditioners, wax, mousse, and gel. Actually, Japanese have trendon the hair conditioners. First, Gel used to be popular form late 80's to middle 90's. this hair conditioner was mainly for holding hair. This is because of influence from music which was popular in those days. For example, rock music was popular then. Many people tried to imitate hairstyles of famous musicians like X JAPAN.

And, next, mousse became popular. Mousse is a French word, means fresh cream. Mousse is made of water, so it is easier to set hair and keep hair holding. Japanese still had the trend holding hair. Then, wax got the most popular for setting hair. It enables people to create many kinds of hairstyles, so it is flexible. Now, most people mix mousse and wax for their setting as new trend.

Take a look of Japanese hairstyles on the following website. http://www.beauty-box.jp/

Check out the video for hairstyling.

Go Uchida!

My uncle likes watching sports on TV such as baseball, K1 kickboxing, soccer and so on. In the Philippines, basketball is the famous sports, it was only when I came here that I got interested in baseball and soccer. Well baseball is Japan's national sports, when the World Baseball Classic 2009 started, it was really the talk of the town here in Japan, out of curiosity I became a follower of Japan's battle in WBC, it's triumphant victory was a big buzz here in Japan. Honestly I've never watched any soccer game. Back then the first thing that comes into my mind about soccer is the movie Shaolin soccer, David Beckham not as a soccer player but because of his wife Victoria London and off course Ricky Martin's Cup of Life which is the official song of the World Cup, France 1998. Here in Japan, because of their exposure on TV as endorsers I became familiar with soccer player like David Beckham, and Ronaldinho. But out of those big names in soccer, it was Atsuto Uchida that really pull my attention in soccer. I really got hooked with his charm, butnot because he's a good soccer player, I just enjoyed watching him while playing. I follow every game of Japan Soccer team in preparation for the World Cup 2010 because of Uchida. I have watched Japan vs Australia soccer match yesterday, though Japan lose to Australia I will still continue to support Uchida, Go boy Gnabatte ne! I am a big of yours.

LUZVIMINDA a Charity Concert in Nagoya

I recieved a call from a friend asking for my presence to attend a Philippine charity concert in Nagoya. The ticket cost 1000 yen and the proceeds will go to the Nagoya Village in Santa Cruz Laguna, to build houses for the less fortunate. Eventhough my schedule is a bit tight on that day, I still manage to go and watch the concert for charity sake. LUZVIMINDA a concert organized by the Philippine Society in Japan Nagoya Chapter was held in Kokaido hall, Tsurumai Showa ku Nagoya. Showcasing Philippine cultural songs and dances the concert also aims to share the rich cultural heritage to Japanese people. The Philippines is divided into 3 areas: Luzon Visayas and Mindanao where the concert derived its title. Each region has its own culture and different dialects, thus the program is divided into different suites, a representation of the rich culture of the 3 regions. For Luzon (Northern Part), is the Cordillera Suite which includes ethnic dances such as Sayaw sa Banga, Monkey Dance, Salip, Intaku, Tachok. For Southern Part of Luzon they have the Rural Suite: Subli, Maglalatik, Palo Sebo, Kuracha, Kantahan, Pasiguin, Tinikling. For Visayas, they have the Spanish Suites: La Jota, Castanet Dance, Carinosa, Polkabal, Aray, Balse Marikina. And for Mindanao the Muslim Suite: Kappa Malong, Scarf, Asik, Pangalay Ha Atong, Fan Dance and Singkil. To show the friendship ties between Japan and The Philippines, theCity Mayor of Nagoya, honorable Kawamura Takashi was also present to witness the said concert. The Mayor had his speech wearing a Japanese suite of his local town. As I was watching the concert, I had some flashbacks of my schooldays, every foundation day of our school we always had a presentation of folk dances. The Philippines may not have a culture of its own due to colonialism of other countries, we may be separated because of cultures and dialects but Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao makes up the Philippines making its culture rich and unique. Indeed I am proud to be Pinoy.

Palayok dance from the Ifugao suite
A scene from the Rural suite with the sorbetero (ice cream vendor)
Palosebo a common game played during fiesta or town festival. On top of the bamboo stick, a flag or money is placed the player will need to climb the stick to get the money but the problem is, the bamboo stick has oil to make it greasy.
A dance called Pangalay Ha Patong from the Muslim Suite
Fan dance
Singkil a traditional dance of the Royal Blood in Mindanao
Philippine Society in Japan Nagoya Chapter

was formed to promote mutual help and cooperation among Filipinos in Japan; to develop awareness in Philippine affairs; and to poster closer ties and understanding with the people of Japan .

http://www.psj-nagoyachapter.com/

My cousin's sportsfest

運動会（Undoukai) - in English means sports festival. Elementary and High schools in Japan usually held their undoukai in the autumn. My cousin is currently in her last year in Elementary school, so she insisted for me to go to her undoukai and watch her performance. Though, It's not my first time to attend such event here in Japan, I am a bit hesitated to go because the festival starts so early, since I don't have work on that day I usually wake up late. Early morning, the day of undoukai though still in bed, I am aware about the preparations my family is doing. Japanese undoukai is like a family gathering too, you can bring a tent in school and have a picnic while the festival is on going. Around 10 am I receive a woke up call from my aunt asking me to come to the school and have my lunch in there. I was just in time for my cousins performance when I came to the school. I took a video of her performance after that I joined my aunt and her husband in their tent to eat and for some small talks. We continued to watch the festival's activities until it's over.
Here's my cousin's performance, sorry, its a bit shaky, blame it on my umbrella.

Sakae "The heart of Nagoya"

The place where I live is way far from Nagoya it takes me an hour via train to reach it, every once or twice a month me and my friend find some time to chill out in Sakae, the best place in Nagoya. Usually, my friend and I go there for shopping, dine out or even for a coffe break. Located less than 2 kilometers east of Nagoya station, Sakae's famous landmarks include the Nagoya TV Tower, which is considered the oldest in Japan, the futuristic looking Oasis 21 complex which has a uniquely designed roof called "Water spaceship". Sakae offers a large array of shopping, entertainment and dining opportunities, including various department stores. Furthermore, Sakae has an underground shopping area called Central Park that conveniently links to the subway lines. At its center is Kurisutaru Hiroba (Crystal Plaza), the plaza's trademark chandelier and fountain, a mecca for rendezvousing where throngs of people pass each night. Nagoya Sakae is a wonderful place for shopping as well as night out. The district is flooded with visitors pouring in from the neighboring districts and is never caught without any activity. Below are pictures of some of the places to see in Sakae.The Nagoya TV tower is transmitter tower built in Nagoya at 1953. The height of tower is 180m. This tower is the first built in Japan all the TV transmitter
Oasis 21 accommodates Nagoya's highway bus terminal and several shops and restaurants. Various events are held on the "Milky Way Square", the public space below the building's intriguing "Water Spaceship" roof.
A shopping centre opened in March 2005 with a ferris wheel in front. On the 2/F, it has Nagoya's version of a ramen museum, free admission.

The Sakaechika crystal square (at the underground shopping center)

Golden Week and Swine Flu

Golden Week in Japan, like many Japanese who spent their holiday abroad rather travelling across Japan, I spent my holiday in Hongkong and a couple of days in my hometown, Philippines. So far the busiest holiday I had. When I left Japan, I had a slight fever, but shouganai ne, everything's fixed and I don't want to mess things up. The day after I came to the Philippines, together with my family we flew to HK for our 4 days holiday. First, we visited HK Disneyland but the weather was not so good for me to appreciate it that much but I enjoy Disneys shows especially Lion King. I haven't been to TDR yet but my friends told me it's way far better than HKD. But soon I'll pay a visit. Next day we had a city tour, and at night we had a cruise tour, for us to enjoy the famous symphony of lights. I had so much fun in this tour. 3rd day is Ocean adventure and last day off course shopping. After my HK trip, I spent my remaining 5 days in the Philippines, every day I have different gigs, we went to 100 Islands and spent 2 days in the island. It was memorable for me. For dinner my grandmother served a grilled squid, we ate so much I guess on that night, so the morning I woke up my stomach is aching. I was like back and forth to the toilet, so I realized that it was just diarrhea, my sister was also in the same situation as I am at that moment. I was trying to stabilize my condition so I can join my family for an island hopping but the pain really gets me, I come to the point of vomiting, it was the first time for me to experienced such things. I refused to join my family for our island hopping and insisted to just stay, my sister joined them. I lay on bed, started to get chills and kept on vomiting. Our driver stayed so he can look after me, he was so worried, he kept on sending text messages on my aunt, detailing my condition. Since, the area is secluded with no establishments around, finding a drugstore is really difficult. My family really tried hard to find a store so they can buy medicine. When my family came back after their island hopping my grandmother immediately assist me in taking the medicine. I was surprised to know that my sister was also experiencing the same thing, she even collapsed and can't even stand on her own, my uncle just carry her on to the boat and until the house. In a short time I started to feel better. Since my sister is prone to sickness, despite the medicine her condition was unchangeable. Going back home, my sisters condition got worsed. As we get closer to our house we decided to take her in to the hospital. Me and my grandmother accompanied my sister to the Emergency room, the doctors decided to confine her to the hospital due to a severe diarrhea. By 12 midnight, I decided to go back home to have a rest for my flight tomorrow. Early morning, my aunt in Japan called asking my condition. Due to the outbreak of swine flu, security measures in the airport is very strict. I was lucky to be seated in a Business class, so the service is really good, thus help to ease my poor condition, after meal they serve ice cream for dessert, thinking it can help to lower my temperature, so I ate a lot. In Chubu Airport, the first airport procedure is the health check up, the line was really long, medical officials were really scrutinizing every passengers about their health issues. As I get closer, I am nervous at the same time my mind keeps on thinking what to do, if I were to say the truth about my condition or just lie, as I passed the ATC (Automatic Temperature Compensator), I am still wondering if it detected my fever, the officer just look at the paper that I submitted then say OK, whoosh! Thank God, I wasn't quarantine.

新型インフルウェんザ(Shin Gata Influenza) H1N1 swine flu is rising rapidly across Japan, making it the fourth-most infected country in the world, after Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Most of those infected are thought to be students in the Hyogo and Osaka prefectures in western Japan.

Experts believe the virus spread quickly between the two urban areas after high schools in Kobe and Osaka met for a volleyball tournament.

Kobe High School, along with nearly 1500 other schools in Hyogo, has now been closed, and several hundred more are closed in Osaka.

Japan has also established testing centres at airports, and is encouraging high risk groups to wash their hands frequently and wear masks.

Even in the sporting arena, steps have been taken to reduce the potential for infection.

At a national sumo wrestling competition in Tokyo on Sunday, officials sprayed disinfectant on the hands of every spectator as they arrived.

People routinely wear face masks on public transport to prevent the spread of coughs and colds.

Hanami 花見

Hanami 花見("flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (sakura 桜).  The blossom forecast of cherry blossom is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two.  Hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night.  Hanami at night is called yozakura ("night sakura").
For our hanami experience this year, my family and friends gathered for a picnic. Our timing was bad, the weather was not good and since everything's set we decided to go on. Instead of having picnic under the sakura tree we ended up camping under the bridge. We set the grill for our yakiniku (barbecue), it took a long time for the flame to start burning, at last it's time for yakiniku!!! Paper plates, cups and chopsticks were given out, it's time to eat and drink. While eating, we had some entertainment courtesy of the Japanese group on the other side. Since they're ahead of us to camp there, most of them were already drunk. It's really funny to see them doing silly and foolish things. After the meal, some other friends were still having yakiniku, the kids took their time for playing, my 3 teenage boy pals where out of sight, roaming around, looking for girls. And as for me, I was having a good conversation with my friends and decided for a walk. With an umbrella, we roam around to see the sakura and the built in stalls selling variety of items but most were foods like, yakiniku, yakisoba, takoyaki and so on.. around the park, it was like a fiesta. We stayed until the lightening of the sakura tree then packed our things and went back home. If the weather is only good we can still manage to stay in the park until midnight, even though the weather is not so friendly, I still enjoyed a wonderful rainy day at the park.

Sakura 桜-Kobukuro

Spring is coming, in Japan when you say spring or haru 春  in Japanese, the first thing that will come into your mind is the sakura 桜 or cherry blossoms.  In fact, there are lots of Japanese song entitled sakura.  So, I post here the video of Sakura by Kobukuro, dedicated to a friend of mine who happens to like this song......  

Translation Sakura

*Let's give a nameless flower a name.
There’s only one in the whole world.
It looks like it will get battered by the cold of winter.
It looks like it will be able to get up again at the sound of someone’s voice.*

There is a mass of life sleeping in the earth when you brush away the asphalt.
Whenever we meet, we share the loneliness of the times we can’t see each other,
Like the sun and the moon
Even flowers that don’t bear fruit, even flowers that die when they’re still a bud
From now on, you and someone else
Will bask in the spring wind looking at them

Every time a cherry blossom petal falls, another unfulfilled love
Is wiped out by tears and smiles
And I’ve grown up more.
This sadness that keeps chasing me
This strong, pure sadness will never, ever change
Don’t lose the love that blooms inside you

I saw you looking lonely in town,
slipping into the crowds.
Your shining clear eyes that time,
It's like the quick passage of time hasn't dirtied them.
Don't say anything, it shouldn't be put into words.
The falling tears are turned into rain, healing the wounds of my heart.
At the banks of everyone's hearts, there is a flower that you can't let go.
It is not a very strong flower,
it is a flower that sways fleetingly.
I feel the strength of living as much as the number of flower petals.
Struck by the blowing wind of the storm, too.
There is no rain that won't cease.

Every time a cherry blossom petal falls, another unfulfilled love
Is wiped out by tears and smiles
And I’ve grown up more.
This sadness that keeps chasing me
This strong, pure sadness will never, ever change
The love that blooms inside of you and me.

*repeat*

WBC: Japan won the Battle against Korea

It's really a big deal for Japan that they won the World Baseball Classic. I never knew that Japanese can go crazy over a sports game. Just like us Filipinos, a match of Manny Pacquio in boxing is a big deal for us. Workers crammed into bars and restaurants in Tokyo and other cities to watch the game, which started at 10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday. Electronics stores selling big screen TVs were turned into public viewing galleries as the baseball-crazy nation stopped to watch as Japan defended its title. In downtown Tokyo, several hundred people gathered at the giant BIC Camera electronics store including students who skipped out on their classes and salesmen ducking out before client calls. Fans formed pods around the dozens of flat-panel televisions showing the game. In Seoul, the game blasted from a giant video screen at the Gwanghwamun crossing, a major intersection near government and financial buildings. People crossed the street with their eyes on the screen rather than the road. The South Korean government has allowed all prisoners to watch the game live, so they could relieve their stress by cheering for the nation and feel a sense of pride as South Korean citizens. To the people of both nations, it's more than just a game. The Japanese are quietly anxious of the growing success of South Korean companies like Samsung Electronics. The South Koreans, meanwhile, are showing an open sense of rivalry and see Japan as a target to be surpassed.
The game was a back-and-forth contest, fitting for international baseball's most-intense rivalry. Prior to the final, the two countries had played each other four times, with each winning two games, on the way to the championship game. Japan won the tournament in 2006. South Korea has been a rising power in baseball for years. It reached the semifinals in 2006 and, last year, the South Korean national team won the gold medal in baseball at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, beating Japan in the process.

Well, the fact that these two Asian countries were able to play against each other in the finals is something that we Asians can be proud of.

How will you say ONLY in Japanese?

Me and a friend visited a store in Jusco, the store sells interesting and funny stuffs just like Village Vanguard. While I was busy choosing for a night lamp, my friend came to me and excitingly announced that he have found something funny, out of curiosity, I followed him, he showed me this light and took a picture of it. This is the picture:

It's very common here in Japan to see such mistake in English. It can be found on everything from poorly translated signs, menus, and instruction manuals to bizarrely worded advertisements and strange t-shirt slogans. Because Japanese has only five vowels, and few consonant clusters, it's very difficult for them to recognize the difference between L and R because these sounds fall into the Ra, Ri, Ru, Re, Ro category in Japanese. Therefore, in Japanese both L and R are pronounced as one phoneme, but in English L and R are two distinct phonemes.

I admit to myself that I am not good in English there are some words which I mispronounced and my grammar is not good, but this R and L thing is really confusing. One instance, my boss was trying to point out something, he kept on saying "rok, rok, rok" in my mind I thought it's rock or 6 which is roku in Japanese. My boss went away from his desk and lock the seat beside me. That was it! rok means lock, haha in front of my boss I look stupid!

Kunio Kato: The Best Oscar's Speech

I was checking YouTube for videos of Acamedy Awards since I missed to watched it online. So, what I've found is this funny video: so, what does it have to do in Japan? well, see it for yourself... with no offense it was a great speech with a lot of sense of humor. Kunio Kato received the Best Animated Short Film trophy for “La Maison en Petits Cubes” at the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Omedeeto Kato San.

My Uncle is a fan of Amuro Namie

My aunt requested for me to burn her a CD of Amuro Namie's songs. My uncle happens to be a fan of her, and everytime Namie appear on TV, my uncle always receive a tease from my aunt and my cousin. I had difficulty finding songs of Namie on the net, instead I gave them a copy of Beyonce's song since my uncle also like Naomi, the Japanese "Beyonce". My uncle always listens to it on the car and never even change it since I gave the CD. In short he, became hook with Beyonce. We even sometimes heard him singing a part of Crazy in love and Single ladies over and over. Funny it was. After watching Music Staion, a Japanese variety show, in which Namie's one of the guest, promoting her new album, my uncle receive again as usual a tease from her daughter, a bit shy my uncle blurted out 買って (buy it) several times. That's when I decided to burn him songs of Namie.

Namie Amuro (安室 奈美恵)

Born in Naha, Okinawa. Amuro debuted at the age of fourteen as an idol in the girl group Super Monkeys. Amuro left Toshiba-EMI after releasing two more solo singles; she continued her music career as a solo singer with the then-small independent label AVEX-Trax. Under the guidance of producer Tetsuya Komuro, Amuro quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate" (1997) became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. However, in late 1997, Amuro put her career on hold to focus on her pregnancy and engagement.

Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She is the only Japanese female artist to have achieved a Top 10 single each year for fourteen consecutive years.

Thanks Wikepedia..

World Baseball Classic: Japan Lost to Korea

Tokyo - Korea came back from a devastating loss to Japan to turn the tables and win the final game of Pool A of the World Baseball Classic, 1-0, in a pitchers' duel on Monday night.
Japan starter Hisashi Iwakuma retired the first nine batters he faced but got himself into a jam in the top of the fourth inning. After walking leadoff man Jong Wook Lee, Iwakuma gave up a single to Keun Woo Jeong, and Tae Kyun Kim singled home Lee for the 1-0 lead.

Korean left-hander Jung Keun Bong was highly effective, allowing only three Japanese hits over the 5 1/3 innings, those being a pair of singles by Kenji Johjima and one by Hiroyuki Nakajima. Bong struck out two and walked none. Iwakuma also pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up the one run on two hits. He struck out five and walked three. Korea finished Pool A with a 3-1 record, having defeated Chinese Taipei and China and splitting two games with Japan. Japan was 2-1, scoring victories over China and Korea. Both teams will join the winner and runner-up of Pool B (consisting of Australia, Cuba, Mexico and South Africa) to form Pool 1 and play at San Diego's PETCO Park, beginning on March 15.

The Toyota Auto Museum

Follow up to our museum gigs was the Toyota Automobile Museum. The main building of the museum showcase about 120 automobiles, mainly involving the history of practical cars from the end of the 19th century when the first gasoline powered car was born to the present. European and American cars are on the 2nd floor, domestic cars are on the 3rd floor. The annex building, which was opened in April of 1999 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Toyota Automobile Museum, exhibits the history of motorization of Japan elaborating on the influence of the automobile on our lives and culture.

I am not a car enthusiast but seeing those cars especially the European cars were really admirable. I just wished I own one of them. So, here are the pics we've taken during our visit.













Visitor Information:

Museum hours: 9:30-17:00 pm
Museum holidays: Closed on Monday (when a National Holiday falls on a Monday, the museum will be closed on the following day) and during the New Year’s holiday.
AdmissionFees: Adults-1,000 yen Senior Citizen-500 yen Junior and Senior High School Students-600 yen Elementary Students-400 yen
Location of Toyota Automobile Museum: 41-100 Nagakuteyokomichi, Nagakute-cho , Aichi-gun, Aichi Pref.