My Next Door Neighbor

My next door neighbor is .......a Temple!!
YES!! A Temple! It`s called  Niioson, named for the two temple guards housed in the two gate houses in front of the temple.
Japan is an interesting mire of Buddist temples and Shinto shrines with a few Christian churches interspersed.
The basic way to tell the temples and shrines apart is..... the shrines have to red "torii" at the entrance and the shrines have two large temple gates usually housing the temple guard statues.

Today`s pictures are of the temple next door to "Our House".

 

Say What???????

I decided to add a (Say What????) category to my blog just for fun.
Sometimes English usage here in Japan can be very strange.
Packaging is created to be eyecatching and using English IS eyecatching. No one reads it so it doesn`t matter much WHAT it says. So when I see something of interest, I`ll put it here on my blog. Please feel free to laugh.

Product is toothpicks......Word for word......On the package:
"It has a meal by the smile every day.
Family terms are good has a meal.
The easiness to use it "it is the best"is a toothpick.
Today`s meal is delicious.
SMILE/MAMA/COMPANY
S&M  "

SAY WHAT????

Michi-no-Eki

According to Wikipedia....Michi-no-Eki is a roadside rest area found along highways in Japan. In addition to providing rest areas for travelers, they are also intended to promote local tourism and trade. You can often find shops selling local produce, snacks, souvenirs, and other goods. According to government figures, there are around 900 Michi-no-Eki around the country.

Couldn`t have said it better myself!!

There are three Michi-no-Eki within comfortable driving time from my home. I like to visit and buy local produce and products. There are usually decent Food Court areas selling fast food and local menus.

Yesterday, Teru-chan, a good friend, and I went to a newly opened Michi-no-Eki in Sawara City. I am sorry to say that this is the first Michi-no-Eki that I was disappointed in. Maybe it will get better....

Anyway, we had a nice drive and lunch and on the way home we stopped in at a produce store and got fresh veggies!

All is well that ends well,Yes?

Have a nice day!!

Planting the Rice Paddies

This is the time of the year to plant the rice paddies(ta ue, in Japanese) here in our area. By the time Golden Week is finished, most of the rice paddies are planted.

First of all, the paddy is plowed and the enbankments between the paddies are repaired and fortified. Next, the paddy is filled with water and plowed again .Then the paddy is planted with the seedlings that have been grown in a much smaller area.

My explanation makes it sound very easy, but , as all farmers know~it ain`t! Much time and sweat goes into the paddies.

I love to watch the process from preparation to planting to harvest( ine kari, in Japanese).

Have a nice day!!

Cartonnage

Please allow me to use the term cartonnage for this box....although I am using it very loosely. In actuality, cartonnage is a much more intricate art. The artist makes the piece from scratch, making the box.I`ve seen some absolutely beautiful pieces while surfing the NET.  I`ve just covered a box that I thought was cute. It`s a fun project and is good for packing Birthday presents or packaging homemade cookies even.

Japan`s Golden Week

We`re coming up on Japan`s Golden Week. Golden Week gets it`s name from Golden Time, or what we call in the USA (Prime Time) like on radio or TV. Golden Time or Prime Time is the time when the most people listen to the radio or watch the TV, right? Well, Golden Week is when the most people travel and /or play in Japan. The week has three National Holidays, so depending on the day of the week that they fall on, a trip out of country is even possible. This without having to delve into your annual leave time. Nice, huh?
The three holidays are 1~ May 3 Constitution Memorial Day, 2~ May 4 Greenery Day, and 3~ May 5 Children`s Day, or Boy`s Day to distinguish it from Girl`s Day , which is on March 3. Just before Golden Week, on  April 29 is Showa Day, which is the Birthday of the deceased Showa Emperor Hirohito.Although Showa Day is not part of Golden Week, it is considered by some to be included.
Constitution Day and Greenery Day aren`t special, but Children`s Day has it`s celebration. Usually, starting  a few weeks before Children`s Day, families rig up the Koinobori in the yard. Koinobori is a set of windsocks made to look like carp, Koi. They"fly" these koi on poles in the yard. They are very large and "fly" beautifully in the wind. Much smaller ones are also made for people who live in apartments to "fly" on their verandas.
Why carp(Koi)? They are very hardy fish and they represent courage and perseverance,  characteristics parents want for their boys to have.
I`m sure many of you have seen these windsocks. In The USA I`ve seen them used a wall hangings. I also once saw one rigged up as a shower curtain, which was pretty awesome! I`ve included some pictures in the hope that you can get an idea of how they are used. They are really beautiful "flying" in the wind!

Doctor Fish

Have you heard of  Doctor Fish?
(According to Wikipedia: The Doctor fish or "Garra Rufa ", also known as the nibble fish, is from Turkey. It is used in Turkish spas as a treatment for skin diseases such as psorisis. The fish only consumes affected and dead skin leaving healthy skin to grow.)
The Hotel I stayed at in Okinawa had a setup in the shopping area, the setup being a small pool with benches surrounding the pool . You set on the bench and dangle your feet in the pool. The fish nibble on your feet ....yes , they nibble on your feet! The first minute of this was like nothing I`ve ever experienced! It doesn`t hurt! It tickles? Vibrates? I`m at a loss for words! If you make it through the first minute without loosing it... it`s actually a vibrating massage feeling that feels good! (I paid 500 yen for 10 minutes, about $5.) After 10 minutes my feet were very smooth and the dead skin was gone! PLUS...I felt quite refreshed! The tiredness I had felt in my feet was gone.
Hey, don`t take my  word for it! If you get the chance...try it!
I highly recommend it!

Doctor Fish!


Have a nice day!!