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My cat came to see rice planting

2017.05.27

Cats

Finally, we finished rice planting the other day.
In Fukui, that day was a hot day with temperature exceeded 30 degrees for the first time
this year. Even so, it was one with low humidity and breezy in the afternoon, so I was able to do farm work without getting heatstroke.

 

I have two cats, which are male and female. I keep the female one “Miiko” indoor completely but the male “Gil” goes in and out of the house freely and he is busy hunting sparrows, mice, and lately geckoes.

 

At the rice planting, Gil was prowling around as always.
Then, he came over to me washing boxes of rice plants.
He seemed scared of a moving rice planting machine though, he was hanging around me
and took a short rest in the shade. Probably he felt secure as his family was nearby.

 

Perhaps because he was outside all the time that day, he was sleeping deeply when he came
home in the late afternoon :)

 


Gil is creeping along the shade…

 


He is keeping an eye out for around pricking up his tail in a nearby field.

 


Gil is coming this way. I guess he found a good place to hide.

 


And he has settled there for the moment.

 


It seems like he liked the grass. Cats are geniuses with finding cool place.

 


We use leftover rice plants to plant rice in corners which the rice planting machine
could not plant, or give to neighbors, or plant supplementary.

 


The rice fields where rice planting is completed.
The rice plants will grow on strong in a week.
Recently, it seems direct seeding has increased.
One day direct seeding may become mainstream.
(H.S)

Replica of Damborghini?

2017.05.25

Travel

Visiting Miyagi prefecture in early April, I was surprised at Lamborghini car parked near the place where "Damborghini" was displayed. The both cars were painted in the same color, deep pink, so the real car paradoxically looked like a replica of Damborghini, which was a fake Lamborghini Aventador made of cardboards.
T.S

 

SEAPAL-PIER ONAGAWA
SEAPAL-PIER ONAGAWA, recently rebuild shopping mall in Onagawa, Miyagi pref.

 

Damborghini
Damborghini, a fake Lamborghini made of cardboards

 

Lamborghini in deep pink
Real Lamborghini Aventador in th same color as Damborghini

Dokurakugin (Reciting Poetry for My Own Pleasure) by No.1 Scale of Cherry Blossom Tree in Asuwa River

2017.05.23

Places to visit

Did you go to see cherry blossoms this year?

In your city, are the cherry blossoms usually large or small?

Are there many of them planted there?

Are there streets lined with cherry trees?

As I mentioned in our previous blog that there is a long row of cherry blossoms trees by Asuwa River which flows through Fukui City, and it has about 600 trees and it’s 2.2km long.

It also has been designated as one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Sites.

This year, by Asuwa River there were about 120 lanterns hung on the strings tied between the cherry trees and it lasted almost 400 meters. Each lantern had washi (traditional handmade Japanese paper) with Dokurakugin (reciting poetry for my own pleasure) written on it. About the 390 students from Meirin junior high school and Koyo junior high school in Fukui City wrote those Dokurakugin and put the washi on lantern themselves.

Some of them said that “my own pleasure is to get excited talking about games with my brother when I go home”. And there’s another one said that “my pleasure is to get caught up in reading a book at night and fall asleep.”

 

There were some terrible people who destroyed some of the precious lanterns.

6 of the lanterns were damaged by some people.

It is terrible for anyone to do such a thing. They damaged not only the lanterns but they also greatly damaged the thoughts, time and effort of the people who organized this event and made it happen. The act with no caring and consideration about how it can influence others create nothing good.

 

The lanterns were fixed the next day, but they were destroyed again.

 

T.F

Traditional Kyoto town house-style izakaya in Fukui City “Kobu”

2017.05.22

Gourmet

I went to the izakaya “Kobu” as it was my friend’s recommendation.
“Kobu” has just opened last year in Katamachi, where is the busiest restaurant area
in Fukui City.

 

I opened the door, which was only a store curtain hung and I almost missed it though,
there was a narrow and deep hall way that can be seen at town houses in Kyoto.

 

The closer space is for the counter seats and there is a Japanese-style room at the back.
The interior is modern Japanese-style.
It is sophisticated but not too exclusive and they give family-like service so I felt comfortable.

 

As they have a lot of sake and wine, I recommend Kobu to enjoy meals with drinks
and have relaxing time with friends. (H.S)

 


The entrance (from their Facebook page)

 


Inside decoration

 


You can choose your favorite sake cup of these to drink sake.

 


Sake bottle made of tin. I’ve heard that the taste would become mellow.

 


The modern-looking ceiling

 


Steamed egg hotchpotch which was served as an appetizer.

 


Grillded local chicken

 

Kobu's Facebook page

 

Guinea pigs in Mt. Asuwa, Fukui City

2017.05.21

Places to visit

I went to see the guinea pigs in the small zoo in Mt.Asuwa after so long, and I found an expanded space newly built so that you can feed them there. You can feed greens which is in an attached box. They are kept with rabbits but almost only the guinea pigs came close.
They are cute.

 

T.S

 

 

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