Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Kumori

Just love it, the darker the better :).

You have bajillion photos but don't know which to post today. Does it happen to you, too? I'm back with not so appealing photos from the street in front of my apaato. I was heading to an Indian restaurant, when got caught by rain. I liked it, unfortunately my camera didn't.
Hiro San: Ame no naka ni utatteiru (I'm singing in the rain...)
Yuri San: Ee, Jamie Cullum? (Jamie Cullum?)
* Kumori=cloudy, about to rain.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

O namae wa?

He kept staring at me. What's so special? :)
Each person can only register one seal to avoid fraud things.  Starting as lowest as 100Yen to the most expensive one, it depends on the quality.

Yesterday while wandering the area behind my apaato I saw this little shop selling all seal stuff. Inkan or signature seal is a personal seal used in place of signature. There are registered seals (jitsuin) for official document purpose and private seals (mitomein). Is it interesting to have our own stamp-seal like those Japanese, Korean and Chinese people do?. 
Yuri San : O namae wa? (What's your name?)
Hiro San: Hiro desu (Hiro)

Monday, April 27, 2009

Treasure Hunt

This lid is about 50cm diameter, fits one man. It is for dirty water pipe hole.

For covering drinking water valve.

Looking down on the street, I found many steel lids covering holes that may compete the numbers of vending machines around the town. Don't stop your car on this orange lid, something electrifying is happening beneath.
In the middle of the lid is city emblem of Higashi Hiroshima. According to the city website, the characters of bird-like shape are equivalent to the “Hi’s” in Higashihiroshima and represent a Japanese alpahbet "Hi". This expresses the hope of the academic city, surrounded by greenery, for Higashihiroshima City’s unlimited flight and development.

Yuri San : Koko de tomatte mo ii? (Can we stop here?)
Hiro San : Abunai desyoo (It's dangerous)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Hanami at Kagamiyama Park

What a great time they had.

An intimate escape.

While others were speaking loudly, these people spending their time in silence using sign language.



The latest version of Mozilla Firefox vs Google Chrome. What do you think?
I now have them both installed in my PC. I'm happy to have me back again, hope it will last :).
Last week was like Hansel and Gretel missing some of their breadcrumbs, I lost track of some favorite daily photos I follow.
How are you all? Wish you a nice weekend and have some beautiful shots.
There's no more Sakura left, but I can't resist the feeling to upload my Sakura and Hanami shots. Hope you like them. They were taken at Kagamiyama Koen (Park) on April 12.

Hiro San: O hisashiburi, o genki desuka? (Long time no see, how are you?)
Yuri San : Haik, genki desu (Yes, I'm fine)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Otsukaresama desuta...

And the winner is....

A show performed by one of the sake house employees.

Not only adults, children also took part performing a drama of sake making.

Sake brands from some region in Japan. From left top clockwise, Shikoku Kyushu region, Chugoku region ( Hiroshima area), Kinki region and Chubu region.

For your sake and green tea.

Sake barrels in front of a house.
The last post of sake houses, today I also uploaded some photos of sake festival in October 08.
I'm sorry I wasn't around for five days, have some trouble with Mozilla Firefox and Blogspot everytime I try to click links, it shut off.
Yuri San: Otsukaresama desuta (Finally, we're done)
Hiro San: Otsukaresama desuta. Ja ne (Finally. See you later)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Pure

Get the brochures for free.
Next to the Kamoizumi, another sake house with a display room. When I went there, it's open, yet closed :).
The man is carrying a basket of pure rice.

Pure water and pure rice are the two ingredients that make Saijo sake as one of the best.
Actually, Saijo's very best water is concentrated in a very narrow strip of land. That's why most of the area of sake breweries were established in a very small section of Saijo.

Right across the house I posted yesterday, our today sake house is Kamoizumi. On the top of the house is an ornament which is usually found hanging on the front.
For more information, here's the link and you can enjoy more photos by H.Orihashi whose collection is really awesome. I envy him so much...

Yuri San: Shasin o torimasuka? (You take pictures?)
Hiro San: Haik, sumi desu (Yes, it's my hobby)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

No trespassing!

The door for employees to enter the house.
Ignore the empty pet bottles :). This is at the back of the house. My guess again, the door is closed permanently.
It's not open for public during normal days. There's a schedule available at the Communication Corner if you want to visit these places, and they will provide you with a guide to take the tour. But the best time to come is of course when the festivals.
This is probably the biggest sake house in town. It is situated between two streets.
Yuri San: Ookii desu ne (It's so big)
Hiro San: Yahari sake ga ippai desuyo! (Must be a lot of sake in there)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Breaking News

Just last night I read an article on the NG magazine about the Taqwa Community Farm in NY city that raises chickens to feed the community. Now I've got my own chicken, the zombie one!
Thank you, Joo . Feel like Winslet at the Oscar evening :). I'm curious, what kind of AMPAS is behind Zombie Chicken Award?

It's time to spread a little happiness to everyone and the chicken to Brattcat, Julie, Kaori, Tom and Emma and Sniffles and Smiles.

Because according to 'official' rules:
'The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken -- excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers'.

So, Guys, it's not gonna be easy...

Irasshai mase...


You can buy sake in a ceramics container or in a wine-bottle-like.
Sakagura Yokocho, is the first sake house when you enter the area from the station.
Yuri San: Irasshai mase (Welcome, how can I help you?)
Hiro San: Ano, sake onegaisi masu (I'd like to buy some sake)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Kirei




The same house I posted yesterday. I love the details in every traditional house in Saijo. It's either a place of worship or a museum. Perhaps it's only open during the sake festival. I couldn't enter as you can see there's a barrier on the stairs up to the house..
* Kirei = beautiful

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Doko desuka?

A traditional house in old part of Saijo not far from Saijo Station. In this area we can find many sake production houses, and it is one of must see places in the town.
This photo was taken two weeks ago, the weather was cloudy, but the lights were good for taking pictures. I was trying to take a different POV, this was the best I could find without having any unwanted background but the sky.
For pp, added warmify effect .
Hiro San: Koko wa doko desuka? (Where is this?)
Yuri San: Saijo, sake no machi desu (Saijo, the sake town)

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Seems like my photo blog is in a mess. Random picture pops up everyday.
From now on, I'm going to upload photos in certain categories. Thanks to Christopher for the idea.
This is the first post of Sake Photo Series. Taken last week, it is a gate of a Sake house.
Happy weekend every body, I'm waiting for your recent photos.

Well Matched 2

I missed yesterday post. Not that I went back to the City Hall to take this pic :). It's already in my file. I should have post this first before.
Hope this can answer your curiousity. Vending machine is at the right one, and the other is where you throw the empty can or pet bottle away through the hole.
Yuri San: Koko gomi wa, dame yo (Don't put your garbage -can- here)
Hiro San: Ah, wasureta, gomen ne (Oh, I forgot, sorry)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Well Matched

A photo taken at Saijo City Hall during winter.
Hiro San : Kono furui totemono wa nan desu ka? (What (old) building is this?)
Yuri San : Kore wa Shiyakusho desu ( This is City Hall)

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

A room with a view

As a leading sake town, it's easily to see chimneys like this. It is a symbol of a sake house.
This photo was taken from my window apaato.
Hiro San : Kanpai!
Yuri San : Kanpai!
* Kanpai = A toast, the Japanese equivalent for 'Cheers!' (Sometimes spelled incorrectly as kampai, due to the difficulty some people have with pronouncing the 'n' sound next to a hard consonant.) From the Anime Encyclopedia.

Monday, April 6, 2009

JiJi Biyoin

Typical beauty salon for young people in downtown Saijo.
Cut, 4200 Yen
Peni, 8400 Yen
Color, 8925 Yen
Discount for Students :).
Hiro San : Kami o kirimasu ka? (Want to have your hair cut?)
Yuri San : Ano, mijikakute kudasai ( Mmm, make it short, please)
* Biyoin = beauty salon

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Sleepy Sunday

After rained all day yesterday, today's weather was totally warm made you feel so sleepy like this small restaurant. Already 1pm, it was still half opened. Another place found not far from Saijo Eki. How do you like the curtain? Care to have one? Wish your weekend was going well.
Hiro San : Kyo wa nani o shimasu ka? (What are you doing today?)
Yuri San : Arimasen, nemui desu ne... ( nothing, so sleepy...)

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Ma ma desu...

Another burnt out Sakura photo, sorry... I just love the bench with garbage can and the red signs.

Don't forget Onigiri, rice ball.....
Care to try your own rice ball? I'll show you how to make it one day.....


Usually there's no Hanami without Yakiniku or at least having lunch under the Sakura trees :). It is a bbq party a la Japanese people.

Hanami today took place on the hill. I'm sorry the house in the background is blurred.

It seemed that the plan to Sakura sightseeing was not going very well, raining all day. I had to struggle with camera in my right hand and umbrella in the other hand :). Just hope the camera is okey since it got quite wet because of rain. Well, that's my excuse for not getting some good photos, haha....I did post processing, of course. Why it is always burnt out? Oh, from what I read last night, it's called white clipped.....
Hiro San : Hanami wa doo desu ka? (how was the hanami?)
Yuri San : Ma ma desu (it's just okey)

Friday, April 3, 2009

Wakaranai...

Seen from different pov.
Why do you think there's an umbrella over that lampion? To protect it from rain?
Ah, wakaranai...
* wakaranai = I don't know :)
A big lampion hung over in the old market not far from Hiroshima Station.
I went too far from Saijo again. See you back home.
Happy weekend everyone...