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

2013/07/13 Shirahama Beach this morning

I took these pictures at around 7:00 this morning.

A lot of people and cars had already come to Shirahama Beach, because today is the first day of 3 busy holidays in Japan.

They will have a lot of people more from now.

Click here to see the other photos on my Facebook.

2013/07/12 Shirahama Chuo Beach

It was sunny and very hot again.

I took these pictures at Shirahama Chuo Beach next the the nearest beach "Ohama".

There were a lot of people on Shirahama Ohama beach, but only 5 people on this beach.

Clich here to see the other pictures.

2013/07/10 Is this beach in Okinawa?

It was sunny and very hot today again.

The water was really beautiful under the sunshine.

It looks like a beach in Okinawa, right?

Click here to see the other photos.

2013/07/09 Shirahama Beach today

It's sunny today again.

I took these pictures on the top of mountain behind Pension Sakuraya.

There are some people on the beach.

The air in the sky was not clear today, so the color of the sea was not perfect blue.

But the scenery was very beautiful as usual.

Click here to see the other photos.

2013/07/08 The rainy season was over!!

The Japan Meteological Agency has just announced the rainy season was over today!!

It is 2 weeks earlier than usual.

Yes, we are getting into the real summer!!

Bye bye, rain!!

Let's go to the beach!!!!

2013/07/07 Drinking Beer after Beach!!

I watched a video taken in Tokyo on TV today.

They had a strong sun light and it was very hot in Tokyo.

On the other hand it was almost cloudy but very very humid here in Shimoda before 3:00PM.

Our customers came back from the beech and was drinking beer after shower this late afternoon.

I wanted to join them if I didn't have a job.

2013/07/05 The repeat customers from Taiwan!!!

Seven years ago, they came to Japan and stayed at Sakuraya for the 1st time.

They had already had their son, but they leaned him on their parents and came to Japan.

And this time they came to Shimoda again with their son!

We were very glad to meet the first repeat customers from Taiwan, and of course, we had a good time and a great communication with this beautiful family again.

Thank you very much for staying with us and your wonderful presents and message.

Click here to see the other photos.

2013/07/05 Presents from Oregon in the United States

Yesterday we got a postal package from our customers who live in Kamakura and stayed with us in last June.

When I opened it we found out some presents and message from their friends in Oregon.

During their stay I took their daughter to the doctor because of the middle ear infection.

How is she going?

Thank you very much for wonderful present from the United States!!!

2013/07/04 Cats and dogs

I took this picutre at 7:00 AM after I took my son to the shool by car this morning.

We had a rain cats and dogs here in Shirahama this morning, but the rain has already been stopped and it became cloudy at 1:30 PM now.

2013/07/02 Thank you for staying and a present!!

They are a family who came from Sweden.

They have visited Japan 5 years ago and came to Japan for the 2nd time this summer.

Before coming to Shirahama they stayed in Ito city and went to Southern part of Izu peninsula after checked out.

Did you find out sand ski and cave in Toji? and how did you like it?

By the way, when they checked out they gave us "Swedish Premium Liquorice".

My family and I were worrying about its flavor and tried to eat it, but it was easy for us to eat.

This liquorice is a kind of special version, I guess.

They are beautiful family!!!

Thank you very much for staying with us and the present for us!!!!

2013/07/01 A present from Switzerland

Today we got an envelope via airmail.

It was sent from our customers who came from Switzerland and stayed at Sakuraya for 8 nights in last April.

We found out some drawings which were given to my son from the children and a postcard of their hometown.

My son remembers the children because he played UNO with them many times, and of course he is excited very much to get these presents.

When I took these photos my son was just going to bed, so he looks a little sleepy.

But I'm sure that these presents made him very happy!!!

Thank you very much!!

2013/06/29 Shirahama Beach today

It was sunny and very hot here in Shioda today.

Yes, it was almost summer!

There were a lot of people on the beach, and the professional surfing competition was taking place near Shirahama shrine, on the other hand of this beach.

And the digger and the crawler dump truck were moving a lot of sand which was brought by strong north wind during winter to the front of the sea.

They are preparing this beach for summer!

The sight looked like an another planet!!

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2013/06/27 Weeding at Aloe field in Shirahama

Weeding the slope took place at Aloe field in Shirahama today.

We have a beautiful view looking over Shirahama Beach at this place.

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2013/06/25 Thank you for staying.

They are two families from the United States of America.

One of them have lived in Kamakura and have stayed at Sakuraya in last May, and the other family came from the United States and visited Shimoda for the 1st time.

A girl had been sick since several days ago and had a slight fever.

So I took her to a pediatric hospital in Shimoda with her family.

I was relieved that she got better after that.

Thank you very much for staying with us.

See you again!!

2013/06/22 The World Cultural Heritage Mt. Fuji

I got a great news on TV today.

Mt. Fuji, a highest mountain in Japan at 3,776m, was listed as  a world cultural heritage by the world heritage commitee of UNESCO in Cambodia.

2013/06/19 Shirahama Beach this morning

I took my daughter to the school by my car and took these pictures on the way home this morning.

The sky is covered with a black cloud and we have a strong wind here in Shimoda, because the typhoon is approaching to Japan.

Click here to see the other phots.

2013/06/11 Kitchen cleaning

We usually clean our kitchen before getting into the busy season.

Today I cleaned and waxed the floor to shine.

2013/06/09 Shirahama Beach today

There were a lot of clouds in the sky, but it was sunny here in Shimoda today.

I saw a lot of people swimming, walking and sleeping on the beach.

The weather forecast says the typhoon is approaching Japan.

So it was the last sunny day today, I guess.

2013/06/09 Thank you for staying!

They are French family who live in Tokyo and had stayed at Sakuraya during last Golden Week in May, and came again for the 2nd time.

On the 2nd day they went to the beach and Shimoda Park to see the hydrangea flowers. And they went to Tsumekizaki cape after checked out.

They are very beautiful family!

Thank you very much for staying with us.

See you again in September!!

2013/06/09 Thank you for staying!

They are from Russia and live in Tokyo.

Two of them have stayed at Pension Sakuraya 2 years ago, and they came with their friends this time.

After they checked out they went to Hydrangea Festival, Aquarium and Mt. Nesugata Cable car, but were you able to go to all these places today?

All of them speak Japanese very well, so we had a good comunication with them in Japanese.

Thank you very much for staying with us.

We look forward to meeting you again!!

2013/06/08 Thank you for staying.

They came from California and stayed for 3 nights.

During their stay they went to Shimoda park to see the hydrangea flower festival, walked in Shimoda town and went to Mt. Nesugata by cable car.

He is a college teacher and a steel drum player and she is a creator of Shibori things in California.

Thank you very much for staying with us.

My wife and I had a great time with you!!

2013/06/08 Loquat wine

We have a loquat tree in our garden and can get a lot of loquat fruit every Juny.

We made loquat wine yesterday and these bottles will be in strage.

We will be able to meet them several years later.

2013/06/07 Shirahama Beach this morning

I took my daughter to the school by my car, because it's rainy this morning.

We have a little strong wind here in Shirahama, but there is no wind around Izukyu Shimoda train station.

Mt. Nesugata between Shirahama and Shimoda is protecting the town from the wind.

2013/06/04 Summer day!

We have a little wind this afternoon, but it's very hot and almost summer today.

The blue sky and the green leaves are shining under the sune.

We should dry sleeping mats before rainy days.

 

2013/06/03 A long intermission of rainy season

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that Tokai area including Shimoda got into the rainy season on May 28th, but now we are in the long intermission.

The weather forecast says the sun will stay in a next week and it's getting hotter and hotter over the weekend.

By the way, I took this picture on the slope on the other side of Pension Sakuraya.

The flowers of hydrangea are changing its color and getting more beautiful.

I love this stage of coloring better than full colored and full bloomed hydrangea.

2013/.06/02 Strong north wind in Shirahama

We have a very strong north wind here in Shirahama, and it's colder this morning than yesterday.

There are some wind surfers who came to this beach to get a good condition.

By the way, mY daughter has a sport day at the high school today, but she had been worrying about it due to the weather.

If it was rainy and they didn't have it they would have to study as usual even though it is Sunday today.

But I think it will take place today, because it's still cloudy now.

2013/05/31 An interval of good weather - - Hydrangea native to Japan

Even though we are in the rainy season now it was sunny all day long.

When I walked on the seaside I found out the wild hydrangea on the cliff down the road.

This is a native one to Japan and we can see this kind of hydrangea on the coast of Izu peninsula, Boso peninsula, Miura peninsula, Izu seven islands and so on.

This hydrangea exported to China from Japan long time ago, and exported to Europe in 18 centuries.

Nowadays the most of hydrangea which are seen at the many places in Japan are the breed improved in Europe and they were imported to Japan again.

It means this is the original species of the hydrangea which you usually see.

201305/30 Rain in Shimoda

My daughter usually goes to school by bicycle, but I take her when it's rainy.

I took this picture on the way home, at Sotoura beach between Shimoda and Shirahama.

The weather forecast says it will be sunny tomorrow.

 

2013/05/29 Rain drops on hydrangea leaf

Shimoda had gotten into the rainy season yesterday, but the rain came on Shimoda today at last.

It's still small rain but the hydrangea leaves look like glad to get water in our garden.

2013/05/26 Aquarium in Shimoda

I went to the Shimoda floating aquarium with my family today after a long time.

Click here to see a lot of pictures which I took today.