年越しそば Toshikoshi-Soba

in japan we have a custom to eat buckwheat noodle on 31th December, New Year Eve.

青春１８きっぷ Seishun 18 kippu

Today I get a JR(Japan railway line)ticket.
It's Seishun 18 Kippu. 1 day free, 5 times for the period.
it's 11500 yen. so 2300 yen each day. only 2300 yen you can go from tokyo to kyushu.
this time 10th Dec to 10th Jan. we can get three times in a year.
spring, summer, winter.
I'm 35 years old. I'd like to use super express Shinkansen. but i'm poor.............
but not but the trip with the ticket. we can get out from train on the way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seishun_18_Ticket

Kodo 香道

Kodo is the japanese art of appreciating incense and involves using incense within a structure of codified conduct.

It's a very nice fragrance.

後北条氏 The late Hojo clan

This is the tomb of Hojo Ujimasa and Hojo Ujiteru in Odawara.
They were ordered HARAKIRI for the responsibility of the siege of Odawara 1590.
The late hojo clan governed almost all konto region. 
Finally the clan surrendered to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
at the time they had meeting endlessly. but it didn't reach the decision.
we call endless meeting to no decision Odawara byoujou.
It's the same expression at Congress of Vienna: Der Kongress tanzt, aber er geht nicht weiter

坂の上の雲 The clouds on a slope

Akiyama Saneyuki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiyama_Saneyuki

Akiyama Yoshifuru http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiyama_Yoshifuru

Now I can watch TV drama Saka no ue no kumo on NHK channel.

It's a story from the early Meiji period to Russo-Japanese war.

It's a famous novel wretten by Shiba Ryotaro.

I visited the place they were born in Matsuyama.

ALIT Iruma city museum ALIT 入間市博物館

This is Iruma city museum. it's a museum for tea.
Today I visited there for a lecture of tea.

河越館 KAWAGOEKAN

this is jyorakuji(常楽寺).
long times ago there is a samurai residence here.
a princess from here became a wife of minamoto no yoshitune（源義経）

Imo yokan 芋ようかん

This is japanese sweet IMOYOUKAN made by sweet potato and sugar.

it's very delicious.



THE BIG TEA CEREMONY IN SAYAMA 狭山大茶会

Today i visited the big tea ceremony in Sayama, Saitama prefecture.
we enjoyed matcha抹茶(powder tea),and sencha煎茶(leaf tea).

Tsukiji 築地

Last Friday I visited Tsukiji in Tokyo.
I went to the sushi restaurant.  I came from western japan. Sometimes I can't accept foods in Tokyo.
But sushi is not......... It's my favorite food.

Kaiko no Yashiro 蚕ノ社 in Kyoto

This is the three leg's torii.  the shrine is one of the oldest in kyoto. now noone knows why it has three legs. usually it's only two. some scholars say it's the Trinity of Nestorianism.  I had lived near the shrine.

Curry

last night i cooked curry by myself. not bad. but not suited with rice....

i have to practice more......

Hand-made tea

i take a course for how to make tea by hand in museum.

it's the same way even it's made by machine.

so this is the important to learn by hand if you want to know tea.

Kawagoe festival 川越祭

Yesterday I visited Kawagoe festival.

It's one of the biggest festivals around Tokyo.

it's still influenced since edo era.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgIjNG2X_fE

永谷宗園茶店 nagateni souen kyoto

this is a tea shop in uji, kyoto. the shop depeloved how to make sencha（煎茶）.

i purchased handmade tea.

ラーメン Ra-men

ra-men is japanese noodle. it originally came from china.
but it's unclear when it's introduced to japan.
it's delicious. i love it.

AKIHABARA 秋葉原

today i went to akihabara. it's very a interesting place.

but i had nothing to buy.

matcha

i got a set for matcha. and i made it by myself.

this is my first experience.

it's nice.

Edo-Tokyo museum. 江戸東京博物館

it's very interesting.

http://www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp/

Asakusa 浅草

i visited asakusa with my friends