Japanese Valentine Day and White Day!

On Valentine's Day, it is said to be the day of the oath of the love of the man and woman, but, in Japan, hand chocolate to a man from a woman on (February 14) on Valentine's Day.

And on White Day, a man hands cookies and other sweets to a woman in return (March 14).

In the United States, it is said that a man gives a present to a woman on Valentine’s Day.

Poetry and the literature that parody a day and lovers of St. Valentine after the 14th to the 15th century with Valentine's Day, and were created are popular and seem to be after.

The custom of Japanese Valentine’s Day has various opinions, but it is said that it was a strategy of a cake maker proposed, advertising it.

There are various types of chocolate gifts such as justice chocolate to give to colleagues or the upper management persons for justice, friend chocolate to give to a girlfriend, the chocolate of the reward to oneself.

In addition, White day on March 14 is the day of the gift in return of Valentine's Day.

Persons who received chocolates at the Valentine’s Day return a cookie and a marshmallow, candy or others for revenge at the White Day.

A lot of men give back double at the White Day.

Therefore, it looks the day when it is a pleasure for women.

10th Tokyo marathon

Tokyo marathon is held on February 28.

It began in 2007 and, it is the 10^th in this year.

It is the big race that approximately 36,500 people run through Shinjuku, Ginza, and a famous place of Tokyo.

Lottery magnification becomes the news almost every year, and the state of the day of the race is broadcasted live on TV, too.

Various people enjoy it from elite runners to joggers.

Even if it says that it is Tokyo marathon, it will not be exaggeration to have pulled a running boom in Japan.

The concept the marathon is "The day when Tokyo is in one." .

Based on the concept, not only full marathon, 10km race and a wheelchair marathon but also the charity marathon is performed.

The marathon course is from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in Shinjuku, near the Imperial Palace, Ginza, Nihonbashi, Asakusa, Tsukiji, Tokyo Big Site and other places.

 

These are famous places in Tokyo.

It will be enjoyed while looking at the famous place.

Ekibentaikai (A station lunch festival) does well.

“Ekiben” (the station lunch) is a lunch for railway passengers sold to in a railroad station and a train, and it is said that the first “Ekiben” is the thing which wrapped two rice balls and pickled radish in a bamboo sheath at  Utsunomiya Station of Japan Railroad on July 16, 1885.

A method to purchase a “Ekiben” is to invite the vendor of the street hawker to the window neighborhood during a stop, and to purchase over a window was mainstream once, but currently, “Ekiben” can be bought by a kiosk because it is difficult to open the window of the train and other reasons.

 

There are many excellent products of each place put in “Ekiben” for side dish, and there is a characteristic by a district and a place. 

 

It was “Ekiben” (the station lunch) which we cannot buy when we do not go before, but a station lunch festival is held at a department store of each place and gather many kinds of station lunches of each place and sell them recently. 

 

Because taste of each place of each “Ekiben” can be enjoyed even if in Tokyo, many people gather and buy it at the station lunch festival of the department store.

 

The station lunch to eat while seeing scenery in a train is very delicious, but to eat station lunch of each place at home is also fun.

Let’s see Diamond FUJI!

Have you looked at diamond Fuji?

“Diamond Fuji” is called as "the diamond ring" in case of the total eclipse of the sun, because the sun looks beautiful like a diamond.

 

It can’t be seen all days and anywhere, and when is it the scene which is seen at the sunrise (rising diamond) in the range of western north and south less than 35 degrees and at sunset (sinking diamond) in the range of eastern north and south less than 35 degrees from the Fuji mountaintop from the autumn to the winter when conditions such as the weather were good twice a year.

 

In Mount Takao which many mountaineers near to the Tokyo downtown area visited, beautiful diamond Fuji can be seen for several days about the winter solstice. 

 

Recently, it seemed to be able to see it from the National Stadium ruins. 

 

In case of Tokyo area, it seem to be seen at sunset, because of the east side of Mount Fuji in the case of Tokyo.

 

I want to see a fantastic figure of such Mount Fuji.

Do you like strawberry? Let’s go to “Ichigogari”!

Do you know “Ichigogari” and Have you done it?

“Ichigogar (Strawberry hunting)” is to pick up strawberries by oneself at the strawberry farm and to eat them in the place.

 

“Ichigogari” can be done from December to around May that is the good season for strawberry growth.

 

Strawberries are cultivated at the plastic greenhouse and visitors enter in it to eat while taking the strawberry by oneself. 

 

The strawberry is fresh and is very juicy indulgently by eating in that place. 

 

It is one of the winter happy leisure and can enjoy in families and friends.

 

In Kanto area, “Ichigogari” can be done in Tochigi, Chiba, Shizuoka and others.

 

Some good points of “Ichigogari” to eat a delicious strawberry and to enjoy are;

 

Strawberries that a calyx warps, surface grains (kinds) float and is a diamond-shaped should be chosen. 

 

And the morning in around January to the middle of February is the best time to “Ichigogari”.

 

Let’s enjoy “Ichigogari” by eating good strawberries that Vitamin C is plentiful.

Plum Tree and Mito Kairakuen

It is the season of flower of the plum tree.

Kairaku-en Garden in Mito City of Ibaragi Prefecture is the famous place of the plum tree.

 

Prince Mito feudal clan ninth charges feudal lord Nariaki Tokugawa established Kairaku-en Garden as "the place that enjoyed a large number of people” in Mito-shi, Ibaraki in 1842.

Kairakuen was appointed in the historic spot of the country and the natural beauty spot and have been counted in one of three famous Japan garden along with Koraku-en Garden of Okayama-shi and Kenroku-en Garden of Kanazawa-shi..

The plum of 3,000 approximately 100 kinds is planted in Kairaku-en Garden, and plum Festival of Mito is started in the end of February every year in the end of March.

The plum Festival of Mito is full of a large number of tourists, and many kinds of entertainments including a night plum festival and the tea party to light up a plum using candlelight are performed.

 

There was the news that the flower of the plum flowered in January for a mild winter of the beginning of this year, and a plum flowers seem to begin to bloom even in Kairaku-en Garden now.

How old were you 30years ago? 30th anniversary of Dragon Quest!

The Dragon Quest series was announced with the 30th anniversary the other day by release. The first item was released in 1986, and the total shipment number of package games seems to come up in more than 64 million of them (27 works).

At first, “Dragon Quest” was released for the family Computer, and then, the series were released for many kinds of equipment such as Super Nintendo, Play Station2, Nintendo DS, Wii and others.

A lot of spin-off work and extra with the genre except the RPG was made, too and serializes most.

"Dragon Quest" to invite the birth 30th anniversary to from a release start of 1986 in this year.

As for one year to celebrate the 30th anniversary, new "Dragon Quest" that has not seen is announced one after another; is right one year of the adventure!

It seems to be one year to must keep an eye on it to a game enthusiast.

 

Do you know the picture-story show?

Kamishibai (Picture-story show) is a playing performance that a performer talks the story by showing a picture for children mainly.

The performer prepares the picture of ten several pieces along the outline from several pieces drawn along a script, and puts it on top of one another, and he/she talks about an outline and lines to the audience from the first piece sequentially while showing it.

Kamishibai can be excited by united between the performer and the audience and by talking with all feelings directly.

Children are drawn into a story while hearing a story.

An old picture-story show, the performer sold cheap candies such as the starch syrup carrying the tool of the picture-story show to a bicycle in a Shinto shrine and a park, and children saw a picture-story show while eating it.

Currently, Kindergartners make a picture-story show and talk about a story to children.

You should be able to look at the picture-story show somewhere.

Let’s try to eat Ehoumaki!

February 3^rd is “Setsubun” that it is traditional end of winter.

The traditional end of winter is the day before of the beginning of spring in one of the miscellaneous seasonal day on the day of the opening of each season.

It is thought that malarial air occurs at the turning point of the season and sprinkles parched beans (boiling dry soybean) while generally speaking saying "ONIWASOTO FUKUWAUCHI (outside as for the inner ogre as for the fortune)", and only the number of age performs a good luck charm eating a bean (or there is much one).

Recently, the rolled sushi called “Ehoumaki (lucky direction winding)" is eaten towards the direction that decided good luck gets.

It is said that the number of ingredients has basically good seven kinds that is associated with Japanese old lucky God "Seven Deities of Good Luck" state.

In addition, "a cucumber" of the ingredients is assumed as blue ogre, "Sakura Denbu of pink materials” is assumed as a red ogre, and an ogre can be exterminated by eating it.

Additionally, it is said that good luck can be get by eating it in silence while the lucky direction of the year.

Lucky direction changes every year, and it is in the direction of the south-southeast in 2016.

Please try to eat Ehoumaki and get lucky!