No More Skirts

 

Beginning in April, female police officers in Japan will no longer have to wear skirts as their uniform. (Yes, this is 2025.) The only option for all officers will be trousers. According to the Police Agency, this change is due to more female officers taking on frontline roles such as attending incidents and activities. In addition, the revised uniform policy also introduces polo shirts for both men and women as part of the summer uniform.

The most recent statistics I found were from April 1, 2023, saying the percentage of regional police officers who were women was 11.4%. This seems like a low percentage. I wonder if the uniform changes will do anything for recruitment.

World’s Oldest Pharmacist

 

Kesa Hatamoto, a 102 year old Japanese woman, has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest pharmacist. She currently works at a pharmacy between 10 am and 6pm, six days a week and says she wants to continue her career forever.

She started her career over 70 years ago after being encouraged by her father. Relatives of Hatamoto were trying to arrange her marriage as she graduated from school before World War II, when women were expected to focus on taking care of their families. When she told her father she wanted to be a teacher or a doctor, he suggested she become a pharmacist, so she could continue her career after marriage. 

She studied at the school that later became Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences and graduated from the university in summer of 1942. She first worked in a lab at a chemical plant in Tokyo. She married at age 25, then opened a pharmacy in Tokyo when she was 30.  She is an inspiration to many people.  I think she is amazing!

Work in Progress Wednesday

Scarf progress

Hawaiian progress  - I worked on this at Stitch Group.  It needs a press now that it’s at home again.

Dogwood Afghan progress - fourth square

Japanese Pattern 38

Stitch Group Saturday

We met on Saturday and started a new project. (I started mine before but hadn’t worked on it much.) 

Show and Tell

This is my chair.  I always get the panda seat.

We all chose the same Hawaiian pattern. Three stitchers want to make cushions, one a wall hanging, and mine will be a little table covering. Everyone had to iron the fabric, cut the paper pattern, cut the fabric design and baste it to the backing fabrics.

There was a lot of ironing.

Tea time

Many people here wouldn’t recognize the words Hawaiian Quilting, but if you mention Kathy Nakajima, they know. She and her son have programs on television and she has books and quilt kits. Her beautiful quilts are featured at every quilt show. Our projects are not as large or as bright as Ms. Nakajima’s, but they will be beautiful.

Monday Morning Star Count

Year 4 was my main stitching project this week. I was able to quilt around all of the square blocks and began the hexagon quilting.

Election Day

Even though I am not eligible to vote in Japan, I am always interested in the elections. Today is the city council election where I live. 

Whenever there is an election, the photos of the candidates are put up on boards in each neighborhood, in the order that the candidates file.

I don’t know why these two have small pictures on the board, but if I had to guess, I’d say maybe their campaigns don’t have much money/support.

There are only two women running for office in this election.

This is the candidate who had the rally in the park behind my apartment.

This guy looks like he is on fire.

In addition to these boards, the candidates and/or their supporters ride around neighborhoods in these vehicles with loud speakers.  It can be quite annoying.  Sometimes they stop to talk with people.

This was near the Kusanagi Station last week.  It was a dreary day, so there weren’t a lot of people hanging around.

This was near the Aeon shopping center and the candidate was giving a speech.

I wonder who will win.

Coughing and Sneezing on the Train

Since the pandemic, I have been nervous about catching any kind of illness. I always wear a mask on the train or in the grocery store. If someone coughs or sneezes near me, I move somewhere else. So far, I’ve been lucky and haven’t gotten Covid, the flu, or even a cold. I’m getting older all the time and want to stay healthy. 

This poster is a good reminder for people.

Friday Finishes - Some Small Things

Christmas drawstring bag - I stitched the little mitten scene last year and made it into a drawstring bag this week.

Three coasters (about five inches square)

Little hardanger ornament

A small felt house hanging

Drawstring bag - when I was looking for something else, I came across the pieces for this that were already cut out. I spent an evening hand sewing and this is the result. If you are a long time reader of this blog, you might remember this as a Stitch Group project. (Front, back, and inside)

Shunbun no Hi

 

Today is the national holiday, Spring Equinox Day or Shunbun no Hi, a day to commune with nature and to show our affection for all living things. Aren’t Japanese holidays great?

Work in Progress Wednesday

Drawn thread progress

Scarf progress

Japanese Pattern 37

White Dogwood Afghan

This Week’s Crime Story

 

A 37 year old unemployed woman was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on private property after she broke into a man’s apartment while he was in the bathtub, according to police in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.

The incident happened about 2:40 am on Sunday. The man, said to be in his 20’s, heard a noise and saw the woman when he came out of the bath. The man then called the police and told them a woman he didn’t know broke into his apartment. Police took her into custody and said they did not know how she got into the apartment. 

This is such a weird story. What was she doing in the apartment - mistake, burglary, some other reason? Why didn’t she run away when the man saw her and before the police came? Was she drunk or mentally ill? There probably won’t be a follow up story, so I’ll be left wondering.

Monday Morning Star Count - Pin Basting Year 4 of the Temperature Quilts

Last week I finished Year 3 of the Temperature Quilts. I worked over the weekend pin basting Year 4. It is slightly bigger than Year 3 and I barely had space to lay it out on the floor.

Let the handquilting begin…

Honest People in Japan

I am always happy to read about how lost money and items are turned in to be reunited with the owners in Japan.  Tokyo Police reported a record 4.49 BILLION yen in cash was turned in as lost property in 2024. This was up 1.8% from 2023. The largest single amount of cash turned in to the police department’s lost and found in 2024 was 11.6 million yen. 

Of the money turned in, about 3.2 billion yen was returned to various owners, while about 570 million yen was given to those who turned in the money. Around 660 million yen that was unclaimed became Tokyo Metropolitan government revenue. 

In addition to money, about 4.4 million items were turned in. This is up 7.8 % from 2023 and a record high. Drivers licenses and identification documents made up the majority of items turned in, at about 830,000. The police department reported that there was a large increase in electronic items, such as wireless earphones and e-cigarettes. 

Have you ever lost something and had it returned to you? I left a hat on the bus in Hokkaido and was able to get it back the same day. My students told me various stories about losing wallets or phones or keys when drinking and getting the items back.

Local Rally

Yesterday afternoon, I looked out my back door and saw some taiko drummers gathering. The little park behind my apartment is used for many events.  

The next time I looked out, I saw more people and the white van. Aha! It was a political rally! 

There is a local election coming up on March 23rd.  This man is a candidate for City Council, and is also one of the drummers.

I love living here!

Friday Finish - Virgin Queen’s Stitching Pocket

I finished the stitching in summer 2023, but the finish finishing was scary. This week I spent a day finally doing it.

This is a Betsy Morgan design and the instructions are in the book Willing Hands 2.