Kotatsu

Kotatsu is a Japanese traditional electrical appliance for winter. I love it.
Kotatsu can’t heat whole room. It is a table and covered with large quilt or thin blanket. It is installed an electric heater under the table. We sit on the floor and put in our legs. Inside of Kotatsu is warm and very comfortable. In old Japanese style house, another Kotatu is used. This is “Hori-Gotatsu”. The floor under the table is dug and we can sit like on a chair.
It is useful for Japanese as a heater, because Japanese house is tiny and Japanese is small compared to Western people. I think Kotatsu is symbol for family ties. Family gathers around Kotatsu in order to talk about their daily life. And they eat Japanese small orange “Mican” or watch TV. Since each one is very close, we feel affinity and can take good communication with each member.

Yutampo

Yutampo is very useful and good tool for environment issue.It is foot warmer that is made by tin or plastic, when we sleep in cold winter.

The shape is ellipse.We put hot water in the Yutampo. After that it is put in cloths bag. Since we put Yutampo under the blanket before bedtime, the mat of bed (Futon) becomes warm.We can feel comfortable warmth and sleep well until morning.

Yutampo don't consume electricity. Therefore it is very convenient and effective for environment issue.I have used electrical blanket . However, it is unhealthy because our body becomes dry.Although Yutampo is old and simple tool, Yutampo is marvellous for our body and the earth.

Now many Yutampos are sold well this year. Especially it is popular for women and comes into fashion.I have used it for about 20 years. I can sleep well during winter for Yutampo.

I'd like to introduce Yutampo for everybody in the world.

Announcement in the public vehicles

When we get on train or bus, we can reach the destination without worrying. Because the conductor definitely announces next station. In the case of train, not only the destination but also next transfer or the number of platform for transfer is announced each time the train is approaching next station. I think that this service is only Japan. Besides, the conductor explains the manner in the vehicle.
And we can hear the announcement for the arrival of the train at the platform.
Is it polite? You might think that the service isn’t necessary. But this service is convenient for passengers. Because there are a lot of lines ands train in especially Tokyo is very complicated, we need these instructions.

Pantheism

We Japanese believe that a soul inhabits everything, not only human being or animals but also nature and architecture. It is pantheistic culture to cherish and respect everything and we think highly of calmness as part our nationality. These quiet circumstances existed in our daily life before modernization in Japan.
But now we forget spiritual culture, the feeling of an respect for the invisible existence in nature. Life in an urban city like Tokyo is very busy and people can’t afford to think about other things or calmness. Cruel murders and crimes are increasing and it is a social problem in Japan
The feeling of respect for everything except ourselves is indispensable in our daily life.

Nuka-Zuke - Japanese special pickles

Rice is basically no taste. So we sometimes need some foods with rice. There are a lot of these kinds of food. Nuka-Zuke or Asa-Zuke is a kind of additional food. We generically call it “Tsukemono”.
The ingredients of Nuka-Zuke are vegetables. It is salty and vegetables are put in Nuka, including salt and water, of the special pot about for a day. Nuka is hull after threshing rice. Vegetables are fermented and taste is salty and sour. Old houses have a pot for Nuka and taste is original at each houses. This means each mothers taste. The main vegetables are cucumber, eggplant, carrot or radish, etc.
People stir Nuka and the vegetable once a day. This action is very important. It changes taste by one work. The pot was formerly inherited for generations long time ago.
However, recent houses in Japan don’t have the pot and almost people will buy Nuka-Zuke at supermarket.

Shichi Go San

We can see children who put on Kimono in November. There is a celebration for 3,5 and 7 years old children on November 15. Japanese Shichi is number seven, Go is number five and San is number three.
The parents go to main their shrine with children to celebrate them as a custom.
They take a lot of pictures for their lovely children.
The children bring special candy, Chitose- ame. It is white and red candy. For Japanese white and red are lucky colors. Our national flag is white and red. We usually use 2 colors for other lucky items. Especially girls make up lightly and dress up their hair as Japanese hair style. The figure of children is very heartwarming and cute.
I have my pictures in the celebration and it was memorable day for me.
Today is my birthday

100 Yen Shop

There are many shops that called “100 yen shop” in Tokyo. All products cost 100 Yen. Various types of products are sold there. Stationary, daily necessaries, cosmetics, food, etc. We can buy anything at the shop. The cost is very cheep and quality isn’t bad. 100 yen shop is a wonderland for general public. Certainly they are almost made in China. If you don’t care the makers or tastes, we can get them cheaply.
I like shopping there and always buy 5 or 6 items at one time.
This is the aim for 100 yen shop. We put some items into the cart unconsciously because of the cheap cost.
On the other hand I feel apprehensive for convenience. It is losing the spirit for cherishing the goods because we can buy easily. Present consume society is a problem for ecology.