Anzen Chitai 安全地帯

Anzen Chitai is one of my favorite Japanese band. When I was a junior high school student, Anzen Chitai's songs were very popular. Debut single, "Wine red no Kokoro" ワインレッドの心 was No.1 hit song in 1983. I love it now.   

Vocal of this band, Koji Tamaki 玉置浩二 is one of very attractive singer for me. I like his voice.
I went to his solo concert several years ago, I was touched so much. I was moved to tears by his performance. The song is Koi no Yokan. 恋の予感. It is second single of Anzen Chitai. He has released a lot of songs as solo singer until now.  Denen 田園 is one of songs that I cheer me up.

Anzen Chitai in Japanese means safety island. They recently released some new albums and single. So they appeared in TV show as an exploitation. It is a Japanese dance group, Exile's TV program. Exile is very popular in Japan now. Anzen chitai and exile sung "Ti amo", exile's hit song in the show. It was so excellent performance. I found two videos of this program in you tube. And I attached my favorite song, Koi no Yokan.   

Ti amo , Exile and Anzenchitai

Jirettai じれったい　安全地帯

Koi no Yokan 恋の予感 

Hama Rikyu 浜離宮

I found an oasis in Tokyo. There are some landmarks or tourist attractions in Tokyo for persons who live in Tokyo, It is one of them for me. Hama Rikyu is a famous park. It is located at Shiodome 汐留 that is office town. and metropolitan area. However, Slow time passes and atmosphere is so calm in this park.
We can see modern and high office buildings from the park, but it is so quite inside.

There is a Japanese tea house in it .We can drink a cup of powdered green tea and Japanese sweets、wagashi 和菓子 seeing a pond or trees. I got on Tokyo water bus after walking in it and spending peaceful time. We can go to some downtown, shitamachi 下町, Asakusa 浅草or Ryogoku 両国. Asakusa is very famous town in Tokyo. A lot of foreigners visit this town. They enjoy old and traditional places. Water bus was interesting. I can see different scene of Tokyo on the bus. It was very beautiful.
I recommend to get on the water bus in sunny day.  

I could feel relaxing time.  

Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimasite ツレがうつになりまして

"Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimasite" ツレがうつになりまして is title of Japanese film. This means “my husband has got a depression” Depression is a sickness that office workers especially tend to get and is increasing now in Japan.

Depression うつ病 (Utsubyo) is one of social problems. There are some reasons why office workers get sick. Off course, the personality is a reason of this sickness. Perfectionist or methodical person tends to be sick. However, I think Japanese people always work too much every day.
Also human relations in a company, crammed train (満員電車) in the morning and overtime work is stressful in Japan.

Being hardworking, accuracy for work or earnest originally regards as good thing in Japanese society. It is usual to be serious. However, the social environment is sometimes very uneasy for us. Responsibility and obligation for their work give pressure to us.
And crammed train every morning is also so stressful. It is not easy to have holiday and long vacation in Japan.
What do we do if a member of family gets a depression? This film expresses the bond of a couple, daily life and society in Japan. Japanese often say "Ganbatte！ "  (keep up) がんばって！to cheer up someone. However, this is taboo word for a patient. The catchphrase of this film, "Ganbaranaizo" がんばらないぞ "I don't have to do my best. " is a phrase that the patient advises himself.

Masato Sakai and Aoi Miyazaki play a Japanese couple in the film. I like one of my favorite actors, Masato Sakai 堺　雅人 and his performance is excellent.  His film "Golden Slumber " is very interesting film.

Tsure ga utsu ni narimasite wiki 

ツレがうつになりまして official site  

Itadakimasu and Gochisousama いただきます、ごちそうさま

Before and after we eat each meal, almost Japanese say a word. We learn these words at first as compliment or discipline when we are childhood. We say “Itadakimasu” before meal and “Gochisousama” after meal.

Both words express appreciation for being able to eat foods and a person who cooks meals. A verb, "Itadaku" いただく in Japanese means polite way of saying for eat or get something. So Itadakimasu expresses thanks for bless of nature and foods. Gochisosama express thanks for all people who are concerned with foods, especially a person who cooks meal, bot include of producers or farmers.

They are simple words, however, very important to think about appreciation of foods. I think they are good words. When I was a small child, I didn’t know much the meaning of words and why we should say before and after meal. I just said as a custom. However, I really know about the importance of using this word. We can’t live without all of nature. And eating is fundamental to our life. These words remind us of blessing of foods and my present happy situation.

Eating delicious food is my pressure of my life. I always want to say Itadakimasu and Gochisousama appreciating all of nature.

Green and Deep Breath

I will write my trip for Takamatsu City.

After breakfast I went to Ritsurin Garden. This place was Japanese style garden and very beautiful. I have been to some Japanese gardens in Japan. It is one of my favorite garden. Pine tree (Matsu) 松 is typical Japanese tree. A lot of pine trees planted and there are some ponds and bridges. I walked around in the garden watching green and felt relaxed.   

I could drink green tea and Japanese cakes (Wagashi) 和菓子 at tea house, Kikugetsutei.

View from tatami room.    

The view from tatami room was aesthetic. It was very calm and quite. I forgot time passing. I ate green tea and cake.

green tea and wagashi

Wagashi's shape expresses nature, especially flowers for each seasons. This expresses Kikyo 桔梗. Kikyo is one of typical Japanese flowers. I love wagashi and it was very delicious.
Sitting without nothing, only deep breath... I could relaxed.

I ate Sanuki Udon for lunch after visiting this garden. It was so delicious, too.  
Delicious foods and feeling nature is my pleasure of trip ! There are a lot of places in Japan that I never been to. However, I could know again Japanese beautiful culture and scenery at this trip.
I want to visit many places in Japan. 

Trip for Takamatsu 高松 and Nao shima 直島

I went for a trip in Takamatsu and Naoshima (island) in Kagawa prefecture. Kagawa prefecture is one on Shikoku island 四国. There are four prefectures, Kagawa, Ehime, Tokushima and Kochi in Shikoku.

Kagawa 香川 is famous for Sanuki Udon (noodle). I love Udon and eating Sanuki Udon is on of my aim for this trip. It takes one and a half hour by airplane or four hours and a half by Shinkansen from Tokyo to Takamatsu.

I went to Naoshima to see modern art museums. Art Setouchi is an art project. I heard from my co-worker that it was interesting. And I've never seen to Setouchi (Seto island sea). So I decided this trip.
I went to Naoshima by ferry. There are some art works at the island. I could see an red and dot big pumpkin at the port. Artist of this work is Yayoi Kusama.  Her dot painting is famous.

Big Red dot Pumpkin

And another art work of pumpkin is exhibited in the island. It is yellow dot pumpkin. 

Yellow Dot Pumpkin

Benesse House is some museums and Hotel. This establishments are designed by famous Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. He designed a lot of buildings or establishments. Omotesando Hills in Tokyo is one of his works. I especially like Chichu Art Museum. I could feel harmony of space, light, and quiet for art works and musiam.
Ie project (Art House Project) is interesting. One art work is exhibited in old Japanese style houses.
Naoshima is very small island, however I could relax and feel fusion of nature and art.   

 Benesse Art Site Naoshima  

I will introduce my trip in Takamatsu City next time.                 　

Lupin III (Lupan Sansei) ルパン三世

I saw a movie of Lupin III ルパン三世 on TV yesterday. Lupin III is my favorite Japanese animation series. The movie was so interesting and I thought Lupin III was excellent animation. The story is interesting for even adults.

When I was a child, I saw first TV series again and again on TV. Interesting animations were rebroad casted in my childhood in Japan. Lupin III is one of them. All of contents, the plot, character or story are perfect. And soundtrack was so stylish at that time.  Main characters,Lupin III, Jigen Daisuke, Ishikawa Goemon, Mine Fujiko, Zenigata Keibu (detective) are unique and comical. Lupin III is cool and so gentle for women. Jigen and Goemon are good friends for Lupin. Fujiko is very cute, sexy and cunning. It is interesting that Lupin is always at her mercy. And Zenigata and Lupin's relationship is funny. The model of their relationship is Tom and Jerry, American animated cartoon. (I love Tom and Jerry.)

This year is 40th anniversary.  Lupin III will be interesting even present time. If you have a chance to see it, you can enjoy this animation.