How to spend in the end of the year for me

I live in Tokyo. Tokyo is my hometown. So I will clean up my house or prepare traditional decorations for new year. Other people who have another hometown go home by airplane or Shinkansen. And they will spend their hometown in new year.

When I go to bookstore in the end of the year, I can find a lot of fortunetelling books. I don't care about fortunetelling usually. I sometimes read fortunetelling in fashion magazines. (I think Japanese women like fortunetelling.) However, I recently bought a fortunetelling book of Feng shui (風水) for 2009 and I read it carefully. Feng shui is a Chinese thought. I knew that there is good directions in 2009. In case of me, good directions in 2009 is southeast and northwest. A lot of things were mentioned in this book. Since I was unlucky this year, I will try to do good things in the book next year in order to remove bad conditions.

I have my recent favorite songs. Listening to good musics is good way to relax and change my gloomy emotions me.

はじめて by 一青窈　She is Taiwanese-Japanese and I think she is excellent poet. I like her songs. This is a song for charity of TV program. It is very beautiful melody.

Another song is Hi-Five by Superfly. I recently know this band, Superfly. I like voice of vocal. Her voice gives me power and energy.

How do you spend in the end of the year ?

Shiwasu 師走 - The end of this year

It is extremely windy and cold day, however, Sky in Tokyo is so blue and beautiful.

I can feel the end of the year because of this cold. Xmas season was over yesterday. We prepare new year. Western mood in town changes to Japanese mood.
We call December "Shiwasu" 師走. This is the name of the lunar calendar. (Each months have another name like this.)
This Chinese character (Kanji ) express very busy month. "師"means priests and "走" means run.

December is busy for everyone. Today is last day in this year at almost of Japanese offices. And from January 1 to 3 is holiday (Sanganichi) in Japan. January 4 and 5 next year are Saturday and Sunday. It is long holiday for us.


A lot of things, good or bad things, happens this year. Japanese economy declines suddenly. We are anxious about our life. However, we must have our hope.

Don't look back on the past, look toward the future. Be positive about our life.

Nocturne

No matter how arrangements for past good music is, I thinkg that the music or song is almost excellent.
Nocturne is a masterpiece of Chopin. I love the pieces of Chopin.

I recently heard a song that Nocturne is arranged by Japanese artist. This song is theme song for recent popular TV drama, "Kaze no Garden". (Garden of wind).

When I heard it first time, I thought original piece was beautiful melody. It is good to listen to it seeing beautiful winter scenery.
I attached two versions, Japanese version and English version.

Nocturne English version

Nocturne Japanese version

Yuzu

Yuzu is a kind of citrus and good smell. It is fruits for winter. We use it for accent of taste for dishes. For example, we put a few spots of juice in sauce for nabe ryori or salad dressing. Or Yuzu juice, jam, tea etc.

There is a custom that we take a bath of Yuzu in the winter solstice (Toji) . It is for our health. However, it is not usual now.

The smell is so special and I like it

Sea in Izu

I went to Izu in Shizuoka prefecture last week. Izu is one of famous area for hot spring (Onsen). I have stayed for one day in Onsen Ryokan (Japanese style hotel). After I eat full course for Japanese food, I took a outdoor bath (Roten Buro). Next morning I took a walk and saw sea. I feel calm sea breeze and hearing sound of wave. It was not cold that day.

When I go to Onsen, I appreciate that I'm Japanese. A trip like this is a present for me. I attached the Japanese song "Present". I sang this song feeling nature sound.

Present by Koji Tamaki