AKAFUKU

AKAFUKU
Originally uploaded by shoko.

So long, I promised to visit my friend in Nagoya-area, the third largest metropolitan area in Japan, but just recently I could make it for the first time in two years. One of my colleague works at factory in Mie, and another friend who's been working nere her, so I made them friends, and ask them to be together during the weekend trip. As I was born and grown up in northern half of Japan, I have only few time to go middle-southern area of the land. So, this was the first time to eat "Matsuzaka-meat", the best brand of Japanese meat, and also first time to visit famous "ISE" shrine,the most sacrosanct shrine which is like "Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano" in original Japanese religion. What is interesting, they rebuild shrine in every 20 years to keep sanctity, so there's always enough space to be able to build same size structure next to the existing shrine. It also become nice way to hand down traditional architectural techniques for long time, On the approach of the shrine, many food shop stand in a row. Of course we stop by, have some tea with tasty sweets. (this is famous sweets named "AKAFUKU" ~ red fortune~ made from red bean & rice cake)

Chicago!!

Chicago's elevated railroad
Originally uploaded by shoko.

We don't have custom to take long vacation in Japanese business scene, I think I need one at least once a year. That is why I went to Chicago in late November. My friend kindly toured me around, so I could enjoy almost all of great site of Chicago. Streets were fantasticly decolated in Christmas color, and what is better, it wasn't cold!! Global worming wave came over the city, too... I went to two of the best view of chicago, Sears tower & John Hancock Center and could enjoy having cocktail. Chicago is also famous for modern architecture, the walking tour we took told us various insights about shape of window, material of walls, and history of the city itself. Not only the tour, I really enjoy first-time ice skating, (sorry for my friends who couldn't enjoy themselves because of my dangerous toddling), getting tasty Chicago style pizza(thanks Giordano's!), an visiting Evanston to take a look at campus, even in short weekend.

A cool cell phone I found my friend using while wating in line for John Hancock building observatory, which wasn't introduced to Japan yet, finally landed on Japan in Dec. I gotta get it...

Nagatoro

SUNNY NOV.
Originally uploaded by shoko.

On sunny november weekend, I joined orchestra camp at the far end of Kanto plain. Though too early to see red leaves, the air was clean and a little colder than that of city, it was great to spend time just consentrating on music. We had quite a good time practicing in such a beautiful environment and even sometimes making fun with our instruments. At night, we had ensemble competition within our club, and our congenial cello team won the award!! This is a photo of headstream where we strayed from the route on our way back. Off -road always brought me additional neat aspects of life.

Moment of felicity

EEL
Originally uploaded by shoko.

Eel rice bowl!! It's one of the most favorite food. Moreover, this is not usual eel, softly baked up, tender texture, but rich taste. Besides, you'll find another sheet of eel in the middle of rice. Awesome!
After work, my frisnd and I went to famous long-standing eel restaurant at Tsukiji, where lots of Tokyo's traditional cuisine is located. We've longed to come for last few month, and finally could make it. Well, needless to say, it was so delicious. I'm so happy and it blowed off bit of bind at office.

Nessun Dorma

the Turandot
Originally uploaded by shoko.

Since the Olympic gold medalist, Shizuka Arakawa won the world title by ice skating on that music, the opera "Turandot" was catapulted into the limelight. Before that, I have long been prefered music and performing art, the Turandot was one of my must-see opera, along with "La traviata". Wonderfully, I had chance to face the histric(!) stage. Music and songs were literaly awesome, but more than anything else, I was really moved by mise en scene managed by Zhāng Yìmóu, including decorative stage sets which well represents oriental gorgeousness, fantastic light effects that drug us into the tale, and exotic makeup & costumes that made the show much more dramatic. During acts, I couldn't turn my eyes off the stage. Despite the princess role couldn't move due to illness, her voice was increadiblly specutacular. Wonderful night, I gotta work for those mind refresh.

lights after storm

lights after storm
Originally uploaded by shoko.

On the day not so much to do, should you go home earlier. I was so lucky to get this affable evening sky. Strange but interesting that people assume dusk in different time in different place depending on their own latitude. For me, it is dusk that always brought me a little sadness to have to give up playing outside, with a combination of sattle fear of nights and some relief to go home. How long has passed since those days...

Autamn BBQ!

Autamn BBQ!
Originally uploaded by shoko.

It was the only sunshine day in this week today. We went to barbecue in near playground. On alternate weekends, I play cello in community orchestra which is mainly consisted of coval music lover in my city. Our annual concert become a little more popular than before, and gradually accepted by local people. Today at the BBQ, we had some local guests (two families) who say they are great fan of us. Food supply team brought us not only common BBQ ingredients, but also expensive seafoods, as scallop, turban shell and urchin!! From the start, it was a hassle to kindle a fire, but we found handling trouble together itself became a fun, throughout lunch we enjoyed grilling, eating, chatting, and even playing tag with kids. Thanks to it, I become a Ashputtel with smorky flavor by dusk...

Mind of Blue

Mind of Blue
Originally uploaded by shoko.

Yesterday, I was able to leave office earlier, and went to listen Jazz session at Aoyama with a friend. Though it was drizzling, there'd already been lots of people when we get there, and soon the show started. Music played by the Japanese piano trio has variety of tastes, jazz mixed with Latin, Tango, and even has influence of classical music. One of his blues named asian title reminds me the world of Hayao Miyazaki movie. (usually music composed by Joe Hisaishi) He well created his original beauty of jazz. To my surprise, two special friends of the musisian invited on that night were, former concertmaster of NHK symphony, Tsugio Tokunaga, and one of leading Japanese conductor, Michiyoshi Inoue. So lucky to share the great fun with them together.
It was too exciting to end up night groove, my friend and I had to go for another round. Despite it's in the middle of week, we enjoy drinking and talking till late night...

Amazing blue

Amazing blue
Originally uploaded by shoko.

Blue clear sky and water soothed to the mind and the body. I had vacation in Guam this summer. This was my first visit to tropical island where I longed to go swimming, drinking tropical cocktail, trying every other kind of luxurious thing. (Haha, since I was poor in my schooldays, I couldn't travel just for escape out of real life.) Though it was rainy season, my friend and I had sun-blessed days there. We did parasailing (!!!) , the experience floating in the air over the endless sea was much more than great. Around a small island next to mainland, we dived into shallow water, then found tons of various beautiful fishes with colorful bodies. It was SO amazing! It's like totally Nemo's world!! I should have brought waterproof camera(>_< I got relief from stress during vacation. Well, back to work..(until next holidays...)

Inspired by...

Reacent movie really moved me, a film called "RENT" which has been on broadway for 10 years!! Actually I did know only name of it, the fame, but I didn't know what's the story tells us. Brilliant songs, thought-provoking theme, and the charactors' youthful passions really moved me. There's only this. I gotta forget regret, or life is mine to miss. No other road, no other way, no day but today. That is why I'm here now.

Early spring trip

original spa building
Originally uploaded by shoko.

It has been almost over a month since I last updated myself. Not because my workload was to hard to write, but I was busy enjoying series of holidays. In the middle of April, when yearly budget planning settled down at last, I decided to visit my friend in Shikoku island. This was my first landing to that area, and after exhausting week, it was fascinating trip set me free from stress.
My friend, she has been living there for a year on business, took me eat famous noodle "Sanuki-Udon", and places of interest. We went to a few spa, one is located in deep ravine, you can see and hear natural river flow next to you, feeling water splash on your face. The other one is famous as the oldest spa in Japan, Dogo spa. Though nowadays it become a tourist attraction, the place is originally local bathhouse that heals people's tirdness. There has some hall for tourist which reminds the place was loved by the old-day sophisticated, at the same time, there are many local people who seems daily enjoying bath time at the spa.
Beside spas, we went to a shrine named "Kompira-san", famous place that you need more than a thousand staires to get to the main building. (It's also known as the place first Kabuki performance was held.) It was high time to see great cherry blossom lines and feel warm and flesh spring breeze. As derives from its name, ("Kom-" means gold in chinese charactor.) I got a golden charm for healty and happy life.

Spring Blossom

Spring Blossom
Originally uploaded by shoko.

That was beautiful serene day when I took a walk in my birthday. A main street in Kunitachi, where my home university campus is located, is an great avenue of cherry. I went to stroll around to free my body and mind from busy cramming days. The blossoms were not at their best, actually it was too early to enjoy full bloom, but warm sunshine and spring wind tempted people out. Though spring festival were planed to the next weekend, there were already lots of families and friends going for a stroll. I remember, it wasn't so popular to enjoy natural flowers in the States, and find it interesting that Japanese love to celebrate a new season coming and that they are very sensitive to sattle change of nature. I'm not saying Japanese are more artistic than the other world, but such that the climate and life of living things are related from so long ago. Maybe that's great virtue of culture.

Opera is like...

I like classical music. I also like performance as ballet, play, and of course opera. First time I was interested in was my high school days, when a maniac music teacher always showed us opera DVD in his class. Before, as usual, I thought opera is sort of stuffed-shirt, incomplehensible art for the riches. But watching number of them, I realized many of those stories are really cheap! Mostly about murder caused by jealousy, adultery, or tale of lecherous load, etc.. actually a little difference from soap opera!(laughter) Since then, I got familiar with opera, taking history class of opera.
Though it's still quite expencive, I had chance to see real stage of "Othello" yesterday. It was one of program of "Tokyo Opera no mori" which Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa produces, for much more people can get in touch with opera, and get to know better. The stage itself was great except Mr. Ozawa was absent due to illness, actors (singers) were superb, modern direction using lights and dark effectively was provoking and impressive, music was nothing to say, overall performance was quite magnificent. But still, I couldn't help feeling funny at Otello, the naive, simple-minded general.

groovy night

groovy night
Originally uploaded by shoko.

My job is mainly office work, I walk inside a building around at most. So, how can you imagine I was so excited to have duty-trip to Ito, where my company has training center. It was training session that I gotta take part in, which aimed at remotivate first-year employee after experiencing gaps between images of this company and the "reality". Reviewing what I did in last week for looking back strength and weekness of myself was of course quite meaningful, but futhermore, it was good for me to have joyous reunion. The night was really fun with talking and drinking, you know, the next day was horrible....
Anyhow, I saw 78th Academy awards , recorded one today, and that reminded me the passion once I had for the industry of films. Someday, yeah, I'll get into another world of business....

Best wishes for the happiness!!

Wedding Cake
Originally uploaded by shoko.

Two of my college seminar have just got married. Since we all know both bride and groom, all of the members are invited to the after party held at bar-restaurant near Ochanomizu. In reflection of the couples' sociability (they are both quite active and outgoing), there were about 80 people including their friends and colleagues. It was the first time to join a wedding party, so I'd been busy in recent weekends in to look for neat dress to ware. Fortunately, I wasn't left out of glittering group of girls. (laughter) Afterwards, our group of univ. seminar moved to other place, and enjoyed drinking and talking about how each of us had been getting along since graduation. It's really interesting to hear of different industry, and various business field where my friends are working, that helps me keep openminded. At the same time, I had a full realization of the ages that I'm already old enough to get merried. Well, unfortunately, I have still nothing to inform. Sorry for let you down off. We'll see. Yeah, I hope so...

Coldness and Idleness

snow in city
Originally uploaded by shoko.

It's incredibly COLD this winter. The news of unexpected heavy snowfall get over all around Japan again and again, then finally come to my city, where warm emissions usually keep coldness off the area. As it gets freezy, it comes to me not to go a single step of home even in weekends,,, well, there's another reason, too. Recent my work is quite hard and I'm too exhausted to even open my powerbook!! (nor to go out!) Sorry that's why I haven't updated me so long. For any reason, drown in laziness sometimes takes an aim of daily life away from the mind. Probably doing something relaxes people rather than just resting at home all day long. I gotta find some activity which cultivates mental charms or something before becoming a cow.