Two Precious Melons

 It's already September .

I always think that time flies so fast, although the heat wave still blankets entire Japan.

Long summer holidays in most schools are already over in Japan, so my schedule is shortened.
In September, I usually work at noon. That’s why I feel relieved and happy now.

Now about my garden, I found out that melons are difficult to grow.

Although I tried to grow them for the first time this year, I didn’t get good results.
I have finally harvested only two little ones as seen on the picture above

At first, I actually  had four fruits ,but two of them changed their colors, their surfaces of the fruit have turned yellow.  Extremely strong sunlight than the usual year may have discolored them.　
I should have taken care of them carefully. I want to try growing melons again next year

 

 

A picture of “rose of Sharon(日の丸木槿) “ like Japan’s flag.

 

I don’t know the name of the plant in this picture.

Itsuddenly grew beside the entrance in front of my house about 3 years ago.

It seems to be a perennial plant and It is  40 centimeters(16 inches) in height.

I haven’t seen it's flowers yet. I wonder how its flowers look llike.

I'm very interested in the plant's name.

I hope someone could tell me the plant's name.

These picture are Hokokuji Temple(報国寺) where I have visited with my daughter in the middle of this month. 

 It takes 15 fifteen minutes   by bus from Kamakura station,　famous for bamboo.

When I was surrounded by a large  number of bamboo trees, there I felt refreshed and cool and I felt tensed due to the upright and tall bamboo.

I believe that the contrast between the green bamboo and red leaves in autumn must also be marvelous.

We took a rest over a cup of green tea in Houkokuji temple.

 

After visiting the temple, it’s been a long time since I went to Yuigahama beach(由比ヶ浜) in Kamakura. 

 

 On the way to Yuigahama Beach, We found a lovely goldfish in front of a shop .

It’s such a graceful one.

A firework display  in my local town

I've watched a latest movie, "The Wind rises"(風立ちぬ) by Hayao Miyazaki(宮崎 駿) who is famous Japanese film director.

The story really moved me so much.

I wish you a lot of happiness!

 

My trip to Hokkaido

It has been already  in the middle of summer during our tour. I haven’t updated my blog more than a month. In Japan, it is very humid, so the news told us to be careful not to suffer from heatstroke every day. The heat is probably getting to my flowers and vegetables in my garden, but anyway they are growing somehow. I will write something about the look of my garden next time. Today, I’m going to tell you about my trip to Hokkaido.

I went on a trip to Hokkaido with my parents and my daughter.  We toured around three beautiful places, Asahikawa and Furano city, as well as the town of Biei.

It was our first time to be at  Haneda Airport.

I was very moved by the breathtaking “Aoiike“
It is a man-made pond located near the town of Biei.
It is becoming popular nationwide since few years ago because of it’s wonderful emerald green water.
Aoiike looks more fantastic and mysterious by the dead trees which stand in the pond and grand mountain chains which serves as the background as well as the emerald green water.


The scene is very fantastic!
The weather was perfect, so the emerald green water appeared vivider.


In Furano city, I thought the flowers of  the Lavenders hadn’t yet bloomed at all there　because it is said this year that it's bloom would be later than usual.
But unexpectedly, those just started to turn purple.. so we were very  lucky.

 

We used the “Torokko train(トロッコ電車)"　called" Norokko go" , a special train that operates only during summer, going to “Furano Farm" (富良野　ファーム) in Furano city, where there are many lavenders.
The train isn’t having glassed windows and those were opened, so we can enjoy the charming scenery of mountain chain and beautiful hills in Biei and Furano  with a comfortable and cool wind.


Att Lavendar station


In Tomita Farm


This place is “Tomita melon farm”, next to “Tomita farm”.  We liked the big melon statue very much and took some pictures with it. That statue is three times as much as my size.

 We bought two big melon breads there. Those were too much to eat up by myself.

This light –purple-colored soft drink which I bought in “Tomita farm” was unexpectedly delicious.

Guess what?           It’s a Calupisu water with lavender.

Here is a room in a hotel – Hotel La vista -where I stayed on the first day.
The décor and setting in the room were very nice, and we felt relaxed in a cozy and calm atmosphere.
The French dinner was really  delicious.


The appearance of The Hotel La　vista. How sweet!

My daughter and I climbed up Mt. Asahidake  in the early morning of the next day
There were still quite a lot of snow there, and it was a little bit difficult to walk.
Thanks to the nice weather and for getting up early, we have enjoyed enough grand mountain scenery at a nearby place.



That day, we also went to Asahiyama Zoo, which is located in the most northern part of Japan.
This zoo is the place which my mother longed for, and I was actually asked by her to plan a private tour for her to look around slowly and in sufficient time.


That zoo has a unique way of showing their animals –  the visitors can observe the animals in their cages from various angles.  It was a weekday as well as a pre-summer holiday of school students, so the popular zoo wasn't so crowded yet.
That’s why it was easy for us to observe the animals.


Especially, a polar bear  was very charming.
His series of lovely actions which is going around a big rock and then shaking his neck a few times was very cute.

 

 

A  polar bear’s cute plump butt.

I admired him for a lot of his hospitality to the park visitors.


A capybara looks like taking a bath in a hot spring. Look at his expression. Please pay attention especially to his eye. His relaxing expression unwinded me.


In a water tunnel.


Look how fast it swims!

 

The fantastic view outside from the room and the look of the room itself of Grand Hotel in Asahikawa city, where we stayed on the second day.

My daughter ate a heaping bowlful of rice with a lot of Ikura-salmon roe.


On the last day of our trip,  before going back home by an airplane,  we visited “The Ainu Museum (アイヌ館)” in Asahikawa city.
The museum is an old-looking building and it’s items are only few, but we had Ainu costumes put on there and were able to take some pictures in front of a traditional Ainu house called “Chise’.







In front of Chise

How do you think of us in vivid Ainu costumes?

Therefore, we have spent fun time there in our own way. Our taxi driver told us that Ainu museum is very dull and you would finish there in about 5 minutes though.   It is really fun to go on a trip, isn’t it?  I am always disappointed by the end of our tour because I feel sad and lonely for ending such a nice time. Anyway, we were very lucky with the wonderful weather during our trip and the fantastic time we spent.

If you have interest in a polar bear in  the Asahiyama Zoo, please click here. You can watch a short video about it.

We have admired some splendid and glittering temples.

 

 On the fourth day, we were free the whole day. We have planned to do
sight-seeing in Bangkok city by ourselves. I was anxious that my plans
might not go well but everything went smoothly as expected.



 The breakfast at  “Century Park Hotel”  was tastier than I thought.
Even some Japanese dishes such as an velvet egg custard steamed in a
fancy tea cup, were served, which made us really surprised.

 

 

We rode a taxi from our hotel to our first destination.
I think the taxi fee in Thailand is very cheap. It took us about 20minutes to
Wat Phra Kaeo by taxi, but it only costs 95 Baht(300円位).
The young driver was very sincere and used the meter , so we didn’t have
any troubles with higher fixed fares.

View of the magnificent chedis in Wat Phra Kaeo, where the holiest Buddhist site

in this country is and houses the revered Emerald Buddha image.

The Royal Grand Palace is a glittering walled complex that houses several
palaces, all highly decorated with tiles and ceramics. Building began in 1782
when Bangkok was founded as the capital of Thailand.

Many ornated stupas and shrine were splendid and sublimed.

Before entering this main shrine, my daughter   slightly touched   on her

head with a lotus bud in water which she copied from other visitors and  

Thai people for good luck.

 

 

I’m so sorry that this picture is quite dark. The slight and obscure lightning
at the center part of the picture is the Emerald Buddha.
This Emerald Buddha which is housed in the central shrine is dimunitive
and this shrine was extremely crowded with prayers and visitors, so I was
not able to appreciate it well. It doesn't look like an Emerald but a golden one.

 

Grand Palace
This palace is very a beautiful place.  It's very clean and welel-kept.This palace is really in beautiful condition.

 

 This stylish trashcan is utilized in the palace.

 

 

 

 Dusit Maha Prasat Hall(ドゥシット・マハープラサート宮殿)
This building is a traditional architecture way of Thailand. There is a big chair for King inside. There is a big chair for the King inside

 

 

 

 

 Wat Pho features an enormous reclining Buddha and is famous as home

of the first Thai massage school

We joined my hands in front of the Buddha.

The large back of  Buddha’s foots.

 

My daughter is getting rid of the hundred and eight kinds worldly desires of human beings by throwing coins into one hundred and eight bowls one by one.

 Today, I saw lots of Buddhist images so I felt as if they purified my soul.
After this place, where do you think we would visit?

The continuation of the travel story will be in my next post.
Have a nice weekend!