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Invitation to string octet

I went to a concert of string ensemble at Fukui Prefectural Concert Hall.
It was planned by four string players from Fukui, and they invited
Japan String Quartet (JSQ), which was representative string quartet in Japan,
for joint performance.

 

The members of JSQ includes Yoko Kubo, who is an internationally acclaimed
violinist and Junji Suganuma, who was a first desk of violist in NHK orchestra.
All the members remain in classic music history after the war in Japan.
And it seems that the four players from Fukui reaped big reward that they couldn’t learn
by private lessons.

 

In the concert, the string quartet by the four players from Fukui played and then the string octet played harmoniously by all the members. The members of JSQ are elderly
but they showed us that however old you become, you can continue music activity
and you even become skillful.

 

A violinist of JSQ dropped the score and they restarted.
In an encore, they played the piece again, saying “The score was dropped
and we will play again the piece.”
That was classy, calm, elegant and so nice.

 

I had not been familiar with string but I felt coming of spring by the tones of
string. And it was like gentle breeze blowing across the field and luxurious time with
the beautiful clear tones.

 

In fact, Fukui Prefecture promotes artistic education and they found string clubs
in designated elementary school. The player who planned this concert teach the students.
It is such wonderful environment, isn’t it? A teacher of one of the schools came to the concert, and she said “It is pretty good that we can hear sound of string after school.”
That’s for sure, and it’s elegant, isn’t it? (H.S)

 


From The Fukui Shimbun(newspaper)

 


From Facebook page of the Fukui Prefectural Concert Hall  

"Power Spot" in Yamanashi, Japan -Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine- Part-3

2017.02.24

Charms of Japan

This shrine allays volcanoes of Mt. Fuji, gives good luck for better fortune,

safe delivery for babies, pregnancy, business, fire prevention, raising child,

beautiful appearance, money and so on.

 

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine is well known as a "power spot"

(power spot means spiritual place in Japanese) where has good energy.

It is especially popular among women.

A goddess of beauty, Konohana sakuya-hime no mikoto (tree blossom blooming princess)

has been enshrined as a main god of this shrine. Women visits this shrine to receive

her good luck and/or energy.

 

If you have a chance, how about visiting Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine

and receive good luck?

 

T.F

 

Official Website (English) : Kitaguchihongu Fuji Sengen Jinja

ホームページ(日本語): 北口本宮富士浅間神社

Kotori Kawashima / Solo Exhibition

2017.02.21

Arts and crafts

川島小鳥展 境界線で遊ぶ

I went to see the photo exhibition of Kotori Kawashima, “Play on the Borderline” which is currently being held at Kanazu Forest of Creation in Fukui.

 

I am intrigued by the photography as media with “direct eyes” in which the people who see the photographs can feel what the photographer saw and felt.

 

川島小鳥展 境界線で遊ぶ

This coming Saturday, February 26th, Kotori Kawashima will hold a panel discussion and a workshop. I would like to hear the words from a photographer.

 

おやすみ神たち(部分)

Speaking of hearing the words from someone, the first part of a poem of Shuntaro Tanikawa was exhibited in the venue with a photograph and those words stuck with me.

T.S

 

Easy self-scalp care with camellia oil

2017.02.19

Beauty and health

Having scalp care or head massage treatment at beauty salons are so comfortable,
aren’t they? It really is a blissful time.
But if you are too busy to go or think it costs money,
you can do by yourself with camellia oil.

 

[How to]
Pour one or two teaspoons of the camellia oil into your hand
Apply it evenly and gently to your dry scalp with balls of your fingers
before shampoo
Conscious of the scalp and not hair

Steep for five minutes
(I cover hair with a shower cap and soak in the bathtub in that time)

Rinse hair and scalp thoroughly with warm water

Shampoo your scalp well
(If you don’t feel refreshed yet, you can shampoo once more)

Dry your hair with a drier
(You should dry from roots to tips like like you blow down)
(If you upward from below, your hair gets dry and spread)

 

Scalp gets dirty easily and you cannot wash away with only shampoo.
Camellia oil is genltle, which contains the same constituent as skin oil,
mild and above dirts naturally. Camellia oil contains much olein acid than
olive oil, so benefits can be expected on your scalp and hair.
For the care, once a week is enough.
A bottle of the camellia oil is about 1,000 yen level and you can use it several times.

 

It is said that scalp and your face skin is single skin.
If you care your scalp well, you can lift your face up also. (H.S)

 

Winter Scenery in Fukui, Japan #2 -Heavy Snowfall in Fukui / Beginning-

2017.02.18

Life in Fukui

As people from Fukui were saying that we didn't have much snow this winter,

heavy snowfall started around February 10th for a few days.

The video was taken from around the noon until the evening of February 10th,

beginning of the heavy snowfall.

The frosty trees, traffic lights and headlights were beautiful in the evening.


The next day, the entire city was covered in snow.

Most of the snow in the center of Fukui city was cleared, but some parts were not.

The parts with so much snow, cars and pedestrians had hard time walking through the areas.

 

T.F

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