A Letter from Blue Sky and Sea - Izu Shimoda Photo Diary

2011/06/28 Rainy season was over in southern part of Japan.

This morning the weather forecast said that the rainy season in kyushu area, the southern part of Japan, has over.

The high atmospheric pressure has been covering the southern part of Japan in these days, so I can understand it.

But they also said this high pressure would be getting smaller next week and we would have rain again.

It means we have to wait for the end of the rainy season for a while.

However it was very hot and beautiful again here in Shimoda today.

The color of the ocean was really gorgeous!!....

2011/06/25 Frist swimming with my son this year!

Today it was very beautiful and hot here in Shimoda.

So I went to the nearest beach "Shirahama Beach" with my son.

And we moved to the other beaches for snorkering after that.

The water was still cold, but my son was really excited today.

Click here to see the other picutres which I took today.

2011/06/19 My children's pictures

In these days it has been cloudy and sometimes rainy here in Shimoda.

It can't be helped because now we are in the rainy season in Japan.

If we don't have rain in this season vegetable and rice will not be glown well.

So the rain is very important for the plants and us.

By the way I show you the pictures which my children drew.

The first one is drawn by my son, Yuuki, the day before yesterday.

He is interested in drawing picutre basically, and he is getting better day by day.

This time he drew the scene which he and his sister were having the hotcakes in the kitchen.

There are hotcakes on the table, window, clock, calender, fridge, thermos and etc...

I show you the next one....

2011/06/08 Under construction

I went to the shop at the half point between the primary school and our house to pick up my son.

When we were walking on the way home my son said,

"I'm very tired today. I want to take a break."

"Ok, let's go to the beach."

We went to the parking lot on the beach and took a time for a while.....

 

2011/06/06 When we came back from the school....

My wife usually goes to the shop on the way from the primary school to pick my son up, but today I went.

After I met my son we went to the nearest beach "Shirahama Beach".

When we arrived at the beach my son got off his shoes and got into the water, and played with the sand.

"I want to swim becaues it is very hot in these days."

"OK! I will bring your swim wear next time!"

It's getting hotter and hotter day by day here in Shimoda!!

2011/06/02 Ajisai (Hydrangea) Festival in Shimoda

Last night, when I was looking for the photos in my computer I found out this photo.

I took this photo in June 2003. It means I took this 8 years ago.

In those days my daughters were 7 years and 4 years old, and I used to go to many places with them. But now they don't.....

Anyway I took this photo at Shimoda park in Shimoda city.

Yes, Ajisai ( Hydrangea ) Festival is taking place from June 1st to 30th.......

2011/05/30 Picking up my son and Yamori at Sakuraya

Last week the #2 typhoon was coming to Japan from philippines area, but it was become to the extratropical cyclone before coming to Shimoda yesterday.

We had a lot of rain here in Shimoda last weekend, but it was not huge damage.

My daughters expected that the schools would be closed due to typhoon, but they had to go to school at last because there was no heavy rain and strong wind this morning.

As usual I went to the shop on the way from the elementary school to pick my son up, and we came back home together.

By the way I show you the photo which I took in our kitchen tonight.

But if you don't like the reptiles you should not see any more....

2011/05/20 It looks like a skin head of Namihei!

Yesterday morning, as we had customers and had to prepare their breakfast, I was not be able to walk wth the children.

So I went out the building to say "Take care" to the children.

When I was waiting outside a 6th grader boy said,

"Hey, look at this! It looks like a head of Namihei!"

I didn't understand what he said at first.

But ......

2011/05/14 Blue sky, Blue sea, White sandy beach and My son

"Let's go to the beach, Yuuki!"

It was windy but very hot here in Shimoda.

Today we had a big party of our customers, but I went to the beach with my son.

There were a lot of surfers in the water and some people on the beach.

Some of them were swimming!

The water is still a little bit cold, but it was almost summer here in Shimoda!!

I show some other photos which I took on the beach.

2011/05/08 Koinobori - - Carp shaped flags were swimming in the blue sky!

Today it was very beutiful day here in Shimoda.

And it was getting hotter around noon but we had a strong wind.

Koinobori flags were swimming in the blue sky and they made us very happy.

The weather forcast says it will be sunny tomorrow as well, and will be rainy after that.

My son's Koinobori flags will go to bed until next April.

*Do you know Koinobori? Check it out here!

 

2011/05/03 Koinobori, Carp shaped flags for my son!

In Japan, we, Japanese set up "Koinobori", Carp shaped flags, from April to the early month of May.

Koinobori are flown traditionally to celebrate "Children's Day" takes place on May 5th.

We, Japanese decorate Koinobori to pray that sons or grand sons grow up healty and strong.

According to the story of china, when the carp finishes climbing up the waterfall it become a dragon at the dragongate.

So Japanese parents hung Koinobori up in the sky for children rise up like a dragon in the future.

Yesterday my son, Yuuki and I set up Koinobori in our patio together.

You can see the other photos which I took yesterday here.

2011/04/28 The flowers are blooming and the sea is so gorgeous!

The season of Sakura had already finished, but we can see the green leaves on the mountain instead of Sakura.

From now it is getting warmer and we have a very good season of flowers.

My son Yuuki goes to the primary school with friends by walking every day. ( You can see him behind the flowers in this picture.)

His friends, the upper class students worry about my son and help him to walk.

By the way we are getting into the Golden Week from tomorrow .....

2011/04/06 Primary School Entrance Ceremony

Today we had an entrance ceremony of Shirahama Primary School.

Yes, my son is on the 1st grade of this school from today at last.

Befoe going to school I took a picture of my son and wife at Sakuraya's balcony.

It was very warm and beautiful day, and we had a very good ceremony.

You can see the other pictures here.

 

2011/04/04 Japanese orange called Natsu-Mikan in our garden

It was windy, but very beautiful day in Shirahama, Shimoda.

My son and I picked oranges called Natsu-Mikan in our garden.

This orange is a little sour taste but very delicious.

We make a home made wine with this orange every this season, and serve our customers as an aperitif.

Here are some other pictures which I took today.

2011/03/25 Walking to the Beach - - Snow on Amagi Mountains

It was sunny and very warm here in Shimoda today after 4 days with rain and strong wind.

I asked my son walking and went to the beach together.

While my son was playing on the beach I saw the mountains over Shirahama shrine, and found that those mountains had snow on the top.

It was very cold and we had rain last night, so they had snow there.

Spring is coming, but still a little bit cold here.

Click here to see the other pictures which I took on the beach today.

2011/03/18 Let's go to the beach!! - - Shirahama Beach in Shimoda

The sunshine and blue sea came back after a few days in Shimoda.

My son is now in Spring holiday and was getting tired this afternoon, so we went to the beach for walking.

It was very warm on the beach and we had good waves here in Shirahama, but there was no surfers in the water.

Click here to check the other photos!

 

2011/03/16 Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony in Shirahama, Shimoda

Graduation ceremony was taken place at Shirahama Kindergarten.

Yes, my son, Yuuki graduated today.

I remember the day he entered into ths kindergarten 2 years ago, but it was great ceremony today.

You can see the other photos here.

2011/03/06 My son Yuuki and I went to the beach "Shirahama Beach"

We had a little wind but it was very warm today here in Shirahama, Shimoda.

In this afternoon I went to the beach with my son.

As Kawazu Sakura Festa is taking place and today was Sunday, there were a lot of people on the beach.

I posted some photos on my Facebook.

You can see the phtos even if you don't have Facebook account.

2011/02/18 Thank you & Good bye Ceremony at Shirahama kindergarten

This morning we had a strong wind and a rain here in Shirahama at around 6:00 AM.

But it was changed, and it became sunny at around 9:00 AM.

Today my wife and I went to Shirahama kindergarten with my son, because they had a ceremony for children.

It is called Owakare-kai in Japanese.

It means a ceremony which the children say thank you and good bye to the children finishing kindergarten....

2011/02/14 St. Valentine's day

Today my wife gave me and my son this chocolate cake.

Yes, it was St. Valentine's day today.

In Japan a lot of women have been giving a chocolate to men who they love for a long time.

But recently they, women give a chocolate to not only men in love but also men not in love.

It means the women give a present to the people around, for example, colleagues or friends though they don't love them.

In addition, especially in these days men give a present to women.

In Japan St. Valentine's day was made by confectionary companies long time ago and was developped as a different one from the other coutries.

2011/02/12 Shirahama Beach Walking Guide Part 2

Today Shirahama Beach Walking Guied Part 2 was completed.

In these web pages I was going to use the photos with people or my families, and I was looking for the good photos for each place.

I have a lot of photos which I have been taking in Shirahama since 10 years ago.

I selected some photos for this guide, but actually it seems like my lovely son's photogallary.

Check out Shirahama Beach Walking Guide from Part 1

You can click the links to go to Part 2 down this page.

 

2011/01/30 Walking on the beach with my son

It was a little cold because of west wind, but good weather for walking.

This afternoon I went to the nearest beach Shirahama with my son.

There is Shirahama shrine on the north part of Shirahama beach, and there is a red gate of shrine called Torii in Japanese on the big rock.

We were able to see Izu seven islands clearly from the tip of this big rock.

2011/01/20 Playing with my son, Yuuki, on the beach

I went to the kindergarten to pick my son up by walking this afternoon.

On the way to our home we went to the nearest beach "Shirahama" to play.

Today it was sunny again and the water was blue and gorgeous.

My son was excited with the waves on the beach.

After he will get into the primary school we will not be able to together after school like this.

I think I would be sad...... .

2011/01/17 A new knapsack of my son, Yuuki

In Japan almost of every students go to primary ( grade ) school carrying this knapsack with back straps.

As he knew that he would go to the primary school on next April he wanted his own knapsack like this.

"When can I buy my knapsack?"

"We will buy it when we will go to Chigasaki city."

As we promised we bought this knapsack at the shop in Chigasaki.

Long time ago we had only 2 types, black one for boys and red one for girls, but they have many kinds of color of this knapsack in these days.

But we were able to make a dicision soon because my son wanted black one.

He looks very happy with his own brand-new knapsack now.

We call this "Randoseru" in Japanese, but how can we call this in English?

Maybe they don't have this bag in the foreign countries, right?

 

2010/01/02 Hatsumode to Shirahama shrine

Today, after we finished cleaning up the gurst rooms we went to Shirahama shrine.

Most Japanese visit a shirine or a buddhist temple as a first time of new year to pray for comfort and health on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd January.

This is called "Hatsumode", the first visit shrine of new year.

That's why there were a lot of people at Shirahama shirine today and were some women in Kimono.

After praying we took a photo in fron of Haiden (hall of worship) all together.

 

2010/12/06 Perfect Sunny Day in Shirahama

It has been sunny and very warm here in Shirahama for 3 days.

Yesterday it was Sunday and my children didn't have a school, so we went to the beach to take photos for New Year Card.

I tried to take it with my 3 children, but my son was in a bad mood when I was taking photos.

And my second daughter became in a same mood. ( A girl in this photo is my first daughter.)

That's why I wasn't able to take good photos after all.

We don't have good days like this so many times in this season, but ....

 

 

2010/07/28 Swimming with my son under the sunshine in Shimoda

I didn't think to do it, but as we don't have dinner for our customers today, I went to the beach with my son.

"Let's go to the beach, Yuuki."

"Really? "

My son loves swimming in the sea, but we can't go many times in summer because we are very busy this season.

It was very hot today too.

My son was very excited in the water....

2010/05/18 Picnic to Shirahama Beach

The weather forecast said last night it was very fine day and very hot today in Shimoda.

Today it was a picnic day of kindergarten.

My wife and son went to kindergarten at 9:30 AM, but I left my house after our customers checked out.

When I arrived at the beach the children had just started to play on the water's edge.

Actually I was worried about my son, because he had a cough and runny nose.

But he was unmindful and got into the water to play.

2010/04/25 Beautiful day in Shirahama

"Dad, I want to play outside!"

My son said so.

Since my daughter Hikari has a cold and she was watching TV in the kid's room, my son Yuuki couldn't watch his favorite TV program.

After I finished my work I went to the parking lot near the beach with my son.

My son loves to play with a toy car.

After that we went to the beach.....

2010/04/01 Presents from American and German Family

We had an american family who stayed at Sakuraya on March 30th.

They stayed for only 1 night but they were very glad to stay and gave us this present.

This is called "Toffee-Ettes Cake" made by See's in California.

Here is a story from their web site below.

"Irresistible bite-size pieces of rich Danish butter toffee with whole almonds are smothered in See's creamy milk chocolate, then covered with bits of toasted almonds. Keep a canister on hand for unexpected guests or take one to the office."

Of course it was a first time for us to eat it, but it was very delicious and we enjoyed this flavor!

I show you next one....