I was not able to focus precisely on ladies' tresses flower with a smartphone.
Of course, Starland Sakadani is famous for sunflower fields at this time, but yesterday I was also attracted to the ladies' tresses blooming all over the grass yard.
Unlike sunflowers, this flower is treated as weeds, but it also tells steadily of the arrival of summer.
It's attractive to watch carefully the adorable color and its geometric spiral shape.
Incidentally, in Japanese, this flower is called "Nejibana" (spiral flower).
T.S
Starland Sakadani in full view
A lot of ladies' tresses were in bloom in the central square.
At the bottom of the photo is a sunflower field.
“Keihatsuroku” is a guideline for Sanai’s own life consisting of five clauses below.
It still has been read by people as a teaching which can be adapted even today.
1.Stop being childish and dependent
2.Feel motivated
3.Set a goal
4.Learn from excellent persons
5.Value good friends
I referred to the book by Yoh Ishikawa for this blog
Sanai Hashimoto, who was born in Fukui City, went to Osaka when he was 15 years old, studied Western medical science under Koan Ogata at Tekijuku. At the Tekijuku, although it is not known since when, a rumor that Sanai goes somewhere in the middle of the night had spread. Some even said that he might have seduced by somebody. But, in fact, he was examining poor sick people who lived under Tenma Bridge.
Sanai wrote with a strong determination from his soul in the “Keihatsuroku” when he was 15 years old. He read the “Keihatsuroku” again just before he was executed at the age of 25, he added “No need to correct even a single word” in it. And, 18 years after that, when Takamori Saigo died in war at Shiroyama, he had a letter from Sanai.
[Sanai’s death poem]
I greatly regret because I was unable to prove my lord’s innocence.
When I lie down in prison, I am sad and my heart aches.
When I raise my head, I get lost in thought.
Last night, we had the first frost of the season in Edo.
Who knows my heart would never fade?
Just as Sanai was about to be executed, he sobbed. It was not because he was sad or scared, but he regretted as he could not see how Fukui and Japan would be and could not help any more.
Such 25 year-old knowledgeable and brightest young person had to make a death poem should not be allowed to happen again. If Sanai had saved from execution and acted as a young leader, the history of Fukui and Japan might have been different. I should not forget that an outstanding figure Sanai Hashimoto lived in Fukui and his way of living. (H.S)
Here is our new video about Sanai Hashimoto “Visiting the places associated with Sanai Hashimoto, a brilliant person at the end of Edo Period”.
This video is a digest version of the 12th Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display which was held on August 15th, 2017. Please enjoy.
＊The ranking result of the Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display is from 2017.
There are several amazing traditional events during summer time in Japan such as summer festivals, fireworks display, traditional dance parties, etc.
Today, I would like to introduce one of the Japanese traditional summer events, fireworks display. Let’s see the top 3 firework displays in Fukui Prefecture for this year (2018).
＊The ranking result is based on the numbers of searches done for each fireworks display in the website,Fireworks display (*only available in Japanese) from May 1st~December 31st, 2017.
1 Wakasa Oi no Super Ogase (Ogase=big torch)
Scheduled date and time: August 4th, 2018, from 19:00~21:00
*From 12:00, there will be performances of characters (characters of animated cartoons on TV, or those of squadron series, etc) held, various local food stands will be scattered throughout in the venue.
3 reasons why you should visit Wakasa Oi no Super Ogase (Ogase=big torch)
1. It is very impressive to see about 70 young men carry, push and turn the burning Ogase (big torch) around by the ocean. The big torch is 20 meters (about 66 feet) tall and 1 ton. As the fire on the big torch begins to fade, they push it into the ocean.
2. In only 30 minutes without any break, they shoot 10,000 fireworks on the sea and around it.
3. The performance of “drum of flame” (Oi blaze) is powerful and entertaining.
2 Toro nagashi (sending off the spirits of the dead on lanterns floated on the waters of sea) and Tsuruga fireworks display
Scheduled date and time: August 16th, 2018, from 19:30~21:30
＊Toro nagashi starts from 18：30～
Venue: The beach by Kehi no Matsubara (Pine Tree Park)
Location: Matsushima-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture
*By bus: Take the Matsubara-sen line Commnunity Bus from JR Tsuruga Station to Kehi no Matsubara Bus Stop (Approximately 12 minutes)
*By bus: Take the Tsuruga Excursion Line Bus from JR Tsuruga Station to Matsubara Coast Bus Stop (Approximately 15 minutes)
4 reasons why you should visit Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display
1. The location of the fireworks display is great. Since the location to see the fireworks is extended over a large area, so the festival-goers can see it from several places such as the riverside, bridges, streets, mountains, etc.
2. Because there are several places to see the fireworks from, the crowd does not concentrate in one or two places. Overcrowding isn’t a problem, they can enjoy it comfortably.
3. The venue and the places around it are very close to Takefu train stations (there are JR Takefu station and Echizen Railway’s Echizen Takefu station.)
4. The venue is surrounded by mountains so the sounds of the fireworks echoes in Echizen City. The sound of the Echizen fireworks is one of the highlights.
I saw Echizen City Summer Festival Fireworks Display last year, so I would like to see a different one this year. I am planning to go see it in Wakasa or Tsuruga.
If you have a chance to visit Fukui during summer time, how about enjoying the fireworks display as well?
I have been joining Kanaz Forest of Creation pottery class for last several years, and there is a class of July this week. Although it is 'class', they allow me to do as I like because I'm an experienced member.
So recently I do pottery without knowing what I can finally make.
Like improvisations? No, I guess that is just a child playing with clay.
It costs 22,000 yen per year, and a total of 10 classes are held for 2 consecutive days once a month (closed in August and January). Besides that, members can use the studio for free at any time and so it seems some of the members go there almost every day.
When I came back to Fukui I also felt about the use fee of the tennis court, it is a pleasing point that adults do not need to spend much money on their playing compared to urban areas.
T.S
Typhoon Prapiroon occurred and it was the 7th typhoon this year. On average, there are about 26 typhoons occur every year, and about 4 of them strike Japan. (The average numbers were calculated from the typhoon record of 2011-2017)
From July to October, it is the typhoon season in Japan. There are 3 major damages caused by typhoon which are wind damage (including storm, salt damage, fire caused by a foehn-like hot and dry summer wind blowing and tornado, etc.), damage from heavy rain (including land slide and flood) and wave damage like tidal waves. We must be very careful with these damages.
The numbers of the typhoon which occurred in the world / landed in Japan from 2011 to 2016.
Year
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
Numbers
of typhoons
27
26
27
23
31
25
21
Typhoons landed in Japan
4
6
4
4
2
2
3
On average, the numbers of the typhoon which occurred in the world from 2011 to 2016 (monthly).
This is the video of Asuwa River which I took last year (2017).
You can see that the river level increased within 20 hours in Asuwa River in Fukui City.
The 21st typhoon of 2017 occurred, and it had struck Fukui from October 21st to 23rd, 2017.
On October 22nd, as I was walking outside (I didn’t want to go outside but I needed to, for the voting and taking care of a few things), I saw every tree in the city was swayed by the strong wind making so much noise, some parts of houses and/or buildings were destroyed and they flew in the air, and the rain was very heavy. It was terrifying to walk in the town that day.
Because of the heavy rain from the 21st typhoon, the Asuwa River which flows through Fukui City was risen. The path by the river which usually has people jogging and biking was covered with water. Luckily, the water did not go above the bridge, so Fukui City was not flooded.
After the typhoon was gone, as I was walking in Fukui City in the morning on Oct. 24th, I saw so many leaves, tinplates of houses and/or buildings and broken flower pots on the street.
Please stay safe when a typhoon strikes where you live.
