Sunday Stitch Group

The stitch group met on Sunday.  I'm always happy to get together with these ladies.  

First we had some show and tell with finished Ainu coasters.

We needed to count and concentrate, but there was still a lot of talking and laughing.

This is what we had to show at the end of the stitching session. I love how creative everyone is.

This one is mine 

Until next time...

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 24

 Year Four of the temperature quilt  

Week 24 

October 4 - 10 

73, 75, 73, 70, 59, 59, 64 

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Four temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme remains the same: 

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 

10-19 Black  

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

Female Emperors in Japan

I am very interested in the Imperial Family in Japan. All  royal families interest me, but especially the Japanese Imperial Family, because I'm living in Japan.

Currently the law in Japan says that only a male offspring in the male line belonging to the Imperial Lineage may become emperor. In 2004, the prime minister established a group to study the Imperial House Law and questions on succession because there had been four decades with no male births in the imperial family.  The group issued a report in 2005 that recommended female members of the imperial family and matrilineal descendants be able to take the Chrysanthemum Throne. Before Legislators could consider this, Princess Kiko gave birth to Prince Hisahito, and the recommendations were set aside. 

Now people are beginning to call for the government to again consider this recommendation.  There are just three men currently eligible to succeed Emperor Naruhito - his younger brother Fumihito, his fourteen year old nephew Hisahito, and his elderly uncle Masahito. Under the present system, if Hisahito becomes emperor and does not have a son, there will be no possible heir to the throne.  (How's that for pressure?) 

Historically there was no requirement for emperors to be men. There have been eight women who have served as emperor, two serving twice.  All of them were descendants of emperors through the male line.

Empress Suiko (r. 592–628)
The daughter of Emperor Kinmei, she ascended to the throne after the assassination of her predecessor, Emperor Sushun, by a member of the powerful Soga clan. With no immediate agreement on who would succeed, the selection of Suiko, whose mother was also in the Soga clan, was seen as bringing political stability. She oversaw an age in which Buddhism flourished and the temple Hōryūji was built in Nara. Japan also began diplomatic missions to China during her reign.

Empress Kōgyoku (r. 642–645)/Saimei (r. 655–661)
When there was no agreement on succession after the death of her husband, Emperor Jomei, with Soga wishes again a factor, the great-granddaughter of Emperor Bidatsu ascended to the throne under the name of Kōgyoku. She abdicated after a few years and her younger brother became Emperor Kōtoku. However, when he died and there was again no clear candidate to succeed, she ruled again under the name of Saimei.

Empress Jitō (r. 690–697)
The daughter of Emperor Tenji and the wife of her predecessor, Emperor Tenmu, she ascended to the throne as her son Prince Kusakabe had a strong rival to the succession at that time. Kusakabe died shortly after, so Jitō ruled until her grandson was old enough to succeed her as Emperor Monmu.

Empress Genmei (r. 707–715)
A younger half-sister of Empress Jitō and daughter of Emperor Tenji, she was also the wife of Prince Kusakabe and mother of Emperor Monmu. She ascended to the throne as her grandson (later Emperor Shōmu) was too young to succeed at the time of Monmu’s death.

Empress Genshō (r. 715–724)
The only woman to follow a woman in the imperial succession, she was the daughter of Empress Genmei. As her father was Prince Kusakabe, the son of Emperor Tenmu, she was also in the male imperial line. She ascended the throne when Genmei abdicated after nine years and the future Emperor Shōmu was still seen as too young to succeed.

Empress Kōken (r. 749–758)/Shōtoku (r. 764–770)
The daughter of Emperor Shōmu, she became the first woman to be officially designated as the first in line to the throne when his son died an early death. She ascended to the throne under the name Kōken but later abdicated, with her cousin becoming Emperor Junnin. During his reign, a power struggle intensified between him and the retired Kōken, backed by the Buddhist monk Dōkyō, who became a powerful favorite of hers. When Junnin’s supporter Fujiwara Nakamaro attempted to raise a rebellion to win back authority, her forces were victorious. She dethroned Junnin and took the throne again to rule for six more years as Shōtoku.

Empress Meishō (r. 1629–43)
She succeeded her father, Emperor Go-Mizunoo, who had no sons at the time he abdicated following a dispute between the Tokugawa shogunate and the imperial court. However, he had a son after his abdication, and she later gave up the throne herself when the boy was old enough to become Emperor Go-Kōmyō.

Empress Go-Sakuramachi (r. 1762–70)
The daughter of Emperor Sakuramachi, she ascended the throne after the death of Emperor Momozono as his designated successor was still too young to become emperor. She later abdicated and the boy became Emperor Go-Momozono.

Source: Nippon.com

No More Yakuza Halloween

Halloween is not a Japanese holiday, but in recent years it has started to catch on. In Tokyo, there have been some celebrations that at times have gotten a little out of hand.  The 100 yen shops sell a variety of decorations and costume items.  And, at the Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi Yakuza headquarters there has been trick or treating since 2013.  (Yakuza is the Japanese mafia/criminal organization).  Yamaguchi-gumi members call to the children to come in and get candy and to wish them Happy Halloween.

Costumed children thought it was great - free candy! Hyogo Prefecture (where Kobe is located) didn't agree.  Last week the prefectural assembly of Hyogo voted unanimously to revise the Organized Crime Law to make it illegal for a criminal organization to give gifts (money or otherwise, including snacks) to minors, to invite them onto the grounds of their facilities, or to correspond with them. The new law goes into effect October 26th, with punishment for repeat offenders facing up to six months in jail or fines of up to 500,000 yen.  Kanagawa Prefecture has a similar law. 

What do you think, were the yakuza members trying to be nice guys, handing out candy to children, or were they trying to recruit future members?

Friday Finish - Wool Door Hanger

 I don't know why I put this aside for so long.  Making the fringe was a little difficult, but not that bad.

Peru Opens Machu Picchu for One Japanese Tourist

Machu Picchu is high on my Bucket List, so I was very happy to read about Jesse Katayama's story.  He went to Peru in mid-March in order to visit Machu Picchu, with the intent to spend only a few days in Peru. Then, the pandemic hit and not only was he unable to visit the famous world heritage site, he was stranded in Peru. 

Peru has had 33,305 coronavirus related deaths so far and the highest per capita Covid-19 mortality rate of any country in the world. International flights have recently resumed but to only seven Latin American countries. Last Saturday, Katayama was able to visit Machu Picchu, with the special permission of the Peruvian government, before returning to Japan. His entry came thanks to a request he submitted while stranded in the country, according to the minister of culture, Alejandro Neyra.

Sometime in November, Peru will reopen Machu Picchu for tourists, permitting only 30% of its normal capacity of 675 people per day.

Work In Progress Wednesday - Kogin and Fringe

I did several thread lengths on my kogin piece.  I haven't worked on it in a long time.  Originally I thought this would be a bag, but I have many bags.  Maybe it will end up being a table runner.

I had forgotten about this project and it isn't even on my UFO list.  I enjoyed working with the wool and doing the stitching.  The last time I see it on my blog was August 2016.  I finished the stitching, but just need to make the fringe.  It's really difficult to pull out the threads. I have one side of the front done, so three more sides on the front and four on the back to finish it.

Skyscrapers in Japan

 Two new buildings are in the works in Tokyo that will be over 300 meters when they are completed - one at 325 meters (scheduled to be finished in 2023) and one at 390 meters when it is completed in 2027. Currently the world's tallest is Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 828 meters.  So what are the current tallest buildings in Japan? (Buildings, not towers alone.  Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Tower are taller than the building listed below.)  

1. Abeno Harukas, 300 meters is located in Abenosuji, Abeno Ward, Osaka. It was completed in 2014, with 60 floors above ground and 5 below. 

2. Yokohama Landmark Tower, 296 meters is located in Minatomirai, Nishi Ward, Yokohama. It was completed in 1993, with 70 floors above ground and 3 below. 

3. Rinku Gate Tower Building, 256 meters, is located in Rinkuoaikita, Izumisano, Osaka. It was completed in 1996, with 56 floors above ground and 2 below. At the time it was being constructed, this building was competing to be the tallest building in west Japan with the Osaka World Trade Center Building (now the Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building). It won by just 10 centimeters.

4. Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building, 256 m is located in Nankokita, Suminoe Ward, Osaka. It was completed in 1995, with 55 floors above ground and 3 below. It opened in 1995 as the Osaka World Trade Center Building in 1995. Unable to attract tenants in the post-bubble period, it went bankrupt. In 2010, it was acquired by Osaka Prefectural Grovernment and is now used as an office building.

5. Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, 255.5, is located in Minato, Tokyo. It was completed in 2014 with 52 floors above ground and 5 below with offices and residential space. 

What is the tallest building (and how tall is it) in your country? How tall is tall enough? Are some buildings too tall, in your opinion?

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 23

Year Four of the temperature quilt  

Week 23 

September 27 - October  3 

73, 79, 72, 75, 72, 79, 77

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Four temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme remains the same: 

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 

10-19 Black  

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

JR East Welcome Rail Pass

 Even though the pandemic has me at home and not traveling, I'm still thinking about traveling, reading about traveling, and planning for when I will travel again. 

Japan Railway Company offers JR Railway passes, which are limited to visitors to Japan, not foreign residents like me. Currently, Japan is not allowing tourists into Japan, so JR East has come up with a new plan - the JR East Welcome Rail Pass. Beginning October 16th, it is available to all foreign passport holders, regardless of visa status. This pass will allow holders three consecutive days of unlimited travel on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Alita, Joetsu, and Hokuriku Shinkansen, in addition to JR East train lines and local railways. 

The details of the JR East Welcome Rail Pass - - - 

Dates for use: October 16, 2020 - February 28, 2021 

Dates for Sale: October 16, 2020 - February 26, 2021 

Price: 12,00 yen for adults, 6,000 yen for children 

Available for use by customers holding a passport issued by a country other than Japan 

Valid for unlimited rides on shinkansen, limited express trains and local trains on JR East lines for three consecutive days during the set time. 

This sounds like a great deal to me!

For more information:

 https://www.eastjapanrailway.com/pass/

From Abenomask to Pamelanomask

Back in the spring, former Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese government sent two reusable masks to every household in Japan. I wrote about receiving mine here. 

I put mine aside and came across them again this week. As you can see they are about 5"x4", kind of small. 

I don't like to see exposed noses and I think that if you try to talk when wearing a small mask, it might pull the mask down, exposing a naked nose. I did some basic stitching and added a little fabric across the bottom and am pleased with my own original mask.

What do you think?

Friday Finish (Finally) - Pansy Box Lid

 This was a class I took in North Carolina in 2008.  It's about time I finished it, don't you think?  (I have some works in progress that are even older, though!)

Free Coronavirus Vaccinations in Japan Next Year

It was announced last week that members of the public in Japan will be given the coronavirus vaccine for free, according to a health ministry policy in a bid to curb serious and fatal cases of infection. 

The Japanese government is trying to secure enough vaccines by mid 2021 to administer to all, having earmarked a budget of 671.4 billion yen.  The government has agreed with British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc and US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. to receive 120 million doses of vaccine from each company when successfully developed, as well as negotiating with US firm Moderna Inc. for 40 million or more doses. 

In addition, if a vaccination causes serious side effects, the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry plans to have the state, not the companies, redress patients and pay damages through a law revision at an extraordinary government session later this month. 

Have you heard or read anything about how the vaccine will be distributed in your country or how much it might cost?

Work in Progress Wednesday - Pansy Stumpwork and Dogwood Blossom Cross Stitch

This is a project from a 2008 class in Raleigh, NC.  It was either with the Embroiderer's Guild or the Needlepoint Guild, I can't remember. I wasn't crazy about the teacher and didn't work on it for a long time after the class.  I have worked on it from time to time since coming to Japan. The last time I put it away, the main part was stitched and the petals stitched but not attached.  The thing keeping me from finishing was that I did not like the butterfly I had begun. The butterfly was to go in the center area.  I even started a second butterfly and didn't like it either.

I spent some time with it over the weekend and made the flowers and stitched a tiny bee over the mark where the butterfly was to be attached. I want to finish it to the box lid above.

I spent a little time working on this cross stitch afghan. It is a little difficult because the white flowers are on a white background.  The fabric has 14 threads to the inch, so the cross stitches are over one thread with two strands of floss. The front of the chart shows seven blocks stitched, not flowers in every block. I'm still working on the first block, so I guess I have a while before I need to decide how many blocks to stitch.

Japan - a Country of Many Islands

How many islands do you think make up Japan? Take a guess! There are the five main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. I'll give you a hint, the answer is much more than five.  

There are a total of 6,852, according to the Japan Statistical Yearbook.  Of the 6847 remote islands (meaning not one of the five main islands), 416 are inhabited. Excluding continental landmasses like Australia, Honshu is the world's seventh largest island, after Greenland, New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar, Baffin Island, and Sumatra.  Hokkaido is 19th largest, and Kysushu is 31st.

Nagasaki is the prefecture with the most islands, 971. Kagoshima has 605, followed by Hokkaido with 509. Rounding out the top ten are Shimane with 369, Okinawa 363, Tokyo 330, Miyagi 311, Iwate 286, Ehime 270, and Wakayama 253. 

In addition to the five main islands, I have visited a few of these smaller islands in Japan.  

In Spring 2015, I stayed on Aka Island in Okinawa a few days.

In 2015, I visited Rebun Island, off the northern tip of Hokkaido.

In 2016, while on my Kumano kodo trip, I visited Urashima, the onsen island and part of Wakayama prefecture.

I spent a few days on Yakushima in 2017, which is part of Kagoshima prefecture. I wrote about that trip here, here, and here.

In 2017, I visited Gunkanjima, an uninhabited island that belongs to Nagasaki.

New Year Week 2019, I stayed on Hachijojima, which is part of Tokyo prefecture. I wrote about this trip here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

I'm not traveling to any islands these days, but I do look forward to traveling again and seeing more of Japan's 6852 islands.

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 22 and Background Fabric Reveal

 Year Four of the temperature quilt  

Week 22 

September 21 - 27 

72, 77, 79, 70, 68, 70, 68

For Years Two and Three, I purchased fabrics for the backgrounds of the blocks.  This year I'm not so crazy about shopping and being around lots of people, so I looked through the fabrics I already have.  I found some fabrics that look like cross stitch or samplers and decided to use them.  I've been busy sewing the temperature blocks to the seven inch square background blocks. As soon as I get them all sewn together, I will remove the week number hexagons.

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Four temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme remains the same: 

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 

10-19 Black  

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

Death By Licorice

Do you prefer red licorice or the black? I really like black licorice, especially the black jelly beans sold around Easter time. I have been known to eat more than a few jelly beans in a sitting.  Unfortunately, I read a news story that said black licorice can kill you!  

A 54 year old construction worker in Massachusetts ate a bag and a half of black licorice every day for a few weeks and it caused his heart to stop. (I don't know how big the bags were, but that is a lot). Evidently, even a small amount of licorice can increase your blood pressure.  In addition, glycyrrhizic acid, found in black licorice and other foods and dietary supplements containing licorice root extract, can cause dangerously low potassium and imbalances in other minerals and electrolytes.  According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating as little as two ounces of black licorice a day for two weeks could cause a heart rhythm problem, especially for people over 40! (Yes, I'm over 40).  

I can't remember the last time I ate some black licorice.  It doesn't seem to be popular in Japan, but if I saw it in the store, I would probably buy it and eat it.  In small amounts now, though. 

What about you?  Do you eat black licorice? How much do you eat?

The People's Choice - Wizards

Jo at Serendipidous Stitching is hosting a Stitch A Long the first Saturday of the month, with the topics chosen by her readers.  This month's topic is Wizards. 

I only have one - The Dragon Master by Dorothy Lesher

Friday Finish - Afghan Bouquet

 

English Idioms Involving Clothes

My students know how I love idioms.  A.Word.A.Day. featured idioms involving clothes recently.  

Fancy Pants

noun: Someone attractive, silly, or pretentious.
adjective: Snobbish; pretentious; newfangled; overly complicated. 

Shirtsleeve

adjective:
1. Relating to pleasant warm weather.
2. Informal; direct.
3. Hardworking; having a can-do attitude.

Trouser role

noun:
In opera, drama, film, etc.:
1. A role in which a female character pretends to be a male.
2. A male part played by a female actor.
Also known as a breeches role or a pants role.

Brownshirt 

noun: A member of police or military trained for carrying out a sudden assault, especially one marked by brutality and violence.

Seat-of-the-Pants 

adjective:

1. Using experience, instinct, or guesswork as opposed to methodical planning.
2. Done without instruments.

To Keep One's Shirt on - refrain from losing one's temper 

To Lose One's Shirt - to lose everything 

To Wear the Pants in a Relationship - to be the dominant partner 

To Catch Someone with Their Pants Down - to catch someone in an embarrasing situation 

Do you know any other clothing related idioms?