this is the coldest morning in Tokyo

Wow! What a cold morning!
I'm listening to the radio as I usually do on Sundays.

A radio announcer said, “東京は雲ひとつない青い空です.”
This reminded me of my English class in my high school days.

It was an English grammar class.
We were learning about “Infinitives” 不定詞—
「be　＋ to　不定詞」.

In that class I learned a sentence---
“Not a cloud was to be seen in the sky.”

（空には雲ひとつ見えなかった）

Oh, I remember my good old high school days!

I went outside and took some pictures in front of
my apartment.

Yes, it is very cold and---.
Not a cloud is to be seen in the blue sky!

(written at 9:00a.m.)





Wishing you a very happy and healthy
New Year!

Mt. Fuji on Christmas Day

Oh, what a lovely day!
Sunlight was pouring into my room.

I decided to go and see Mt. Fuji at Lake Kawaguchiko.
This sudden decision was right.
Yes, I had a wonderful Christmas Day.

(on my way to Kawaguchiko, from my train window)


First I went to カチカチ山　by ropeway.



(天上山公園 at the top of カチカチ山)














I saw many young couples.

I saw many tourists from abroad.
Some of them asked me to take their pictures with Mt. Fuji.
I was glad they seemed quite fascinated by Mt.Fuji.

I had onigiri-lunch there.

When I went down to Lake Kawaguchiko, three Americans asked me
where they could see Mt. Fuji.

So I showed them around the lake and took them to
the place where we could get a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji.

They were excited to see Mt. Fuji.

They thanked me heartily.
I was very glad to have a chance to communicate in English.















I had a tea break at Fuji Lake Hotel as I always do
when I visit Kawaguchiko.



This is how I spent on Christmas day.
What a happy day I had!

I walked 16626 steps in a day.

Christmas concert at church

Yesterday I went to a Christmas concert held
at a chapel. with some of my friends.

It was a family concert.

There were many people attending the concert
and some of them were infants or little children.

First the pastor said to us,

“Infants or children are all angels. They are innocent.
Don't say they are noisy.

Let's enjoy the harmony between the music on the stage
and the infants' cry or laughter.”

It was a concert which made my mind at peace.





After the concert was over, we went to a coffee shop
in a department store near the church.
We had some cakes and tea.

After saying good-bye to my friends, I enjoyed a short but
a very exciting performance by 'Ciel' on the 9th floor
of the department.

'Ciel' consists of two members---one plays the piano or
the keyboard harmonica, the other, the violin.



Here's to a good day!

Christmas Party

What a lovely day in Tokyo!

Look at today’s beautiful skies in Tokyo!





I cleaned my rooms.
I did the washing.
I enjoyed reading an English book.

We had bad weather yesterday.
We had a potluck party in Friday English Class
---yes, our Christmas Party.

Every member brought something to eat.
Our teacher brought an Egg Nog carton, beans, cakes
Christmas trays and Christmas paper napkins..



All members except me are all good cooks.
They brought salad, pizza, hamburgers, fried chicken,
赤飯, or煮物.

I brought 三ヶ日みかん and boxes of potato chips.

I was full with salad, some 赤飯　and a piece of pizza.

The following picture shows what I could not eat
because I was too full up.

Christmas illumination of Showa Kinen Park

Showa Kinen Park is one of my favorite parks
in Tokyo.

This evening I went to Showa Kinen Park
with my friend to enjoy its

‘Winter Vista Illumination 2013’.

Showa Kinen Park was not crowded at all.

There were not so many people that HK-san, my friend, and I
walked very slowly enjoying the illumination.











We had a dinner at 歌行燈, my regular Japanese restaurant.
We talked a lot freely.

HK-san is taking care of her old parents at home---by herself.

She is always exhausted.
She is lonely, I suppose.

I'm sure she was somewhat refreshed in mind and body
by Christmas illumination and a delicious dinner.

I walked 13192 steps in a day.