Recent entries of "Diary"

Hata3 is a summer vacation from today. I want to be refreshed slowly for the latter half of this year.

A photograph is the Japanese wind-bells which I found at the station of the Seijo-Gakuen-mae.

The digital camera which Hata3 bought for the first time is "Canon IXY DIGITAL 320" of the photograph. Because I bought this camera in 2003, it is already before six years. That time passes is somewhat felt to me early. Now I use a single-lens reflex camera and the other compact cameras and enjoy photographs.

I began new photo blog to introduce the photographs which I took for these six years and photographs to take from now on.The name is "Hata3's Digital Eye". So many photographs are not yet uploaded in this new blog. But, I'm going to upload my photographs slowly. If you have free time, please look.

This photograph is the bus stop which I always use.

I made up my mind to part with my favorite car which I got into for six years at last. The photograph is the Mini of my precious car which I bought for the first time. Mini is the car which both of my partner and I like most because it's small and pretty and is fit for narrow roads of Tokyo.

But we drove our car for many years, so many troubles came to happen in any places. In a particularly terrible thing, the lower part of the left door has been rusted, and some holes have opened. These holes are very little size, but it is said to have to change the whole door by a man of service garage.

I did not think that it was so painful experience to sell my precious car. But the memory of the Mini remains in our mind.

I might be slightly sentimental today because Tokyo was gloomy weather. But I want to say that thanks for a long time and good-by our Mini.

Related information:
♣ Mini (Wikipedia)

Hata3 and my partner went to the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park yesterday. I wanted to see an exhibition named "Fukuzawa Yukichi: Living the Future" (January 10 - March 8. 2009).

Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901), who is the founder of Keio University I graduated, is best known as one of modern Japan's first statesmen, a man responsible for introducing Western education, institutions, and social thought to Japan. In addition, he is most visible as the man portrayed on Japan's 10,000-yen note.

His belief is based on people's freedom and equality. The first sentence of his first essay to the general public in 1872 is particularly famous and most of all Japanese know it.

"It is said that heaven does not create one man above or below another man. Any existing distinction between the wise and the stupid, between the rich and the poor, comes down to a matter of education."

These words are signaled the start of a new system of beliefs for the Japan of the time. Key among these tenets was the belief that all members of society are equal, and are entitled to equal opportunities in education so that the best and brightest, no matter what station in life they were born into, can assume positions of power and influence for the betterment of society as a whole.

Anyway, I respect Yukichi Fukuzawa as a teacher of my life and am proud that I was able to learn from his university.

For More Information
♣ Keio University
♣ Keio Founder Yukichi Fukuzawa
♣ Tokyo National Museum

The global economic downturn of this year seems to be having a serious effect on many campanies and people of the world. Everybody have a discontented look in everywhere. And I never heard any encouraging news around me in these days.

This economic condition might be the lowest level, and people might not be able to find the way out of this economic situation soon. But I don't want lose my hope. It's always the darkest before the dawn. There's always tomorrow.

Hi friends, let's give it our best effort!

Photo by myself of a sea turtle, in Tokashiku beach of Tokashiki Island, Okinawa.

I challenged underwater photography in this trip for the first time. Because the sea was too clean, I could see the inside of the sea very well. Thus I have bought a disposable underwater camera unintentionally at the stand of the hotel. That camera was a thing such as the toy, but came out quite well.

After all we have met a wild sea turtle by a happy chance. It is said that even a local people can rarely watch a sea turtle. But we watched a sea turtle with our own eyes more than 30 minutes. That was very lucky for us. I was slightly scary first because the body of sea turtle was very big. However, sea turtle was a gentle animal, and he just ate seaweed innocently.

The photography in the water is very difficult. My body is not stable, and the fish do not stop for me. But I was extremely happy.

Today's Photos:
♥ A Sea Turtle in the sea of Tokashiki Island
♥ Kodack disposable underwater camera
♥ Underwater Photo 1
♥ Underwater Photo 2
♥ Underwater Photo 3
♥ Underwater Photo 4
♥ Underwater Photo 5

Photo by myself of Tokashiku Beach on Tokashiki Island.

On the second day of our summer trip, we went to Tokashiki Island in Kerama-shoto Islands. There is the island in the place of one hour by a ferry boat from main island of Okinawa.

Our purpose was to enjoy snorkeling in the beautiful sea called "Kerama blue". The blue sea and the sandy beach was more beautiful than I thought. I'm the type who don't believe in a guidebook. But I have been knocked down in the white sandy beach with the blue sea which shined incredibly beautifully of Tokashiku beach. I am anxious that I cannot go to the sea of Kanto anymore after I watch the so beautiful sea like Tokasiku beach.

Anyway, I want to go to this beach again sometime.

Today's Photos:
♥ Tokashiku Beach 1
♥ Tokashiku Beach 2
♥ Tokashiku Beach 3
♥ Tokashiku Beach 4

Click image for larger view.

On August 14, we boarded a ferry toward Kerama Islands. It was a very comfortable day by beautiful weather. And the sea breeze also was very comfortable to us.

Hata3 and my partner went for Okinawa trip from August 13 to 16 in latter half of our summer vacation. It was the first time for me and was the second time for my partner. But she said to me that it's been 30 years since she went to Okinawa last. We have just come back home yesterday.

We had two purposes of this Okinawa trip. The first purpose was to watch the exhibition of the teacher of our Art school days. The teacher's name is Shigeo Kategawa, is a painter who was born in Okinawa prefecture. He was famous as an avant-garde artist in Tokyo in 1950's, however, he has left major painting circles of Tokyo in 1970's. Therefore, his exhibition in this Okinawa Art Museum is an exhibition for the first time in 30 years.

The upper photograph is an entrance of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum in Naha city, Okinawa prefecture and a poster of the exhibition of Shigeo Kategawa.

The second purpose was to enjoy snorkeling in a beach of the Kerama-Shoto (Islands). We stayed at the hotel of Tokashiki Island for two days and enjoyed snorkeling very much. The blue sea called "Kerama Blue" was truly beautiful, and we were greatly satisfied. Besides, I have taken this trip photograph more than 1,500 pieces.

Because I don't come out of the excitement of this trip, I will write some entry for a while about Okinawa from today.

Related Links:
♥ Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum
♥ Okinawa Prefecture: Wikipedia

Photo by myself of an old man who takes a rest under the tree in the Kinuta park.

Anyone is bored by the intense heat of the day after day in Tokyo. When I went to usual Kinuta park for a walk a few days ago, one old man took a rest under the tree. He read something alone with his pet-bottle drink. I don't know why his back seemed to be lacking in the afternoon summer lights.

Photo by myself of a small butterfly in the Kinuta park.

A small butterfly stopped on a leaf. The butterfly seemed to take a rest calmly to me. Will the butterfly be tired under the hot weather, too?

Click image for larger view.

Photo by myself of a cast-off shell of a cicada at Kinuta park.

When I was a little child, I used to collect insects with an insect net and a cage. And then I made a specimen of insects well for my homework of the summer vacation. So, when I found this cast-off shell of a cicada at the Kinuta park, I remembered my elementary school days with fondness and I was excited a little bit.

However, I have never seen a child doing insect-collecting in Tokyo. Many of children of Tokyo might be fascinated with their computer games or might be busy going to the private cramming school. It is the slightly sad situation for children, isn't it?

Today's Photos:
♠ Cicada's shell 1
♠ Cicada's shell 2

Photo by myself of the waves of the beach of Izu Peninsula in last summer.

Many of Japanese people likes bathing in the sea. Hata3 and my partner also go for a swim in the sea at least once a year. We have not yet gone to any beaches this year. But we have a plan to go to Okinawa this week. At last a summer vacation came for us! Yoo-hoo!!

Today's Photos:
♠ Waves at the beach of Izu Peninsula 1
♠ Waves at the beach of Izu Peninsula 2