walking in Chofu (2)

Here we are at 神代植物公園 !

I visited the garden on May 18 by myself and enjoyed
spring roses to my heart's content.

There were fewer roses blooming this time.
This time I enjoyed dahlias.



(淡い恋)


(ガールズトーク）


(口べた)


(other dahlias I like)






We had onigiri-lunch lying on the lawn.

walking in Chofu (1)

Yesterday I joined ‘Green Road Walking Club’
and enjoyed walking in Chofu City.

(schedule)
国分寺駅　⇒　立川駅　⇒　分倍河原駅　⇒　調布駅　⇒
布多天神社　⇒　神代植物公園正門　⇒　芝生広場（昼食）⇒
深大寺　⇒　三鷹駅　⇒　国分寺駅

We 30 members met at the Kokubunji Station at 9:30.
We arrived at the Chofu Station at 10:30.

I was surprised to know it is the fastest and the least expensive
way from Kokubunji to go to Chofu by way of 南部線and 京王線.

A chief priest was waiting for us at the Chofu Station.

Our leader told us he is a famous priest among Buddhists
and an article about him appeared in some newspaper.

We started to walk with him to 深大寺 by way of 都立神代植物公園.

First we walked to 布多天神社.

http://www.csa.gr.jp/shrine/fudatenjin.html









Then we walked toward 都立神代植物公園..

On the way there we saw modern buildings along the street.

The following building a very, very large building.
It looked like a company building but we could not find
any name written on the building.

What is it?



How peaceful! It is the Nogawa River.



What is that building? We wondered again.



Tell me please, if you know what those buildings are.

Congratulations!

I am greatly excited at the news
hat the Nobel Prize in Physics 2014
was awarded jointly to three Japanese scientists:

Isamu Akasaki,
Hiroshi Amano and
Shuji Nakamura

"for having invented a new energy-efficient and
environment-friendly light source – the blue light-emitting diode
(LED).”
(Nobelprize.org, the Official Web Site of the Nobel Prize)

Oh, how happy I am!
We Japanese are all proud of you.

Congratulations!

(today's sky)


(three pencils I saw today at the entrance gate
of a nearby elementary school)

English conversation

I am a member of Friday English Circle at Kominkan.

We have three classes a month----
on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fridays.

On the first Friday, we have a free conversation
in English.

On the second Friday, we do exercises in English grammar,
composition, vocabulary, etc.

On the third Friday, we read one story
from a book Chicken Soup.

Our class begins at 10:00 and ends at 12:00.

We have a tea break at 11:00.

Yesterday, we enjoyed a free and easy conversation in English.

Don't you think we have a frank conversation
about personal matters when we speak in English?

Will the day come when we have an lively English conversation
about the timely topic?

Our American teacher brought
Halloween chocolates and napkins
for our tea break.

How delicious!




Anyway, I had a good time.

(on my way home, at 5:30pm, yesterday)

to‘the NIKON PLAZA Shinjuku’ and ‘the Ueno Royal Museum’

This is the good season for enjoying art, isn’t it?

Yesterday, we, four ladies, went to ‘NIKON PLAZA Shinjuku’
to see Ms. Hiroko Yamaguchi's photos taken in Ishinomaki,
Miyagi Pref.

Ms. Yamaguchi is a member of 能楽写真家協会
and a member of 全日本写真連盟.

This time her photos were not of Noh but those of people
who survived that 311 Earthquake and are living again—
cheerfully with strong will.

The following is the message from Ms. Yamaguchi.

====================================================

山口宏子写真展　石巻より元気発信

この写真展の主人公は、皆、石巻の人たちです。
石巻は古くから漁業や水産加工業、それにかかわる産業が大きな
比重を占めてきました。

ところが、２０１１年３月１１日午後２時４６分に発生した大地震
は巨大な津波を引き起こし、東北地方は、未曾有な大被害を受けま
した。宮城県石巻市にも、死者３２７１人、行方不明者４３６人に
上り、膨大な住宅被害を伴う、大きな爪痕を残しました。
（２０１４年８月１２日更新の石巻市の資料による）

大災害から３年半が過ぎました。災害で、尊い命を亡くされた方々
や、遺族の皆様に、心からお悔やみを申し上げます。元のように復興
するまでには、まだまだ時間がかかり、問題も山積みのことと思います。

その中で、私は２０１１年９月から、度々、石巻市にお邪魔して、
それぞれの場所で、前向きに歩んでおられ方々の姿に感動して、カメラ
を向けさせていただきました。

その様子をお知らせしたく、この度、小さな写真展をさせていただく
ことになりました。写真を展示させていただいた方も、今回残念ながら
写真は展示出来かった方も、優しく接して下さった石巻の方々本当に
ありがとうございました。石巻が大好きになりました。これからも、時々
お邪魔させていただき、復興の様子を見守らせて下さい。

２０１４年１０月１日　　　　　　山口宏子

=======================================================









I was deeply touched and encouraged
by each photo.

Then we went to the Ueno Royal Museum, 上野の森美術館.
We appreciated ボストン美術館浮世絵名品展「北斎」.





It was an exciting exhibition.

What a great artist Hokusai is!

I haven't seen most of his works before.

I'm sorry those works will soon go back to
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.