My favorite place in the United States

I came from Los Angeles in the U.S.
Recently I often feel that I want to go back to the U.S.

Of course the life in Japan is also curious and interesting.
Especially the town where I used to stay,
Los Angeles is my favorite place.

It is very cold in Japan now as you know,
but L.A. is basically warm through the year.
I prefer warm places.
Such a place makes me energetic and positive.

I like Seoul, too, but it is very cold in Seoul in winter.
So probably I may not be able to live there.

I want to live in a warm place in the future.

Boro Ichi Market in Setagaya

Do you know ボロ市? Have you been there to see it?
I didn’t know it until last year,
but I heard about it from someone coincidentally,
and I tried researching it on the inter-net.
I got interested in it, so I decided to go to see it.

This market is held on December 15th and 16th,
and January 15th and 16th every year.
This year only January 16th is Sunday,
so I chose January 16th to go there.

I am very surprised to hear that
this event has been held for 433 years.

There're very many shop booths but very very many people, too,
so unfortunately we can’t see the products carefully at each booth.










Tokyo also has a lot of traditional and historic events.
Until recent days I was not interested in those at all,
but recently I became interested in such things
even though I don’t know the reasons.

Did I become older?

Convenient Item

Last week a friend of mine visited my house.

There is a unit of tatami style cabinets in my house,
and he said that he wanted to change the image of his room.
His room is a wooden-floor room,
he wants to make a Japanese-style room with the unit above.

So in a few weeks we will go to some home-centers in my car,
and we will try looking for it for his room.

To redecorate a room is very interesting and exciting.
He also will enjoy redecorating his room for a while.
I will be happy and excited to help his redecorating his room.

JR Free Pass (Tokyo 23 wards)

I sometimes use this free pass ticket.
This ticket costs only 730 yen.
We can take JR lines freely in the area above.

I sometimes have to visit several companies in Tokyo a day,
and this ticket is very usuful and reasonable.

Tomorrow I will visit two companies along Yamanote Line,
but probably I will use JR lines more than five times.

Have you bought and used this free pass?
If you go to 3 places or more, this ticket must be more reasonable.
When you have an appointment or go sight-seeing, use this once!!

AEON Shopping Center

Yesterday I tried going to AEON shopping center in 浦和三園.
This mall is near 埼玉 studium. World Cup 2002 was held here.

In the past (more than 20 years ago)
AEON or Jusco was a normal super-market,
but recently AEON shopping centers are very huge.

I didn't buy anything there yesterday.
To walk in the big shopping center is interesting.

越谷 Lake Town is also very huge.
La La Port in 南船橋 is too huge, and I often lose my way.

At the end of last year I went to 越谷 Lake Town,
and looked for a wedding present for a friend of mine.
I walked very much, and could find the item,
but I got very tired to walk a lot.

A Happy New Year!!

Year 2011 has started.
I started to work for one of the companies today.

How were your year-end and new-year holiday?
At my year-end I was really busy with cleaning my places.

As for new-year holiday, I visited one shrine
and prayed so that this year would be good.

However, compared to 10-30 years ago,
recently on January 1st and 2nd
we can not feel the atmosphere of new-year.
Most of shops are open, and towns are not quiet.
Houses don't decorate Kadomatsu or so on.

I have two childhood friends, and yesterday I met them.
We enjoyed talking about our old days and memories then.

They remind me of our interesting old days very much,
and they make me happy.

I hope that year 2011 will be very good for everyone, also me!