It was originally constructed in 1914 and had been under construction since 2007.
Many of my guests couldn't see it. But I always explained it was like Central Station in Amsterdam.
Now you see it!
This is the Marunouchi side facing to Imperial Palace.
In front of the station, you'll find several pine trees. Experts went to Chiba prefecture, northeast of Tokyo and carefully watched shapes of branches and trees, and finally chose some. When you visit the Maruniuch exit of Tokyo Station, please watch the excellent pine trees!
I went to research Nakano Broadway in Tokyo because I might have visited with my guests.
Nakano Broadway is a shopping complex in Tokyo famous for its many stores selling anime items and idol goods, including more than a dozen small Mandarake stores, which specialize in manga and anime related collectibles.
I couldn't stop taking photos of the moon last night.
I wanted to keep watching it instead of sleeping.
This below is my photo of sun.
Although their brightness are different, the lights of sun and moon are similar.
I took lots of very beautiful photos yesterday.
After the full moon was over, the moon tonight emits very gentle energy.
I guess I can sleep earlier tonight.
Good night!
It'll be a perfect full moon at 10:44 tomorrow morning.
The power of a moon is already very strong tonight.
Full moons these days are getting more powerful.
When I see, I can see its power but when I see it through my camera,
I can see energy swirling around the moon.
I'm influenced a lot by a moon cycle.
The next day when I feel I'm super great, I suddenly feel I'm worthless, lonely, hopeless...
When I feel such feelings, it is always a few days before a full moon.
I felt very tired and emotional, didn't want to do anything yesterday.
Then I looked up sky and found a waxing moon.
I am disappointed but I think some feel super hilarious before a full moon.
If we know the pattern, we don't worry too much.
In my case, when I feel such things, I take a hot bath with a handful of sea salt since salt has a function of purification, and have time for meditation and self-healing.
When a full moon is over, my reality suddenly moves and I become busy again.
Therefore before and during a full moon, I just indulge myself.
If you feel the same way, don't worry too much and just spoil yourself.
Before we went to the atelier, we visited my favorite shrine.
I always feel special connections with the shrine.
See this special sun beam! I really felt we were welcomed and blessed!!
Last June, I tried oil painting. The picture below was my first try.
Then I completed today!
I was really satisfied*\(^o^)/*
My sister painted Pegasus and other pastel paintings.
Beautiful!!
We found our teacher in blog and visited her show last May.
We both fell in love with her all pictures like oil, water and pastel paintings and asked her to teach us.
Our teacher, me and my sister at lunch.
We have lots of similarities and want to do something together.
At first, we'll have a spiritual event with several members next month.
Since this year started, my friends were changed. Some left me, some came back, some got closer and new came in my life. It is said people with same vibrated frequency are attracted to each other. So when you see people around you, you'll know what kind of vibration you are sending to. Now most people around me are independent, strong and innocent. I am comfortable now but it's not perfect yet. I'll attract more comfortable and reliable people.
When you see serial numbers, it's the message from your angels. My sister let me know the time a few seconds before this.
Messages are...
4 : The angels are with you. They send you the number 4 to reassure you that they’ve heard your prayers and are helping you.
44 : The angels are giving you extra comfort, love, and support right now. Ask them for help with everything, and listen to their guidance through your intuition.
444 : There are angels—they’re everywhere around you! You are completely loved, supported, and guided by many Heavenly beings, and you have nothing to fear.
It is the anniversary of the end of the Pacific War today.
The other day, I shared a video below on my Facebook.
The title is "How to use our life ~ things we have to know as Japanese" This video shows scenes just before the end of war. They knew they were loosing but decided to risk their life. Many young men flew with one-way fuel to attack and was ready to die for Japan and also for future Japanese to let us remember they died for future freedom
A friend of mine in USA also shared my video and he posted the article below.
Lots of news about the war and the A-bombs are on TV and newspaper in August in Japan and we reconsider war and freedom every year. But my friend says no commentaries about the war in USA.
There are many ways to say "the end of the war".
Japan says, "the memorial day for the end of the war" or "the day for mourning of war dead and praying for peace"
USA and the United Nations say,
"Victory over Japan Day"
Internationally people say, "the anniversary of the end of World War II" or "the anniversary of the end of the Pacific War"
The day of the war ending in Japan is August 15 but for other countries, September 2 is also another choice.
It's very difficult to talk about wars. As a tour guide, I studied a lot about wars from many different points of views.
A few times in my life as a tour guide, I escorted mixed groups of American, Jew and German who often started arguing. One German said "War is not subject but object". Although I forgot the context, the phrase is still impressive to me.
I also guide tourists in Hiroshima and Nagasaki where A-bombs were dropped and I always think how to tell them. But I always tell them the history from Japanese side because they choose to visit the sites with Japanese guide.
We can't change the history but shouldn't repeat wars and should stop wars.
Not arguing or debating, just knowing differences is important, I believe.
It is very HOT and HUMID all over Japan. The temperature is always over 30℃, usually around 35℃ and sometimes somewhere 40℃. It is said Japan is now subtropical.
I personally don't recommend tourists come to Japan in summer. It is hot in Tokyo, hotter in Kyoto and crazily hot in Hiroshima. Maybe Hokkido is good.
Before 2011, I kept working a lot during summer. I was sometimes almost unconscious in this ultra heat. But there are lots of summer events all over Japan. If you decide to come, please get yourself ready for the heat and humidity.
But for me, I'll have a break until Sep.1. I finished my last tour on August 8th and a next tour will be Sep.1.
Tokyo Tower and the Prince Park Tower Tokyo
August 8th was also my lovely little sister's birthday!
I have 2 brothers and a sister but I am very close to my sister. She is a sister and my best friend!
Since she celebrated my birthday at Tokyo Disneyland on May 15th , I wanted to do something special for her!!
But she couldn't think of any ideas. It is very hot in August and she doesn't like outdoor activities. The first plan was "Eat! Eat! Eat!", which was we visited her favorite places to eat pancake, ice cream and so on. She loves to eat yummy food like me. But later we realized we couldn't eat as much as we expected... And a friend of mine introduced me a tour so we worked until early afternoon and we met at a special place for her celebration!
It was a hot day and a little hazy.
We got ourselves neat and tidy!
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
Sunflowers greeted us at lobby.
My beloved sister, Mika!
She was a Star of the day!
He knelt to pour champagne for her.
Happy Birthday, Mika!!!! Kanpai! Cheers!!
She looks very young and when we were together, many thought we were a mother and daughter... But these days, we are said to look sisters finally. My ambition is I'll look a younger sister in the nearest future!!
The place where we chose for her celebration was Tapas Molecular Bar!
I was there with my guests in May and wrote about the place in this article, Tapas Molecular Bar.
When the Bar was ready, we were escorted and greeted chefs.
It was a great surprise!!
I met the same chefs who served us when we came last time. They remember me! They said since there were several chefs and they worked together with a different chef, the fact I could meet the same staff was a great coincidence!!
Wonderful Start!!
They were making aperitif.
Sake Bellini
Sake and something sweet on top, maybe peach?
Caramel Popcorn
Ice cream like popcorn inside coated with caramel.
Caprese
Frozen dried tomato and mozzarella cheese on top.
New Soba
2m long buckwheat soba noodle. Keep eating until the end!
Broad bean Soup
Since I have a buckwheat allergy, they prepared broad bean soup for me. It was so great that my sister tried to finish it.
Beach
This dish depicted a scene of beach. The black shell was made of sugar and we could eat all!
Under Water Forest
Sea urchin at the bottom. Flavors at each layer were different. The flower around a spoon couldn't be eaten but we enjoyed the scent.
Deep Sea
Black stuff in the soup was squid ink.
We ate soup simple at first. Then we broke the liquid ink, mixed it with soup and ate it. Finally we add mustard mayonnaise on a spoon and ate it.
The video below explained how to make this black stuff. He said sodium alginate which was like kelp slime reacted on calcium and became solid. The stuff in a spoon may be the sodium alginate containing squid ink.
It was indeed a scientific experiment!
Summer Mountain Stream
It was very real! I wanted to keep watching it. Except for a stone and a bamboo leaf, all were edible. Last time, I could eat a stone, actually it was a stone shaped potato. So I was ready to eat it but the chefs stopped me!
Gazpacho
Use a spoon to break it!
Consomme gelee came out.
Smoke
When opening the lid, tasty smoke came up and and choked me because I was ready to smell all.
Smoked chicken and ground cherries.
Xiaolongbao
Xiaolongbao associated me with Chinese dumplings with soup in it. But this Xiaolongbao was ram meat with juice in it. The idea was like Chinese dumplings, they said. Put the sour cream on the meat, one bite and chew in the mouth, then eat a small peach at the end.
Wagyu
Japanese beef had been cooked at 55℃ for 6 hours.
It was very soft and juicy. It was my most favorite dish of the day!
A black stuff next to meat was bread and cheese in it. The flower was also edible.
Now Degustation was over! Then move to Desserts and Petits Fours!!
Desserts started with Mint Puff!!
In the video below, the chef explained how to eat it and we all followed what he did one by one.
Last time I came here, I tried this but couldn't eat it well. This time I was satisfied!
But my sister wants to come back and try again!
Sunset
Do you recognize the color was changed?
After salt like stuff at the dish front was added, the color was changed like sunset!
Look at the butterfly! Small fine work. It was made from apple.
Cappuccino Cotton Candy, Olive Oil Gummy, NY Cheesecake and so on.
Fruits
Fruits and a miracle seed.
Chew sour fruits at first and have a miracle seed.
Then chew another sour fruits they gave us. Magically those sour fruits tasted very sweet!
This is the end of the course!!
Look small portions but we were full!!
You may wonder the taste? They all tasted Great!!
Thank you very much, our handsome chefs!!
There were 8 guests.
They chose this place to celebrate their special events like birthday and wedding anniversary. There was a special surprise for them at the end. But I won't tell you.
It is Special and Top Secret!!
Please come and enjoy the amazing food and once-in-your-life-time experience!!
After dinner was finished, we had tea at lounge.
I hope my sister had a memorable birthday.
I love to be celebrated but I also love to celebrate.
Celebration brings more Celebration!
Happiness brings more Happiness!
