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Happiness Festival 2018

Hapiness Festival 2018 panphlet

Happiness Festival 2018 was held at Phoenix Plaza in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture

on October 6th, 2018. Five groups participated in the event and the visitors enjoyed

their performances. It was held by Japan Rotary club.

 

 

Fukui Kids Chorus Family
Fukui Kids Chorus Fmily

First group, “Fukui Kids Chorus Family” sang songs which made everyone smile.
The members of this group are from 0-year-old to 30 years old. The group looked like

a big family. The older ones helped younger ones and the younger ones seemed to be comfortable being on the stage with them without crying or anything.

 

 

Golden Age

Golden Age

Second group, “Golden Age” is a singing group that its members are older than 60 years old.
This was such a large group that as they started singing, it looked and sounded very powerful.

 

 

Wada Hachiman-gu Fujin Taiko
Wada Hachiman-gu Fujin Taiko
Wada Hachiman-gu Fujin Taiko
Wada Hachiman-gu Fujin Taiko

Third one was “Wada Hachiman-gu Fujin Taiko”. 27 members are in the group and

the 10 of them performed that day. They appeared on the stage and stood confidently.

All of them had solemn look on their faces. Their powerful performance kept giving me

goose bumps.

 

 

Kimuyanト
Kimuyan
Kimuyan

Fourth one was Kimuyan who has appeared in some of our videos.

Everyone at the concert listened attentively to his amazing guitar works.

Every time I listen to Kimuyan playing the guitar, I always forget that

he can’t hear anything. That’s how he plays the guitar naturally and skillfully.

 

 

Dixie Happiness
Dixie Happiness
Dixie Happiness

The last group was “Dixie Happiness” which is a Dixieland jazz group.

The audiences enjoyed their uplifting music and some of them moved along with the music.

 

 

Music events are enjoyable for everyone from infants to elderly with any culture background, and with or without disabilities. If you have a chance to visit music events, enjoy it

with your friends and families, or make new friends at the events.

 

T.F

Scrap art

2018.10.12

Arts and crafts

 

I watched a topic of cute souvenirs given away for free at the badminton venue of Fukui National Sports Festival on TV news yesterday. They are small dolls of the event's official mascot "Hapiryu" made by Katsuyama citizens using waste shuttlecocks which are generated in large numbers in badminton competitions. Those also are scrap arts, aren't they?

 

Works using things treated as garbage such as discarded mechanical parts or driftwood, have unique textures. And, I'm attracted to the artists' imagination more than anything else.

 

The photo above shows works of a Japanese paper craft artist Kozue Kato, who lives in Fukui City. They are displayed in the exhibition held at Fukui Kougeisha Craft Gallery until October 15th. Their legs are waste materials of an eyeglasses factory, and the bodies are fallen chestnut burs in a park. Japanese paper is used for the eyeballs and head ornaments.
T.S

Special exhibition "Turmoil at the end of Edo Period, and Fukui" at Fukui Prefectural Museum of Cultural History

I saw the special exhibition at Fukui Prefectural Museum of Cultural History the other day.

 

 

This exhibition includes two valuable items which are shown for the first time. One is an original letter of Ryoma Sakamoto with written seal mark. And another is a kimono with family crest of Sanai Hashimoto.

 

The Ryoma's letter informed Ujihisa Murata, a retainer of Fukui Domain, that Ryoma would go to Kanto area with retainers of Satsuma Domain. The Ryoma's original letter with written seal mark is the only one in the nation, which is very precious.

 

On the other hand, the kimono of Sanai Hashimoto, whose mother Umeo had kept it as Sanai's belonging. The outer material is black silk and the lining is indigo-dyed.
The indigo looks bright even now, and I felt like I witnessed Sanai was really young.
*Sanai was executed at the age of 25.

 

In addition, a hanging scroll of "Keihatsuroku", which Sanai had written himself (from the Museum of Imperial Collections) was displayed. His handwriting was well-organized
and I could tell that he was so smart.

 

Other than these, the letters and historical materials of Shungaku Matsudaira, Kimimasa Yuri, Shonan Yokoi, Ryoma Sakamoto and Takamori Saigo were displayed, which were worth seeing. (H.S)

Autumn Leaves in Kyoto -Tofukuji Temple-

2018.10.10

Places to visit

The season for autumn leaves is finally starting, and it is one of the highlights of autumn in Japan. Especially in Kyoto, many visitors enjoy watching Japanese scenery which has old temples, shrines or traditional Japanese gardens, and the beautiful autumn leaves together.

 

Today, I would like to introduce some of the amazing spots for enjoying autumn leaves in Kyoto.

 

 

This is the video of 4K KAWATE “2017 Autumn Leaves in Kyoto TOFUKUJI [4K]”. Tofukuji Temple has such stunning autumn leaves that it has been listed third in a popularity ranking of autumn leaves spot in Kyoto. Especially, Tsutenkyo-bridge is as known as the best spot to view the autumn leaves there.

 

As you can see in the video that there are many visitors at Tofukuji Temple, so make sure to have enough time and patience to enjoy it.

 

 

Let’s take a look at top 5 popular autumn leaves spots in Kyoto for this year (2018).

*The ranking result is based on the numbers of searches done for each autumn leave spot in the website,

Autumn Leaves info. 2018 and popularity raking of Kyoto, researched by Jorudan Co., Ltd

(*only available in Japanese) from July 1st, 2017~December 31st, 2017

 

 

1.Kodaiji Temple

Peak: The middle of October ~the beginning of December

*Kodaiji Temple is the most popular spot for viewing the autumn leaves in Kyoto and visitors can enjoy the illuminated garden, the area around it and autumn leaves together.

 

2.Tofukuji Temple

Peak: The middle of November ~ the beginning of December

*It is said that the view of autumn leaves from Tsutenkyo-bridge is the best one at Tofukuji Temple.

 

3.Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

Peak: The middle of November~the beginning of December

*Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is covered by about 350 of the blazing yellow and red colors of maple leaves during the season of the autumn leaves. At night, visitors can enjoy the illuminated colorful maple leaves and bamboo forest.

 

4.Eikando Temple

Peak: The middle of November~the beginning of December

*Eikando is called “Eikando of Momiji” in an affectionate way. The reflection of orange and yellow autumn leaves, and the hall of Eikando on the pond are amazing.

 

5.Rurikoin Temple

Peak: October 1st~December 10th

*It is stunning to see the garden of Rurikoin Temple, covered with the autumn leaves which looks like a painting.

 

In Kyoto, visitors can enjoy viewing autumn leaves, shrine or temples at the same time.

I’m sure that it lets the visitors feel Japan and the nature.

 

T.F

Clouds like drift ice

2018.10.05

Random thoughts

 

What the photo above looks like? I thoght it was like a sea covered with drift ice.

 

 

Actually, they are the clouds floating in the sky. We have various names of clouds depending on their shape, but what should I call this one?

 

 

This cloud appeared on last Tuesday when the weather was good. It looks like a huge column standing.
The clouds themselves are just water drops, so after all the shape of the clouds seems to be the shape of the air reflecting the physical condition of the air ... humidity, density, temperature ...
It is fascinating that the air draws various shapes like this. And I am not tired of seeing clouds in the sky, like the flame of bonfires.
T.S

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