Blog

This blog will no longer updated.
I will write the blog below.
空 ĉielo เปล่า sky небо आकाश gök 공 ουρανός kanto سماء שמים

Friend

What do you expect to friends? I want to be friends with people who are relaxing to be with and ones who are exciting.

When you feel lonely or depressed, your friends would be valuable. With relaxing friends, you don't need to make amends with them and you feel at ease being around them. Sometimes when I'm down, I don't try to talk to them and friends also talk little. That's very comfortable for me and I get better feeling being with them.

On the other hand, I'd like to be with people who are very exciting. They know a lot about interesting things I don't know, and their way of thinking and behavior intrigue me. One of my friends teach me how wonderful Japanese fire works are and how to watch it. I'm surprised at his wide knowledge and I'm excited at his story. One of my other friends studied abroad in Tanzania. It's interesting to hear the story about elder of Masai he met in the village. Being with them, I learn various things and they broaden my world.

According to the Oxford dictionary, the word friend means "a person you know well and like". In my definition, "friends" means not only that, but also a person who is relaxing and exciting.

Fly Your Wishes to the Moon!

As part of our Messages from Earth project, The Planetary Society, in conjunction with The Planetary Society of Japan and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), invites the world to participate in the "Wish Upon the Moon" campaign to send names and messages to Earth’s Moon on Japan's SELENE mission. Adults and children alike can submit names and brief good wishes for inclusion on the spacecraft. I will join this campaign.
http://planetary.org/programs/projects/messages/selene.html

Karuta - Japnese card game -

Karuta is a traditional card-matching game in Japan. A set consists of 2 types of cards-'Reading Cards' and 'Playing Cards'. The essential rule of game is as follows: A reciter reads the Reading Cards, and two or more players compete to be the first to touch the matching Playing Cards. The 100 poems for this game are taken from the anthology of Japanese traditional poetry.

Beside that it is kind of traditional event in New year season, I define Karuta as "Sports" because it require quick motion and considerably high skill to be "professional". Among them, identifying and slapping the card is completed within one second immediatly after just one or two syllables are read.
Here, the picture above is the moment right woman has slapped the card and the card is flying.

Kappa - legendary creature -

Kappa is one the most familiar mythcal creature in Japan. They are child-sized humanoids and look like frog. The most distinctive feature is that they have "dish" on their head and turtle's shell on their back. They inhabit rivers and are sometimes mischievous like kidnapping children into river. I think they used to play a roll to warn children to swim river without adults supervision.

Kappa are not entirely antagonistic to mankind, however. They are curious of human civilization, and they can understand and speak Japanese. They may even befriend human beings in exchange for gifts and invite children to play Sumo with. Because Kappa likes cucumber, the sushi rolling up cucumber are called "Kappa roll".

"Kappa roll"

Nara - my hometown -

Nara, my hometown, is the ancient capital of Japan (i.e. 1500 years ago) located in south of Kyoto and east of Osaka which is the second largest city in Japan. The most interesting spot for tourlists would be Nara park that is home to hundreds of freely roaming deer. Deer, themselves officially protected as National Treasures and regarded as messengers of the gods by Shinto. Nara has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Tōdai-ji temple. Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, is the largest wooden building in the world, and houses a giant statue of the Buddha.

Pencil board

I want to introduce you about Shitajiki that are very common in Japan but I can't see these kind of things here. Shitajiki are pencil board or desk pad made of plastic pad. Typically, shitajiki are placed underneath the top sheet of a notebook to prevent marking on the sheets below and to provide a stiffer surface for writing. It's useful when you write on paper on the textured surface as well. Doesn't American care if writing are traced below the top sheet?

Shinto - Japanese religion -

I didn't know that what Shinto exactly is and I found the reason. The key is Shinto has no dogma, no holy scripture but has a lot of gods. Though Shinto practices and teachings are not popular, Shinto beliefs and ways of thinking are deeply embedded in the subconscious fabric of Japanese.

"Shinto is a collection of rituals and practices have originated organically in Japan over a span of many centuries The most immediately striking theme in the Shinto religion is a great love and reverence for nature. Thus, a waterfall, the moon, or just an oddly shaped rock might come to be regarded as a kami (god). Post-war, the number of Japanese citizens identifying their religious beliefs as Shinto has declined a great deal, yet many practices have persisted as general cultural beliefs (such as ancestor worship, which is still very popular), superstitions, and community festivals.
Shinto has been influenced by Japan's contact with the religions of other nations, especially China. It is very difficult to untangle Shinto and Buddhist beliefs about the world. One might say that where Buddhism emphasizes the afterlife and ending the cycle of rebirths; Shinto emphasizes this life and finding happiness within it. Though Buddhism and Shinto have very different perspectives on the world, most Japanese do not see any challenge in reconciling these two very different religions, and practice both. Thus it is common for people to practice Shinto in life yet have a Buddhist funeral." (Wikipedia)

Shinto has adjusted to modern society throughout history, and I think adjustment is one of distinctive feature of Japanese personality.

Pictures are traditional(above) and modern(below) shrines.

Japanese old style toilet

Japanese old style toilet is used in squat style. For private, western style restroom is getting common recently. Still public restrooms has both style of toilet (squat style and western style). So you can choose either style of toilet.
Squat style toilet are seen also in other country in Asia, and Turkey has simillar style of toilet.

Hidden toilet

Japanese consider about restroom as their private room rather than only for toilet. Sometimes they spend a long time reading newspapers or books and being relaxed in the restroom. To make sure one's private space, bath tub are usually in other room with toilet. So the term "Bath room" means just a room for taking a bath literally in Japanese. And in public restrooms, unlike in US, the doors cover each room from floor to ceiling so that one can't not see anything inside the each room. At first time, I feel something uncomfortable with US open restroom because I feel as if someone looked at me from under the door.

High tech toilet

High tech Japanese toilet "Washlet" works this way.
Washlets warm up, wash and dry your ass. Paper towels are now unnecessary. Like other things, automatization is increasing in rest rooms in Japan. Actually, I don't use washlet because it needs some time but my parents does.

Men's Target

This is the target marker used especially in Japanese men's restrooms. Three centimeter square target sticker are putted on men's standing toilet bowl. It's not so popular at this time, but it does good job that prevents men to scatter their shots outsides of toilet bowls. Males of species can't resist the temptation to take aim and strike at the target if they find it. Stickers exploit men's that feeling well. You can see target stickers in Kanasai International Airport and try to get 10 points.

Sound Princess

This is very interesting equipment in Japanese women's restrooms. So called "Sound Princess" is a special noise maker. It makes a water flush sound when women do the business by pushing the button. Japanese women don't like to be heard thier pee sound by others and used to flush water only to disguise their sound. Because it was waste of water, one big toilet company developed this equipment and it amazingly worked! When it was first installed, 1500 Sound Princesses saved over 500,000 dollars a year. Now, you can see them everywhere in Japanese women restrooms. I've never heard of it till recently, and I want to try it just for curiosity. Japanese women are sensitive with sounds. Sound Princess symbolize Japanese nature about their personal matters.

Takoyaki...
Do you know Tako-yaki? It is a Japanese dumpling, especially popular in Kansai region, and made from flour and octopus. Making takoyaki requires special pan by which Takoyaki is rolled into a ball. We eat them with Tonkatsu sauce, green laver, katsuobushi(fish shavings), and mayonnaise on it. I love it and miss it!! I want to have Takoyaki party... someday(+_+)

I'm a soft tennis player and I love playing soft tennis. Soft tennis was developed in Japan on the basis of regular tennis. We use same court but different ball made of lubber which is much lighter than regular tennis ball. Soft tennis is popular mainely in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. I played soft tennis in my junior high school, high school and college. I can say I'm addicted in soft tennis. Now, I want to play soft tennis here, but I have few people to play it with. Do you know anyone who play soft tennis?

On my birthday November 5th, I went skydiving. It was definitely amazing experience and so scared! Diving is from 13,500ft (3500m) and after the 50 seconds free fall, you get through clouds and parachoot is opend at 3000ft (1000m) . Before the divingI was good and excited, but after the dive I was absent-minded and forgot myself. Next day, I got stiff on my legs because of so much tension during the skydiving. But I want to try it again.

You all like eating, right? I was born and grew up in Japan. So, I like Japanese food, of course. But as well as Japanese food, I also like any kinds of foods from other countries. Especially, Italian, Korean and Chinese food. My favorite is peperoncino(Italian), spicy squid(Korian) and boiled vegetables, chikens and porks with special soup(Chinese food, I don't know its name exactly). Here in Gainesville, I don't need to cook American food because I can eat them whenever everywhere. So I always try to cook Japanese, Italian, Korean or Chinese foods at home.

1. A white dog named "shiro" is jumping into the lake. He likes swimming and it's easy for him with a life jacket. His dream is to get a fin on his tail to swim faster.

2. Here's Finland. A family and one dog was in hot sauna and got hot body temperature. Now, they are getting into the lake near their house. It's so good to swim in cold water after you get warm in saunas.

3. Hello, Akane. Do you like driving? Bright future is waiting for you. I'm interested in you with your brilliant smile.

4. Conglatulation! Finally, you made it to climb onto the rock which is the top of the mountain. You must feel as if you could touch the sky.

Physics department has a lot of International students. Bolivian, Chinese, Chilean, Egyptian, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanees, Turk ... You might be able to say American are minor. Diversity of people is enjoyable.
But it's weird that I don't see any black people as physics students although all of office cleaners are black. I think their financial situation affects a lot to their children's education.