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Snowy morning in the vicinity of Fukui Castle Ruins

2018.01.24

Since the weather report said it was going to be a heavy snow, I left a car at home this morning and went to work by train. So I walked from the Fukui station to the building of Bhutan Museum (here we have an office) through the side of Fukui Castle. Because of a surprisingly good weather, I felt like a comfortable morning walk. However after that the snow came again.
T.S

Snowy morning in Fukui begins with a scenery of snow shoveling. A camera person was shooting it.

Students walking on the frozen snowy road are used to walking on such a surface.

Some ducks floated in the moat.

The most recent change in the scenery of Fukui Castle's site is that this Yamazato-guchi-gomon gate was restored.

Pine trees are protected by ropes against snow in the central park. The dark part in the lower right is not a road but a pond.

Snow is also a great enemy for coin parking lots.

Handmade pouch present

2017.11.05

Life in Fukui

The other day I received a handmade pouch present from a friend of mine.
I am very happy when I get a handmade present.
She has been taken by handicraft recently and enjoys making various items.
The pouch looks easy to put things, so I think it’s good for travel.
For me, who is a cat-friendly person, the cloth is with a cat pattern.
I like the color too.

Well, what should I put in it?
Just thinking about it makes me fun.
She said that it was quite difficult to sew the cloth into the clasp but it was the beautiful finish.
I have done knitting for a little bit but I have not done handicrafts at all so I really admire her.
I would like to try handicrafts sometime. (H.S)

Inside cloth is good too.

The yellow one is for another friend.
The red one is for herself.

Beyond Koshihikari, new brand-name rice Ichihomare grown in Fukui finally unveiled

2017.10.23

Life in Fukui

This autumn, Ichihomare, new brand-name rice which Fukui Prefecture is proud of, was ready for harvest for the first time and its sales started on a trial basis. Then, I bought and tried it immediately.

When I look it cooked, it was glossy and shining. It isn’t need to wait for eating to know that it is delicious. Then at last, I had a taste nervously and I felt elastic first. Each grain was soft but firm and had a perfect gummy texture. Also, its delicious taste and sweetness were great.
I realized again that rice is such delicious. Actually, after I ate Ichihomare, I came to feel that even Koshihikari tasted like something is missing.

In fact, my family grows Koshihikari, but are we going to grow Ichihomare someday?
I am looking forward to it. (H.S)

Remarks : Ichi means the best, homare means honor.

Mike Mansfield Globe

2017.08.20

Life in Fukui

Fukui International Activities Plaza is located near Yokokan Garden,
where is well known as an excellent Japanese garden, is in Fukui City.
It is familiar facility to not only foreign citizens who live in Fukui but also the prefecture’s residents for the purpose of passport application and various events.
By the way, did you know that there is such a big globe directly inside the entrance?

The globe was donated by late Kei Wakaizumi in 1988, a Japanese scholar of international politics who negotiated with the United States for the reversion of Okinawa to Japan as a secret envoy of then prime minister Eisaku Sato.
He donated the globe in the hope of fostering dreams about the world and the earth
among young people. The globe was later named the Mike Mansfield Globe, Mr. Mike Mansfield, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, who visited Wakaizumi and the plaza. (H.S)

The Mike Mansfield Globe

You can spin the globe with the switch.

When you look closer the Japanese archipelago, you could find FUKUI and SABAE.
Although Wakaizumi was born in the present Echizen City, he lived in Sabae City in his later years.

Kei Wakaizumi when he was still alive. (photo kept at NHK)

At last, this year, “Kei Wakaizumi Honoring Assocaiton” was established by volunteers.
NHK Fukui reported on Wakaizumi and the association on June 27th.

Barbecue in the rainy season

2017.07.21

Life in Fukui

Now is the time when I can’t wait for the rainy season to be over.
By the way, I enjoyed a barbecue with friends the other day.

Usually, people enjoy barbecues in midsummer though, it also seems that the rainy season is good for barbecue because the weather is mostly cloudy, so it’s not too hot.

We had it on the left bank of Itagaki-bashi Bridge over Asuwa River in Fukui City.
There is no washing place, no toilet facility but there is a public toilet facility at the north end of the Itagaki-bashi Bridge.

We didn’t use the city’s equipment such as the tables or the hearths and did the barbecue under the Itagaki-bashi Bridge. Because it was the pathway of winds and comfortable,
we won’t be wet by a sudden rain and are able to avoid the sun if it’s sunny.

We shared food and desserts each one brought and could not stop talking with beer and wine. (H.S)

Making preparations on the table.