A Face Mask

We wear a face mask in public when we catch a cold.




And we use it to prevent colds.
Especially it is useful to prevent colds in the crowded trains.


So the people who  wear a face mask are not seriously ill in many case.






風邪をひいたとき、風邪予防にマスクを使ってます。
海外だとよっぽどの保菌者と間違われそうですが。。

私の場合、満員電車では、マスク必須です。

Yuzu

I found a tree of Yuzu.







Yu.zu is citrus fruit.
It was bought over from China.

It is used not only cooking but also winter solstice bathing ceremonies.

Yuzu soy sauce is good for grilled fish, hot pot cooking and so on.

A Roast Sweet Potato

At the front of super market



a roast sweet potatos has been sold.

In the Shade of Tree

I miss the sunlight of summer!

I bought it at a 100 yen shop 4

I bought decolated clip at decolated clip at a 100 yen shop.








It's three for 100 yen.

The coldest Season

The coldest season starts on Jan 21 on the calender.
It's called "Daikan" in Japanese.
"dai" means "large" and "kan" means "cold."






I wonder if dogs are cold?

Peko in a Strawberry Shortcake!

It's the best season of strawberry.
So Peko changed  costume of strawberry shortcake.




    

But we can eat strawberry all time
because it　is made in plastic house.

いちごシーズン到来。
ペコちゃんもストロベリーショートケーキになっていました。

A Fortune Cat

This is a fotune cat.



It is called in "Manekineko" in Japanese.
"Maneki" means "invite".
"Nneko" means "cat".

So the cat invite good luck, more customs and more money.

1.17

21 years have passed since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake hit on Jan 17,1995.

This is Kitano Ijinkan (western style residence) in Kobe.

This area was also damaged and restored.






Townscape of Kobe.

The Entrance Exam Season

The entrance exam season has begun.

The National Center Test, the unified entrance exam for universities has been held from yesterday to today.

The new school term in Japan starts in April.

Year of the Monkey

The twelve signs of the Chinese Zodiac is popular in Japan.

The order is : rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, boar.

This is the  year of monkey.



今年は、さる年。

Hatsu-mode

We went to shrine on  Jan　3rd.



First shrine visit of this year is called "Hatsu-mode".



We lined up for 50minutes to pray,

 

Multi-tired Food Box

Osechi ryori is beatifully arrenged in tierd food box,

[Related article]
http://japanesecultualconsultant.blogspot.jp/2016/01/osechi.html



Our family ccoked Osechi simply,so there is only one box.

It was sunny.

It was very sunny this New Year's Holidys,

Osechi

Happy New Year!
I ate Osechi at home.




Osechi is Japanese lucky foods for the New Year,
and offering to Year God.

We eat it praying for good health and  happiness of this year.


新年のラッキーフード、おせち。