Archive for 'Enjoy Tochigi!' Category

Nanakusagayu

January 7th is the day when the Japanese eat the traditional Japanese rice porridge with seven spring herbs, called Nanakusagayu, praying for good health throughout the year. The custom was first introduced in Japan from China in the 8th century.
The spring herbs put in the porridge are: seri(Japanese parsley), nazuna(shepherd’s purse), gogyou(cottonweed), hakobera(chickweed), hotokenoza(henbit), suzuna(turnip), suzushiro(radish).
Talking about my family, my grandmother used to cook Nanakusa-gayu on this occasion. I had never cooked it myself until today. Yet, the time must have come when I should pass the tradition down to my sons’ generation!!

But I didn’t have to feel pressured…
What I did was just buy “Nanakusa-gayu seven herbs set” at a supermarket and cook rice with them!! I bought the set at 398 yen.
The first Nanakusa-gayu I cooked myself was delicious and all my families loved it.
May everybody stay happy and healthy this year!!!

IBARAKI NATURE MUSEUM

The special exibition called “The World of Dinosaur Hunters – Digging up the Huge Animals” is currently held at IBARAKI NATURE MUSEUM.  (until January 9^th)

In December 2011, the exciting news was released that one of the junior curators, Yumeki Hoshika (17), had discovered the fossil skull of Stegolophodon, relative of an elephant. The fossil was in good condition and invaluable especially because even cutting teeth (tusk) was not missing.

Though it was not announced beforehand, January 2nd 2012 turned to be the first day for the Stegolophodon’s fossil skull to be released to public!  My family and I were on the way back by car from Tokyo to Utsunomiya and happened to visit this Museum on that day.  Lucky us!! What amazed me most was the fact that it was a high school student, who made such a big discovery!!

The regular exhibition at the museum was also content-rich; the space and earth, the history of nature, etc.  The new year concert as well as the new year lecuture about a dragon(2012 is a dragon year!) were held.  Outside the museum, the beautiful park welcomed us. 

IBARAKI NATURE MUSEUM became one of our family’s favorites.

Why don’t you feel the atmosphere of the museum? (Check the following YouTube.) 

IBARAKI NATURE MUSEUM

*English site of IBARAKI NATURE MUSEUM:

http://www.nat.pref.ibaraki.jp/english/index.html

View Larger Map

Merry Christmas Ookamisan

“Merry Christmas Ookamisan” (Merry Christmas Mr. Wolf) is a picture book by Tatsuya Miyanishi, first published in 2000.  Tatsuya Miyanishi can be counted as one of the best selling picture book authors.

I happened to find this Christmas story in some book review and decided to check it out with my kids.

The story turned out very moving  just as other Miyanisi’s stories.

 On the Christmas Eve, a hungry wolf found twelve piggies preparing for Christmas.  The wolf suddenly attacked their Christmas decoration and grabbed all the piggies.  It was at that time that the wolf unluckily tripped over a tree and lost consciousness･･･

Next, he found himself lying on a bed with his body wound with a bandage.  Twelve piggies, once his prey, took good care of the wolf.

Even when the wolf tried saying aloud, “I gotta eat you all up  when I recover,” he couldn’t make his words understood because of the bandage around his mouth.  What the piggies heard was just the groaning voice of the wolf.  The generous piggies thought, “Oh, poor wolf, he maybe tries to say “I’m sorry”and “thank you””.

Things go like this･･･

At last on the Christmas day, the wolf left without words.  Each piggy was given a small Christmas tree, a present by the wolf.

The fierce wolf was touched by the piggies’ love and changed his mind.

Christmas is a miracle･･･

Christmas is a beginning of love･･･

That is what this hearty story tells us.

Tatsuya Miyanishi’s other books also show us what love is.  His other books include the best-selling Tyrannosaurus series. Click here for the story↓;

I am the Tyrannosaurus!

TOCHIGIFT – A stamp rally is now underway!

The 3rd virsion of the Tochigi Gift Catalog – called TOCHIGIFT was released this November. The catalog is distributed for free at various shops and hotels as well as the information center at Utsunomiya Station. Besides the information of various Tochigi delicious gifts and souvenir, a stamp card is included in the catalog. Now a stamp rally is underway.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tobiyama Rekishi Taikenkan (Tobiyama Historical Museum)

Tobiyama Rekishi Taikenkan (Tobiyama Historical Museum) was included in the Tobiyama Castle Ruin, located at the tip of the plateau on the Kinugawa river bank in Tochigi.

The ruin was arranged as a park in 2003.  At the museum, you can learn the Japanese lifestyles of the Ancient and Middle ages.

Also, you can experience the ancient way of life by becoming a solider,or a princess and playing Hanetsuki(battledore and shuttlecock, a Japanese badminton) and Komamawashi(a spinning top), etc.

SHICHIGOSAN season has come! (What’s SHICHIGOSAN? As I wrote in this blog before, it’s a celebration of a child’s growth; for three- and seven- year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys.) During this SHICHIGOSAN season, this museum provides SHICHI-GO-SAN children with a opportunity to become a young warrior or a princess. You have to make a reservation(through November 15^th).  It costs 300 yen for both of a kid and his/her parent to wear the ancient costumes.  (This costume service is available throughout the year, but it usually costs 300 yen for each person.)

My elder son and I tried the ancient costumes this weekend!!   The costume my son wore was called “Hitatare”.  When my son asked the staff what Hitatare was, she answered like this, “This is a formal attire which a young warrior like you wore in the ancient Japan.”  My boy asked many questions, “Why does it take so long to put  this on?  Why does it have so many strings??”　　He seemed to be relieved to hear that this Hitatare was not daily worn.  

Talking about the costume I wore, called “Kosode” and “Uchikake”, there were some obvious differences from the present Kimono.  Kosode’s sleeves are much shorter, and its Obi belt is small in width.

This time, we didn’t have time to walk around the ruin park.  But next time, we’d love to spend more time in the beautiful park and see various buildings, which were mostly restored based on the exacavation survey, such as an ancient solidier’s station, a wathtower, a wooden bridge, a medieval pit dwelling, etc. 

Read the rest of this entry »

MARUMARU MORIMORI for “undokai”

Do you know this song & dance “MARUMARU MORIMORI”??

This is the ending song of the Japanese TV drama, called “Marumo no Okite”. The song itself became very popular this year.

Today, I’m not going to talk about this drama…
But about the sports meet, called undokai, which my elder son’s kindergarten held this October.

Read the rest of this entry »

2011 JAPAN CUP CYCLE ROAD RACE in Utsunomiya

2011 JAPAN CUP CYCLE ROAD RACE, presented by SUBARU LEGACY(http://www.japancup.gr.jp/2011/), will be held in Utsunomiya city on October 22nd and 23rd.

JAPAN CUP is one of the biggest cycle road races in Asia, and only one where the world leading riders get together and get so close to the audience.This year’s race marks the 20th anniversary and becomes the milestone. Just as the last year’s race, the criteriums, which consists of several laps around a closed circuit in a town, will be provided on the main street of the city on 22nd. The street will be temporarily closed to traffic.

On 23rd, the stage of the cycle road race will be around Utsunomiya SHINRIN KOEN (Utunomiya Forest Park). This course has a good reputation, not inferior to tour de France mountain course. The streets around the park will be under the traffic regulation.

The number of the enthusiastic roadside supporters last year was 100,000 in total. The Utsunomiya city looks forward to many supporters’ visit this year as well.

View Larger Map

KINU GREEN PARK in Tochigi

The 22nd cosmos festival at Kinu Green Park will start October 8th (through October 23nd). One million cosmoses of different kinds, which will spread over 2.5 hectare field, will welcome you all.
The wide-spread cosmoses are not only an attraction of the park. The park also provides you with various activities, such as rowboats, water athletics, rental bicycles, battery-powered cars, roller skates, etc.

My sons and I went to the park a few days ago. Though the cosmos festival had yet to start, we really enjoyed the beautiful sunshine after the big typhoon. When we tried the pedal boat, some ducks came by and said “hi.”
I’m sure Kinu Green Park is the place for the people of different generations. When you have a chance to visit Tochigi, why not stop by at the park to feel the beauty of autumn?

Kinu Green Park (http://www.watanabekensetsu.jp/kinu/index.htm)
86-1 Hoshakuji Takanezawa-machi, Shioya-gun, Tochigi Prefecture 329-1233 Japan

View Larger Map

Charity Ballet Recital by Chiyo Ishihara Ballet Shool

Chiyo Ishihara Ballet School held a charity recital in Utsunomiya, Tochigi, on September 11th. 152 dancers, raging from 3-year old little dancers to the professional ballet dancers, who had practiced many years at this school, were on a stage. The recital started with the Opening and Coppelia, followed by the highlighted version of Sleeping Beauty. Princess Aurora was peformed by Hiromi Hoshino, who had some experience in U.S.A. and had belonged to K-Ballet, Tokyo, for 4 years. Prince Desire was by Yasuo Atsuji, who had belonged to Birmingham Royal Ballet, England, and now a member of New National Theater, Tokyo. Lilac Fairy was by Misa Nuiya, who had ballet training at Vaganova Ballet Academy, Russia, and now belongs to The Tokyo Ballet, Tokyo.
The donations collected by the dancers during the invervals, and the money paid for the programs were contributed to Ashinaga Scholarship Society. The total amount was 554,316yen.
Chiyo Ishihara commented in the program;
We also experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in Utsunomiya on March 11th, followed by the rolling blackouts, the lack of gasoline, many aftershocks, and the nuclear accident. Still, the kids kept on gathering at the ballet school for hard ballet lessons. We had considered what we could do. Oh, yes, why don’t we do something to make everybody happy? We have to dance! When kids smile, their parents would smile. When their parents smile, Utsunomiya would, Tochigi would, and Japan would smile. Therefore, we decided to start the lesson especially for this recital right after March 11.
It’s our pleasure to have a charity recital on the day just 6 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

View Larger Map

Gunma Museum of Natural History

   Let me introduce another Dinosaur exhibition my family and I visited this summer – Gunma Museum of Natural History. The museum now holds the special exhibition featuring the mysterious gigantic Spinosaurus, which is even bigger than Tyrannosaurus. Since the fossil of a Spinosaurus was first found in Egypt in 1915, it took a century to restore this dinosaur because of the lack of enough data. The highlight of the exhibition is its skeletal preparations and the life-sized model – the length 17m, and the height 6m. How to build up the model is introduced in the following youtube;

   The regular exhibition also fulfills the expectations of dinosaur lovers. The life-sized Tyrannosaurus really moves! The skeletal preparations of Brachiosaurus are huge and astonishing.

   Kita-Kanto Expressway enabled us to get to the Museum from Utsunomiya-city in no more than two hours! It was an exciting one-day trip! It would be a good one-day trip for those who stay in Tokyo.

★Gunma Museum of Natural History
http://www.gmnh.pref.gunma.jp/en/

View Larger Map

The Dinosaur EXPO 2011 at the National Museum of Nature and Science in TOKYO

The National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, holds the Dinosaur EXPO 2011 this summer (July 2nd to October 2nd).
What are the most popular dinosaurs? You must name Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops. The expo shows you the skeletal preparations of these two stars facing each other. They seem to be ready to fight! Besides, the expo reveals the latest research outcomes – what are the Tyrannosaurs’ short forefeet for? What direction do Triceratops’ feet go? etc.

At end of the 1st exhibition hall, CG-animated movie of the fight between Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops is shown.

At the 2nd exhibition hall, the current fossil research as well all the fossils themselves in Tohoku region are displayed. The Great East Japan Earthquake gave great damage to the sample data preserved in this region. The panels introduce the story of the volunteer workers and various museums, which have been working hard to rescue the damaged samples. The activity is called “The Sample Rescue”.

My elder son and I visited the EXPO during the summer vacation. So many visitors were impressed with various displays just as we were. According the website of the museum (http://www.kahaku.go.jp/exhibitions/ueno/special/2011/dinosaur/index.html), the number of the visitors surpassed 300,000 as of August 18th.
The official site of the Dinosaur EXPO 2011;
http://www.asahi.com/event/kyoryu2011/

View Larger Map

Kaleidoscope Gallery MISEGURA in Nagareyama, Chiba

Since the Kaleidoscope Gallery MISEGURA opened in August 2010 in Nagareyama-city, Chiba, many people have visited it and appreciated the beauty of various kaleidoscopes. Its old Japanese-style building, which was built in 1889, came to be registered as a tangible cultural asset on July 25th, 2011.

My sons and I had a chance to visit this gallery this month. Nagareyama Dentetsu (local train running only 5.7 km) took us to the Nagareyama station, from which we took a 5-minute walk to the gallery.

Kaleidoscopes are called MANGEKYO in Japanese. When we looked into the various MANGEKYO, we forgot the high temperature and felt refreshed. I heard that some MANGEKYO there were the winners of the world MANGEKYO contest.

The staff introduced the big mirror, which was set at one end of a trianglular tube. It was not just a normal mirror. When my elder son looked into the mirror, I took a picture of my kaleidoscoped-son at the other end of the tube. The picture came out like this;

You can purchase small Mangekyo, kaleidoscopes. Also, the “Mangekyo handmade kit” is popular as a souvenir.

Kaleidoscope Gallery MISEGURA (TEL　 04-7103-2817)
http://miseguranagareyama.blog71.fc2.com/

View Larger Map

A new idol group project “T!P” launched from Tochigi

 A new project of a young female idol group has launched from Tochigi Pref. The name of the new group is “T ! P”, which stands for “Tochigi Idol(unit) Project” (“I” is expressed as “!”). http://profile.ameba.jp/gto-idol/

The project started  in the radio program of  CRT Tochigi Broadcasting Corporation in this May with the concept of “aiming to be a major idol group from Tochigi”.  And  the first stage of the  first generation’s audition’s opening was May 20th-June 30th, and  at the final stage by July 27th, three members  out of  eleven candidates have been successfully chosen to the first generation members.   

   Tohicgi is home to a lot of  popular tourist destinations, such as Nikko, Kinugawa, Ashikaga, and others, however, due to the radiation problem in Fukushima, the prefecture has suffered from a sharp decrease in number of tourists after the disaster in this March, though the number is rising again these days.  The group will make much of  close relationships with the locals and local culture of the area, yet aiming to become a popular group nationwide, according to its producer.      Tochigi  already has an girls idol group named “Tochiotome 25”, which debuted at  the Shanghai Expo in China in 2010, whose primary concept is “promoting popular strawberry Tochiotome from Tochigi and other Tochigi’s agricultural produces and local culture to the domestic market as well as to China and other international markets ” . http://tochiotome25.com/sub4.html

 

I do hope these cheeful and energetic young girls will be a reliable trigger and energy source for Tochigi and whole of Japan to regain power and vigor so soon.

DINO PARTS LABO at SAKURA CITY MUSEUM

    Here is another Dino exhibition in Tochigi – DINO PARTS LABO at SAKURA CITY MUSEUM. Rather than exhibiting life-size models and skeletical preparations, the exhibition focuses on the details of various parts of dinosaurs, such as heads, bodies, legs, tails, and so on. The scale of the exhibition is not big as size goes, but deep in quality.

         The high light is the skeletical preparations of the hand of a therizinosaurus and the head of an allosaurus.

     After appreciating every part of dinosaurs, you can enjoy walking around the park, named Katsuyama park, which is next to the museum. Look at the beautiful greens in the park!

View Larger Map

Welcome Hayabusa to Tochigi!

You must remember the news about the Asteroid Explorer HAYABUSA, which returned to the Earth on June 13, 2010. Hayabusa had stayed in space for seven years, and after overcomimg various difficulties, it had come back home – to the Earth!
Hayabusa’s reentry capsule is now exhibited at WAKUWAKU Grandy Science Land in Tochigi. (July 21st to 25th only) It’s the first time for the real Hayabusa capsule to be shown in Tochigi prefecture. http://www.tsm.utsunomiya.tochigi.jp/english/index.html

My husband and my elder son visited there to appreciate Hayabusa. They were so excited to see and study about the story of Hayabusa. My elder son held up the reentry capsule replica, which weighed about 2 kg. Also, he got interested in a spacesuit and waited for 10 minutes in a line to take a picture with the spacesuit exhibited there.
Here are what they bought there as a souvenir.

A plastic folder which the picure of Hayabusa is printed on(210 yen), and a miniature Hayabusa (950 yen)

View Larger Map