Wednesday I joined another carving class and decided to try a new project. This is what I started with. The finish will be a small Jizo statue.
Mine is on the left, mid-way through the class. The one on the right is the finished example.
Our teacher, Hitoshi Yamazaki, is on the far right. The two women are advanced carving students.
This is the finished example and my piece at the end of the class. It still needs a lot of work, but I like how it is coming along.
The Tokyo bride returned from her honeymoon last week. She emailed me that she and her husband would be visiting Shizuoka and asked if I’d like to meet with her. Of course I said yes! The cafe was very slow, but we didn’t mind. We talked and she showed me photos and video on her phone from her two week honeymoon. She gave me some nice souvenirs from her trip. It was a happy way to spend the afternoon.
New start - I bought these 30 cm. lengths of ribbon at Seria (100 yen chain store). I’m stitching them down along the sides to a piece of plain white fabric, with the idea of making it into a little pouch.
Japanese Pattern 34
I was surprised to read that only 17% of Japanese citizens hold valid passports. I don’t know what I expected, but 17% seems like a small number. Currently 51% of Americans hold valid passports, up from 46% in 2023, and 30% in 2008.
I read that before the pandemic about a quarter of Japanese held valid passports. In addition to not traveling during the pandemic, the weak yen has compounded the issue. In the last five years the yen has lost a third of its value. My students tell me that they don’t often get a big enough block of time off from work to enable them to travel abroad. The one time in their lives that they do take a big international trip is for the honeymoon.
One of the good things about living in Japan is that even though this is a small country, there are countless beautiful, cultural, historical, and natural places to visit. When the yen gets stronger, I will think about traveling out of the country again, but for the time being, I’m happy to stay in Japan. In any case, I will keep my passport up to date.
I’m not ready to put it on yet, but I made some scrappy colorful binding for when I am ready.
I finished the quilting of the hexagon weeks and started on the red border.
It’s coming along.
Today is the Emperor Naruhito’s birthday and a national holiday in Japan. Because his birthday falls on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on Monday.
He became the Emperor on May 1, 2019, following his father’s abdication. He studied history at Gakushuin University and English at Merton College, Oxford. In June 1993, he married diplomat Masako Owada and they have one daughter, Aiko.
Happy Birthday! I hope someone makes him a carrot cake.
Domino’s Pizza, the international pizza delivery giant, announced it is closing 205 of its restaurants worldwide, with 172 of them in Japan. The reason for the closures, according to the company, is a strategic shift in its approach to growth and profitability. Domino’s Pizza Japan currently operates 1,000 shops across Japan. Many of the restaurants to be closed were established during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in demand for delivery meals post-pandemic, has been compounded by increased operating costs, including rising prices for ingredients, labor, and energy.
There is a Domino’s Pizza that I pass by on my walk to the grocery store that has been there since before I moved here. It doesn’t look like it will be closing. I’ve only bought pizza there once, but the delivery scooters and bicycles seem to be on the move all the time.
Have delivery or take out restaurants near you been closing since the end of the pandemic?
I finished this into a hanging with a sleeve on the back.
It represents Mt. Fuji and some of the places that make up the Mt. Fuji UNESCO site along with the mountain.
I made Mt. Fuji with clouds and the torii on top, just as I remember the top when I climbed Mt. Fuji in 2019.
This is one of the many old pine trees that make up Miho no Matsubara, which is walking distance from where I live.
Shiraito no Taki is a beautiful set of waterfalls, with a pool of water at the bottom.
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine is in Fujinomiya.
I’m happy with how this turned out!
Last Sunday, I went to Fuji City. First I had an early lunch with a friend, then attended an afternoon of drums, singing, dance, and a play involving dragons.
This was great - and so Japanese! The performers were all ages, from the little bitties to the very old. I wish everyone could experience this show.
Mt. Fuji view from Fuji City
