Happy Halloween!!

To my friends all over the world

 

Happy Halloween!!

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the video of Halloween at Tokyo Disney Sea!!

 

 

Have a scary night with ghosts!!

 

Amanohashidate

Amanohashidate is one of the 3 most beautiful scenic spots in Japan.

Amanohasidate in Kyoto http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3990.html

Miyajima in Hiroshima http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3401.html

Matsushima in Miyagi http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5100.html

 

During the last trip, we went to 2 of the best 3 spots, Amanohashidate and Miyajima.

 

 

the monument of the best 3 scenic spots

The weather was beautiful, blue sky and blue ocean.

the lantern of wisdom

This is "Chie-no-wa Toro",  a stone lantern of wisdom.
It used to be something like a lighthouse.
But now it is said that if you walk around this lantern clockwise 3 times, you'll be smarter.

Yes! We never lost chances to be smarter!! Never too late to learn!!
Of course, I did!

After lunch, we went up to Mt. Kasamatsu to have a bird's eye view of Amanohashidate.

Amanohasidate is a 3.6 kilometer long, pine tree covered sand bar,
We can walk on the long island and it takes about 1 hour.
Amanohasidate means "Bridge to the Heaven".

But it doesn't look like a bridge to the heaven.
In order to see that way, we have to pose like below!

Turn your back towards the bay, bend over and look at it from between your legs.

Then the view is like this!

Please use your imagination!
Upside-down, ocean is sky, sky is ocean.
The bridge seems up to heaven.

I tried too!
But honestly, my imagination was poor.
To me, the proper way looked a bridge to the heaven.

 

I felt a little dizzy.

But when you are here, please try to pose in the way we did.
It was fun anyway!

There was another attraction here.
You buy 3 small clay plates and throw it to the ring after you make a wish.
If the plate goes through the ring, your wish will come true.

I did too!
One was very close to the ring but others were far from it.
My wish will almost come true, I'll translate it in a good way!

 

 

Everybody enjoyed doing it although it was difficult.

On the way up to Mt. Kasamatsu, we all got on a cable car.
Then when we went down, we chose either a cable car or a lift.
I took a lift.

It was a little scary but enjoyed the beautiful view!
 

Mt. Koya

October is ending soon and we have only 2 more months this year.

It's getting cooler in Japan but I heard it's much warmer than in Seattle and most of you miss the weather in Japan. I hope all of you are fine and recovered fully.

As for me, I finished paper work and have some time until the next job as an interpreter unless new tours are assigned to me suddenly. I'll spend days doing artistic works like painting and pottery-making since I have to make pottery for the next year's show my pottery school holds in March.

I'm getting good at keeping balances these days.

 

I like to post photos of tour little by little.

Please enjoy them!

 

At the first day of sightseeing, we went to Mt. Koya.

Mount Koya (Koyasan) is the center of Shingon Buddhism, an important Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan's most significant religious figures. A small, secluded temple town has developed around the sect's headquarters that Kobo Daishi built on Koyasan's wooded mountaintop. It is also the site of Kobo Daishi's mausoleum and the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

 

Extract from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html



 

 

Mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of Tokugawa 

 

 

Mausoleum of Tokugawa Hidetada, the 2nd shogun



 

Shyojin-ryori, vegan meal

the way to Okunoin Temple

Kongobuji Temple

Garden at Kongobuji Temple

The vegan meal was simple but very tasty and healthy!

Uradome Coast

Pleasure Boat Ride at Uradome Coast in Tottori prefecture.

It was raining heavily the day before but it was beautiful on that day especially after all the dust was washed away.

Since the wave was high, the ride might have cancelled but it was OK.

But before the ride started, the captain said, "It will be tough for people who easily become seasick. If you like to get off, it is the last chance now."

It was a funny announcement but nobody got off.

It was indeed wild and rough but fun!

Our captain was superb!!

 



 

I'm back!

I was back from 12-day tour the day before yesterday!
I slept all day yesterday and I'm fully back now!!

It was a great tour blessed with good weather.
Although the typhoon was always at the southwest of Japan, it didn't affect the tour at all.

This is a group photo of wonderful 19 members and me at Amanohashidate, one of the 3 best scenic spots in Japan!!
I hope all of you went home-sweet-home safely!!
I'll updated photos little by little.
Please wait!!

Thank you very much for your kindness and support!
I love all of you!!
Chiaki


 

I'm ready!

This is my first handmade flag and new business cards.
I have a pink flag with cherry-blossoms print too.
I believe some of you are familiar with this flag!
Whenever I have a group, this is a landmark since I'm very small to be found....
I haven't used this flag for 2 years.
My 12-day tour is starting tomorrow(8th) and I'll take it with me again!

I made 2 types of new business cards, one for Japanese and the other for my guests.
I used to make cards by myself but since I changed a lot in 2 years, I decided to renew them.

My Japanese-American guests will fly to the Kansai International Airport in Osaka in the evening.
So I'll fly there to welcome them and we travel along the Sea of Japan side.
Then we finish at Osaka and I'll fly back to Tokyo.

I'm excited at meeting them again since we have known each other since 2004.
We stay at Ryokan with hot spring, a traditional Japanese inn almost everyday.
I never forget to work but like to enjoy myself with them!

I can't update by my phone during the tour.
After I'm back, I like to share memorable photos with you.

Please wish me a good luck!!!
I wish you a good luck too!!!!!



 

It’s all about you. It’s only ever been about you.

The title today is from my spiritual mentor and friend, David Bower.
I have been his interpreter since 2010.
He's coming back to Japan in November to have another healing workshop.
As his interpreter, I have learned a lot and am still learning!

In some of his workshops, he explains about relationships.

We are only responsible for 50% of any given relationship.
Yet we are 100% responsible for our half.

In his current blog, he explained more.

So, what do we do with all those messy, complicated, seemingly imperfect relationships in our lives? We take a step back and gently remind ourselves that . . .

• Every relationship is perfect because every relationship is teaching us something valuable about ourselves.
• We are only ever responsible for our 50% of any relationship. We cannot fix or compensate for another person’s 50% contribution.
• Every relationship holds the potential to evolve and change, and we are the only ones who can release that potential.
• We can never change another person; we can only change ourselves—our thoughts, our reactions, our behaviors.
• The hardest relationships are the ones from which we have the most to learn. When we embrace and understand the truth about a difficult relationship, that relationship always improves (and sometimes simply goes away).
• Not every meaningful relationship is meant to perpetuate for years or last a lifetime. Sometimes our most valuable relationships last for just a few days, weeks or months.

This is his full blog: It's all about you. It's only ever been about you.
It is very interesting!
Please check it out!!







 

Magical October has started!

On the next day after the strong typhoon left, it was a beautiful day and a great start of magical October!!

It was the full moon yesterday(30th).
It was a special full moon to Japanese, which was called "Chu-syu no Mei-getsu" meaning "beautiful full moon in the mid-fall".
According to the lunar calender, this period is mid-fall.
This special full moon is always associated with the set of dumplings and Japanese pampas grass.

I went to Tokyo with my mother and sister because Mother danced at a ballroom dance party.
Since the typhoon was approaching to Tokyo yesterday, the party was proceeded faster.

The professional demonstrations usually start after we finish amateur demonstrations and dinner.
But it started before we finished meal.

It was like a dinner show.
It was something like we raced against the typhoon!

Finale!
Thanks and farewells from all the teachers!

The train still ran after the party was over and people hurried home.
We came home by taxi and even in the car, we felt it was very windy.
But it wasn't raining heavily and we could arrive home safely.
After we arrived, I knew some highways were closed and trains stopped.
Friends of mother also could came back home safely.
It was a perfect timing!

Party was great!
Mother danced beautifully and got good compliments.

In the middle of the night, the typhoon left and I could see this beautiful special full moon!!!

Since I gave it up, I was VERY HAPPY to find this.
It was sooooo beautiful after the typhoon washed away all the dust.
I made a wish on this beautiful full moon!!!

Very different within one day.
Typhoon and full moon.
I felt like I was bewitched between the end of September and the beginning of October.

It was a great start of  Magical October!!!

Special Magic for you, too!!!!!