The 'Dog Toilet' at Nango Kaminoyama Park (Hayama). I wonder how many dogs actually choose to use this facility in this extensive park with countless trees and bushes (the dogs may not read the signs).
'Amefurashi' (Aplysia = a sea hare) on Ohama beach. The reason why it's called 'Amefurashi' (the rainmaker) is that it discharges some reddish-purple fluid in the ocean, spreading out like a rain cloud, to blind the attacker when threatened.
We've been enjoying Uguisu (Japanese bush warbler) singing beautifully here and there this spring. Their song is a symbol of spring in Japan. (It's often translated as 'Japanese nightingale' but Uguisu never sing at night.)
Attended the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra concert (one of this year's ~400 'La Folle Journee au Japon' concerts). Their oboist Mr. Markus Haberling is the former owner of my Marigaux oboe. I never imagined to see him in Tokyo!
ローザンヌ室内管弦楽団の演奏を聴いてきました（ラフォルジュルネ音楽祭＠東京国際フォーラム）。このオーケストラのオーボエ奏者Markus Haberlingさんから、私は約１０年前にオーボエを買いました。まさか東京で会えるとは！
Visited Kamakura-gu Shrine to watch the archery dedication by the Ogasawara-style Ancient Archery Preservation Association. Kamakura-gu Shrine was built in 1869 by Emperor Meiji to deify Prince Morinaga (born in 1308), the son of Emperor Godaigo. 
The "Kusajishi-shiki" style archery was performed this time. "Kusajishi" is an imitation target deer made by buckskin. There were two shooters in each match: Mae-yumi (the first shooter) and Ato-yumi (the second shooter). After each try, the judge asked the shooter where exactly the arrow had hit on the target and only when the shooter answered correctly, he/she got a point. If his/her answer was wrong, he/she didn't get a point even if the arrow did hit the target. The whole thing was solemn and beautiful including their period costume and the ancient language, and the audience oohed and aahed and enjoyed it very much.
Attended Mitsutaka Shiraishi's concert again (Shonan Village Festival) but this time with a 'piano disassembling demonstration' in the middle of the program. After performing Scarlatti, Beethoven, Ravel, and Wagner/Liszt, the pianist unscrewed two pins and removed the keylid (top), the keyslip (front piece), and the two keyblocks (the woodblocks holding the keyboard), then he pulled out the whole action towards himself and explained the structure and how the sounds come out of the piano. Then he returned the action into the piano and finished performing the rest of the program (Rachmaninoff and Chopin). I've never seen such a concert.
Shonan Kokusai-mura (yes, they have a beautiful swimming pool) is now hosting the 'Shonan Village Festival 2008' (May 3 - 5). There are exhibitions, shows and concerts, scientific talks, food (restaurants, vendors, local farmers), special programs for children, and many more. The piano concert I attended was by Mitsutaka Shiraishi. It was just delightful and his music talk between programs were quite interesting.
I never swim. Why? Because I CANNOT swim! But there is a beautiful swimming pool at Shonan Kokusai-mura (adjacent to Sokendai) my husband often uses, so I went there with him to see what it's like and just walked in the water and tried the sauna.
Well, I don't 'eat' my drink anyway...
A. joined the faculty of Sokendai as an assistant professor as of May 1st. She happens to be a former postdoc in my husband's lab in Charlottesville (until 2006). Now her office is right next to my husband's. Welcome to Hayama (what a wonderful reunion)!
Yasumi Tsuhara's novel "Buraban (= High School Brass & Wind Ensemble)" (published in 2006). Although the book title refers to the Brass & Wind Ensemble, the main character of this book (telling us the whole story), Mr. Tahira, played the 'double bass' in his high school band (frankly, I didn't know that there is a double bass in Burabans).
A pleasant family get-together (my parents-in-law, my husband's brother's family, my husband and I) to celebrate my niece's 10th birthday, her parents' wedding anniversary as well as my brother-in-law's (belated) birthday. We had a marvelous lunch in a restaurant with a grand view of the ocean before eating the birthday cake at home. 
St. Louis Reunion. St. Louis, MO, was the first place we lived in the U.S. (1984 - 1986). Adjusting myself to a new environment while raising our first child in a foreign country, when my mother (in Japan) was terminally ill, was very difficult and I was extremely tired and depressed but the Japanese (and non-Japanese) ladies who lived there that time (including these two) helped me a lot to get over the hardest time. I definitely owe much to these ladies. Thank you again so much for your kindness. 
The girls went home. What a fabulous week we had with them! We are so glad that they came all the way to Japan despite their busy schedule (R. is a surgeon). Thank you very much, T. & R.!
One of the funniest moments we've had during their stay was when we all (four people & the double bass) had to get in my husband's car. My husband was driving, the double bass took up more space than just the front passenger seat (sticking out to the backseat in a big way), yet three women cozily fit in the back.
Visited my parents-in-law's house with my daughter and her friend R. This time the ensemble was historic for two reasons. 1) My husband accompanied my mother-in-law for the first time on the double bass. 2) Three generation ensemble (grandma, father, daughter) for the first time. R. could have played cello but we didn't have one, so she tried the double bass and she actually did a great job. We ate together and talked, then played more music together, ate more and talked more. It was a fulfilling day.
Went to Yokohama with my daughter and her friend. There we met my sister (she came down from Tokyo). We ate, talked, shopped, and laughed a lot together.
Visited Tsukiji Market, the biggest fish market in the world, early in the morning. I've never seen this many fish at a time. How many? They sell/buy 2000 tons of seafood per day. Yes, each and every day. I've noticed a lot of foreign visitors taking pictures there (just like me!). If you want some super-fresh sushi for breakfast (like what we had), this is the place to go (no kidding).
Had a huge breakfast at "Ble Dore", the best bakery in town. They served a set of fresh baked bread, soup or salad, drink and dessert. The problem was that they kept offering us different kinds of bread straight out of the oven endlessly so we couldn't stop eating because every bread was so tasty.
My daughter and her friend R. arrived from New York. We are very glad to see them. They will stay here only for 5 days so they have only 15 meals in Japan. What shall we eat?
The pine trees are in bloom. They remind me of the school song (every school has its own song in Japan) of the elementary school I graduated. "Matsu-no Hana-saku Suna-no Michi..." ('The sandy road with pine tree flowers in bloom...') is how the first verse begins. I still remember it because I'd wondered for a long time what the pine tree flower was like.
Went to see the ISE-Katagami (traditional paper stencil for dyeing Kimono cloth) exhibition. The diameter of a hole is as small as 0.2 mm (one hundredth of an inch). All by hand. What a sophisticated and elaborated art it is!
University class (unofficial) reunion in Tokyo. I was in the Foreign Language Department and a 'German' language major along with these ladies, but, somehow all I need is 'English' these days.
My husband's grad school classmate and best friend Dr. A. happens to be a professor of Sokendai AND a flutist. How convenient.
An Imperial Guard Station on Isshiki beach right behind the Emperor's summer house. I'd like to be on duty here all day watching the ocean.
There is a Tatami (6 matted) room in our apartment. Although an area rug is covering about the half of it, this space still makes us feel quite 'Japanese'. It's a bedroom when you spread out futon. It's a Kimono room when you put on all those Kimono stuff (Kimono, Tabi, Obi, Obiage, Obijime, Obiita, Obimakura, Nagajuban, Hadajuban, Susoyoke, Datejime, Koshihimo, and more). It's also a music room when you practice the oboe there.
My niece (no, not the pregnant one) started a musical performance group last year at her college from scratch (isn't she wonderful?). Now she and her friends have to recruit freshmen (schools start in April in Japan) and I went to see/hear her dance/act/sing at the Freshmen Welcome Night. She was very good (as usual)!
111 days have passed since we arrived in Hayama. I'm truly thankful for this 'dream' vacation (well, my husband is working hard everyday anyway, so this is indeed just MY Sabbatical). I'm glad we still have 112 more days in Japan. I have more than 111 people to whom I feel deeply grateful (my family and relatives, my husband's family and relatives, two institutions --UVa and Sokendai--, our friends in Japan, and of course our friends in the U.S.) for their understanding and help to make it happen. Thank you all so very much!!
Played music together with my mother-in-law (we should do this more often). E. Elgar, J. J. Quantz, and G. F. Handel. It was a lot of fun!
Went for a morning walk to the Morito beach. More than 10 Tokyo area universities' sailing clubs are preparing to sail out. There must be a championship race coming up.
My father-in-law's 84th birthday is coming up next week, so we had an early celebration. A local (136 year old) brewery has its own restaurant in Chigasaki (where my parents-in-law live) serving their high quality Sake and beer there. Did my husband enjoy the Shonan Beer? No! He was the driver, so he bought some bottles and brought back home.
It is amazing to know that 550 Major League Baseball games a year are broadcast on TV in Japan and ca. 300 of them are on NHK (the Japanese public broadcasting). Considering that there was none when I left the country 24 years ago, it's a big change. The American (or National) League "West" games are rarely on the air in Charlotteville, so I'm glad I can watch many Seattle Mariners' games (to see Ichiro, precisely speaking) while I'm in Japan.
Oh, hello, Mr. Grisham! It's nice to see you here in Japan! (The best selling author John Grisham is a Charlottesville resident.)
Rained heavily all day. I wondered how I could utilize the rain water. I decided to brush the green moss clean from the concrete deck, then the rain did the rest of the work.
You'd think this is a very nice sculpture of a flutist, if you are NOT a flutist. And if you ARE, then take a closer look at the finger placement of the right hand of this flutist (you'll know what I mean).
My niece (one of my four nieces) got married. What a beautiful bride she was! She'll become a mother in June. I look forward to seeing her baby!
This is the chair my husband bought for playing the double bass. Made in Italy. Ingenius design. Easy to carry around. Reasonable price. If you are looking for a double bass chair, we recommend this one!
Went all the way to Yamanakako Lake (Yamanashi Pref.) just to see Mt. Fuji. We can see Mt. Fuji from Hayama too, but not as big and glorious as this one.
Had lunch with Mrs. S. and her daughter M. in Yokohama. M. was only 3 years old when she left Charlottesville, and now she is 16! This Charlottesville Reunion was small in size but meant a lot to me.
The rain did not let the cherry blossoms go (the Dankazura Rd., Kamakura)..JPG)
Another Charlottesville Reunion was planned originally as a cherry blossom viewing party at Shinjuku Gyoen Park, but due to the heavy rain, we went to the Jidoukan (The Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall) in Shibuya instead. And that was a great idea! Five children (S, R, N, M, and Y) played happily there and I was very happy too, to see them again.
