Tsunami

Now I understood very well that tsunami is more dreadful than the earthquake itself (its magnitude was 9.0 from recent report. This is the first value on the record.)

This time tsunami caused by the quake has swallowed the whole town and robbed the life of many people living near the sea.

Reportedly 200 people were found near the sea after tsunami was gone.

Tsunami was faster than you can imagine to evacuate.

You MUST go out of your house as sooner as possible and evacuate to higher places as soon as the official alert was given.

This time reportedly tsunami was 10-meter high, easy to climb over the sea bank or floodwall and left many people died.

The earthquake is not died down yet and keeping Japan shaking continuously.

The next is nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture.

They are in danger now.

The biggest earthquake

Yesterday, the biggest earthquake has struck the north of Japan.
When it occurred, I was in a office located in the central Tokyo.
I could not sit in front of my desk. I saw the crack run the wall of the office.
The quake was more than I could imagine.
The decision was made that all employee were to go home with free taxi ticket.
But once I was out of office, no taxi was found only with many many people were walking toward their home.
All public transportation stopped operation.
So I had also decided to walk toward my home, more than 30 km from the office.
While I was walking, I saw some people buying bicycles but other people walking without talking, still no taxi of cource.
After 3 hours, the car of the woman's farther in my group came and picked us, I was lucky.
But traffic jam was terrible. Eventually I was at my home 6hours after leaving the office.
Though I was lucky, I was wondering if other guys in my office could go home in safe.

If the quake like this hits the central tokyo, I think I am not the one of men to survive.

Egret

A egret on a stone lantern in famous KENROKUEN , Japanese old garden, in Kanazawa.

Rescue

A chopper is now rescuing a injured man at a mountain.

A jet streamer over Jizodake

While climbing Jizodake, a jet airplane created nice vapor trail.

A dayfly ?

Dayfly ?

On the way to Mt.Naeba (Naeba-san)

Toshi at the Mata-Suri lock.
Naeba-san is here.

大きな地図で見る

Lotus flower

Lotus flower in Gyoda city

Oze in early summer

Happy holiday !

Santa Claus here is selling "Fried Chickens".

Something good words

Sometimes we need to walk and look off the road.
Here's something good words from the DVD I saw.

"You can't just see the future. You make it."

Isn't this good ?

A Happy New year

2008 has begun.

Flora and fauna - September -

September began with Typhoon #4 hit Tokyo area directly.

Usually after typhoon passes, sunny days come.
This time, it was sizzling hot day come.
It looks like we are still in the mid of summer.
But whether you are aware or not, the sound of season is changing definitely.
Now the crickets are mainly singing in the evening though cicadas are still singing in the day.
And one more thing you may notice is the red dragons flying over your head.
This red dragons flying are the symbol of autumn. Seeing many red drangons flying around makes you feel coolness of autumn.

AWA odori to beat the sizzling summer

AWA odori is used to be held only within Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku district.
Nowadays, this dancing style is getting very popular,eventually held in many prefectures in Japan.
This place (Koenji AWA odori) became famous for it in Tokyo area.
The folk dance is similar to that of Tokushima Prefecture.
You are so relaxed in this mood that even Japanese summer is tolerable for the moment.

Flora and fauna -August-

August in Japan is very humid, or I would say "more than humid".
Typhoons come to Japan with much moisture from Pacific Ocean.
While typhoons are not born in the south of Japan, hot glaring sun covers
over this country.
Nevertheless, some of the insects are very active, enjoying this summer such
as Japanese beetles, stag beetles,cicadas.
How about birds ?
These days, you can hardly see them under trees with a plenty of leaves.
Only what you can notice is that they sing in a loud voice at the top of the
trees, enjoying the freedom from bird-watcher.
This is not good season for us, bird-watcher.
Plants:
Watermelons,peaches, Asian pears, etc are available in this season.
At the beginning of summer, there are lots of watermelons at stores.
But toward the end of the summer, you will find many Asian pears take the place of watermelons. Thus, you can see that the season is changing.

A firework

If you ask about the popular August events, people
might say "matsuri" and "firework".
From large scaled fireworks to small one, there are many places where you can enjoy them.
This firework is called "Niagara Fall" named for that famous Niagra Falls in the North America.

Iris

Iris (pictured at Suigo Botanic Garden in Sawara city in May)

Flora and fauna -July-

The Japanese cicadas have started singing for the first time in this season near my office.
This was a bit strange to me because it has been a little cold these days.
It seems that they know the time to sing.

After strong typhoon raged over Japan, another big earthquake hit Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore on Monday.
There is a nuclear power plant where a radiation leak and transformer fire occurred that day.
All of the plant's seven reactors have been suspended under the order based on the Fire Service Law.

Well this is the Japanese summer where we are in now.
Cicadas are singing peacefully.

The plant of the month:
A green soybean (Japanese name is Edamame) is very popular vegetables in Japan.
People eat it especially in summer with a glass of beer.
This goes very well with beer.
A lot of protein is included in a young Edamame. Besides not expensive.
Healthy thing (Edamame) goes with Non-healthy (Beer).
This is the matter of balance ;)

The bird of the month:
Ficedula narcissina (Japanese name is "Kibitaki")
It is one of the best singing birds in Japan.
Though they are rarely spotted in due to many leaves on a tree, high tone of singing is heard in a forest.

***

Typhoon No4

The fourth typhoon in this season is raging in Japan.
This photo shows this typhoon is now coming to Tokyo area.
Reportedly 3 people died, 73 injured so far.
Tokyo area will have 100 mm amount of rainfall.
Heavy rain will be expected in the afternoon today here.
Met office is warning tidal waves, strong wind and heavy rain along its path.

Flora and fauna -June-

Though finally Met Office declared that Tokyo area got into rainy season, there has been less rain compared to normal season.
They say this is due to La Nina event which brings abnormal weather around the area.
Met Office will announce the rainy season will end soon and shorter than last year.
This seems to be good but I know that this means very hot, muggy weather will come.
That may also bring the shortage of water supply in Tokyo area.

The plant of the month:
Hydrangea. This plant bloom in this rainy season, changes the color of the flowers from pink to blue, purple under rain.







The bird of the month:
Blue-and-White Flycatcher(Cynoptila cyanomelana)