An urge to gather

A cold cloudy weather this morning, but it didn't stop those farmers from gathering, perhaps discussing about rice price today or what to do with their large field during winter. The harvest season was over at the end of summer. Here in Japan rice field only being planted once a year during summer makes its unproductive period lasts longer despite the fact they make good use of technology. That's what I see in Saijo and its neighboring villages. The three-day holiday is over today. Happy weekdays, everyone.

How old can it go?

Would be nice to ride this one around the town :).

Have you had dinner tonight?

An old-fashioned small restaurant, squeezed between other old small shops which sometimes makes me wonder if there's someone cares enough to take a look inside. Only a few meters away from the last stop at Hiroshima Station. What a tough week, anyway, happy weekend everyone.

2010 Wishes

How are you? I hope all is well, with no one's suffering from flu :). I'm back again with pictures of new year praying or Hatsumoude on Monday, Jan 4.

Omikuji, おみくじ, are random fortunes written on strips of paper at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. After one reads his omikuji, it is then tied on the rope. In new year season like this, when there are so many visitors, you can see Omikuji is put at any possible place like in the collage photo above.

A woman buys Hamaya, demon-breaking arrow to ward off misfortune and to attract good luck.

No annual events and festivals without food seller. Care for yakisoba (fried noodles) everyone?

Oh, let me see.....this year you're going to travel a lot and get a new lens. Just don't forget to save more money.

Hiroshima Castle

Hiroshima Castle was established in 1589 century by Mori Terumoto, a governor of nine provinces that today comprise Hiroshima, Shimane, Yamaguchi, and part of Tottori and Okayama prefectures. It is also called "Carp Castle" since the area where the castle was built was then called Koi-no-ura (Koi Sea Shore). Koi means carp in Japanese.

The original castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb blast on August 6th 1945, which its epicenter was less than a kilometer from the castle. The present tower was reconstructed in 1958 and is now used to exhibits historic artifacts. Unfortunately, no cameras are allowed in the castle except on the 1st and 5th floor which serves as observation platform.

As seen in the first photo, the castle is surrounded by moat whose original purpose was to prevent from enemies' attacks, now from high rise apartments and mansions.

For a complete cyber tour, please visit http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/44-Hiroshima-Castle

Just like this

There's never enough snow in Saijo. Like today, it only lasted 3 hours.

Today's Story

A sunny day in Hiroshima city, there was a food festival in the area near the Hiroshima Castle which was ended today, the last day of new year holiday.
I bought my first obanyaki in 2010 :)

And this is what I saw at the temple, I think it's a special day where people visited the place to do some rituals.
Salary men from offices nearby came in flocks to join a processions (I didn't see 'salary women'),
perhaps praying for a better life in 2010.

One Fine Morning

Apart from headache effect, foggy morning is a thing that I always looking forward to. 20 minutes biking to the outskirt of the town.

What's left from autumn

A photo I took during autumn at a park near my place, among very few shots, some even lost when transfering them into another PC. I know I didn't take the most out of the autmn last year. And now when it gets colder and colder, all I want to do is just curl up on the couch with a book and hot chocolate.

New Snow 2010

Four months twenty two days. I did count how long I have neglected this photoblog :(.

Having come back from my hometown in Indonesia for long holiday, my laziness seemed to overpowered me. What have I missed during my absence? Please don't tell :). And the fact that it's the last year of my staying in this town would be my greatest regret for not keeping it up to date.
How are you? I do hope everything is fine. Missed you all and our community. Would love to hear your stories, Guys.

There are some notes related to this blog that I hadn't managed to do: make its thumbnail appears in the CDP homepage (trust me, I tried several times), make CDP's logo appears in my homepage ;), do theme day every month, connect this blog with my photo gallery so that there's no more double uploading, and make it looks tidier. It looks messy, doesn't it? Seems a simple task actually. Oh, the to-do list is long, I'd better stop here.
No 2010 resolution at all, I knew I would fail again. The only thing I learned was don't put things off what you can do now. So, there I was, between Dec 31, 09 at 11:30pm and Jan 1, 10 at 00:30am, under the bright full moon, -3 deg Celcius, holding my camera (the tripod didn't help) until I couldn't feel my hands anymore. And here they are...

tad da...postcards from Saijou... wishing you all Happy New Year 2010, a better life for us, God wills.

Peace Memorial Ceremony 2009 (3)

My last post of Peace Memorial Ceremony 2009. Today, the ceremony was held in Nagasaki as it was the second city suffered from atomic bomb in 1945. In the first photo shows you a story teller performing in front of children at ceremony venue.
It was quite an experience to see many people from around the world, tourists, representatives from some countries, medias, etc.
Even I met this man :). I'm not certain about who he is. Probably a traveller. First time saw him at Hondori shopping center, located not far from Peace Memorial Park. I saw him again on the bridge among the crowds.
This lady came from the US together with her group to attend the ceremony. She was lost in origami birds making when I approached her.
We could make our own paper birds, too. There were students to help us by providing origami papers, manual instruction papers.

Peace Memorial Ceremony 2009 (2)

From the event on August 6th, I took so many photos, I can't resist to show you. Tomorrow, August 9th, the Peace Memorial Ceremony is held in Nagasaki. The first photo, a lantern by a Mexican.

Helping lanterns to float well.

Candles used to illuminate A-Bomb Dome.

Peace Memorial Ceremony 2009

Some souvenirs from Hiroshima yesterday at Peace Memorial Ceremony 2009. August 6th and 8th 1945 is remembered as the days when atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki which killed as many as 200.000 people in both cities.
This old lady is perhaps one of the survivors still alive today. She told story, sang songs and gave encouragement in front young women by the river.
Sending some prayer after floating a lantern in the river.
The lanterns floated in the Motoyashu river is an annual activity in the afternoon during the ceremony.

Envy

I wished it was me on that bike. The field is too large to explore by walking.

Where to Stay Tonight?

Toyoko Inn, a 3-star hotel where I took photos of the yesterday post. It's about 50m right in front of the station, the only one located nearest and probably the first choice of most visitors who come to Saijo .
They are offering discount I guess, now single only 4.095Yen and single-double 5.145Yen. Do you think it's the time to visit the town? :)

Morning Life

Saturday morning in Saijo, Saijo station, when it was expected sunny turned out to be raining. I wasn't complaining at all :). In the background with brown roof is Mitate Shrine, where Gion Matsuri is held every year.

And this one is Sake Houses area, right in the left of the station. Chimneys, yes that's the clue.

I wish you all a happy weekend.

Still Strong

Taken yesterday on my way to Kagamiyama Koen/Park, where the only bus stop nearest. Bushes were getting dense during summer, I saw some workers did the trimming.
But I got the feeling they must have left these untouched :). Don't know the name though, I love simple flowers.

More Green

How are you? Hope all is well. Back from Japanese lessons today, I went to rice field area not far from the university. The weather was nice, not too much different from two-three days ago, the sun was still hiding behind the clouds, perfect for taking photographs.

30-Minute Escape.

The freshest photo from Saijo taken today at around 6pm.

Growing Rice

This is the season when people grow rice, and they do need rain. As a small town, it's usual to find rice field side by side with houses in downtown.