Heavy rain on Dec.30, unusual !

  Today is December 30, why, it was raining from morning to late afternoon. The temperature was plus 5 to 7 degrees. What an unusual weather it was for the winter time here ! The snow around the house has almost melted. Strong wind blew all morning.
  I stayed all day today, too, thinking of how we should carry out the funeral of Shimizu without religion, who is still alive.

Dec.29 - only three days left in this year's calendar.

  It is December 29, 2012.  There are only three days left for this year. The weather was fine all day, but I stayed at home. Many sparrows comes to the garden, because I scattered seeds for them around the birdhouses.
  I spent all days mostly thinking of how to carry out Shimizu's funeral, because he wants his funeral on Bhudism or any other religion.

Hideki Matsui, a MLB player,announced to retire.

 Today I stayed at home all day, because the roads are slipperly to walk on. In the morning, Ayako went to the hospital to check up her diabetes. The result was not bad, she said.
 Yesterday, I wrote about a rookie baseball player Shohei Otani who joined the Fighters. I hope Otani will become a star in future. Today, a big star in the Major League, Hideki Matsui, announced his retirement. While  Matsui played for New York Yankees and some other teams after playing for Yomiuri Giants, he recorded combined 507 career home runs both in Japan and US Major League.

Otani, the first-round-draft, completed the contact to join the Nippon Ham Fighters.

  On the day before yesterday, Shohei Otani, the ace pitcher of Iwate Hanamaki Higashi High School and the first-round draft of the Fighters, visited Sapporo and completed the contact to join the team. He first wanted to join the U.S.Major League team, but finally changed his mind. I hope he will succeed in Hokkaido Nippon Ham either as a pitcher or a field player.
  I sent an email to Mr.Hasegawa in Nayoro mentioning my situation by which I am afraid I will be unable to go and serve as an interpreter in the International Snow Sculpting Competition.
  I stayed at home all day but going out with Ayako to the supermarket which we went yesterday.

Mr.Shinzo Abe was elected as the 94th prime minister of Japanese government.

  In the morning, I went with Ayako to Hanazono cho, and did shopping. We bought some vegetables, milk, sausage, milk, jam, etc.  for our everyday meals.
  In the Diet, Mr.Shinzo Abe, the chairmam of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected as the 94th prime minister of Japan. In the evening, Mr.Abe formed a new cabinet. He called his Cabinet  "Get over the crisis" Cabinet. There are a lot of problems now, including economical problems, depromatic problems, territorial problems, etc. I hope they will solve such crucial problems successfully and peacefully.

Takashi & Sachiyo called us on Skype.

  In the morning, I walked to the hospital to check my diabetes. I was releaved to hear the doctor say the result was good.
Today was the time limit to post New Year cards it expect them to reach in time for the New Year's Day. Ayako posted them.
  In the evening, at around 6:00, Takashi and Sachiyo called us on Skype from San Hose. Takashi is leaving for China on business today, on the local time. He said he would stay in Shanghai and Beijin for a week. By the way, in China, people celebrate New Year on the luna calendar, so they work as usual in this new year days on the Gregorian calendar. We hope he will return to US safe and sound.

Christmas Eve

  I  am writing about sixty New Year cards to my friends. I am going to post them at the post office at Sakuragi cho tomorrow morning.
  In the evening, I celebrated Christmas Eve with Ayako drinking wine. 

A busy day.

 In the morning, I wrote two letters. One was to the person named "Chieko" in Gunma prefecture.

Ayako went to Sapporo again.

 Yesterday, there was a phone call from the hospital where Shimizu was hospitalized. His doctor wanted to explain the present  condition of Shimizu to Ayako. So, I drove Ayako to the station to let her ride on the 8:30 bus. She returned home at 3:00 and said the doctor who checked Shimizu told her his condition was very bad, and serious. We talked about what we should do if Shimizu should die.    

Shimizu was to be hospitalized again.

  Ayako had to go to Sapporo to help Shimzu be hospitalized this afternoon. She left home at about 9:30 a.m. After she rode on a bus, Chiaki called me saying her son Tokio got sick in his school, and she had to bring him back home but she couldn't because of her work. Her mother had gone to Sapporo on another errand. As I had nothing to do, so I called Ayako, who was on the bus. Ayako said she would go to Chiaki's house to take care of Tokio.
  In the late morning, Mr.Hatano, an electrician, came to set the TV set on the wall of our bed room which we carried from Shimizu's condo. 

Sent Christmas presents to Ilsemarie and her family.

  In the morning, on the way back from my regular walking as far as Sumikawa, I dropped in at the 100 yen shop at Nisshinn cho and bought Christmas presents to Ilsemarie and her family in Germany.

Ayako went to Sapporo.

  It was cloudy in the morning, but became sunny in the afternoon. The weather forecast said it would be snowy in Sapporo and along the Japan Sea coast. Ayako wondered whether she should go to Sapporo to see her sister and her husband Shimizu, but it seemed not to snow today looking at the sky, so she left home at 9:00 am. She returned home at 3:30 p.m., saying it was not snowing in Sapporo.
  An email from Nayaoro. They invite in February next year, not only me but Ayako. Ayako has wanted to visit Nayoro but to think of our pet cat Leo and of leaving home in the winter time, she says she must give up going with me. She says I may turn down the offer.

It snowed much.

  In the morning, on TV, I saw it snowing very much in Sapporo, though here in Tomakomai, not much snow was falling. But, when I went out for standing at the corner where I stand for crossing guard every Tuesday, it began to snow and blow. Then all morning, the weather was like snow storm. As a result, I had to work clearing the fallen snow around the house. It took about an hour and a half, and I was tired.
  In the afternoon, it stopped to snow, so I went downtown by car.  

JLDP won a landslide victory in the lower house election

  In the lower house election held yesterday, Japan Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory.
The result was : Liberal Democratic Party got 294 seats, Japan Democratic Party 57, Nippon Ishin Party 54, Komei Party 31, Minna Party 18, Mirai Party 9, Communist Party, 8 Social Democratic Party 2, Kokumin Shin Party 1, Shinto Daich 1, Independent 5, and the total number of the seats is 480. What a crushing defeat the ruling Democratic Party made !  I am afraid that more and more right wing politicians won the seats, because they insist they wii revise the constitution.
  I sent an email to Maria in Uruguay,in which I reported the result of the election.

Heavy snow and election day.

  It snowed very much for the first time this winter. I had to work shoveling out heavy wet snow. I was exhausted but, as today was the election day for the Lower House, I went with Ayako to the voting station stamping the snow  in the morning.

I made New Year cards.

  Today I spent all morning to make new year cards.

Sent an email to Ilsemarie in Germany.

 I sent an email to Ilsemarie in Germany. I had received from her an email a day before. In her email, Ilsemarie said about her daughter Silija and her boy friend. She said Silija bought a house in the former East Germany where she works, but that Silija's boy friend could not find a job. Germany seems to be in economic depression, and there were many jobless people. Ilsemarie also said about her friend living in Chile. She said her friend had said that Japan was the only country in the world that it did not allow Islamic people to enter the country. Of course, it is a great mistake. So, I answered saying in Japan freedom of religion is guaranteed to all. I attached two photos of Islamic mosque in Tokyo and Gifu. 

Had the roof of the house checked.

  Yesterday Ayako called Mr.Miyakoshi, a house builder, to have the roof of our house checked. A few days ago, when it was raining heavily, I found the rain water dropping from the roof colored brown. I climbed up on the roof, and saw the paint dissolving.   

Stayed at home all day. North Korea launched a missile.

   The weather was not bad, and the temperature was plus 1 degree, but I stayed at home all day.
   In the morning, TV reported that North Korea defied the international public opinion and launched a missile to southern Pacific.

Prf.Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel prize.

 Dr.Shinya Yamanak, professor of Kyoto University was awarded to the Nobel prize today on December 10th in Stockholm, Sweden.

Election of the lower house

  The election campaign of the lower house is now under way. The governing party Japan Democratic Party has become unpopular, and a lot of little new parties were born. Considering the situation, the result is easily expected: the Liberal Democratic Party will win and return to power. But I don't like the LDP 's return to power because the both of the party Mr.Abe has too conservative political ideas. Especially, he insists that he revise the constitution and Japan should have offensive army. I strongly hope that they will observe the present constitution and never have wars in the future.

Allergy to cold air

  I have been having a running nose since this morning. I am allergic to cold air. Today, it is cold and snowy all day. My nose began to run when I woke up.  Every few minutes, I have had to blow my nose since morning. I stayed at home all day. The weather was windy with snow, so it looked like blizzard sometimes, but I didn't go out to remove snow today.
  In the evening, I watched on TV ISU Grand Priz Figure skating Fnal in Sochi, Russia. Of 12 skaters who were qualified, there were 6 Japanese saters - Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki, for women, and Tatsuki Machida, Takahiko Kozuka, Yuzuru Hanyu, and Daisuke Takahashi for men. And the results: in men's contest, Takahashi won the gold medal, and Hanyu the silver. In women's contest: Asada gold and Suzuki bronze.

Storm has passed, and snow has come, and strong earthquake, too.

   Storm passed by, and the temperature has come down. Snow is falling, and tomorrow morning, maybe, I will have to work to remove the snow. In the evening, at around 5:30 p.m., the evening programs of every TV station was suddenly interupted by an earthquake alert. The earthquake lasted, maybe, longer than five minutes, though it was not so strong. But in Tohoku, especially in Sendai and its vicinity, the intensity was 5 minus on the Japanese scale, and the alert referred to tsunami. Even here in Tomakomai, we felt the earth quake and the intensity was 3. About half an hour after the earthquake, one-meter high tsunami hit a harbor in Tohoku. But fortunately much damage has not been done so far.

Dec.6 A stormy weather - schools were closed.

  Unusual weather again this week. Strong wind blew, and heavy rainfall - all the primary and junior high schools were closed. The temperature was high for this season, so it didn't snow, but rained much. A photo of a roof broken by the strong wind in Tomakomai was shown on TV, so our relatives in Honshu called worrying about us. But we were safe. 

A heavy rain fall with strong wind, and thunder.

  It was a very nasty weather today. It rained very much with strong wind and thunder. It is quite unusual for this season here in Hokkaido. I went out wit an umbrella to see if the little river close to our house would flood, but I was releaved it would not.

A quiet day. Talked on the phone with Kazuko, my sister in Iwamizawa.

  Yesterday my grandson, Arashi, returned to Sapporo with his mother. In the morning, Ayako went to the hospital to have her given a shot to prevent influenza.
  In the afternoon, I walked as far as the Koitoi river at Kawazoe. There were no leaves in the trees, but it wasn't so cold yet.
  In the evening, Ayako and I talked with Kazuko, my sister living in Iwamizawa, on the phone. She was fine and said she is still enjoying tennis. I was glad to hear that.

Arashi went home to Sapporo.

   In Sapporo, and some other places in Hokkaido, it seems to have snowed much, but here in Tomakomai, it didn't. When Chiaki came from Sapporo to pick up Arashi, there was a lot of snow on the roof of her car. Arashi's mother Chiaki came here at 1:30, and she returned with Arashi at about 3:40.
  Our house have become quiet again with Ayako and our pet cat Leo.

Ayako came home with Arashi.

  It is December now.  Time really flies!  Looking at the calendar, oh, I realize there is only a month left for this year.
  Ayako came bac from Sapporo in the morning with Arashi. Arashi will stay here with us tonight. In the afternoon, Takashi and Sachiyo called on Skype.  By the way, our webcam was broken, and I had bought a new one. So, the picture of us including Arashi seemed to be seen on their screen.  

I am alone because Ayako has gone to Sapporo.

  Ayako has gone to Chiaki's house in Sapporo to take care of Arashi. Tokio, Arashi's brother, went to a training camp of succer, and Chiaki, their mother, will go to a party and will not come home tonight. Ayako will stay with little Arashi at their house and will come back here to Tomaokomai tomorrow morning.
  I stayed at home all day but in the afternoon, I went out to buy my dinner in the supermarcket nearby, and went to the community hall to attend a meeting to talk about the management of the hall. I came back home at about 8:00 p.m. Then I had dinner, took a bath, and went to bed.

A warm, but mostly cloudy day.

  I stayed at home all day, because I feel tired and seemed to have a cold. An insurerance sales woman came in the afternoon, and we insured our house against fire.

Ayako went to Sapporo for the final check of the cleared rooms of Shimizu's condominium..

   It had stopped snowing, so I first cleared the snow on my car in the morning. Today, Ayako went to Sapporo for the final check of the rooms of Shimizu's condominium with Haruna. Ayako went to Tomakomai station by car and too a bus to Sapporo. She phoned me from Shimizu's codo at 1:00 pm, saying she was sittino on the cleared floor of the condo with Haruna. They were going to have lunch at some restaurant in the supermarket close by, and was coming home after having lunch. Ayako came home at about 4:00, finishing clearing Shimizu's condo.

In Muroran, blackout caused by snow storm.

  Until morning, it was raining here in Tomakomai, but in Muroran and Noboribetsu which are only 50 km away from Tomakomai, it was snowing heavily. The maximum wind speed in Muroran was 39.7 km/h, and power poles were fell over and caused a massive power failure. The number of the families experiencing black out in Muroran and Noboribets is over 50,000. 

It snowed.

  This morning, when I woke up and opened the front door to bring in today's newspaper, I found the ground was covered with snow. It was the second time we had snow this season.
  Ayako went to the opthalmic hospital to check her eye sight in the morning, while I carried paper waste to the city incinerator by car. It was raining all day.

I saw Mt.Tarumae covered with snow for the first time this winter.

  It was a fine day. In the morning, I walked along the Tomakomai river, and saw snow-capped Mt.Tarumae for the first time this winter. A few days ago, it seemed to have snowed, but I didn't see the mountain.

I painted the birdhouses and completed them.

 I went to the do-it-yourself shop to buy color paint and painted the birdhouses I had made yesterday. I made two birdhouses, a little big one and a small one. I painted the roof of the small house red, and the bigger one blue. After completed, I set the bigger one on the branches of the maple tree, and the small one on the yew tree. I look forward to seeing birds soon, so I placed a tray with seeds in near the houses

I made two bird houses.

  While walking in the morning, I hit on an idea that I would make bird houses and put on the trees in my garden. I returned home on half way of my regular walking, and went to the do-it-yourself home center, and bought the materials. The materials had been prepared for building, so it was easy to put them together and fix with nails. Tomorrow, I will paint them and set on the trees in my garden.  

A fine day. Gardening all day.

  It was a fine day today. I spent almost all day gardening. I cut down all the dead leaves of the chrysanthemums and other flowers for the preparation of the coming winter season. In some parts of Hokkaido, it is snowing all day. In Iwamizawa and Asahikawa, there was about 20-cm-snowfall, the TV news reports.

Nov.21 Wed. Masanobu has gone home to Tochigi.

  Masanobu worked in the morning sorting important papers of Shimizu's. At 11:30, he drove Ayako and me in my car to Chitose International Airport. We ate lunch at a restaurant in the airport building, and at about 1:30, Masanobu said goodby and walked into the boarding gate. I drove home on the way back.
  Before going to Chitose, Ayako and I went to Furusato Noen, and pulled up all the daikon we had grown. It was the last time for us to go to our field this year.  

Ayako went to the hospital yesterday for regular check-up yesterday.

  Yesterday I forgot to post my diary here. So I will write about what I did yesterday first.
  Ayako went to the hospital for her regular check-up. Her doctor told her that her blood sugar level was not too high and that she should be more careful of her blood pressure than her blood sugar level. He said she shouldn't take too much salt.
  I stayed at home with Masanobu.

I went to Sapporo with Ayako and Masanobu today,again.

   It snowed in the night, and my car was covered with the snow. But we had to go to Sapporo to see Shimizu and his wife, Emiko, so I removed the snow on my car. Masanobu had changed the tires of my car to the winter tires on the previous day. When we left home at around 10:00, it was sunny. We went to Shimizu's condominium first, and saw the rooms were almost cleared except some furniture and bed clothings. Then we went to Kisakuen carehouse where Emiko was. Emiko was sleeping in bed, but when we called her, she opened her eyes just thinly, and once showed a little smiling expression. After that, we went to another carehouse "Die Grunnen" where Mr.Shimizu was. After we talked with him, we headed back to Tomakomai. On the way, we stopped at Chitose to see an apartment house whose owner was Emiko. The building was for four families, but only two families lived, and two rooms were vacant. The walles of the apartment was decayed and looked to need repairs. We arrived home at about 5:30. We ate sushi for dinner we bought on the way back the a supermarket "Paseo" at Sumikawa cho.

Gakugei kai of our grandsons' school in the first snowfall in this winter.

  Ayako and I went to Sapporo. The purpose was to see Arashi's and Tokio's performance in the gakugeikai of their primary school. In gakugeikai or another name "gakushu happyoukai", the pupils perform in dramas chorus and other forms of performances. Tokio sang in chorus, and showed drobbling a basketball like ball on the stage. Tokio played a role in their drama, but the voices of the actors and actresses were not loud enough for the audience to hear. Tokio's performance was early in the morning, but Tokio's was in the afternoon. After finishing, we went out of the school gymnasium, we were surprised to see snow was falling with strong wind. It was the first snowfall, which was the latest in history, the media said. 

Noda diet disolved yesterday.

  It was rainy all day today. We, three, including Masanobu, Ayao, and me, worked sorting papers carried from Shimizu's condominium in Sapporo, and carried unnecessary things to the city incinerator to burn.
  Prime minister Yoshihiko Noda announced to disolve the Diet yesterday, and it was dicided for the election would be held in a month, on December 16th. The governing party Japan Democratic Party is not popular, so the prime minister of Japan possibly change again. What will Japan's future be ?  I feel somewhat uneasy.

Ayako became the conservator for Shimizu officially.

  Yesterday Ayako went to Sapporo with Masanobu, and met a notary in the carehouse die Grunnen where Shimizu stay, and took the final procedure for becoming the conservator for Shimizu. Shimizu was glad for Ayako to become the conservator for him. After they returned, we had dinner at home for the first time in the last three days. Drinking and eating at a boiled meat restaurant at Nisshin cho, we talked about Shimizu's life so far, and about his wife and two sons.  

To Sapporo,again.

  I went to Sapporo with Ayako and Masanobu.

Ayako and Masanobu went to Sapporo.

  Ayako and Masanobu went to Shimizu's condominium in Sapporo, but I stayed at home, because I felt weary. I am not recovered from cold yet.

Masanobu has come.

  To help our sister Emiko, Ayako's older sister, and her husband, Ayako's younger brother, Masanobu, has been doing very much. We are very thankful to him. He has come all the way from Tochigi. It is the second time since last month. He has made a legal arrangement for Ayako to act as a guardian for her sister Emiko and her husband. Tomorrow, we are going to Sapporo to make every arrangement.

A rainy windy day today.

 I stayed at home all day, because the weather was very bad. It was very windy, and rained heavily. Ayako worked on sorting Shimizu's papers and clothes which we carried here yesterday. I spent time doing crossword puzzles and watching a high school baseball game of Meiji Jingu Cup Tournament between Otaru Hokusho and Okinawa Shogaku. Otaru won by 2-1 by ace pitcher Okushi' game ending homerun. Otaru will advance to the semi-final tomorrow against Sendai Ikuei.

Ayako,Haruna and I worked in the Shimizus' condominium allday today.

  Ayako and I left home for Sapporo at 8:30 a.m. We were to clean up things in the rooms of Shimizus' condominium with Haruna. We arrived there at 9:45, and began to work. Haruna arrived half an hour later with Minori, her daughter, and joined us. A man came from a second hand book store to buy some books from Shimizu's book shelves. He carried some 50 books for only 1,000 yen. Then another man came from a recycle shop, and evaluate some things. We returned home at 4:30.

An ice hockey game - a preliminary for next year's Sochi Olympics

   I watched an ice hockey game on TV for the first time in years. The game ended in Japan's victory over Korea by 4-3 in the extra time. It was the preliminary for the Sochi Olympics in 2014. To advance to the final preliminary tournament, Japan will have to win another game against the UK team tomorrow.

I feel better today.

  I feel better today. Maybe, I have recovered from cold. The weather was cloudy. It was a busy day for Ayako. In the morning, she went to Shirakaba-Sakuragi community hall to attend a fancy work class sponsored by the neighorhood association, and in the afternoon, she went to have a finger pressure therapy and in the evening, she went to her weekly ceramic art class. I stayed at home all day. I went out once to buy lunch to the supermarket in Nisshin cho. 

Do I have a cold?

 It was fine in the morning, so Ayako and I were going to Sapporo to clear up Shimizus's room in their condominium. But Ayako said she had high blood pressure and I had a runny nose and felt a chill. I might have caught a cold. We gave up going to go to Sapporo and stayed home all day.

Barac Obama was reelected as the president of USA.

  The presidential election was held today, and Barack Obama was reelected.

A very windy day with occasional rain.

In the morning, I stood at the crossing as a school guard as on every Tuesday. It was not raining at the time, but very windy. The sky was very dark and it was threatening to rain at any moment. After that, I was staying all day. It began to rain in the afternoon, and the weather was becoming worse and worse toward evening. The low atomospheric pressure approaching Japan brought violent wind and snowfall in China, and because of the snowstorm, three Japanese tourists were killed and two were injured hiking along the Great Wall of China.  

I seem to have recovered from dullness.

 I didn't feel dull this morning, so I seem to have recovered from dullness. In the morning, I went out shopping with Ayako. Ayako carried her collection of postage stamps and sold them at a shop for some 7,000 yen.

Because of the protective vaccination of influenza (?), I feel tired.

  I feel tired today, too. I wonder why I feel so tired. I had a preventive shot against influenza on Thursday. I think it must be a side-effect of the injection. Anyway, I have been feeling dull since last Thursday.

In Japan series, Fighters was defeated, and ended the season.

Today was a national holiday, "Culture Day".  Scholars and persons of culture who had contributed to the progress of culture and civilization were awarded to the Order of culture. Among them, Dr.Nakayama, a Nobel prize winner of this year was included.  

I walked in the morning along the Tomakomai river. I felt tired as I had felt yesterday. In the evening, I watched Japan series game between Fighters and Giants. Nakata of Fighters hit a 3run homerun and tied the game but finally, Ishii, Fighters' relief pitcher allowed Abe of Giants to hit a timely hit, and as a result, Fighters was defeated by 4-3. Giants won Japan's championships for 2012.

Ayako returned home from Sapporo in the afternoon

  Ayako stayed at Chiaki's home in Sapporo overnight and returned home at about 1:00 o'clock. She took care of our grandchildren and did their washing.
  I stayed at home in the morning, and in the afternoon, went out for a walk as usual.

Ayako has gone to Chiaki's house to take care of our grand sons.

  In the morning, Ayako went to Sapporo to take care of Arashi and Tokio, our grand sons, because their mother, Chiaki, would come home late this evening. Chiaki has been divorced for a few months and now works as a dietician for some care houses. So, we are concerning about her and her two son's future lives. 
  Today was the regular checkup day of my diabetes. At 10:30, I walked to the hospital, which took about 25 minutes. The result of the checkup was very good, so the doctor decided to decrease the medicine to a quarter of a pill a day. The data of today's checkup was :  sugar level 4 hours after breakfast was 89, HbA1c was 6.2 ( international standard:6.6).
  In the evening, I watched Japan series game on TV. Fighters lost the game 2-10. Yoshikawa was knocked out again by Bowker' homerun. It was a great pity.

Hokaido Nippon Ham Fighters beat Giants in the extra inning and tied 2-2 yesterday.

  Ayako and I were tired from the previous day's work in Sapporo. But in the afternoon, I went out for walking along the Tomakomai river. I walked about 10,000 steps according to the medometer enbedded in my cellphone.
  In yesterday evening, I watched the Japan series game on TV. The game was very close one and both teams young starters, Nakamura of Fighters, and Miyakuni of Giants, pitched very well and they didn't allow any score at all.　The game went into extra innings and, finally, in the bottom of the 12th inning, Fighters earned one run by Iiyama's timely hit and the game ended in Fighters' victory. The game count is now 2-2 tie. Another game, the fifth game will be played this evening in Sapporo Dome.    
 

Ayako Haruna and I worked cleaning Shimizu's house in Sapporo.

I went with Ayako to Sapporo to clean Shimizu's rooms in the condominium. Haruna came to help us. Ayako and I first visited Mr.Shimizu in the care house Dy Grunen in the suburbs of Sapporo, then went to Higashi Sapporo, where Shimizus' condominium. We went into the room and we began to bunndle papers and booklets. And we opened every drawer and cabinets, and too out things contained there. After Haruna arrived, we ate food for lunch we had bought in the supermarket just close. It was after 3:30 when we stopped working. We carried papers and clothes to dispose of in Tomakomai. We arrived back home at around 5:00.

Marie and Haruna came.

  The strong wind blowing through the night died down in the morning. Earlier than usual, I left home at about 8:00 on my usual walk. In Kawazoe minipark, I gathered many chestnuts and along the walking path on the way back, picked some edible fungi.
  Haruna took Marie, her daughter, by car, because Marie got a job in Tokyo and was going there in a few days.

A very windy day today.

  It was cloudy with strong wind today. I left home for a walk in the morning, but returned from the Tomakomai river because of the strong wind, so I walked only half the distance I usually walk.
  In the Japan series second game, Fighters was defeated again by Giants. It was a very close game, and the pitchers of both teams, Takeda of Fighters, and Sawamura of Giants pitched very well, but in the 1st inning, Takeda allowed a homerun by Chono, the first batter of Giants, and after all, the result was Giants's victory by 1-0.     

Japan series - the first game in Tokyo dome

  Japan series is now under way. I had been looking forward to seeing the game since morning. But it was such a pity that Fighters was defeated by Giants by 1-8. Utsumi, Giants' ace pitcher, pitched very well, while Yoshikawa allowed Boker, Giants' slugger from America a three run homerun in the 5th inning, and was knocked out.
  The weather was very good and I walked in the morning.

Ayako went to a party of her ceramic art class.

  A new Windows 8 was released. I don't know how different it is from Windows 7, and I am now not interested in it, because to use it, we will have to buy a new p.c. I cannot afford to buy a new p.c.
  I walked in the morning as usual, and collected, on the way, some chestnuts in Kawazoe riverside minipark. After coming home, I watched world series game between Detroit Tigers and Los Angels Giants, and Giants won by 2-0, which was the second win in a row.
  In the evening, Ayako went to a party with her classmates in her ceramic art class. She returned home at about 9:00, saying she had a good time with her "classmates".

Japan Baseball League Draft was held today.

2012 Japan Professional Baseball League Draft meeting was held today. In the first pick, Nippon Ham picked Ohtani the ace pitcher of  Hanamaki Higashi High School, Iwate prefecture in the first round. Ohtani pitches fast balls over 160 km/h, the fastest of all Japanese pitchers in history including professional players. But Ohtani had announced previously that he wanted to play in U.S.Major League. I hope he will play for Nippon Ham first, and after he has succeeded in Japan, then will go to the Major. Other pitchers Nippon Ham picked were Kagiya, Chuo Unv., Aragaki, Yagi, and Kohno. And as infielders, Morimoto from Takaoka Daiich High School and Usami from Hiroshima ogyo High School.

Enjoyed park golf

 Today I walked toward Kawazoe cho as usual a little earlier than usual. After returning home, I cleaned my garden.      In  the afternoon, I went to the park golf course with Ayako to enjoy playing park golf.  Ayako played well, but I      didn't. The autumn colors of leaves were beautiful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

 

 

 

A stormy weather.

  It was so rainy and windy in the morning that I couldn't go out. But in the afternoon, it stopped raining, and I walked, as usual, as far as Kawazoe. Yesterday, I sent an email to Tomoko, my junior high school day classmate, and received her answer. She is suffering from an uncurable lung desease, and is on a ventilator. She said it was her 76th birthday, which I didn't know. She said her fingertips were numb, and so it took much time to tap the key.  Anyway, I was glad she was surrounded by her family and celebrated her birthday.

NHK, toast to the family - Tsurube and Kawato visited Tomakomai

  Today, in the morning, I went with Ayako to Kintaro no Sawa park to walk. We walked around the lake twice and then, I went into the woods. While walking along, I saw a lot of footsteps of wild deer. These days, the number of wild deer are rapidly increasing, as a result, agricultural farms and fields are damaged and sometimes cars and trains crashed them.
  In the evening, we watched an NHK program titled "Tsurube's Kazoku ni kanpai" (Toast to families!) in which a famous comedian Turube visited Tomakomai with a well-known former baseball star Kawato of Hanshin Tigers.

I'm afraid I've got senile, because....

  I had forgotten to go to the minipark. It was a cleanup day of the neigborhood today, and last night, before going to bed, I had assured myself not to forget about it, but I forgot. I stayed at home all morning, because I didn't want to see anyone in the neiborhood and be asked why I didn't come and work with them. Late in the afternoon, I went out for a walk, and went as far as awazoe minipark and collected some chestnuts there. 

Ayako went to Sapporo to atten her class reunion.

  I dropped off Ayako at Tomakomai station by car in the morning. Ayako went to Sapporo by bus to attend the reunion of her old classmates in her college. After she returned home, she said she had a good time eating and talking with each other at the party where nine people attended.
  I walked in the evening to Kawazoe minipark where I collected some chestnuts, and on the way back, bought boxed sushi for dinner.
 

Fighters

 In the third game of the final round of the post season games, Fighters won. It was the third win over Hawks in a row, and so-called "sweep"and they advanced to Japan Series. On the other hand, in the Central league post-off games, Nagoya Chunichi Dragons won three games over Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, and if Dragons win another game tomorrow, they will advance to Japan Series and will play with Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

Itoi hit a decisive 2 run homerun again.

Itoi, a slugger of Fighters, hit a two run homer in the 7th inning today, again. He hit a two run homer in the yesterday's game in the 7th inning. Hokkaido Nippon Ham won two successive games over Fukuoka, and another win will make the team advance to Japan series. On the other hand, in the Central league, this season's champion team, Tokyo Giants was defeated by Nagoya Chunich Dragons again.    

Fighters won over Haws by 3-2 - the climax series.

  In the first game of the Pacific League Climax Series final round, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters defeated Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks by the score of 2-1. The winning pitcher was Yoshikawa. In the top of the 7th inning, Fighters allowed 2 runs for Hawks, but in the bottom of the inning, Itoi hit a two-run home run, and pinch hitter Nioka hit a timely hit and Fighters came from behind. If Fighters win two more games, they will advance to the Japan Series. In the Central league, Nagoya Chunichi Dragons won over Tokyo Ymiuri Giants by 3-1.
  It was mostly cloudy with scattered rain. I went out for a walk in the morning.
 

Haruna came in the morning and I went with Ayako to Sapporo.

  In the morning, I walked as far as the Tomakomai river. When I returned, Haruna had come from Sapporo. Haruna seemed to be busy because her youngest daughter' preparations for entrance to high school next spring. Her daughter,Minori, has a epilepsy. Haruna had lunch with us, and returned to Sapporo. We presented her some products such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins in in our field in Furusato Noen.
  When Haruna left we, also, followed by our car, because we had something to talk urgently with Mr.Shimizu. We followed on the highway and departed from her red car at the exit at Kitahiroshima, and arrived at Kisakuen, the institute where Emiko, Ayako's sister, was.  We saw Emiko, who was sleeping, and didn't recognize us, and then, we went to another care house, Die Grunen, where Mr.Shimizu, Emiko's hunband, was. We talked with Mr.Shimizu and was on the way back home. When we arrived home it was already after dark.  

I found a lot of edible fungi growing in my garden.

  In the morning, I walked as far as Kawazoe park. On the way, I found some little mushrooms. But when I returned and got into my garden, I found a lot of edible fungi called "boribori" or "naratake" growing at a corner of the garden.

1-1 tie, baseball post-season climax series.

  I walked as far as Kawazoe. Alot of chestnuts fell, but someone had already collected them. In the Major League baseball, Yankees was defeated by Detroit Tigers in an extra-inning game. Ichiro hit a home run in the 9th inning. In Japanese leagues, Seibu and Yault won and, the result of the series became one-one ties with Soft Bank and Chunichi.  

Enjoyed park golf in the sunny autumn morning.

 It was a sunny autumn day, though it was a little too early to see autumn color of leaves. In the morning, I went to a park golf course near our house with Ayako, and enjoyed playing it whole morning. It was for the first time in the past five months.
 The climax series of Japanese professional baseball begun today. In the first games of both the Pacific and the Central leagues, Fukuoka Soft Bank and Nagoya Chunichi Dragons won over Saitama Seibu Lions and Tokyo Yakult Swallows respectively. If Soft Band and Chunichi won another game, They will advance to the final series against Hoaido Nippon Ham Fighters and Tokyo Giants. 

The storm has passed.

  The storm has passed and it was fine without strong wind all day. In the morning, I watched a game of Major League base ball between New York Yanees and Baltimore Orioles in the morning, and Baltimore won the game by 3-2 in extra ining game.
  In the afternoon, I walked as far as the Tomakomai river.

A wild storm with a wind speed of 23 m/s.

  It was a very nasty weather - a storm with a wind verocity of 23 meters per second. I stayed at home all day watching US Major League baseball game on TV. The game was a post season game between New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. It was a very good close game and the result was Yankees' victory by 3-1. Kuroda started for Yankees and allowed 2 runs, but pitched well till the 8 innings and 1/3.
  The Nobel prize in literature was awarded to a Chinese novelist, Mr.Mo Iyen, contrary to most people's expectation that Mr.Haruki Murakami, a world popular Japanese writer. 

  Hot summer has passed away and cold autumn has come. The lowest temperature in the morning is below ten. Today I cleared the garden. I cut the stems of tall sunflowers, and cleared the small field at the corner of my garden. The flowers of cosmoses are withering. Chrysanthems are blooming beautifully.
  The pennant races of the Japan professional leagues ended yesterday. We are happy that the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters became the champion of the Pacific League.

Dr.Yamanaka of Kyoto Univ. was awarded to Nobel prize.

  As expected, Dr.Shinya Yamanaka was announced to be awarded to 2012 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine. The following is from the article on Asahi Shinbun:
  "Shinya Yamanaka, who developed induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with a British scientist, the Swedish Karolinska Institute announced Monday.
  Yamanaka, 50, won the prize for developing and establishing reprograming technology that can revert somatic cells to their undifferentiated, or embryonic, state.
  The British scientist, Sir John Gurdon, 79, is known for successfully cloning frogs in 1962."
  Dr.Yamanaka is the 19th Japanese Nobel laureate.

I went to Furusato Noen to harvest sweet potatoes.

  I went to Furusato Noen with Ayako to dig sweet potatoes. We were happy to harvest good big sweet potatoes and peanutts. After returning home, we ate the sweet potatoes and the peanuts for lunch.
  I received an email from Ilsemarie in Germany.
  In the afternoon, I watched the final game of All Hokkaido High School Baseball Autumn Championship Tournament between Komadai Tomakomai and Otaru Hokusho. The result was Otaru's victory by the score of 7-5. Otaru Hokusei will be invited to Koshien Senbatsu Tournament next March.

I went to the municipal incinerator.

In the morning, Ayako and I went to the municipal incinerator by car to throw away the unnecessary old papers we had carried from Shimizu's office. It was for the first time for us to get into the incinerator, but we could ask at the reception how we could get into it. We went up the slope by car, the door opened automatically, pushed No.1 button as we were indicated, then the big incinerator appeared in front of us. I threw the corrugated boxes which contained the old papers into the incinerator. 

Today, again, we had to go to Sapporo.

  First, we thought we would send Masanobu to Chitose air port by car, but for some urgent reason, we came to have to go to Sapporo again to talk with Mr.Shimizu. We drove to Die Grunen, the facility where Mr.Shimizu was, and talked the matter, and went back to Chitose airport to send Masanobu off. We had lunch at a restaurant in the airport builing, said goodby to him and Ayao and I were on the way home. On the way, it was raining very heavily, but arriving home, it wasn't raining at all. We were very tired at home.

I went to Sapporo with Ayako and Masanobu.

  I went to Sapporo with Ayako and Masanobu.

Seibu Lions was defeated and Nippon Ham won the 2012 Pacific League Champion.

  Yesterday became a big day for pro baseball Hokaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

Ayako and Masanobu, Ayao's brother, went to Sapporo.

  Masanobu, Ayao's brother, came and stayed with us last night, and he went to Sapporo with Ayako. He came to Hokaido to help Shimizus who are both over 80 years old and are in care houses in Sapporo. They returned home at about 4:00, bringing many documents from Shimizu's apartment house and sorted the papers from what were neccessary to what were unneccessary. After finishing the task, we went to the restaurant "Tsubo Hachi" and had dinner. 

An evaluation meeting? No, a drinking party.

This evening, we are going to have a party of the neigborhood association. We call it "Hansei Kai" in Japanese or an evaluation meeting, but it is just a drinking party to reward each staff member's service so far.   

One-day tour of the neighbor association.

 

The chonaikai's one-day tour was carried out today in the rain. We chartered a bus and the bus started from our 6-chome minipark at 7:45 a.m. 42 people including Mr.Moriya, the president of our association. Our bus went along the coast line and turned right at Shiraoi and ran along Shikisai Roard to Ohtaki village. It was raining and the leaves of trees hadn't turned to autumn colors yet. We arrived at Hamada Fruit Garden. We enjoyed there picking and eating apples and grapes.

Nichi Hamu won again over Seibu.

   Two more wins for gainning the pennant of the 2012 championship race.

Nippon Ham Fighters will hopefully win the championship.

  The first game of the Hokaido Nippon Ham's last two game series against the Saitama Seibu Lions was played at Sapporo Dome, and  the Nippon Ham won by 5-0. Nakata hit two home runs, one two-run homer, the other three-run homer, and Yoshikawa, the pitcher shut out the Seibu Lions. If Nippon Ham win 4 games in the 5 games left for this season, Seibu will not be able to catch up with Nippon Ham. I hope Nippon Ham will win the 2012 pennant race.
  It was cloudy with scattered rain, but I walked about an hour toward Kawazoe cho in the morning.  

Harvested soy beans in Furusato Noen.

  It was cloudy all day.  Enjoying field work in Furusato Noen is coming to the end. In the afternoon, I went to our field with Ayako and harvested all the soy beans and cleared the tomato plants and returned home.
  These days, the bad weather has been continuing, so I am afraid we can carry out the one-day trip of our neighborhood association as we have planned. So in the evening, I phoned Mrs.Murayama, chief of the organizing section, asking if it rains on next Sunday. She answered we would go whether it would rain or not. I don't hope it will rain. 

Yesterday,Spt.25, I attended the reunion of our coleagues in Naie

  Yesterday, in the heavy thunder rain continuing from the previous night, I left home to Naie to attend the reunion to be held every four year. I took a train by way of Iwamizawa. I got off at Iwamizawa station to change the train for Asahikawa, and looked around the station a little while. By the way, Iwamizawa was where my family lived just after we first came over to Hokaido and lived till I graduated from university. I remember well the former building of the station because I commuted to my university in Sapporo for four years. But the building was rebuilt two years ago, so it looked very new to me. The station square, which used to be only a dirt space, was a beautiful plaza paved with brick-like slates. In the center of the square, there were some bronze statues of young boys and girls under big trees.
  I arrived at Naie an hour earlier than I had planned. I met a foreign gentleman in front of the station and talked in English. He was an engineer and came on business. He went somewhere by taxi. Then I killed time drinking coffee at a coffee shop. I got on a hotel bus in which there had been some former colleagues of mine.

  The party began just after we arrived at the hotel. 25 people attended the party, and we enjoyed eating, drinking, and talking.

A new refrigerator

  The other day when we went to the electric appliance shop, Ayako ordered a new refrigerator. The brand new fridge came to our house. In the morning, Ayako and I took out all the foods contained in the old refrigerator to prepare replace the fridge to a new one. Mr.Hatano, the boss of the shop with a young man. It took about half an hour to change the fridge.
  Today, I finished writing the letter to Mr.Nishimura and sent it to him in Okinawa. 

Today was the field day of the neighborhood association.

I had to go to 6 chome minipark at 7:30 a.m. to prepare for the field day of our neighborhood association. We set two big tents, carried vegetables and other articles for daily use which are the prizes for the participants in the field day.
  The field day began at 9:30. First we did the radio exercise following the greeting speech by Mr.Sato, the chairperson of the organizeing committee. Then, we had various events, including "pan kui kyosou" running race biting bread. Flavored by fine autumn weather, people, old and young, enjoyed the games and races very much. The number of the participants were over 150.

Ayako came home in the afternoon.

  It was a very sunny morning. I worked weeding in the garden. I wrote a letter to Mr.Nishimura, but I didn't finish it. I mainly wrote about my travel in China. Ayako returned home from Sapporo at around 3:00. Ayako said she was moved by the poems which 7-year-old Arashi wrote, and showed them to me. One was written about his love of his family and the title of the other was "If I were a god." He said if I were a god, I would change bad people to good people, and make the world a peaceful place, etc." Will he be a good poet or writer? I don't know.

Ayako went to Sapporo to take care of Chiaki's boys.

Ayako went to Sapporo to take care of Arashi and Tokio, Chiaki's children, because Chiaki would come home from her work late in the evening. She left home at about 1:30, and will stay at Chiaki's house overnight. I went out for a walk and bought some tempura for dinner. On the way, I bought a crossword puzzle book.

Work in Furusato Noen

  In the morning, it rained only a little, though the forecast had said it would rain more. In the morning, I went alone to Furusato Noen, and dig a hole as deep as about 60 cm, and burried the grass and the stalks and stubbles. While working, it began to rain, so I had to come home at about 10:30.
  In the afternoon, I sent an email to Maria in Urguay, reporting on my travel in China. In China, by the way,  the demonstrators are still acting in many cities. I am sorry to hear that Japanese companies operating in China have been done much damage.   

The Hoaido Nippon Ham is on the top of the Pacific league.

It is hot today, too.  In the morning, I stood at the crossing when people greeted me saying "It's hot, isn't it?"

I went to Furusato Noen with Ayako to harvest potatoes.

  We have been waiting for consecutive fine days to come to harvest potatoes, but it was cloudy, today, too, and a very strong typhoon is approaching southern Japan, so we couldn't expect to have a good day in near future for harvesting. We went to Furusato Noen, and harvested potatoes and green soy beans ( edamame ). We gathered two and a half corrugated cardboards of potatoes, and about two bowls of edamame. We ate edamame for lunch and it was very good.

Out of order? No, I didn't find the place where the switch of the wireless was of may pc.

  Yesterday, I couldn't post in my blog, because, I thought, this p.c. was wrong, because I couldn't connect the Internet Explore. This morning, I went to the NEC appliance shop where we had bought electorical appliances. Ayako wanted to see refrigeraters and order some LED lamps. In the shop, I asked Mr.Hatano, the master of the shop, why I could not connect the Internet Explore, and was told where the switch of the wireless. After I returned home, I could find it easily and could connect it. How stupid I was! 

September 15 - A senior people's intercommunion party in the neighborhood

  Yesterday, September 15, we had a big banquet, which we decided to call "senior people's intercommunion party".

I went to the hospital to check my diabetes.

  It was fine and warm today. In the morning, I went to the hospital.　The result of the check-up was not bad. But, according to the endoscopic photo taken last month, there are some polyps in my colon which are slightly growing, so the doctor said he would cut them off next year.
  In the afternoon, I went to Furusato Noen. Tomatoes were ripen and red, so I picked them. Then I picked corns, but it was a bad harvest, and there were only five or six little corns. I pulled up all the stubbles. The weeds had grown tall, and I pulled them off, dug the land as deep as 50 cm, and buried them there.

In the baseball park in the morning, and in Furusato Noen in the afternoon.

 It was fine and warm today, too. In the morning, I went to the baseball park and saw a game between Tomakomai Higashi High and Tomakomai higher industry high school.

I went to the hospital to check my diabetes.

  It was fine and warm today. In the morning, I went to the hospital.

To see a High School Baseball game

  In some parts of Hokkaido, it rained heavily last night, and the rivers are flooding. In Iwamizawa, hundreds of people had to evacuate. The streets were submerged, and people were seen being saved by boats. But luckily nobody was killed or injured.
On the contrary, here in Tomakomai, only 100 km away, it didn't rain much, and the weather became good and warm. So, I went to the municipal baseball park and saw a high school baseball game in the autumn championship tournament between Komadai Tomakomai and Tomakomai Kogyo High School. The game was a close one but ended in Komazawa's victory by the score of 2-0. I returned home at about 11:30.
  In the afternoon, I stayed home.

I went to Chitose with 30 neighborhood association members.

  In the morning, it was raining heavily when I stood for a crossing guard. But the rain stopped when I returned home at 8:00. At 9:00, I got on a bus with 30 neighbors and started for Chitose. We were going to Chitose to learn about how to prevent ourselves from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, or eruptions of volcanos. There is a good institute named "Sonaeru", which means "Get ready". In the institute, we learned  how to evacuate from smoke in the burning building. Then, we could experience strong earthquakes, for example, the Tokachi off-the coast earthquake in 1952, and the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, etc. Disasters will happen any time, so we always have to be ready.

It was the third rainy day in a row. An email from Miki san.

  It rained heavily almost all day. It was the third rainy day in a row. I didn't go out except for going by car with Ayako to an appliance shop to buy color ink for the printer.
  I sent an email to Ilsemarie yesterday, reporting on my travel to Shanghai, and I was thinking the same content os the mail to Maria in Urguay. But before I sent it to Maria, as I came to be unable to connect the Internet Explore, the script of the mail disappeared in the process to mend it, I lost the draft of the mail. I will have to write it from scratch.

Heavy rain in the morning. I went to the barber shop in the morning.

  When I left home by car to the barbershop, it was very windy, but was not raining. But after I returned home, it began to rain very heavily. The meteorological observatory had issued a heavy rain warning. Before I got into the house, I picked ripen tomatoes in the garden. So many tomatoes were ripen and had become very red.

A big harvest of tomatoes and pumpkins in Furusato Noen.

  It was a fine day. In the morning, I went alone to Furusato Noen. I went there to week, but I was happy to find many tomatoes were ripen and looked very red. I picked them and then, I harvested big nine pumpins. I weeded the field of daiko and came home at ab out 11:00 o'clock. Ayako presented some pumpkins to our neighbors.

What will happen to Japanese politics?

  Today's highest temperature was about 27 degrees, but the sky was blue all day and it was really an autumn-like day.

  Japanese political situation is still chaotic. In Japanese Democratic party convention which will be held soon, some congressmen are going to run for the head of the party. Mr.Hosono, who many party members wanted to run for it, turned it down, and Mr.Noda, the current prime minister,will be the safest candidate. But there is frustration in the party because  the Democratic party is now very unpopular among common people according to the recent poll. The prime minister has promised that he will dissolve the Diet in near future. If the Diet is dissolved, the general election will be held, and, as a result, it is expected that the Democratic party will be defeated.
  The largest opposition party, the Liberal Democratic party, will also hold the convention this month, and it is expected that Mr.Tanigaki, the present head of the party, will not be reelected. An influential new party is going to be born, being led by Mr.Toru Hashimoto. What will happen to Japanese politics?      

I succeeded in connecting the Internet Explore after I asked about it by phoning to the Cable TV company.

  I asked Tomakomai Cable TV by phone how I could recover the connection to the Internet Explore, because the connection was cut just after they had some construction work, and tried as I was instructed, then, I succeeded in it.
  It was cloudy with some scattered rain. In the morning, I left home to walk with an umbrella for the first time after having returned from the tour to Shanghai. I was tired. So, in the afternoon, I had a nap.
  The US presidntial nomination conventions are now being held. Mr.Mitt Romney was nominated as the candidate of the Republic Party last week, and Mr.Barrack Obama is going to be nominated in the Democratic National Convention now being held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Which of them will win? Nobody knows. The election will be held in November 6. 

I could not connect Internet Explore because of some construction work by Tomakomai Cable TV company.

  I couldn't post this passage yesterday, because I couldn't connect the Internet Explore.

It is unusually warm and humid for September in Hokkaido.

  How long will this hot and humid weather continue? In Sapporo and some other places in Hokaido, the highest temperature rose over 30 degrees three days in a row. In calendar, it is already September, autumn. But I am personally happy because I like hot days.
  I stayed at home all day, cooling myself with the electric fan.  I am enjoying a crossword puzzle.
 

Banquet for senior people is to be held on September 15.

Our neighborhood association will hold a banquet for senior people on September 15. This evening, I attended the meeting to talk about it. Until last year, this banquet had been held for respecting seniors and every neighborhood association was subsidized by the city, but as the budget became tighter, it became difficult for the city to subsidize it. The people qualified to attend the banquet are over 75 years old, and I am qualified and am invited, but I will have to pay 500 yen.   

Why is there the terretorial dispute about Takeshima Island between Japan and Korea?

  Isn't there any solution of trritorial dispute about little islands around Japan?  Today, a group of people from Tokyo prefecture went to Senau Islands by boat to survey the islands which China insists soveregnty over. When the world War II ended, Japan had to give away the islands Japan had taken over and occupied by force. But by the San Fransisco Peace Treaty, some little islands located around Japan were not clearly decided which country they belonged to. They were Takeshima Island, Senkaku Islands and some northern islands. How can we decide which country they belong to ?  I am afraid these kinds of territorial disputes have often developed into war.
  Today, I didn't go anywhere but went with Ayako to see a little "autumn festival" being held in Toyokawa cho, along my regular walking path "Komorebi no mori". We walked seeing little stands along the walking path, and bought pizza for lunch and came home.  

I worked in the garden today,too.

 It is already September 1, though it was still warm and humid. In the morning, I weeded in my garden. Weeds had grown thick, so I had to work almost all morning. In the little field I had made at the eastern corner of the garden, vegetables were growing well. I picked a bowlful of small-size-tomatoes, and another bowlful of eggplants. String beans had grown well but it was too late to eat them as podded beans. I found five or six pumpkins growing here and there in the garden. I am happy to see them  growing in my kitchen garden.

Ayako's busy day.

 Ayako went to the hospital to check her diabetes in the morning. In the afternoon, she went to receive shiatsu or manual pressure. And in the evening, she went to her ceramic art class. I stayed at home all day. I first posted my report on our tour to China on Facebook. Herman, my friend in Nayoro, a Chinese American, responded my report soon after I had posted it, saying he was glad that I could enjoy the tour in spite of the unpleasant political conflicts between Japan and China. In the afternoon, I worked in the garden, digging out weeds. The weather was fine and it was very humid.

We went to Sapporo to take back our cat.

We went to Sapporo to take back our cat we had left in Haruna's house while we were traveling. Haruna, her son Keita, and Haruna's husband Hideto were at home. Our cat was well. We returned at a little after noon.

 

 

 In the second day in China ( August 25, Saturday ), we went by bus to Suzhou or Soshu 120 km west from Shanghai. It took about 2 hours, and our party were 15 tourists and a guide and the driver. The city of Suzhou has a population of 2350,000, which was more than that of Sapporo and far bigger than we had expected. It seems that every city we know is far bigger than almost all the cities in Japan. Suzhou was a lagoon city, and it is called "Venice in the Orient".

I went to print the photos I had taken in China.

  It was a wet day, though it didn't rain so much. In the morning, I went to Furusato Noen.

Returned from Shanghai.

 We had to wake up at 4 a.m. to catch the plane to return straight to Shin Chitose International Airport. Our Chinese guide, Mr.Ko said he had asked the reception of the hotel a wake-up call for us at 4:00a.m., but in our room, we didn't hear it. I was afraid if they didn't make the call to any room our group of Japanese guests stayed in, so I went down to the reception to tell about it. A receptionist simply said we would check our system. Later I knew the phone didn't ring only in our room.
 We traveled in China for the first time. For some reason or other, I had been reluctant to go to China. One reason was, of course, had something with the modern history of the relation of Japan and China. There have always been disputes about so-called "historical recognition" of Japanese people, or that of some Japanese right wing politicians. In addition, there is a very hot terretorial dispute about Senkaku islands.      

We will leave for China this afternoon.

  Travel to China - we are going to China for the first time. But there is a territorial dispute between Japan and China, and it is reported Chinese people in many cities are demonstrating against Japan. In Korea, the president took a very agressive act, landing on a little island which, Japan has claimed, is Japan's territory. We have never been to Korea, as we are reluctant to go. We hope the world will be more peaceful.

Preparations for going on a tour to Shanghai.

  The weather forecast in Shanghai is not good - thunder rain tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Does the territorial dispute between Japan and China or Japan and Korea affect our travel?  I don't know.  A Japanese woman journalist named Miss Mika Yamamoto was shot to death in Syria. How terrible!  The world is not peaceful.

I stayed at home and watched semi-final games of high school baseball.

  In two days, we are foing to leave for to Shanghai to travel, so I didn't go out to avoid getting tired. I watched the high school baseball games on TV. Osaka Toin beat Meitoku Gijuku from Tokushima by the score of 4-0. And Aomori Kosei defeated Tokaidai Kohu from Yamanashi by 9-3. The final game will be played between Aomori Kosei and Osaka Toin for the second time in a row.
  I tried to study about Shanghai on the Net, but the names of places and people were were written in Chinese characters which I didn't know how to pronounce. I tried to study in English, but it was difficult to find which spelling corresponded to which Chinese characters. When we write something about China, we should write the names of places and people in katakana, which can closely be pronounced in China.

A warm day today,too. The first school guard after the summer vacation.

  It was an unusually hot day in Hokkaido. Here in Tomakomai, the temperature rose as high as 28 degrees, and in the house the thermometer was always indicating 30 degrees. Ayako found an electric fan upstairs and set it on the heater, which was not, of course, lit up. I felt hot even in the early morning, when I stood at the crossing as a school guard.

It was humid, as if not like in Tomakomai. Cucumbers in Furusato Noen had grown too big.

  It was very hot and humid today. In the morning, I went with Ayako to Furusato Noen to sow the seeds of autumn daikon. Tomatoes were not ripened yet, but, on the contrary, cucumbers had grown too big. We picked them and snap beans. We will have to harvest potatoes after we return from our travel in China next week. Ayako presented some of the cucumbers to Mrs.Mizutani next door.

The last morning of the radio gymnastic exercise, and cleaning up the festival venue.

  In the morning, I went to do the radio gymnastic exercise. It was the last day of it because today was the last day of the summer vacation of the primary school. After having lunch, cleaning the venue of yesterday's Obon dance festival was begun. We, men officials, took down the tents, carried back the tables and chairs, and did other things. We finished cleaningup at 9:30, and returned home. I was tired.

Obon dancing festival.

 The weather was cloudy but it didn't rain. We held our Obon dance festival at 6 chome minipark, and I wored as the chairperson of the executive commitee. In the morning, we started the preparation. We first set up three big tents for using as stalls. Then, we carried up Japanese drums and set some PA system on the tower in the center of the park. Then we decorated the tower with flags of many countries of the world and other ornaments. Many little girls came and danced in a circle wearing colorful kimonos and they looked so cute and beautiful. The children's dance began at 6:30 and ended at 7:00. Then the sinior people whose avarage age was over eighty danced in kimono. After that, general people danced till 8:30.
  The people lined in front of every stall where they sell spit-roasted chicken meat, oden, edamame, etc.
We closed the festival at 9:00, and drank some sake and beer in the tents, and returned home at about 10:00.  

Tavel to Shanghai, China, next week.

  Ayako went to Sapporo to see her sister, Emiko, and her husband, Mr.Shimizu. I stayed at home studying about Shanghai, which we are going to visit next week. By the way, when we study about China, I always have difficulty because the way we read kanji is different from that in China.

Territorial issues - Senkaku Islands and Uotsuri Island and northern territory.

  Unpleasant news - 14 people from Hong Kong landed on Uotsuri Island, one of Senkaku Islands, claiming to the islands. Five days before, South Korean president also visited Takeshima Island off the coast of Shimane prefecture. Both Senkaku Islands and Takeshima are parts of Japan, Japanese government has claimed. There are always no good solutions for territorial issues, and historically, it often caused wars. We don't want to have wars with any countries. What should we do?
  In the evening, I attended the monthly meeting of the neighborhood association. We talked mainly about the Obon dance festival scheduled on Saturday this week. I must work as the chairman of the organizing committee.  

I went with Ayako to Sunagawa to visit the temple there.

  It was a very hot day. In the morning, at 8:30, Ayako and I left home by car for Sunagawa on the highway by way of Sapporo. We first went to the cemetery to see the site where Kamada's family tomb had been abolished this spring. There was only vacant space with weeds growing. Then we visited the tomb of mass grave in which the ashes of Kamada's ancesters were buried, and prayed in the front of the tombstone. Next we went to the temple and we asked the monk to chant a sutra and prayed. We had lunch at a restaurant in the supermarket in Mikasa and returned home at about 3:00. 

Haruna came with her two kids and Chiaki's two.

  It was the hottest day here this summer. The temperature was over 27 degrees. We were going to Sunagawa today, but we didn't, because Haruna said she was coming with her kids and Chiai's two boys. At about 10:30, they arrived. They were Haruna, and her son Keita, daughter Minori, and Chiai's sons Tokio and Arashi. They talked, played games, and returned to Sapporo in the evening.
  High School baseball games in Koshien were all cancelled because it rained heavily in and around Osaka, and many rivers there were flooded.

It rained almost all day. The London Olympics ended.

It was raining all day, and had to stay home. I watched the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, and it seemed as if it were a spectacular music show. On TV, Olympic news had continued to be reported day and night for these two weeks, but it has ended after all. The sports program  is now focused on high school baseball. It was pitty that two teams from Hokaido, Sapporo Daiichi and Asahikawa Kogyo had been defeated.

The final day of the London Olympics.

  Japan won two gold medals in men's boxing and men's free style wrestling and a bronze medal in women's volleyball. The total number of the medals Japan won is 38, including 7 gold, 14 silver, and 17 bronze, which is the most of all the medals Japan had won in any other Olympics Japan has participated in. Congratulations !

Sapporo Daiichi was defeated by Sasebo kogyo.

  I watched high school baseball games today,too. Fukushima Seiko Gakuin won over Nichidai Sanko, the defending champion by 2-1, while Sapporo Dai-ichi, the representative of south Hokaido was defeated by Sasebo Kogyo High School by 5-3. Another representative of Hokkaido, Asahikawa Industrial High School will have a game tomorrow.
  I walked as far as the Tomakomai river this afternoon. I saw flowers along the path, in which there were some autumn flowers. Autumn will come soon.

High school baseball at Koshien is now under way.

  I am relieved from the stress of yeaterday's colon fiber scope examination. Today, I took a rest staying at home all day. I watched high school baseball games on TV, which began at Koshien the day before yesterday. 11 games have finished so far, and Sendai Ikuei and other 10 teams won their first game, but two teams from Hokkaido, Sapporo Daiich and Asahikawa Industrial High School, have not got in the game yet.

Colon fiberscope examination - all day in the hospital.

  The result was good - no problem in my colon, but I was quite exhausted. In the morning, I woke up early and watched London Olympics. Japan won two gold medals in women's wrestling.
  At 9:00, Ayako drove me to the hospital. Befor leaving home, I did not eat anything but took a tablet of physic which had been given by the hospital. In the hospital, there had been four people who were waiting for the same examination as mine. We were given 2 litter of liquid cathartic which we had to drink every half an hour. We had to clean up our colon. After having cleaned up the large bowels, I was given drip infusion. At about 2:00, I was invited to the examination room. I was unconscious of anything after that.   

Samurai Japan was defeated by Mexco. Tomorrow again I have to take a colonfiberscope examination.

  The weather was fine but I have been feeling depressed almost all day. In London Olympics, Japan's men's succer team was beaten by Mexican team by 1-3.  What is worse, I am going to have to take colonfiberscopic examination tomorrow. I took the same examination three months ago, but the doctor could not make the endoscope reach deep enough into my colon. Dr.Iga said I should have my colon examined by the medical center director Dr.Miyazaki, because there is suspect of cancer. I could not have usual meal, but only special food given by the hospital. I also had to take the medicine for loosening the bowels.

Nadeshiko Japan beat France by 2-1, and decided to advance to the final.

  The rain stopped in the early morning. I went to bed last night at 9:15 earlier than usual, and woke up at 1:00 a.m. this morning and watched a semi-final succer game between Nadeshiko Japan and the French team. The game was very exciting, and finally the game ended in Japan's victory by the score of 2-1. Nadeshiko will fight for the Olympic champion against USA on early Thursday morning.
 In the afternoon, I went to the dental clinic and had my false teeth mended. Sachiyo had arrived home in California and called us on Skype. She had stayed in Tokyo and Shikoku for a week.
  It was August 7th today. In Hokaido, Tanabata festival is held on this day, while in most other places, it is held on July 7th, one month earlier. In our neighborhood association, we gathered kids in 6 chome mini-park and divided them into groups of 10 members. Then, we let them visit door to door in the neighborhood, where they were presented candies and snacks by the residents. After they returned to the mini-park at about 7:00 p.m., we had a small fireworks show. 
 

Rainy in the morning, today,too. In fencing and floor exercise etc. Japan won silver medals.

  "Medal rush" continues in the London Olympics. In fencing, men's foil, Japan team fought against the Italian team in the final, and Japan was defeated in a very close bout, but Japan won the silver medal. In track and field, Murofusi won the bronze medal in the hammer throw. In gymnastics, individual, Uchimura won the silver medal.

Rainy in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon. Samurai Japan beat Egypt by 3-0.

  The radio calisthenics was canceled this morning because it was raining. I woke up very early at 1:30 a.m. because a quarter-final game of the Olympics between Japan and Egypt were going to be televised. The game was very exciting and the result was Samurai Japan's victory by 3-0. Japan will advance to the semi-final against the Mexican team on Tuesday. I felt sleepy almost all day.

I stayed at home all day today. Nadeshiko Japan won over Brazil by 2-0.

 The weather was cloudy, but, today I was tired and sleepy because I stayed up through last night to watch on TV the women's succer game between Nadeshiko Japan and Brazil. I tried to sleep at about 10:00 pm., but I couldn't, so I kept watching TV till the succer game started.The game was very exciting. The Brazilian team was always very aggressive, so the Japanese team was forced to be defensve. But in the first half, Ohgimi kicked the ball passed by Sawa into the goal, and in the second half, Ohno scored, and finally the Nadeshiko won by the score of 2-0.

I go to raidio calisthenics every morning.

  It was cloudy today. I went to 6-chome mini-park to take part in the radio calisthenics at 6:30 a.m. There are about 30 to 40 people, about half of whom are children, every morning. It is pleasant to do the exercise in the cool morning air.
  In the morning, Ayao went to the dental clinic, while I went out for my rutine walk to the Tomakomai river.
  In the afternoon, I went to Furusato Noen, and picked some cucumbers and daikon.
  In the evening, I watched Fighters' baseball. Fighters beat Tohou Rakuten by 7-0, and Fighters is in the first place in the Pacific League.

Uchimura won the gold medal in gymnastic individual.

  Kohei Uchimura won the gold medal in the gymnastic individual for the first time since 1984, when Koji Gushiken had won the gold medal in Los Angels Olympics. Japanese swimmers are doing good jobs and have got about 10 silve and copper medals so far.
  Ayako drove Arashi back to Sapporo in the afternoon. After she had returned, we went to eat out sushi to celebrate Ayako's 74th birthday.

It was a wet day today. Toio returned home to Sapporo alone by bus.

  I got up at 4:30a.m. and watched a succer game Nadeshiko Japan vs. South Africa. First I was going to watch it live before midnight, but the game seemed to be unexciting because Japan had already been qualified to advance to the final stage and the win of the game was unnecessary. So I recorded it and I watched it in the early morning. The result of the game was a scoreless draw.
  The rain stopped in the afternoon. Ayako drove Tokio to Tomakomai bus terminal and let him ride the bus for Sapporo. Tokio would have a succer game tomorrow in Sapporo. Arashi will stay with us another night and tomorrow Ayako will drive him to Sapporo.  

In the morning, I took our two grandsons to Kintaro no sawa park.

  It was very warm today, too. In the morning, I took Tokio and Arashi to Kintaro no sawa park and let them enjoy walking around the lake, seeing the red, black and white carp swimming and turtles resting on the rock. Then, I rowed a boat letting the boys on board. On the bench under a tree, we sat eating ice cream. We returned home just before noon, when Ayako was waiting for us cooking okonomi yaki for lunch. I was sorry I had forgotten to take my camera to the park.
  In the evening, Tokio had to return to Sapporo because he would have to play succer for his team. He is a goal keeper. Ayako sent him to the bus terminal by car and let him ride the bus.

Ayako went to Sapporo to take Tokio and Arashi to see a circus.

  It was very hot in most parts of Hokaido, and in Sapporo, it is reported that the highest temperature was over 33 degrees. But here in Tomakomai, it was about 25 degrees, and I felt rather cool. I went out only for buying lunch at a supermarket, and watched Olympics on TV.  The winning scene of men's succer game repeatedly put on the screen. Nagai ran so fast and kicked the victory goal over the Moroccan team.
 

It was a fine summer day today, too.

  London Olympics is under way. In the event of judo, Japanese judomen and judowomen continued to be beaten by foreigners. Judo was born in Japan and, of course, it is one of the Japanese traditional martial arts, people feel it  a shame every time a Japanese wrestler is defeated by a foreginer, but I don't think so. Judo is a kind of culture originated in Japan, and it is loved by so many people worldwide. So it is a good thing there are now so many good judomen and women everywhere in the world.  

The opening ceremony of the Olympic games was held specutaculalyin London.

   The third Olympics held in London formally opened today. In the opening ceremony, the happy, peaceful faces of the athletes in the long entrance procession were very impressive. On a grassy little hill made in the stadium, Queen Elizabeth and other organizing committee members were standing, and torch runners came running with torches and lit the Olympic cauldron. The fireworks burst across the sky, and the whole city of London looked so beautiful.

It was the hottest day this summer.

 In Sapporo, the highest temperature was over 33 degrees. Here in Tomakomai, it was over 27 degrees, the hottest this summer.
 Mwdia were very noisy about the miraculous victory of Samurai Japan's victory over Spanish succer team. They say it was a miracle, but the players said it wasn't a miracle at all, because they controled the game almost from the beginning to the end. Many European media agreed with it. Japan was really strong, they say.

"Nadeshiko" Japan defeated the Canadian team and Japan's men's team won over Spain - London Olympic.

  The opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games will be held tomorrow, but before that, the first stage of the soccer games has begun. Last night, Japan time, the game Japan team and Canad team had a game, and Nadeshiko Japan won by 2-1, and earned three points in the standings. And late at night today, Japan Men Team, nicknamed "Samurai" Japan surprisingly defeated the strong Spanish team by 1-0.

It was rainy for the first time in a couple of weeks. The London Olympics will begin in two days.

   It was rainy but no so heavily. In the morning, I went to Furusato Noen as it was raining only a little, and  after returning, I watched a MLB game between Mariners and Yanees on TV. 

A stunning trade of Ichiro Suzuki to Yankees!

  Sudden news came from Seattle - Ichiro Suzuki was transferred from Seattle Mariners to New York Yankees. The news came so suddenly that even Ichiro's father in Nagoya was surprised. New York Yanees happened to be staying in Seattle for three games series with Mariners, Ichiro played for Yankees for the first time today. At his first at bat, he took off his helmet and bowed to the audience to show his gratitude for their supporting him for his 11 years' career in Seattle. And he hit his first basehit for Yanees, and stole a base. All the audience responded with standing ovation. "Ichiro's era ended", the local newspapers reported.   

I worked on Furusato Noen in the morning.

  It was almost cloudy all day. I went to Furusato Noen in the morning, and sowed the seeds of autumn vegetables such as turnips, spinach, and daikon. I was lucky to be advised by the gentleman of the next field of mine about how to take care of cucumber vines. According to his advice, I cut some leaves of cucumbers and  trimmed the vines.
  In the afternoon, Takashi called us on Skype, and we talked with Takashi and Sachiyo. We were glad to see Takashi on the screen who had recovered from illness he had suffered right after he returned from China. Sachiyo said she would come back to Japan, and would visit to see her mother in Shikoku next week.  

Sapporo Daiichi High was qualified to participate in Koshien.

  South Hokkaido High School Baseball Championship Tournament ended today and Sapporo Daiichi won over Sapporo Nichidai by the score of 6-5 and became the champion. Sapporo Daiichi team will tae part in the All Japan High School Baseball Championship Tournament to be held in Koshien next month, together with Asahikawa Technological High School team as the representatives of Hokkaido.
  I walked to the Tomakomai river in the morning.

The all-star baseball games are not interesting any more ?

   Yesterday evening, the all-star baseball game was held in Osaka, and the Central League team won over the Pacific League team by 5-1. The second game was played this evening in Matsuyama, Shikoku, and again, the Central won by 4-0. The last game will be held in Iwate on Monday. I am not so much interested in the all-star games, because the players do not play to  to win the game, but seem just to enjoy it. So, the games are not exciting at all. I watched this evening a soccer game between J-League all-star team and the team selected from the Vegalta Sendai and the Kashima Antler, which belong to the great earthquake and tsunami stricken district.

Ayako went to the hospital to check up her diabetes.

  It was fine, but cool, today, too. In the morning, Ayako went to the hospital to have a checkup of  her diabetes. The result was better than that of the previous checkup.
  I walked along my routine course eastward and along the Tomakomai river. Flowers were so beautiful that I took pictures of them stopping here and there. 

It was cool with gentle breeze today.

   The weather was fine but cool for a summer day. In the morning, I walked eastward to the Tomakomai river. It was very pleasant to walk in the cool, fine weather.
   The championships tournaments of high school baseball are now under way in every prefecture all across the country. In north Hokkaido district, the semi-finals were played in Obihiro and Engaru High School and Asahikawa technical High School won and proceeded to the final tomorrow. In south Hokkaido district, three teams from Muroran region including Tomakomai Higashi, Ohtani Muroran, and Hokkaido Sakae, have alredy been defeated.

It was another hot day today.

  In the morning, I walked as far as Kawazoe and walked around the gymnasium there. On the way back , I saw the thermometer in the median strip standing at 27 degrees.
  I sent a message on the facebook to Mr.Motoi Morita to celebrate his 42th birthday. Mr.Morita is my old student in Tomakomai Higashi High School, and now is running a vegetable farm at Sin Shinotsu near Iwamizawa. I also posted a message to another old friend of mine Mrs.Kazue Kuwataka living in Tokyo. Mrs.Kuwataka had a baby in May, and I saw a photo of the cute little boy growing well. I was happy to find her baby very lovely.  

It was a beautiful "summer" day today.

  The highest temperature was 25 degrees, which was the highest this summer here in Tomakomai. I stood at the crossing as on usual Tuesdays as a school guard. The sun was shining brightly, and the school children looked happy. I wished these summer days would last many days here in this north land. On the contrary, in the central Japan, especially in around Tokyo, the temperature was over 35 degrees, and many people suffered heat stroke. People may wish this hot summer will end soon.
I stayed at home all day today, too.
 

It was a national holiday "the Marine Day".

  I felt dull when I woke up in the bed. I was very tired. I had thought of going to Sapporo to see a high school baseball game between Tomaomai Higash and Hoaido Sakae, but I gave up going.
  In the morning, I went to Furusato Noen with Ayako. We picked a crooked cucumber, and turned furrows to prepare for sowing the seeds of autumn daikon radish. After returning, I satyed all afternoon and evening.

It was fine, but I took a good rest at home to relieve my fatigue from hard work in gardening

 I finished trimming the trees in the garden yesterday, so today, I stayed at home to take a good rest from hard work these days. I am really tired.
 In the afternoon, I went to the office of Tomakomai Cable TV in Nisshin cho, and attended the class to learn how to enjoy facebook. But the student was only me. The instructor was Mr.Sakuraba, who was a graduate of Tomakomai Higashi High School. I wanted to ask something about how to operate facebook, but I only have to ask one, or two questions.

The floods in Kyushu are terrible.

  The weather here was fine today, but in Kyushu, many rivers were flooded and not only the rice fields, but the residential areas are under water. How long will this rainy season continue?
  My garden is now completely cleaned. I have trimmed all the trees. At the eastern corner, tiny red flowers of peas are coming out. The yellow flowers of pumpkins are blooming, but they are only female flowers, so Mrs Azumi living across the road and Mrs.Moriya next door came to give me a male flower to fertilize. Thank you. 

July 13, Friday, I finished trimming the trees in my garden.

  I forgot to post my diary yesterday. The media continue to report about the heavy rain in Kyushu which has caused a great damage. I seems to be raining heavily there.
 On the contrary, it was fine here in Hokkaido. I worked on my garden, trimming the trees, and I have almost finished. I cut down one of the yew trees. I also trimmed the azalea trees.

It was rainy all day. Takashi called us on Skype.

  It was raining all day today. In the morning, I went to my field in Furusato Noen in the rain. I picked the first three cucumbers for this season.
  In Kyushu, heavy rainfall continued, and the media report more than 20 people have died or have been missing by floods and landslides so far, and the heavy rain will will continue. I hope the rain will stop soon.
  In the afternoon, Takashi and Sachiyo called us on Skype. Takashi said he he had not been well since he returned from Shanghai. He has a slight fever, and was diagnosed of mild pneumonia. He looked thinner than before. We feel worried.
  Haruna sent us a newspaper article on the Net reporting our grandson Kazuma was qualified to participate as a representative of Gifu archers in the national athletic meet to be held this autumn. Kazuma has won the championships of Hokkaido, Osaka, Nara, and Gifu so far.