Where is it?

I went aboard from Dec.21 to 26 with my wife for sightseeing. I show several goods that I bought during this trip in this picture. What is the city where we visited? The answer will be in next article on my blog.

a good cource for bike-ride

Last Sunday, I found a good cource for bike-ride in my neighborhood. Its length is about 10km along sea coast, and it is a special road for bike or running, so it is very safe. I wonder why I had not found this good road by now.

At the end of the road, I saw a little bit funny scene. Do you think what they are doing? They are not penguins, surfers. We can find them on the day when big waves happen.

"Imo"

The season when a sweet potato is delicious has come.

I have written a Japanese phrase about a sweet potato. This is a kind of a copy.

And it is a kind of a play of words, so you don't have to consider an important meaning in it.

"Ri"（里） is a unit of length used in the past days in Japan. It is about 3.9273km. "Ku-ri"（九里） means 9-"ri", and is pronounced in same sound of a chestnut（栗（くり））. "Yo-ri"（四里） means 4-"ri", and is in same sound of "yori" that means "than".

Why does "Jyu-san"（十三） appeal at the end of this phrase?　The answer is very simple, because 9 plus 4 equal 13.

This phrase is formed with "Shiti-go-chou"（七五調） that is familiar to Japanese people. In other word, it is written in "Goro-ga-ii"（語呂がいい）. Ku-ri-yo-ri-u-ma-i=7, jyu-u-sa-n-ri=5.

In direct meaning of this phrase, "a sweet potato is more delicious than a chestnut".

"Yodel Tabe-Houdai"

I often go to a store named "Red Cabbage"（レッドキャベツ） to buy foods. When I stand at its meat corner, always I hear this song. There is a lot of "comic song"s in Japan, this is one of my favorite comics songs. You can read its lyrics at this website.

Obama girl

I have learned that "Obama girl" has been very popular in the USA by today's newspaper. This is interesting thing, I think. I tried to find "Hillary boy" or "Clinton boy" on the Internet, but I could not.

P.S. I can find the song's lyrics, here, thanks to Marian-san.

P.S. Thanks to joshf-san, I could learn about this song by "Hillary girl". I think it is very catchy and like it than Obama girl's. But I have not been satisfied with it yet because its singer is a girl, not a boy.

"Kata-pan"

Last Sunday, I bought a "Kata-pan"（堅パン） for my daughter's "Oyatsu"（おやつ）.

There was a national ironworks named "Kan-ei Yahata Seitetsu-syo"（官営八幡製鐵所） in the nothern part of Kysuhu. It was taken over a private company, and its name is "Shin-Nihon-Seitetu"（新日本製鉄）.

"Kata-pan"(堅パン )was invented as a light food that was given to its workers by the national company. And it has become a familiar snack to people who live in this area.

When I was a child, I used to eat it. But, in those days, it had only one taste, plane(milk taste). But, now, it has three tastes, strawberry, spinach and sesame besides plane.

"Kata-pan" is well-known for its hardness. But when I ate it last Sunday, I felt that it was not so hard in comparison with what I used to eat in my childhood, and I felt it was a little bit unfortunate thing.

P.S. "Oyatsu " or "O-yatsu" is a general name of light meal that people eat between lunch and dinner. It comes from a traditional time's name "Yatsu-doki"（八つ時）means time between about 2pm and 4pm. Generally, people call a light snack taken at about 3pm "Oyatsu", but you can use it in anytime to call a light snack.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra is a music band that was popular in the 1980's with its unique sound. There is a music with a long title by the band. It is "The sound of someone you love who's going away and it doesn't matter". I like it.

I would like you to listen to the music and tried to find it on the Internet. But, unfortunately, I could not find a full version, but could find a very short version, here.

And I write its long Japanese title in this pictute.

result of "Mikan-gari"

I have regretted that I should take a photo that people was harvesting "Mikan".

"Mozu no Hayanie"

I found "Mozu no Hayanie" on a branch of Japanese apricot in my yard. It is, I think, a kind of stinkbugs "Kamemushi"（カメムシ）.

"Syugaku-ryokou"

Last week, my son went on a study trip "syugaku-ryoku"（修学旅行） to Osaka（大阪）, Kyoto（京都）, Nara（奈良）.

About thirty years ago, I went on a study trip when I was a third-year student. But my son is now a second-year. And we went to Kyoto, Nara, but didn't go to Osaka.

"Syugaku-ryokou" is a great fun for almost junior high school and high school students in Japan.

I found a small booklet "siori"（しおり） that was used for my study trip. Above is my son's , and below is mine in this photo.

I feel how a peaceful country Japan is because almost same events have continued for thirty years.

"～-gari"?!

I have a plan to go "Mikan-gari"（みかん狩り） on November 25. So, I have collected several Japanese words added with "-gari（狩り）" that means harvesting or hunting.

"Fruits（フルーツ）-gari"
People pay an admission fee before entering a fruits plantation. Once they enter there, they can eat fruits as much as they could. In other words, they can eat them without limit（食べ放題）. And, when they leave there, they can bring some amount of fruits that they take. (Generally the cost is included in an admission fee, but occasionally people are required to pay another cost.)

There are several patterns of Fruits-gari. It includes Mikan（みかん）-gari, Ringo（りんご）-gari, Nashi（なし）-gari, Budou（ぶどう）-gari and Kaki（柿）-gari.

"Momiji（もみじ）-gari"
In Autumn, the leaves of some trees in mountain area turn beautifully red, orange and yellow. To go to enjoy beautiful Autumn's leaves is called "Momiji-gari". But people do not harvest or hunt anything there, I don't know why the word has "-gari".

"Shiohi（潮干）-gari"
In Spring, mainly May, family enjoy going seashell gathering. It is called "Shiohi-gari".

"Oyaji（おやじ）-gari"
This word is recently invented. It means that young people attack a drunken man to steal his money or only to abuse him. Japan is becoming less safety country now, I think. I have to be careful for myself because I am "Oyaji"!!. (I'm only half-kidding.)

P.S. There is another word that has "gari". But, it is written as "刈り" in kanji. (Occasionally it sounds "kari", not "gari".) It means cutting or "cut and harvest".　Don't confuse it with "gari"（狩り）. Example;スポーツ刈り、坊主刈り(a kind of hairstyle),稲刈り(ine-kari)、芝刈り(siba-kari)

today's result (fishing)

I went fishing again. The result was only four. But I am satisfied with it because it included a "Kochi"（鯒）.I got it for the first time from my birth.

The biggest one in this photo is the "Kochi". Others are "Haze"（ハゼ）. "Kochi" is popular and expensive for its good taste.

"Mozu"

In this season, I can often find wild birds in my area. One of representative wild birds is "Mozu". In Kanji character, it is written "百舌". "百" means one hundred, and "舌" means tongue. Why?

Mozu has a habit copying several other bird's voices, so it is called "百舌".

And it has another odd habit. It is called "Mozu no Hayanie".

It hunts several small animals like frog, lizard, grasshopper, and it leaves them on a branch of a tree. Some people say that it saves them to eat later. But, it often forgets them. No one has known real reason.

There is a Autumen's song that almost Japanese have known. "Mozu" appears in this song. You can listen to it, here.

like a "Isoginchaku"

A Wii remocon's cover was sent to my son from Nintendo because he is a platinum member of it.

When I saw it first, it seemed just a like "Isoginchaku"!!

P.S. There is a custom to eat an "Isoginchaku" in the southern part of Fukuoka prefecture. But I have never eaten it yet, and do not want to eat it because of its strange form.

Haloween

Halloween is coming soon. I can find "Jack O' lantern" in many places in this season. But I cannot understand why many Japanese celebrate it.

We are greatly influenced by American economics and culture. So, Halloween is a typical issue of them, I think.

There are a lot of Buddhists in Japan, and there is a custom that celebrates Buddha's birthday. (It is April 8.) But the number of people who celebrate it is not so many, it seems that the popularity of it is less than one of Halloween. Some people don't know when it is celebrated.

I have learned that many Americans celebrate Saint Patrick's day on March 17 through VOA special English.

Now, I have concerned that the following events might happen in Japan in the future.

"Cities all over Japan are coloured by green(Irish color), and people say "We are a little bit Irish on this day" each other."

"Five separated socks"

Yesterday, I bought a pair of "five separated socks". I like these socks, so I wear them everyday.

Now, in Japan, the popularity of "five separated socks" has been increasing (at least, I think so). These socks are very suitable for Japanese weather because the air has a lot of humidity.

Once a person has learned their comfortableness, he/she can't help stopping to wear them, I think.

I have heard that a well known Japanese musician "Sakamoto Ryuich" said he wears them for his health.

If you have never worn them, I recommend you to try them.

"Cosmos"

This season, I enjoy "Cosmos"（コスモス「秋桜」） along my home course during weekend bike ride.

Here is a road for walking and biking along Ongagawa-river(遠賀川). I ride my bike at least one hour every weekend using mainly this course.

When I hear the name of "Cosmos", I rememeber "Yamaguchi Momoe"s this song. This song is a message from a women who is spending a day with her mother before her wedding.

"Sanma"

Last Sunday, I ate a "Sanma"（サンマ）. It is a representative taste of Autumn in Japan.
The most popular way to cook "Sanma" is to broil by a fire. And most people eat it with grated daikon (Japanese radish)（大根おろし） and soy sauce.

At this time, I broiled "Nama-Sanma"（生サンマ） over the charcoal fire（炭火）.　

In the past, fish shops in Kyushu had sold "Sio-Sanma"（汐サンマ）, but they hadn't treated "Nama-Sanma" . "Sio-Sanma" is kept with a lot of salt not to be worse. So we, people living in Kyushu, generally could not eat "Nama-Sanma".

Today, it takes less time to bring "Nama-Sanma" to Kyushu from Tohoku area than before because of the advance of traffic system. So, we can eat "Nama-Sanma" now.

("Sanma" is taken in Tohoku area, it cannot be taken in Kyushu, Chugoku , Shikoku and Chubu area. And still now, "Shio-Sanma" has been sold in fish shops.)

"Kaze no Tani no Naushika"

Last week, I took out "Kaze no Tani no Naushika (manga verion)"from my bookshelf to recommend my 14-year-old son to read it.

It is in seven volumes, so long and great manga story. And it is more complex and has more characters than the animated movie version. It is more interesting than the movie, I think.

Noguchi Yukio is a well known professor for inventing the word "Buble economic（バブル経済）" and a simple way for desk work called "Chou-Seiri-Hou(超整理法)". He wrote a paper about the manga version in his book named "Chou-Seiri-Nissi（超整理日誌）" He praises it very much, quoting "The Lord of the Rings". (I learned it through his this book before the movie was released. I have been impressed by Noguchi's great knowledge.)

"Naushika(manga version)" is translated into eight languages that might include your native language. And if you are in Japan, you mighe be able to borrow it at a pupblc library in your city (but, probably Japanese version).

I recommend you to read "Naushika", and after that, you should read the Noguchi's paper.

"Beto-chan" died

"Beto-chan" died on October 6.

For almost Japanese(about more than 40-years-old), "Beto-chan, Doku-chan" might be well-known Vietnamese. They were born in Vietnam in 1981 as conjoined twin brothers. It was said that the residual effects of weed killer used by the American forces made them abnormal bodies.

In the nineteen eighties, the movement to support them had occured in Japan. They visited to Japan to receive several medical treatments. And they was operated to divide their body under the supports of the Japanese Red Cross into two in Ho chiming-city, Vietnam in 1988. The operation was successful, but the consciousness of Beto-chan had not returned.

P.S. I heve learend that posting a newspaper archive without author's consents may touch copyright problem. So I deleted the photo of archive. Instead, I post a head-line that I wrote by a "Fude-pen".

VOA Special English

Every day morning before going to my office, I write down the VOA Special English program recorded on my computer without seeing its text to learn English. It takes about one hour. And I listen to its program by using i-pod on my way to my office. They are good practices to learn English.

As you might know it, its announce speed is two third of standard English, and is written in about 1500 basic English words.

My favorite program is American Mosaic. It is formed by three parts, a new topic in the USA, a listener's question about the American life and music corner. I often take information about popular music in the USA there. It is very useful.

I think the Special English is good teaching materials for non-native speakers in English, so I have often recommend my acquaintance to listen to it, but by now, no one have started it yet. It is very unfortunate thing.

There are a lot of class of English conversation like NOVA in Japan, but its fee is very expensive. But to listen to the Special English is almost free, everyone with a computer can start it. Why many Japanese people do not use it, or know it, I think.

By the way, I have learned that a racial incident has happened in the South in the USA. Its name is Jena 6 case. Why, even now, these racial problems are happening in the USA, I don't know. These problem in the USA have no end and no complete resultion, I think.

In Japan, there are also discrimination problems. But it is difficult for foreign people to understand it because discriminated people have same skin, same hair color and same eye color of dicriminating people, there is only reason that they are born and live in particular area, and have particular ancestors.

"Yoitomake no Uta"

Today, I read "Mera Yoshikazu（米良美一）"'s hard history on today's newspaper. He had become popular by singing the title song of "Mononoke Hime（もののけ姫）" with his beautiful falsetto voice. But now he is singing "Yoitomake no Uta（ヨイトマケの唄）" with his real voice.
"Miwa Akihiro（美和明弘）" wrote and sang the song in the nineteen sixities, and several singers have covered since then. It has a message about relationship between a mother and her child like the one of "Tokyo Tower （東京タワー）" written by Lily Franky（リリーフランキー）.
I was impressed by listening to it because the message of it has linked with his story. Please try to listen to it.
土方（どかた）= a worker who ues his/her body very hard at a place where a large structure such as road, bridge, building has been built. And it has an insulting meaning, so it is rarely used in public.
ヨイトマケ=an equipment that is used to stabilize a land, and its meaning changes to refer to workers who use it.
エンヤコラ=a kind of "掛け声（かけごえ）" that people use when they do a common movement, for example, to lift a heavy material, like どっこらしょ、よいしょ、せーの、わっしょい.　It has no mean itself.

"Matryomin?!"

Last Monday, I went to a music instrument fair(exhibition) held in Fukuoka city with my family. I found an very interesting instrument there. Its name is "Matryomin". Its form looks a well-known Russian doll named "Matryoshka" and it has an electric instrument named "Termin" that is said the original of an electronic instrment in the inside of it. You can listen to its sound here.

"Mushi no Ne"

I found this cricket in the garden of my house. It is called "Enma-koorogi"(えんまこおろぎ). It chirps like this, "Kolo-kolo-kolo-li-i-i-n"(at least, it sounds like this to Japanese). In this season, I fall in sleep every night listening to this sound because I live in a countryside.

In Japan, some people raise a kind of cricket "Suzu-mushi"(鈴虫) and enjoy its sound.

I heard that Japanese people use a different part of their brain to listen to the sounds made by insects from a part that Westerners use. So, it sounds like a language, a song or a comfortable sound to Japanese, but only a noise or a noisy sound to Westerners.

I don't know that this is fact, or not, but it is very interesting, I think.

How do you feel "Mushi no Ne"(虫の音), comfortable or not?

P.S.

I have placed "Club Tropicana" by Wham at "My favorite song". You can listen to sounds made by a kind of "koorogi" before the sing starts.

Now. I remeber that there is a well-known children's song whose subject is "Mushi no Ne" in Japan. You can listen to it, here.

"Ine-kari" and a rainbow

Yesterday, I took a photo that a farmer did "ine-kari" with his "ine-kari" machine.

And, I saw a rainbow in the sky of east at about 6:30pm.

My Bike

I run with this bike around the rivermouth of the Onga river at leaset 1 hour every weekend. It is enjoyable and good for my health.

This bike's frame is made by an American maker "Klein". It is well known for its skill to paint frame. And the bike's components (gear, derailer, brake system) are made by a Japanese maker "Shimano". Bike components are occupied by only two makers, Shimano and Campagnolo(an Italian maker).

I bought this bike at near bike-shop. Its price was 250,000 yen!

If I have a chance to buy another bike, I want a bike with a frame made by an Italian maker, "Colnago".

after "Ine-kari"

I wanted to show a scene that a farmer was harvesting his crops with his "Ine-kari" machine. But it had already finished yesterday, so I could not.

ine-kari=”稲刈り”

"Tanbo September11"

実(みの）るほど頭（こうべ）をたれる稲穂（いなほ）かな

In　this season, I remeber this saying when I see a "tanbo" where the plants have "inaho"s . It means that the more a man succeeds, the more modest he becomes . In other words, a man becomes not arrogant as he develops himself to be wise or to be successful.

It is one of my favorite saying.

"Ichijiku" & "Seigo"

Ichijiku
On Saturday, we bought figs whose Japanese name is "Ichjiku" at the farmer's shop. It is expressed "無花果” in Kanji character. "無" means "nothing or without. "花" means flower. "果" means fruits. So it grows to a fruit without a flower.

It is suitable season for eating a fig, now, in Japanese "Shun"(旬). Japan has four season, so "Shun" is a very important idea and word. In "Shun" season, "Shun" foods are sold at cheaper price because there are large harvests of them in this season. And they are very fresh!

I heard that Adam & Eve used leaves of fig because they have no cloth. Is it really?

Seigo
On Sunday, I went fishing with my daughter and my father again(but different place). We fished a lot of tiny sardine. My father got a "Seigo"(but only one).

We call a small Japanese Sea Perch "Suzuki"(鱸)　"Seigo" because it is a kind of "Shusse-uo"(出世魚). "Shusse-uo" means that it has several names in their developing stage. It includes "Suzuki", "Bora"(鯔) and "Buri"(鰤). "Seigo" → "Fukko" →"Suzuki". "Ina" →"Bora" →"Todo". "Hamachi" →"Buri".

the Pierces

Embedded Code


I learned them through VOA Special Englsih. I feel they are very catchy.

"Chi-San-Chi-Syo"

I go to this shop to buy some vegetables every weekend with my wife. Farmers can bring their products and sell them here, and consumers can get them at lower price. But some groceries do not have good shapes such as higher foods sold at shopping center. But they are more fresh!

Recently, these shops have became more popular and increased more and more in Japan. This movement is called "Chi -San-Chi-Syou"(地産地消） . "地" means local, "産" means product, and "消" means consume. It means that people should eat food grown in their area.

In Korea, there is a similar idea called "Shindohuji（身土不二）". This idea is that eating foods grown nearby is good for person's health.

I have learned that a musician named Adrienne Young in the United States has continued a movement to let people buy locally grown foods through the VOA special English. It is so nice, I think, because it has good effect on environment and people's health.

Che'Nelle

Her song, "Love with DJ" is now one of my favorite songs, so I tried to embed her movie to my blog from YouTube, but it was not permitted by request. Her official web-site is http://www.emimusic.jp/intl/chenelle/.

"Tanbo September1"

Summer holiday have finished and September has started. "Rajio taisou" has also finished yesterday. The temperature is comparatively lower than the past days, but the air has included lots of humidity. Rainy and cloudy day has continued.

"Okinawa!"

I went to Okinawa during from August 23 to 25 with my family.

Episode 1

It was sold at a local market. I didn't know that folks in Okinawa have a custom to eat dolphin's meat. But the fact didn't surprise me very much because I have heard people who live in Iki island, Nagasaki have similar custom.

I have never eaten a dolphin's meat but I used to eat a whale's meat in my childhood. It was low-cost, and good taste. In that days, lions in a zoo ate it because of low-cost. Now, I have sometimes eaten it, but the amount of it that I can eat is very few because it is so expensive.

There has still been a custom to eat a dog in Korea. I think that it is not cruel to eat other mammals except domestic animals like cow and pig.

Episode 2

We saw "Jinbei-zame"s at "Chura-umi-suizoku-kan". They were very big, so I think it is worth to see them there.

Episode 3

We ate a Okinawa's traditional noodle named "Okinawa-soba" or "Souki-soba". It was very delicious but a little bit expensive, 600yen.

Episode 4

This photo was not taken at Okinawa. I took this photo at an antique shop in Munakata city, Fukuoka where we dropped in on our way home. I didn't know how to use it, but I thought it was a big container for foods. Its price was 150 thousand yen, so expensive!

dolphin=「イルカ」＝「海豚」、Iki＝「壱岐」 Chura-umi-suizoku-kan＝「美（ちゅ）ら海水族館」

Result of fishing

I went fishing to nearby sea coast with my son and daughter. But, we suspended fishing about one hour ago from starting because my son claimed a sudden stomach ache. After we came back home, his condition became better.

So the result was not good enough. It includes twelve "Aji-go"(small Aji), two "Kawahagi" and one "Sanbasou". They are all less than 12cm. We will eat them tomorrow or the day after tomorrow by making them "Nanban-zuke".

Aji=鯵
Kawahagi=かわはぎ
Sanbasou=三番叟(a small Ishidai)
Nanban-zuke=南蛮漬け

Barbecue

Yesterday, my family had a barbecue dinner in a small yard of our house. We often do it in
summer, because we like it very much. I feel that a charcoal fire makes every foods good taste even though the meat is not expensive.

"Dyran & Catherine"

I think that they express how an American sitcom looks for Japanese people very well. How do you think about it?

My experience of "diet!"

I have had a simple web-site about riding a bike. But, now, I don't edit it. It includs my experince of "diet". If you are interested in losing your weight, please check it!
http://www.geocities.jp/bikenglish2/archive/diet.html

Public pool

Today, I went to a pool in Ashiya-town with my family. In Japan, there are a lot of public pool. Going pool is a low-cost leisure for ordinary people in summer time.

"Tanbo August11"

Hot days have continued. Rice plants have had very little flowers now.

Rehearsal of "Bon-odori"

Yesterday, I took part in rehearsal of "Bon-odori" festival in my neighborhood. It was held in a yard of a kinder garden in my area."Bon-odori" will be held on August 13,14.

"Bon-odori" is held in comparatively rural areas, so just where I live. Urban area like Tokyo does not have it.
People in Japan have believed that the spirit of their ancient come back to their area in "Bon" period, August 13 to 15. So they welcome the spirits with "Bon-odori" dance.
"Bon-odori" dance and does not include fast moving like hip-hop dance. So almost of dancers are older women. (If "Bon-odori" dancers dance with hip-hop music, it seems very funny!) They create a circle and walk slowly with dancing. It is a kind of folk dance.
Bon-odori=盆踊り

Comfort Women

I wanted to describe my opinion about "comfort women " on this blog, so I studied it on the Internet, but I gave up it because it has a lot of complexed problems and it is very difficult for me to explain about it in English.

But a simple question have still remained in my mind. "Why do American lawmakers pick up this issue now, since these happened more than sixty years ago?" "If Americans demand Japanese apology about this problem, we could demand American apology to native Americans on the wrong doing that the first immigrant did to them 400 years ago."

Almost Japanese people do not know what has happened in Washington D.C.

"Banzai!!"

Now, I feel a little bit tired, because I worked for a temporary work at late night for this election. But, I got several money for this work, Now, I am a temporary rich man. (懐が暖かい)

By the way, if you watched some TV programs about this election in Japan, you might see that winners did "Banzai". "Banzai" is a Japanese unique expression that shows their win, success, configuration, happiness etc. in especially groups. Its three times repeats is called "Banzai san-syou"(万歳三唱). You can see it in several sceneｓ like athletic meets, weddings and parties. I am not sure, but probably, there is a same expression in Korea .(or China?) But they pronounce "man-sei!!".

During World War Two, people did "Banzai san-syou" when they sent a soldier to fighting areas.
It is a little bit unpleasant and sad history.

I want to know whether Americans have similar expressions like "Banzai" And I want to see Hillary or Obama doing "Banzai" in November of 2008!!

"Tanbo July28"

In my area, fine days have continued since the weather forecast declared the end of rainy season on July 24.(We call it "tsuyu-ake sengen".) The temperature is very hot, more than 30 degrees celsius!

"tsuyu-ake sengen"=「梅雨明け宣言」

"Tobata chochin yamagasa"

"Tobata oo yamagasa"(Tobata chochin yamagasa) festival is being held in Tobata ward in Kitakyushu city from today to Sunday(Now, I am working there). In Fukuoka prefecture, "Hakata yamagasa" is very famous, but "Tobata oo yamagasa" is also very amazing, I think. It uses a lot of "chochin" in the night, so it looks very fantastic. If you have a chance to visit the nothern part of Kyushu in this season, I recommend you to see it. But, unfortunately, I cannot see this festival at this time because I have to do a temporary work for this election on Saturday and Sunday.
"Tobata oo yamagasa"=「戸畑大山笠」
"Tobata chohine yamagasa"=「戸畑提灯山笠」
"Hakata yamagasa"=「博多山笠」

"Sugawara Michiko"

http://www.ntv.co.jp/juken/

Last Saturday, I watched a TV program named " Juken no kamisama"(the God of examination). When I heard the name of heroin, Sugawara Michiko, I laughed a little bit. Because the heroin is named after "Sugawara no Michzane" who is known as the God of Study ("gakumon no kamisama"). Most of Japanese know "Sugawara no Michzane" and go to a shrine that honors him to pray for their success in their examinations.
"Sugawara Michiko"=「菅原道子」
"Sugawara no Micizane"=「菅原道真」

"sangiin giin senkyo"

On next Sunday, the election of members of the House of Councilors will be held in all areas in Japan. I don't have lots of political interest, but I predict the collapse of Abe administration would happen.

This panel is placed at the station that I use for my work.
「参議院議員選挙」（さんぎいんぎいんせんきょ）

"Rajio Taisou"

In this summer, I have to supervise "Rajio Taisou" event in my area. Almost all Japanese know it, and can exercise it. Because we, almost Japanese, people learned it during elementary school for six years. Do you know it?

A big typhoon attacks Japan

A big typhoon strikes our area "Kyushu", so, today, we cannot go outside home. The weather forecast says the peak of strong wind will be at 6pm in Fukuoka area. This typhoon will go to "Shikoku", "Tuubu" and "Kanto". But now, at 5:30 it is not so terrible than thought.
「大型台風九州直撃へ」"oogata taifu"(a big typhoon)"Kyushu chokugeki e"(direct attack to Kyushu)
「暴風・大雨「7月最強」」"boufu ooame"(strong wind and terrible rain)"hiti-gatsu saikyo"(the biggest in July in history)

Station

I use this small JR station from Monday to Friday for my work. You can find a lot of bikes called "mamachari". Many Japanese people use these "mamachari"s for a short trip like going to a super market or a station from their home. Almost "mamachari" cost 5000yen to 10000yen, so not expensive.(but my family including me do not have "mamachari").