Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics Torch Relay - Shizuoka Prefecture

The original plan was for the Olympic Torch Run to pass through all 47 prefectures last year. Then came the pandemic.  The Olympics, including the Torch Run, were postponed for a year.  This year some prefectures didn't want the Torch Run because people would crowd in close to see it and potentially transmit the virus. It didn't go as originally planned, but it did go on. June 23 - 25 were the three days for it to pass through Shizuoka Prefecture. 

Thursday morning, I went to watch it.  The route was just a 20 minute walk from my apartment. 

I got to the route about an hour early because I thought it might be crowded.  It was not at all crowded where I was, which was near the #7 exhange. 

There were a lot of helicopters.  I don't know if they were media or the Self Defense Forces or something else.

There were tons of police officers, on foot and on motorcycles.

This bus carried the torch runners and dropped them off at the exchanges.

She got off the bus and waited for the fire from the previous runner. Each runner covered 200 meters.

The runners were surrounded by police.  There were more police than spectators.

Here's the fire exchange. It was done very slowly, I think for photos taken from the van.

And off she goes...

I was a little concerned about going because I had seen the crowds in other prefectures on the news, but it was not crowded, everyone wore masks and there were volunteers with signs to stay distanced and no shouting allowed. I think it was pretty safe.

I'm glad I could see it in person.

Friday Finish - Red Tree Ornament

This is a simple cross stitch ornament.  I made the twisted cording from six strand floss.

Twins!

Ueno Zoo panda, Shin Shin, gave birth to twins yesterday! The twins were born an hour and a half apart at 1:03 am and 2:32 am on Wednesday. Mother Shin Shin and father Ri Ri are also parents to Xiang Xiang, born in June 2017. It will be awhile before the new pandas will be presented to the public, but I am looking forward to visiting the zoo then.

This photo of a sign was taken at the Ueno Zoo in January 2017, before Xiang Xiang was born.

Work In Progress Wednesday

The Miniature Carpet

Mola Fish

Little Dragonfly Stumpwork

Shizuoka Prefecture - Where I Live

Japan is made up of 47 prefectures.  I live in Shizuoka Prefecture, shown in red on the map below. It is located in the Chubu region of Honshu, the largest of the Japanese islands. Before living here, I knew nothing about this place, and I think many people who read my blog might not either. This is the link to the prefectural website, if you are interested.

The Prefectural Flower is the Azalea and was chosen as the official flower in 1965 after consulting with the public.

The Prefectural Tree is the Sweet Osmanthus. They are often used in gardens because of their sweet smell.

The Prefectural Bird is the Black Paradise Flycatcher (Japanese name - sanko-cho).

As of December 2019, Shizuoka Prefecture's population was 3,637,998 and it has an area of 3,002.88 square miles (7,777.42 square kilometers). The prefecture is located on the Pacific Ocean coast. Mt. Fuji, the country's cultural icon and tallest mountain is on the border of Shizuoka Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture.

The largest city is Hamamatsu and the capital is Shizuoka City, which is also the second largest city in both population and area. As of December 2019, the population of the capital city was 690,881 and the population density was 1,300 per square mile (490 people per square kilometer). Shizuoka City is made of three wards - Aoi, Suruga, and Shimizu. Even though it is called a city, it doesn't have a city feel.  I think it is a big town with lots of neighborhoods. This is the link to the Shizuoka City website.

Facts About Shizuoka City (April 2020) (from city website)

・Total Area (in square kilometers)   1,411.90
・Length (kilometers)                          83.10
・Width (kilometers)                            50.62

・City Bird        Kawasemi (Kingfisher)
・City Tree       Hanamizuki (Dogwood)
・City Flower    Tachiaoi (Hollyhock)

 

The "city" is well known for its agriculture. 

Green tea is grown in all areas of the city, especially the high quality varieties in Aoi and Shimizu wards.

Strawberries are grown along the Suruga Bay coast in a five mile (eight kilometer) stretch known as Ichigo Dori (Strawberry Road).

Wasabi is grown in Aoi Ward.

Mandarin orange and other citrus fruits, especially mikan and satsuma are grown through out the area.

Lotus root from Aoi Ward is well known.

Roses are grown, especially in Ihara and Okitsu sections of Shimizu Ward.

Peaches, especially in the Osada area, are being sold now.

Seafood in this area is fabulous.  Shimizu Port has the largest tuna haul in all of Japan. Sakura Ebi (little pink shrimp) and Shirasu (called sardine children by my students) are other specialties from Suruga Bay. 

The weather is pretty agreeable all year, although some people would say the summers are too warm.  It never snows here and doesn't get very cold in winter.

I hope this gives you an idea of where I am in Japan. Let me know if you have questions.  If you come to Japan, (when the borders open again) please get in contact with me.

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 6

Year five of the temperature quilt 

Week 6 

June 6 - 12 

75, 82, 85, 86, 84, 82, 81

 

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.

Father's Day and Election Day

Today is Father's Day in Japan, which as in the USA, is the third Sunday in June. In English there are many names for Father, including Dad, Daddy, Papa, Pop, Pa, to name a few. In Japanese, there are also many names for Father. 

Otou-san お父さん 

This may be the most common. Along with Otou-san, are Otou-sama (more polite) and Otou-chan (used by children).  Use Otou-san to talk about someone else's father.

Chichi  父 

This is the word you use to talk about your own father to someone else. 

Papa パパ 

Just like in English, Papa. In Japanese, it's a word that mostly children use. 

Oyaji 親父 / おやじ 

The kanji for this word mean parent (親) and father (父).  In addition to a casual word for father, it is also a term used for middle-aged or elderly men. 

Oton おとん 

I've not heard this word used, but I understand it is used by people who speak the Kansai dialect, the Japanese used in and around Osaka. 

Chichiue 父上 

The two kanji mean father (父) and up (上).  Used in the time of the samurai, it means something like "exalted father". 

So, what do or did you call your father? Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, no matter what they are called.

Today is also election day where I live. There are two candidates in this race for the prefecture governor.  Notice the fist and the candidate's age in the bottom photo. The photo on top is the incumbent, Heita Kawakatsu, who has held the office since 2009 and is now 72 years old.

 He looks the same as he did four years ago!

There are three candidates for the second race, which might be the local representative to the prefecture senate or something like that? 

I recognize this guy, Kenzo Yamaguchi, from an earlier election.  I guess he didn't win so he is trying again. It looks like he is making his photo signs on his home printer.

I hope everyone can get out and vote today.

Bakkai Train Station - Hokkaido

This is another interesting secluded train station in Japan.  It is located in Wakkanai, Hokkaido and is the northernmost station in Japan.  It was opened June 25, 1924. The station building is made completely of wood and is an unstaffed station. It has been used as a movie location because of its "snowy beauty".  You can reach it on the Soya Main JR Hokkaido Line, but be warned that if you visit in the winter, you should be prepared for a blizzard.

Hokkaido

Friday Finish - 2019/2020 NYE Mystery SAL

I'm glad to finally finish this one.  If you would like to stitch this, you can find it on Magical's Quilts and More. That link will take you to a page with all of the finished Mystery Stitch a Longs.  This one is about half way down the page. Just for my own reference, these are the threads I used: 

A - DMC 775 

B - DMC 809 

C - DMC 798

D - DMC 820 

E - Krienik silver 

F - DMC metallic blue 

This is the finished stitched piece.

I made it into this tote, which measures about 11" x 11".

Welcome Emma!

 

Five year old Emma, a southern white rhino, was originally scheduled to travel from Taiwan's Leofoo Safari Park to Japan's Saitama Tobu Zoo in March, but the pandemic caused a delay in her travel plans. She finally arrived at the Saitama zoo on June 8th. 

Emma was chosen from Leofoo's herd of white rhinos because she has an "even temper and slender physique." According to Sean Wu, the Leofoo Safari Park's chief veterinarian, Emma was chosen because her mild personality and her smaller size made it easier to make the overseas move. Dr. Wu said "she seldom gets in fights with other rhinos or snatches others' food." 

She is currently busy getting acquainted with her first suitor, 10 year old Moran. Zoo breeding programs have played a key role in repopulating southern white rhino herds. According to the conservation group Save the Rhino, there are currently about 19,000 southern white rhinos in the wild in southern Africa. They were nearly wiped out in the last century but thanks to conservation efforts have managed to recover.  The northern white rhino are functionally extinct, with only two female remaining. Leofoo Safari Park imported eight rhinos from Africa in 1979 and now has the most successful breeding program in Asia, with 23 in its herd.  

Emma is kind of cute, for a rhino, don't you think?

Work In Progress Wednesday

Dogwood Afghan - I finished one block.  There are 20 blocks, but I don't know how many of them I will stitch.  The photo on the pattern looks like seven of them are stitched. I don't think I will stitch in all 20, but the seven in the photo seem too uneven.  The cross stitches are done over one thread and there is a lot of white on white, so it's not the easiest thing to stitch. I'll think about it for a bit before deciding.  I do like how this first block looks.

The Mola Fish

The Miniature Carpet - I was able to take out the mistake stitches and am back on track.

NYE SAL 

Part 31

Part 32

Stitch Group Sunday - More Mola

 We met on Sunday to work on our mola projects. First some show and tell - -

Hard at work, but still able to talk - -

Tea Time

Until next time...

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 5

Year five of the temperature quilt 

Week 5 

May 30 - June 5 

77, 77, 75, 75, 77, 73, 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.

Most Hated Elementary School Events in Japan

There seems to be certain Japanese school events that happen at every school. These events are serious and traditional. Students and teachers spend a lot of time practicing and getting ready for them. Not everyone has fond memories of these events.  I don't have any personal experience with these events, but I hear about them from my students who are parents.  Not all of the parents are crazy about participating in them with their children either.

Five hundred Japanese adults were surveyed, and asked "What school event in elementary school did you hate the most?" Here are the top ten responses.

10 - School Trip (37 votes) 

9 - Culture Festival (38) 

8 - Mountain Climbing (39) 

7 - Entrance Ceremony (42) 

6 - Graduation Ceremony (44)

5 - Music Festival (62) 

4 - Emergency Drills (87) 

3 - Parent Observation Classes (117) 

These can happen several times a year and in my area seem to happen on Saturdays. According to my students, the children practice lessons ahead of time so there are no mistakes, and the parents watch from the back of the room.

2 - Sports Day (180) 

Sports Days seem to happen in the spring and in the fall in my area and usually last all day.  The fathers go to the school early in the morning with a tarp to stake out their family area for eating lunch and resting. This year, due to the pandemic, sports days were still held, but shorter and no lunch.  Also, family members were limited to only one or two.

1 - Marathon (210) Although named "Marathon", the run isn't a marathon distance. I think it's more like four kilometers. There are many training sessions before the event, with everyone wearing the same T-shirts. I've heard from my students that the event is less of a competition between students and a competition to better one's previous year's ranking. Sometimes there are tears.

Did your elementary school hold any annual events? Did you like them? The only one I remember was the annual Christmas program. It was held in the gymnasium with the students (the school was 3rd - 8th grades) on the bleachers on one side and the parents and family on the other.  Each grade performed a song or something.  The fifth graders always sat in the shape of a triangle, wearing green aprons, and held flashlights with colored cellophane. They sang O Christmas Tree with the lights dimmed and the flashlight on so it was supposed to look like a big Christmas tree. The teachers always carried saltine crackers and throw up bags in case anyone felt sick. The students all received some treat at the end. Maybe there were other events, but I don't remember any.

The Nose Wash

Sometimes my students tell me about things I don't need to know about. Don't get me wrong, I learn some great things from my students, but sometimes they tell me about things that are just plain weird (in my opinion). Yesterday one of them told me about the nose wash, a gadget he uses every day. 

                                (Photos from internet sales site)

Have you ever seen or heard of a nose wash? I had not.  It forces water through one nostril and out the other. My student said sometimes the water comes out the mouth.

I asked why? He said it clears his head.  (My head is pretty clear already.)

I asked if it hurt.  He said no, it felt comfortable. (My nose hurt just hearing about it.)

I asked if it was dangerous. He said no, it was healthy. (Really?) 

What do you think? Do or would you use one of these?

Friday Finish - Red Heart Ornament

This heart chart is free from http://lacontesselepointdecroix.blogspot.com

(In 2019, I stitched it in blue.)

Record Low Number of Children in Japan

After falling for forty years, Japan's child population hit a new record low.  As of April 1, 2021, the number of children age 14 and younger was 14.93 million.  This is 190,000 fewer than last year. In Japan there are 7.65 million boys and 7.28 girls.  The child population in Japan peaked in 1954, at 29.89 million.  It briefly picked up in the early 1970's but has fallen continuously since 1982.  

The senior population (age 65 and older) has been greater than the child population since 1995. According to the 2019 United Nations population estimates, Japan has the lowest child population ratio of 33 countries with more than 40 million citizens.  

The number of children in future years is expected to get even lower.  In 2020, there were only 840,832 births in Japan according to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. This was a new record low. The number of marriages in the country, 525,490, also hit a low not seen since the end of World War II.