Do You Love Roller Coasters?

 

Japan has tons of different amusement parks, and lovers of these theme parks have their favorites. Fuji-Q Highland in Yamanashi Prefecture is the place for roller coaster lovers. 

The Do-Dodonpa, which opened in 2017, is one of the most popular coasters. It reaches a speed of 180 km (112 miles) per hour in 1.56 seconds. This acceleration subjects the body to 3.75 Gs, which is more than astronauts experience when blasting off in a space shuttle. 

As it turns out, that is more than some people can endure. A week ago the park announced that since December 2020, there have been four cases of broken bones in Do-Dodonpa riders between the ages of 30 and 59. (The age limit for roller coaster riders at this park is 64). These weren't broken fingers or arms, these were compression fractures in the necks and spines of the riders! After announcing the injuries, Fuji-Q set up a hotline for others who experienced extended physical pain after riding the Do-Dodonpa. Within two days they received an additional nine claims. 

This is a small percentage of the 210,000 riders of the Do-Dodonpa since December, but still if you are the one with the fractured spine, you know that it is too many. The Do-Dodonpa is currently closed while the prefectural and federal authorities check the ride out for possible violations of Japan's Building Standards Law. 

I've never been to Fuji-Q and probably won't go.  I used to like roller coasters when I was younger, but I don't think I need to ride one that breaks bones. What do you think - would you ride this roller coaster?

Monday Morning Star Count - Leftovers and Week 16

I am cutting pieces for the house quilt and the pieces that are too small, I make into hexagons.  When I have six matching, I add a contrasting hexagon and make a block.  Eventually, when I get enough blocks, I will put them together. I don't like to waste anything.

Year five of the temperature quilt 

Week 16 

August 15 - 21 

70, 73, 75, 88, 95, 91, 90

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Five temperature/color scheme remains the same as previous years: 

100+ Brown 

90-99 Red 

80-89 Orange 

70-79 Yellow 

60-69 Green 

50-59 Blue 

40-49 Purple 

30-39 Pink 

20-29 White 

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

Walk But Don't Text

 

I'm not going anywhere to see posters like this in person, but I do like seeing them on the internet anyway. Japan is concerned about safety and people seem to need reminding.

Reisen-ji Temple

This is a small, pretty temple with lots of flowers. It's a nice safe quiet place to walk around and look.

Friday Finish - EGA Biscornu

This piece is featured on the EGA Blog, if you are interested in making one. I used 28 count evenweave fabric, and two strands of DMC floss - 3801, 3818, and 3819.

Have you ever made a biscornu? I've made a few -  -  -

Nippon Kitchi

 A few days ago, Queenie told me about the Nippon Kitchi website. It is fascinating and has been consuming a great deal of my time this week.  If you are interested in Japan or anything Japanese, click on the link. The website says: ""Nippon-kichi" leads you to places, people and things that reveal a certain Japanese aesthetic." 

It is very easy to search locations or subjects from the sidebar -

I clicked on crafts and went through some of them.  I've checked out various prefectures.  You can also search by keyword, such as textiles. 

At the bottom of each article are keywords, so you can find other articles with similar topics.

There are 5445 articles, and all are short but with lots of information.  Check it out!

Work In Progress Wednesday

Christmas Ornament Progress - This is a freebie from Kissy-Cross.  The blog is in German, but there is a translate button.  There are tons of small free charts on this blog, if you are interested. 

Scarf progress

Border for House Quilt - This is the braid that I was practicing Sunday.  I have one side done, three more to go.

I started this quilt in summer 2015 and finished the quilt top in October 2017. 

In 2017, after piecing the cat fabric background, I sandwiched it all together with the batting in the middle and thought I was ready to start quilting.  I wasn't.  There was a wrinkle across the back and I put it away instead of taking it apart and fixing it.  Well, finally, I took it apart and put it back correctly.

Now I am ready to start hand quilting with #8 perle cotton.  Maybe I really will finish this quilt.  

Itabu Station's Toilet in Nature

Japan has many interesting train stations.  Today I'm writing about the train station toilet, that is outside!

Itabu Station in Chiba Prefecture is a small, unattended train station and has become famous because it has an outdoor toilet stall.  It was created by famed Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto in 2012 and is officially titled "Toilet in Nature".  

It is surrounded by an enclosure of 675 cedar logs (around 58 yards long). Inside is a single glass-walled cubicle in the middle of a garden.  There is a cherry tree that blooms in spring and many flowers. It's an ordinary toilet with toilet paper, a clean sink, and a small mirror.  There is also a curtain, if you are shy about using the toilet in such an open area. One more thing - this toilet is for women only, but there is a small unisex toilet nearby.

What do you think?  Would you use it?  Would you travel to Itabu Station especially to use it?

Monday Morning Star Count - Year Two Backing and Week 15

Now that the Hexagon Tree Quilt is finished, I thought about working on another hexagon quilt. (I have a few more temperature quilts that need to be finished).  I pulled out all the leftover fabric from Year two,

and pieced it together for the backing. Some of it is hanging off the sides, so you can't see it all.  When I get around to quilting it, I will show it flat.  I already have the batting, but it has to be pieced and I don't have a big enough place on the floor right now. I live in a small apartment and will have to shuffle things around to make space. Stay tuned...

Year five of the temperature quilt 

Week 15 

August 8 - 14

90, 91, 102, 97, 88, 75, 75

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Five temperature/color scheme remains the same as previous years: 

100+ Brown 

90-99 Red 

80-89 Orange 

70-79 Yellow 

60-69 Green 

50-59 Blue 

40-49 Purple 

30-39 Pink 

20-29 White 

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

Border Practice and a Coffee and Cookie Coaster

 I continue cutting strips for the house quilt border. 

I've never tried making this border, so I decided to try making a practice strip to see how it works.

I turned the practice piece into a coaster that will hold a cup and a cookie.The size is about 7 inches by 5 1/2 inches. Here it is, front and back.

I need to cut some more strips for the quilt, but I think this will work out.

Kusanagi Shrine

I find many shrines and temples when I'm out walking. I had heard about this one, looked it up on the map, and went there purposely. This is what the entrance looks like from the street. I couldn't read the sign on the right but it might have something to do with a giant fireworks thing that is shot off during festivals. No festivals these days because of the pandemic, but the giant fireworks thing is waiting.

There is a statue to the left of the steps, but I don't know who the person is.  It was rainy and gloomy that day, so the light on the pole was on, like it was night.

This mysterious stone has writing on it. There is an old style water pump to the left.

It seems like every shrine has the big tree that you can't touch.  This tree was half fallen over and propped up, but it still has the white zig zags and is fenced off.

Before the pandemic, people used the water to purify themselves, but now it's more common to see a pump bottle of alcohol.

This is the entrance to the shrine main area.

Close ups of the entry guards.

This is the giant fireworks thing. Looks dangerous to me.

Look how long the pole it's on is. It's just waiting for the next festival.

These lion dogs have some kind of dragon scales on the back of their legs and a lot of green mossy stuff growing on them.

2021 is the year of the ox. Some people say the year of the cow.

A look inside the main building.

This is the inside view of the entry way.

With all these old wooden buildings this fireworks thing looks doubly dangerous.

This is another shrine in the middle of a neighborhood, but no convenience store this time.

It looks and feels like you are in the middle of the woods, but you are really in the middle of town.

I went out the way I came in.