Work In Progress Wednesday

 The Snowmen -  I finished the one from last week and stitched two additional snowmen. Six of ten finished.

Little Toolie Tuesday - Pins and Needles

I bought the chart for this little project long ago from a vendor at an EGA seminar and finally made it after moving to Japan. Then, I gave the chart away to someone else who also made it.  I like it but so far I only look at it because I have so many other toolie sets.

New Regional KitKat Flavor

There have been over 300 regional and seasonal KitKat candy flavors in Japan since 2000. A new regional flavor has just been announced, celebrating a specialty from Ogasawara Town located in Tokyo's Ogasawara island chain. The Ogasawara island chain is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and difficult to get to.  The only way to get there is a 24 hour trip by ship from mainland Japan.

The new KitKat flavor is made with "island lemons" an Ogasawara specialty. The fruit is about one and a half times the size of a regular lemon and has a more rounded shape. Local people in Ogawawara add the juice to shochu (a clear alcohol made in Japan) and call it mizu lemon (lemon water).

Would you like to try this flavor?  Do you have a favorite KitKat flavor? I don't think I have tried a flavor I didn't like. You can check out some of the other flavors on this Wikepedia page.

Japanese Cafe for the Elderly with Dementia and their Families

I read a wonderful story about a coffee shop in Aichi Prefecture that caters to elderly people with dementia, creating a place for customers and their caretakers to feel welcome.  In addition, children get to wait on them. 

The cafe's name is Anki Cafe, which is named after the regional word "anki" meaning relief. Customers can visit with friends and no one is annoyed if someone starts singing or wandering around the shop, things that may not be welcome at other cafes. Caretakers would like to go out for  a cup of tea, but can't leave their elderly relatives at home and can't be relaxed taking them along, not knowing what the relative might do if taken out. 

The cafe is managed by 52 year old Tomoka Sugino, who cared for her father after he was injured in a workplace accident. She created a place for people of different ages to communicate, including children who have fewer opportunities to interact with their grandparents. Ms. Sugino hopes that spending time with the elderly would foster kindness in the children that would lead to them helping the elderly later when they are in need. She has "hired" around 40 children from nearby elemenary schools to be shop staff. A 7-year old who was helping out in the cafe said, "Sometimes I feel a bit nervous, but it's fun asking what people want and bringing them drinks. I play card games with guests sometimes too." 

Dementia has become an issue in aging Japan. The Japanese government estimates that around 7 million people, or one in 5 over the age of 65, will suffer the illness by 2025.  

I think this is a wonderful idea (and not just because I am getting old and forgetful). Do you know of any other such cafes?

People's Choice - Wild Animals

 

Every month, on the first Saturday, Jo at Serendipidous Stitching hosts a Stitch A Long, with the topics chosen by her readers. This month's topic is Wild Animals. I have stitched quite a few animals - mostly small ornaments, but calling them wild is stretching it. Here they are in no particular order.

Friday Finish - Crazy Quilt Ornament

 

Water update - I do have toilet flushing water and may have drinkable water coming out of the tap later today (fingers crossed that I can wash my hair today). Thank you to those who suggested going to an onsen.  I love the onsen and there are two just a short train ride away from where I live.  I chose not to go because I had heard that they were very crowded (many people were without water in my area) and I am still very mindful of the covid infection numbers in Shizuoka. Better to be healthy with dirty hair than take the chance of getting infected, in my opinion. It's been a long week.

Still No Water

I keep checking the city's website to see if there is any new information on when running water will be restored.  I know the Self Defense Forces and others are working around the clock, but there is a lot of damage that needs to be repaired as well as sand, dirt, wood, etc. that needs to be removed. 

This is the English translation of the progress, as well as photos from the website.

・We are manually removing sediment, driftwood, etc. that are blocking the water intake.
・We have an entry road so that vehicles can reach the water intake.
・The water intake is recovering steadily.

Because heavy machinery is not allowed, driftwood etc. are removed by human-powered work.
The driftwood around the water intake is being removed, but the screen to remove foreign matter in the water intake is clogged with earth and sand, so it needs to be removed by hand.

Driftwood and earth and sand flow into the Jogenji water outlet installed on the Okitsu River to draw water into the Yatsu water purification plant, and water cannot be obtained from the river.
The water level is high and it is impossible to work with heavy machinery.
We are removing it as much as possible, but it takes time because we are working manually.

This explains why it takes so long to repair. I'm thankful for the workers who are repairing the damage.  I'm thankful for my friends who have checked on me and brought me water.  I'm thankful for the people who take care of the water distribution in my town. I'm very thankful to be in Japan.  

The one thing I plan to do the next time a big storm is coming my way is to wash my hair before the storm gets here.  Who knew I wouldn't be able to wash my hair for so long?