Tag Archives: garden

Summer Evening BBQ

I was going to a tennis lesson today, but students asked me to join a BBQ, which I accepted. I took Maya-san for a walk at 5 PM, and the BBQ started at 7 PM in the garden of my office building. Students prepared everything. The foods and beer were very good.I went back home at 8:30 PM. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was on TV. I like Roald Dahl and Johnny Depp (and Tim Burton, so so), so it is one of my favorite movies.    I tried to watch an Olympic soccer game Japan vs. Korea for the bronze, but I went to sleep.

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Visit to Tokiwa Hotel on a Monday day off

Yesterday was Showa Day, a holiday. and happened to be Sunday. So today, Monday,  we had a day off in lieu. I took Katya to Tokiwa Hotel for a buffet lunch to show the beautiful garden I saw yesterday. The same employee kindly took pictures of us in front of the hotel.    Buffet was OK, but not special. The service was bad: empty plates were left on our table without being collected.    Even though, the view from the window was pleasant. We took a walk after lunch in the garden.    The stage of the wedding yesterday was all cleared. The hotel has an annex specially designed and … Continue reading

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Wedding in Tokiwa Hotel, Kofu

I left home for Tokiwa Hotel, the most prestigious hotel in Kofu,  for the wedding. It was built in 1929. When I was taking a picture of the front view of the building, I was asked by an employee of the hotel to post an article on the blog if I have one (for a free commercial, of course). I said yes I have one and I would. When I entered the hotel, I was astonished by the Japanese garden seen through the big windows of the lobby. The wedding was held in the garden, which was a perfect idea, except that the temperature in Kofu raised up to 30 degree … Continue reading

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Busy Winter Days

I have almost done with my student’s thesis.  That makes me feel a bit relieved. It has not snowed yet, but Kofu is cold now.  These are pictures taken in a garden in front of my office. I am using Gateway and Katya, HP now, because Katya’s dictionary does not work well on Gateway.  She now only uses Gateway for Skype. Oh, I am a little sleepy.

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Late autumn

Leaves are falling down from the trees in the garden in front of my office building. I finished revising the paper and have sent it to the society by e-mail. For dinner, I cooked fettuccine imported from Italy with a basil source.  The dish was a bit too salty, so having  Chilian Merlot was not a bad idea. During diner, Katya told me that one of the teachers in her English school is quitting because of the administration issues.  She was really upset. I recommended Katya to invite her once to our apartment.

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Evening in Kyoto

Yesterday, after the afternoon rest in the hotel, we took a public bus to Hogonin Temple for an evening garden walk. Garden was illuminated neatly, and so many visitors were in there.  It is a pity I was not able to take good pictures with my camera. Katya had a slight cold.  We took a cab to a Chinese restaurant “Hoan Hoan” in front of our hotel. The restaurant did not look promising outside, but the foods surprised us.  We enjoyed Mapo Doufu in a genuine Sichuan style. Waiters and waitresses were all cheerful and helpful.  We recommend this restaurant when you have a chance.

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Day in Kyoto

We woke up and had a late breakfast at 9:30 AM at the hotel. In the lounge, Katya had a coffee and I had a powdered-tea cappuccino, whatever it may be. We rent bicycles and rode them to Tenryuji Temple. The garden was very beautiful, but the leaves were being fallen. Then we moved to Jojakkoji Temple.  The garden is less sophisticated that the one in Ryoanji, but you can enjoy a pleasant walk on the hill. (Katya’s pics 1, 2, 3) After the walk, we had a late lunch at “Peeping Tom“. Katya was a little tired.  We went back to the hotel at 3 PM.

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Labor Thanksgiving Day

Today was a holiday.  This holiday was originated in the harvest festival in Shintoism. After the WWII, the Allies are said to have created “Labor Day” + “Thanks Giving Day” = “Labor Thanksgiving Day” to eliminate the influence of Shintoism.  So it has a complex history. Katya went to Tokyo for a walk.  I stayed and took care of Maya-san. In the morning, Maya-san and I went to Noah Vet Clinic.  It was so crowded.  We stayed outside in fear that Maya-san could bark at, or even bite, cats.  She kept looking inside for cats. She received a laser treatment as usual.  We then went to a hall to buy … Continue reading

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Hakone, Hatsushima, Snorkeling

It was a pleasant morning with a pleasant breeze.  I took these photos from the windows of our room. After having breakfast, we left Resorpia Hakone for Atami port. We took a boat to Hatsushima island. For taking a boat to Hatsushima, I used free tickets for stock holders, which I had purchased at the Yahoo auction. We arrived at XIV Hatsushima Club hotel at 1 PM. The room was not available yet, so we had refreshments at the lounge to relax for a while. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant, “Porto“. In XIV Hatsushima Club, they give us 50%-discount coupons for lunch, and we took the advantage. We … Continue reading

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