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

Morning in Shirahama

"We couldn't see a beutiful sunrise this morning, but we are lucky because we could take a picture of gorgeous sunrise yesterday morning."

Our guests who came from Taiwan and stayed for 2 nights said so when they checked out this morning.

As usual I went to the primary school with my daughter this morning and I took this picture on the way to home.

It wasn't clear by cloud on the horizon this mornig, so our guests couldn't get beautiful senery.

The weather forcast says it will be a little warmer after the middle of this week.

By the way do you have hey fever?

We have to worry about it after Wednesday because it will be warm after that.

Cherry Blossom in Sakuraya Garden 2009/01/26

In our garden we have some kinds of cherry blossom, and this is one of them, called "Kawazu Sakura".

Every year we have "Kawazu Sakura Festival" in Kawazu town and Minami Izu town on February and March.

However this year this tree has already started to bloom. (I took this picture with my mobile phone. That's why this picture is not good.)

My friends who is a specialist of cherry blossom said,

"This tree is blooming early in this area."

He has a lot of cherry trees in his field but most of them have only 1 or 2 cherry blossoms.

I think this tree will be fully bloomed at the beginning of February.

I'm looking forward to seeing that.

JR Super View Odoriko with Kids Room

Have you ever gotten on this train?

This train is called Limited Express Train "Super View Odoriko".

If you travel to Shimoda with small child by train from Tokyo area I recommend you this train because this train has a particuler space for children.....
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Blue sea again! - - Shirahama Beach in Shimoda

How have you been?

We had 3 holidays until yesterday and we went to my wife's home in Kanagawa.

My children were very happy because they could meet thieir cousins and spend thier time with them.

Thank you very much.

By the way I went to Shirahama beach after 3 days with my son, Yuuki this afternoon.
He is stressful because he often stay in our home all day, so when we went to the beach he started to run soon.

I show you pictures which I took today.....

The water was boiled? - - Frost smoke in Shirahama, Shimoda

This morning, I walked with my daughter as usual, and when I was coming back home I found an interesting phenomenon on the beach.

It was a Frost smoke or an ice fog caused by extremely cold air flowing over a body of comparatively warm water.

The lowest temprature of Shirahama area was about 5 degrees, but the water was over 17 degrees in this season.

That's why I could see this phenomenon this morning.

Sunrise and Izu seven islands in the late afternoon

Today, the time of sunrise was 6:54 am.

I started to go to the shool with my daughter and the children at 7:00 am as usual and I walked down the hill.

I found that the sun was shining in the cloud and took this photo.

This morning I could see the sun with cloud and it was gorgeous scenery.

In the afternoon I went to Shimoda for shoping by bike and .......

Wao, leaves are frozen!? - - Shirahama, Shimoda

It was very cold today too like yesterday.

I walked with the children who go to Shirahama elementary school as usual this morning.

When we were walking on the national road one of the children found and cried,

"Look at this! The leaf is frozen!!"

Actually the water is frozen on leaves because of the low temprature.

I show the another photo......

It was very cold today.... Shimoda, Shirahama

This morning I started to walk to the elementary school at 7:00 am with my daughter and the other children as usual.

When we went down the hill the sun was just rising up next to Toshima island.

Then one of children found something on the road and said,

"Look at this! The water is frozen here!"

The sea water is about 17 degrees even in this season but the water outside is sometimes frozen.

Sotoura Beach 2009/01/12

After I finished to prepare some things for today's guests I went out for biking in this afternoon.

It was rainy this morning but it was changed at around 11:00 am and it became sunny after that.

I took this photo at 3:30 pm but the water was still blue and beautiful, and I could see Toshima island, one of Izu seven islands, over the ocean.
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According weather forcast it will be sunny tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

I wanted to go to the beach...... Shirahama Ohama Beach

It was very beautiful day today too.

There are many ships on the ocean and I could see Izu Oshima Island under the blue sky.

I wanted to go to the beach today but I couldn't because of my job.

"It can't be helped."

I was talking to myself and took this picture from our guest room.

I went to the beach with my son, Yuuki.

I went to the beach with my son, Yuuki today. (Yuuki is on the bottom of this photo.)

I took this picture by the river at the center of the beach.

It was rainy and very cold yesterday, but it became warm today and the air was clear.

So I could see Izu seven island over the ocean.

Let's move to the south point of this beach....

Sakura (Cherry) has already started to bloom - - 2009/01/08

We have some cherry trees in our garden.

This afternoon my son, yuuki said,

"I want to play with my tricycle outside!

He is boring to play alone in his room and he wants to play outside.

"OK, Yuuki. Let's go!"

When we went out and I found Sakura tree has a lot of buds on it, and when I was going to take photos I noticed that this tree has already had some blossoms.

Yes, spring has come to Shirahama!

Cherry blossom festival will take place from February 5th or 7th this year.

   

The water in the sunrise - - Shirahama Beach

I got up early this morning and I left my home with my daughter to go to school.

On the way to school  I found that the sun was just rising on the horizon, so I started to run to take photos.

Today we had big waves in Shirahama and I could take this photo with the water broken by stone.

Shirahama shrine and Sun set

As we didn't have customers we went to Shirahama Shrine today.

The Japanese usually go to shrine to pray for health, happy and success at the new year.

This shrine has a history of more than 2,500 years, so this is a oldest shrine in Izu peninsula.

After praying in the shrice we went to the sea behind this shrine.....

A Happy New Year !!!

Thank you for staying at Sakuraya last year.

We are looking forward to meeting you this year again.

We wish you a happy new year!!

Secret present from Taiwan

Today we got a big orenge enverope.

Wao! It's from our guest who live in Taiwan!

I opened it and found a letter, a post card and an another enverope with a picture of rose.

I opened it and found the stamps.

When this guest checked out he told me about the secret present....

The best color of Shirahama in winter

I had some things to buy I went to Shimoda today.

Before that I went to the small fisherman's port in Shirahama.

Look at this photo.

What a beautiful color this is!

The ships were floating on the blue clear water. It's really amazing.

I show you one more photo which I took today .....

A beautiful sunset in Shirahama

When I take beautiful photos I am very happy.

Today I was going to the post office to post new year cards by bike in late afternoon.

And as I found cloud in the sky I went to the north in Shirahama.

I took this photo at Itado area. The sun was going into the west mountain.

I show you one more photo ........

Blue sky and blue sea in Shimoda

In this season there are not so many people on the beach and it is very quiet.

The water and sky are getting blue day after day.

I love summer because we can swim, but I prefer this season to take photos.

Blue sea makes happy!!

Yuki and I went to the beach today.

When we have many customers and we are very busy we can not play with my son, Yuuki.

In this case he is playing alone in his room watching vedeo.

Today it was sunny and warm here in Shimoda.

As we were not busy, I went to the beach with my son.

The flower is still blooming in Shimoda.

In winter we have some kinds of flowers bloom in Shimoda.

This is a narcissus which started to bloom.

From December 20th "Narcissus festival" will take place in Shimoda to January 31st.

Let's get the early spring in Izu peninsula.

<Link> Narcissus Festival in Shimoda

Doctor fish in Shimoda aquarium

I went to the aquarium in Shimoda after a long time.

In this christmas season Santa Claus come to this aquarium like this photo.

He has some shows with the sea animals, sea lion and dolphines.

The purpose which we came today is .....

 

Cleaning the dinning room

After busy season we usually clean all rooms, kitchen, bathing rooms and dinning room.

Yes, after busy season we are still busy.....

Today I moved the tables and chairs out and cleaned the floor.

Then my son, Yuuki came and said,

"Wao! this is my room to play, right?"

And he started to play with his toy car.

Sun in the morning in Shirahama

As my daughter had a table tennis game at Shimoda junior high school I took her by car in early morning.

On the way to our home from the school I found that the sun was rising on the ocean.

That sun was shining like a diamond.

This is a real nature.

The winter has come to Shirahama at all

The weather forcast tell us the weather correctly recently.

It had been warm until yesterday but it was changed and became very cold today.

I took this photo at the top of mountain behind Pension Sakuraya.

We can get a view of all of Shirahama beach, Izu Oshima island and Amagi mountains from here.

A Red Gate on the Ocean - - Shirahama Beach

In these days I go to the school with my dauter for walking.

This morning I went to the rock behind Shirahama shrine.
There is a red gate called "Torii" on it.

This is a good point to take photos with the ocean and sunrise.

Shirahama Chuou Beach

Today it was very beautiful and hot, so I went to the beach with my son, Yuuki.

This beach is called "Shirahama Chuou Beach" located next to Shirahama Ohama Beach.

There are white sand and rocks, we can swim and play with sea animals.

After parking our car in the nearest parking lot we started to go to the beach.

Yuuki was very excited because he loves the beach! .........

The last weekend in July - - Shirahama Ohama Beach

Today it is July 26th Saurday.
Yes, it is a last weekend in Shirahama, Shimoda.

I was cleaning up the guest rooms but I went to the beach to take pictures because it was very beautiful today.

I took this picture in fron of Shirahama tourist office.

There were a lot of people on the beach today.

I am showing the another picture which I took on the top of mountain.....

Shirahama fireworks festival - - The rainy season was over today!

Today, on July 19th Saturday the fireworks festival took a place in Shirahama.

Every July the fireworks festival is held on Shirahama Ohama beach. And it started at 8:00 pm today.

It was so exciting because the fireworks were held in front of the beach and we can see it over here.

By the way the weathere forcast said that the rainy season was over today in Tokai area.....

Shirahama Ohama Beach - 07/16/2008

Today it was very hot here in Shirahama.

There were some people on the beach but there were not many surfers.

Because they didn't have a good wave today.

However, I want to swim too!!