Magazine cover

I made miniature ladies' shoes, little bird and flowers to magazine cover. This is health magazine and the theme is how to cure about the trouble of foots to busy women.

It also appear the inside of some pages. 

When I found this magazine in books store, I'm happy. :)) 

Hello again :)

I started English miniature blog again. :) But, today is not about miniature. Let me introduce about tatami mat.

I think tatami mat is very important and necessary to Japanese people's life. Because tatami room is very comfortable  and can relax to body and spirit. We take a nap and lay down on the tatami and read books. :)

This is my tatami room. Tatami mat generally has to reface about every five or six years. But almost Japanese houses not do it, I guess. Because the cost is expensive and can living no problem do not reface. So, tatami of my room hadn't refaced about 15 years. It has very damage. I decided to have a tatami refaced. Tatami quality has various. If chose very high quality tatami, the cost will be very expensive. So,  I chose tatami not high class, it's enough to my house.

(before reface)

This border of a tatami is common design and color in Japanese house. I guess almost Japanese houses has green.

I visited tatami maker to ask reface. The workshop is small, there is an old craftsman. He is an owner of this workshop. Maybe he is about octogenarian. I thought he may come to my house with other craftsman, but the day of reface, he came alone. I thought "How does he move heavy wardrobe, I wonder?" But he moved it easily. He used special tools to move furniture with his wisdom. He came to my house at 8:30 am and he took tatami mats to his workshop to reface and he back to my house bring tatami mats refaced in the evening.

(the state of no tatami)

While he reface the tatami mats in his workshop, I cleaned a room of no tatami. 

He back to my house at 5:30 pm bring tatami mats refaced. How beautiful! I'm very exiting! The smell of rush is full in the room. The real color is green. It's different from photo.

(after)

I could choose some design and color from the sample of the border of tatami. I chose orange. Old craftsman said me "It's unique. I did it first in my craftsman history." I didn't want choose green. Because I  wanted change my mood.

This is professional work.

When he go back his shop, I said him "I will ask you have a tatami refaced again after a few yeas." He answered me "It will be impossible, because I may retire soon.  hahaha." He told me he decide to  retire every year, because he doesn't has strength. But he think about after retired, "What should I do after retired? I don't need free time." The craftsman of tatami is his job and also his hobby.
I said him "Sir, your move is brisk and your work is very beautiful. I think you can still working. Please continue your job. I hope it." He said me "I don't have idea. hahaha"

The demand of the craftsmen of tatami decrease in Japan, because Japanese room also decrease, increase to the room of only flooring. And young generation don't be craftsmen of tatami. It also has other reason to decrease, I guess. Anyway, it still need veteran craftsmen.

Today, I wrote about a part of Japanese life. :)

Thanks for reading.

Funny things

This is ghost danish. I bought this in a bakery. Eyes are chocolate chips and  mouth is sweet potato paste. It's delicious! :-9 I often go to the bakery to buy this danish. But they will disappear after Halloween season.

They are lovely guys. :) I love it! I bought this in the shop. This is pottery.

3.11 with tears and praying day

It passed one year since a day of scary disaster in the northeast Japan. Dead people 15,854, missing people 3155 and 34 hundred thousand people are still living in evacuation shelter now.  

A priest was praying for victimes for about one hour in the seaside.

Japan has still a lot of problem now. One of problem is a part of inhabitant live in a lot of cities, towns and villages has rejected receive staggering rubbles by disaster from northeast Japan, because they have thought that rubbles include radioactivity. Actually, it have report that it hardly detect radioactivity after burned up rubbles. The people rejected never listen to opinion and report by scholars and governors. 

One old woman live in the northeast told in the TV interview that Japanese people say KIZUNA, this is meaning "bond of helping, loving and kindly for the northeast", but actually it's hypocrisy. 

Japan have to thinking a lot of problem seriously..... sigh.

Happy New Year! 2012

(Japan, this year is the year of the Dragon that the fifth of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac.)

Merry Christmas :))

I wish happiness for everyone.  ;-)

It has some occurrences that never forget in this year. Private matter, I participated in the big miniature show and I got precious good experience there. 

And I...We will never forget  about terrible earthquake and disaster in Japan. 

WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRAYING AND HELPING TO JAPAN!

Thank you so much always for visiting to my blog! :)))

I will post again on next year. 

Have a nice holidays! 

See ya!

Tokyo views

The other day, I went to Roppongi, Tokyo. This city is mode, there are a lot of clubs,  and a lot of rich people, celebrity and foreigners lives there.  

This photo is a TV station building TV-Asahi. Tokyo tower in the left of this photo is a place of interest.  

I went to Roppongi hills. There are a lot of shopping stores, restaurants, a movie theater and an art museum. I went to a observation deck. This building has 52 floors. These views see from 52 floors.  It seems diorama. :)

Tokyo`s sky is not clear in this season. 

The green zone is cemetery. A lot of Japanese famous authors has slept here.

It say that this building has preventive measures to earthquake. 

These buildings are apartment houses. Rich people live in these buildings. :O

Buildings are high, and rent is high too!  

You can see yellow "U"  in the center of this photo. This "U" was a roller coaster (half pipe). Famous discount store had it on the top of their building to get customers. But many stores and residents live in near this discount store protested to this store, because the machine make grave noise and crime.  (They were going to operation at daytime and midnight. ) After all, this machine never worked by protest of neighborhood. 

I was hungry, so I ate hot sandwich in the cafe, this floor. I wanted to eat with see view, I sat on the seat in the side of the window. But this day was very shine day and high temperature. I couldn't sit in this seat for long time....

Next, I went to Japanese garden in TV station. 

It is little garden.

The residence buildings, see from the ground. Biiiig!

6 months since disaster

It passed six months since disaster, March 11th. Stricken areas do not make reconstruction yet. Japanese Prime Minister changed again in last week. We don't understand the  present situation will advance to reconstruction and settle to radioactivity, because only incompetent Prime MInister has appeared since change a political party. And there are a lot of gaffe-prone minister in this political party.  ):-(
We have disappointment and we can not expect easily to new party cabinet.

It have still uneasiness to about cesium in Japan.
There is about current situation etc. in The Japan times.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110913a5.html



And last ... 11th....
I pray their soul may rest in peace to victims 9/11, 2001in New York.

Championship!

Japanese women soccer team "Nadeshiko Japan" won championship in FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011!  Players never give up, they give a dream and hope to Japan after disaster, especially to stricken areas in Northeastern Japan! We learned "Never give up Spirit" from them. Japanese people are exciting!

Some women live in stricken area told in TV interview "We are very happy their championship! They gave us power and hope! We also never give up!"

*"Nadeshiko" mean a kind of dianthus, comes from the phrase "Yamato Nadeshiko" -about Japanese woman-

They seems boys. hehehe

This player Homare Sawa got MVP.

This player Iwashimizu was born in Iwate, Northeastern, Japan. There is message on the national flag to Northeastern people.

Recover and rebuild in stricken areas are making very very slow progress by stupid government. ):-( A lot of people still are in public hall etc., and number of temporary housings are not enough. Why can not they leave from there, because country don't distribute them relief donations yet by bureaucratic reason. They lost house, money and job, they can not action smooth. (But, of course, there are other reason too. A part of them love for area, they don't have idea move to other city. And some people have got into the habit of laziness. They lose their independence. Anyway, it still have a loooot of problem in Japan.)

Please see

This is second post today. May I introduce about an American man to everyone? His name is Daniel Kahl, 51 years old, he has lived in Japan many years, he is very famous person in Japan, he is TV personality and translator. He speak so fluent Japanese with Yamagata (the northeastern) dialect. He is American, of course, he speak English but he hardly speak English in TV, so we are very surprised when he speak English. lol Because we have his image is Japanese northeastern person.

Japanese people know that it is reported wrong news about earthquake and nuclear power plant in the world. Almost Japanese feel crisis about it. And Daniel Kahl got know it, he determined to report actual situation and ask for don't get wrong news to the world people in English. If you have a few times, please see his message videos "Stop the Hysteria" on YouTube. This video has 7 including Japanese, he speak Japanese in a few video, but there is subtitle in English.



Thanks a lot from Japan.

I will back to normal.

Thank you always for worrying, helping and praying for Japan. A lot of problem are occurring  by earthquake and tsunami. Everyone in all the country already know about radioactivity leaking in nuclear power plant, and there are crimes in the stricken area, thieves come from other city, steal money and goods from uninhabited house and debris, and a lot of relief supplies not supply to all evacuation center yet.

We know the dead and missing people increase day by day, we are depressed. But we hope and believe to survivors are found, because an old woman, 80 years old and her grandson, 16 years old were rescued on the ninth day in collapsed house. It might there are more other survivors.

umm.... I don't like to write about politic on my blog, but just a little. About radioactivity leaking and not supply to all evacuation center etc., I guess that the millions of Japanese people have uneasiness and doubt to governmental correspondence and their works are not smart. For example, they didn't permit to rescue to a part of foreign rescue team by silly reasons. (an episode, foreign doctor don't have Japanese medical license. So the Ministry of Health didn't permit them to do medical care in Japan. ):-( They permitted them now. ) Now Japanese government is the Democratic Party of Japan from last year, they created confusion in Japan since they got government. (besides the Japanese Prime Minister change frequently like a day duty since 2007.) We feel crisis to this government. This government will finish in this year. I hope it.

Now in some stricken area start revive little by little. I grieve for victims and  I will proceed to I always am worried and help for the people have serious.
I switch to better feeling. I guess it's good, because I (We) can help to people in stricken area by contribute, stop buy up and save electricity etc. by I am or we are fine. I will back to normal.
(Some people live in city increase have mental trouble, because are watching to terrible image everyday on TV, they feel worry and empathy.
Oh, I'm OK. I don't have problem. )

Thank you so much for reading, encouraging comments and with your heart for us.

Thanks a million from Japan.

Serious

Thank you so much for worrying, helping and praying about Japan. We are grateful for everyone of the world. 

Seventh day have passed from earthquake. Everyday it still quake frequently, but we are feeling sense of quake without quake. It's strange sense. It seems always on the boat,  train or bus. 

Everyone already know Japan has nuclear crisis now. Radioactivity leaked, therefore a lot of inhabitant live within a radius of 30 kilometers of nuclear power plant have to stay indoors, do not out. When they are out, have to protect and care, and within a radius of 20~30 kilometers of the plant have to take refuge from there. This radioactivity is small amount, does not have effects to Saitama and Tokyo at least. If your family, friend and acquaintance live near nuclear power plant in Fukushima, please advice them that listen to news with be careful. 

Relief supplies and oil can not arrive in a lot of stricken area in Fukushima by this accident. Drivers are afraid to radioactivity. And there are trouble by rumor. All area of Fukushima is not danger, just the area of nuclear power plant. But it is said that all area of Fukushima is danger by rumor. The northeastern area of Japan has more crisis. They can not receive enough relief supplies and oil by rumor and close to roads. 15 senior citizen died in a shelter without warm. 

Besides, each center of the city in eastern Japan are making serious cause of lack of relief supplies to stricken area. People buy up food and toilet paper and tissue by sense of crisis to earthquake.  Everyday and always is broadcasted a lot of terrible scenes of stricken area on TV. It make sense of crisis and fear. When I went to some supermarkets, it was empty all shelf of food. It is strange. We bought up, therefore food and paper to use relief supplies for stricken area are lacking. The government announced us please stop buy up, food and paper never lack. 

Disaster affect life of people live in eastern Japan. 

We got news in second day earthquake that a man died in California, he went to the beach to see tsunami.  Please listen if you live in near the beach. Please do not go to beach to see tsunami with curiosity, it's so danger. And when you hear waring about tsunami, please escape to hill  quickly.

There was warning to tsunami, but a part of millions of victims by tsunami in Fukushima and Miyagi didn't escape quickly, they were relax in house, because warning to tsunami always had. Those warning were not serious. Therefore it was their habit. And some people went backed home after tsunami, but tsunami attacked again in the city and a lot of people was dragged into the sea. 

If occurred disaster and if your house have trouble, please don't go back home at once.  

Thank you for reading and I'm sorry that I have wrote just about disaster, but I can not  write about other things now. I want to write about Japan crisis now as a Japanese  citizen and tell to the world. Informations I write get in newspaper, TV news and Internet in domestic. You might already knew a lot of informations on your country's newspaper or TV news, but I write information as a resident of Tokyo city and Japanese citizen. 

Please take care everyone too. I hope your happiness and calm day. 

Thanks a lot from Japan

Earthquake

Today, there was big earthquake registered 8.8 on the Richter scale and tsunami in Sendai, the northeastern area, Japan, and there are missing people, the dead and the  injured. There also was big earthquake in Tokyo. Dishes and things flew out from shelves in my house. I was fear.
The center of Tokyo and other city has big trouble in transportation. Trains has stopped now. Millions of people can not go back home by train. Fortunately, I was at home today.

I am fine, and also my family and friends are fine.
It still has earthquake frequently now. I feel bad, like a seasickness.  

Happy New Year!

See ya!

I take holiday. I'm going to post again about the middle of January next year. Thank you so much for reading and commenting my blog this year. :-))))

I wish happiness for everyone.   :))))

See you next year!

Christmas cookie (REAL)

I went to a cake shop. I found there some christmas cute cookies. :) There are Santa Claus, reindeer, angel and snow man. I chose a snow man. It's so lovely! I will display in the living room to best before.

I bought this that was charmed by his lovely smile, but I always am betrayed by smile design. I haven't ate delicious. :,-(

I thought that those cookies were made in the shop, but it's an import (Made in Vietnam). :0 Oh, some cake shop nowadays don't made these. I wonder if it will cost a deal. 

Tokyo Sky Tree and Food

I went to Sumida-ku, Tokyo, there is Tokyo Sky Tree (television and radio broadcasting tower, the height will be 634m), it is constructing to 2012. This tower will be one of the world's tallest. This day was too rainy day, so it couldn't see to the top by cloud.

The height is 478m now. The tower is being tall little by little every week.

I took this photo from block. The tower is too big! it don't notice just walking by contraries. 

And I visited a soba shop (buckwheat noodle shop) to eat one food. It's this! ta-dah~!

This is Ebi ten don! "Ebi" mean lobster or shrimp, "ten" mean about tempura (deep-fried),  "don" mean a bowl of rice. "Ebi ten don" in English is a bowl of rice topped with deep-fried shrimp. This Ebi ten don is not normal! It looks like tower! What a crazy dish up! ha-ha! This food of this shop often is introducing by TV. The owner contrived this Ebi ten don in the image of tower. It's very delicious! :)) I hardly ate breakfast to eat this food this day. When I arrived, I was so hungry. I ate all. :D

These are food samples (Japanese imitation food). A lot of restaurant has this imitation food menu in the show case beside enter their restaurant . 

A few restaurant sometimes serve a little different real food from the imitation. For example, the imitation food has a lot of ingredients, but in real food has little etc. 

The shop's food I visited was almost same design that real and imitation. :)) 

Fine weather

The last week, Tokyo, Japan was bad weather by the rainy season. Today's Tokyo is very fine! The clouds looks like a surf. It was made by strong wind.

Many big clouds are in the sky. I feel it near. :-)

Mode city

I went to Aoyama, Tokyo, to see my illustration teacher's group exhibition. I come this city since a few years. I am a country bumpkin this day. LOL I also live in Tokyo, but Tokyo is very large and have the special wards. The special wards are 23 municipalities. A ward I live is never mode city. It like a... mix the suburb and the country. LOL 

A few illustrator's works are in the gallery. There are one subject to draw, and their works are based on the subject. I noticed again that various way to draw. I enjoyed! :-)) Someday, I'd like to make use of those ways or idea in my miniature. :D

I left the gallery,  I walked to Omotesando. There are a lot of mode and brand shops, for example, BURBERRY, Christian Dior and GUCCI etc. I am not interested them. So, pass!

There are a lot of zelkova trees lines both side of the this avenue. 

This is Omotesando Hills where was opened in 2006. There are over 100 famous brand shops in this building, and also residence. People live in this place are so rich!!

And, I walked to Harajuku. A lot of young people are there, recently, H&M and Forever 21 opened. I went to H&M. Well, I had have some doubt that the quality of clothes, because almost item cheap. I thought the quality and design is not bad than recent UNIQLO. A lot of item are sale, I found two clothes of my taste. But the size expression is not Japanese style. So I couldn't understand my size. I looked for the table of size and the mirror, I found just one small board table in the wide floor ):-( and also... the mirror is just one! in the wide floor. )):-( Unfortunately, one clothes is small to me and other was I didn't understand how to coordinate. I didn't buy nothing after all. If I have an opportunity to visit this city, I will go to this shop again.

About grammar

I think the English grammar is very difficult! X(
The grammar of Japanese language and English are very different, also the pronunciation.
For example...

     I    study    English. 

     I    eat   dinner     at the French restaurant. 

change the Japanese grammar:

     I    English    study.
     I    at the French restaurant   dinner   eat.


In the case of Japanese grammar, the verb is in last of sentence. And I guess we don't understand perfectly how to use article "the" and "a". Everyone may already have noticed this problem in my blog. LOL
And there are not tense in Japanese language.
For example,

My aunt lives in Tokyo. (present tense)
My aunt has lived in Tokyo. (present perfect tense)

Translate to Japanese, each same mean to us. The present tense and present perfect tense are same in Japanese. We translate in present tense.
I am still in confusion about tense. @_@