WBC ....and Ichiro

World baseball clasic...it is called WBC to dicide No.1 country of baseball among 16 countries. It is like World Cup. Baseball is very popular sports as well as Sumo. During season many games would be broadcasted on TV.

I like baseball, too. Oh actually I like watching sports game.
As my parents have been watching baseball game often, I really like baseball game. Especially this time very famous player Ichiro of Seatle Mriners. It must be intersting!

Just over olmpic games, but still I have fun from 3rd of march when asia league will start.

WBC
http://www.wbcar.com/
Ichiro
http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=400085

automatically ...

I think one of surprising things in Japan for foreigner is taxi. Like most of the countries, when you want to take a taxi on the street, just wave your hand to the taxi, so it would stop soon. After that it is the time to be surprised. The door would open automatically, and close automatically, too. Is it only in Japan? I heard it is before. Please be careful!

Torino....

Recently many TV program on Torino olympics have been broadcasted. As I grew up in south district in Japan , I don't play any winter sports so much. But I feel we are so luckey to have many place where we can enjoy them. I have been enjoying watching TV.

This morning we had a really good news here. Shizuka Arakawa a figure skator won a gold medal in Torino, since we haven't any medal since them it was so exciting and had a great moment. She was so beautiful. I cant't wait the exhibition.

Shizuka Arakawa
http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/5072356/detail.html?ib_oll=Headline
news of gold medal
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200602240253.html

Relaxuma

One character is very popular among young girls as well as Kitty.
Its name is "Relaxuma."I haven't known about it since 3months ago when my friend showed me picture book of it.

There are so many goods of Relaxuma. Now degital audio player is coming soon.


Have you known Relaxuma?


http://www.geocities.com/tarepanda_fanlisting/Relaxuma/

Happy news

If you watch TV news often, you might know our happy news of Japanese Royal family. We had an anouncement on Tuesday that Princess Kiko is pregnant.

As for this news, we have a big problem of imperial revision, since no boy has been born for more than four decade. It is going to be very different a new baby is a biy or a gurl. But anyway it is good news! I am happy to hear this news. We can see baby in Autumn.

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060207p2a00m0na025000c.html

to know our culture

The other day I talked people who came from Kyrgyz Republic. To be honest, it was the first time for me to talk with somebody from Kyrgyz Republic. As I haven't known about their country at all , I asked many quesitions. I am so curious. They looks very similar to Japanese, even though we have many different something, for exmple food, language and so on.

Sometimes especailly when I knew different culture ,I can not help feeling my common sense is not the one for somebody. But at the same time I feel that I don't have enough knowledge to show our culture. Since I have started this blog, I have been trying to find details. FOr example, A few days ago, I wrote about "Setsubun" . Of course I know it. But it was so difficult to explain it.

The people who came from Kyrgyz Republic knew so much about their country, maybe they are often asked abut their culture. Like them , I have to know and understand Japanese culture more.

Sapporo Snow Festival

Sapporo Snow Festival has been taken place since Monday. It is one of the very famousu festival, most famous winter festival. Sapporo is the biggest city in Hokkaido, which is the island in northen part of Japan.

The number of the tourist coming to Sapporo is getting increasing. Nowadays more then 2million people enjoy the snow sculptures. This year fifteen teams from many countries have taken part in International Snow Sculpture Contest. See the web site of snow festival, you will see the many beautiful sculptures.

In this season , TV news broadcast the aspect and atomosphere of this festival.
I have never been to the this festival, to be honest I have'nt been to even Hokkaido itself. Everybody who went there likes Hokkaido. I know the food is very tasty especially in the winter and the seanary is beautiful. My parents love it, too. I want to go someday. Oh I have too many place where I want to visit.


[Sapporo snow festival]
http://www.snowfes.com/english/index.html

Turin Olympic

Recently many TV programs of Torino Olympic have been broadcasted. Many athletes have already arrive in Torino. According to the prediction of U.S. magazine, it will be two bronze medals that Japanese athelete will get. We will see what happens. Always olmpic season I am excited. Five more days. I will stay up late at night.

[Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games Official site]
http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/OlympicGames/home/index.html

more way of Furoshiki

As I wrote a few days ago, Furoshiki is a soft square shaped cloth to wrap something. Today I learned how to wrap more. I just want to show you.

for the bottle














for the round shape like a watermelon














for the books





Nice, isn't it?

Setsubun and Ehou-maki

Today, 3rd of Febrary is Setsubun in Japan. Do you know it? If I translate the word "Setsubun", it means the day before a change in seasons. Setsu means season , bun means division. We say tomorrow is new season , spring in calender.

We have some rituals for Setsubun. We throw roasted beans from inside and outside our house. When we throw them, we shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (" Go out devils, come on happiness.) After that we eat beans same number of your age. when I was a kid, I wanted eat more.



This is a Sushi roll, maybe as you know,it's very famous. But today it has special meaning. It is called "Ehou-maki" which is uncut. When we eat it with facing Ehou direction which is supposed to good direction of that year.(It changs every each year.)This year's ehou direction is south-southwest.

Tonight I was making Ehou-maki by myself , but when I went to the supermarket, I found seafood Ehou-maki in which sermon , tuna, and squid. It looked so yummy, and I bought it;)

nice furniture

Today I went to the furniture showroom. I never been these kinds of showroom. So I didn't know that , but it was so exciting. They have very trend furnitures and excellent displays which made me feel nice.

We saw many, the most impressive stuff of all is named "Trunk station", whose shape is a very big trunk ,and inside the trunk the desk and shelves placed. So unique!!!at the same time so expensive, too!

[Japanese only ,but you can see photo]
http://www.itoki.jp/home/soho_trunkstation.html

used to be....

According to the survey, Tokyo is used to be the highest cost of living in the world. After fourteen years has passed since Tokyo became the most expensive city, this year it was taken over to Oslo, Norway.

As for me, I feel less the price of many things ,compare with before. We have many reasonable restaurants, can buy cloths less price than before, there are many good quality of100yen shop(including cousumer tax 105 yen).

I have a friend from Norway, she said to me before, everything in U.S. is cheeper than Norway!! Because they have very good social welfare. I think .

I want to travel to Norway someday, at that time I have to prepare for much money.

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060201p2a00m0na004000c.html