The best smile in the world.

This is my dad.
He is suiffering from a serious cerebral nerve disease since he was 60 years old.

He can't walk. He can't eat by himself. He can't talk. He has no mental capacity.
The only thing he can do is to express his feelings. Happy, silent, or sad. Smile, frown, or cry.

But I guarantee that his smile is the best smile in the world. It's his heart of gold that makes him smile. His smile has saved me so many times. He changes the atmosphere, even in the public. How great the smile's power is!!

Today, my dad, mom and I went to the day-care center. It held a sports festival for senior patients. Actually, he's the youngest, also he's the only one who can't join the games. But, he still looked so happy. I love his smile, and I 'm proud of him very much.

About my little buddy.

Let me introduce my little buddy to you today.
It's my old 'film' camera.

I bought this when I decided to take photos of northern mother nature.
That was a big decision for me, because it was quite expensive (for me) at that time.

I took it whereever I was traveling and saw many unforgettable beautiful scenery together.

I took it to the Denali national park, the ANWR in Alaska, Dempster highway, Old Crow in Y.T., Tsiigehtchic in N.W.T.,etc, etc. We were always together when I was having a tough time and delightful time. So, I didin't feel alone. When I got dipressed, I just went out with my little buddy.

I've started to use digital camera out of necessity since few years ago, but still I love my little buddy.

The homework from my grandma.

My grandma past away yesterday. She was 90 years old in this October.

I regreted that it was not enough to talk with her for me. I'm sure that I needed to learn so many things from my grandma. About the way of life, being a wife, being a mother, etc, etc. When I realized that point, she was in critical condition.

I had a phone call telling me my grandma was in critical condition at 8:30 pm Thursday night. I was on my way home.
She had a kidny desease and had to get dialyzed several times per week, but she's getting better day by day. She could eat some food with her own hands just one week ago. But when I rush to the room of the hospital, her breath hard...even it stopped every ten minutes. She was in danger for five hours...and breathe her last calmly with her child and grandchild at 0:20 am yesterday before dawn .


In my memories, she always smiled. She didn't upset in any case. She praised me for something about me whenever I visited her. That really encouraged me. I think she noticed that I had no confidence in myself. I loved and respected my grandma.

I'm glad that I could introduce my fiance and his son this May. She looked that she accepted the situation. I'm sure that she was bewildered when I brought Dan and Jack to her house.

And after that, she might concern that I am inexperienced in housework and kitchen work. Japanese ladies used to learn those things as feminine knowledge. She was completely disgusted with my ignorance. Several times she said that I should dress smartly and be domestic woman after the example of my younger sister. I was so shocked because she also said that I was too busy taking photographs. "What have you been doing all this time?" she sighed.

Since then, I tried to do my best. When I visit my grandma in the hospital, I tried to dress more smartly than before. Sometimes, I told her what I learned in the cooking class which I was taking. But I always feel that I'm not enough.


Now I understand what she was worried. I'm sure I was exasperatingly useless for my grandma. She was really handy at everything. Cooking, sewing, dressing smartly, making preserved food...and she was an intellectual. I think those all things enlivened her life.

I will keep what she concerned in my mind . That's my homework from my grandma.

Three more months!

Fall seems just around the corner in Tokyo. Finally, it's getting cool in the morning and at night.
I was waiting anxiously for this fall since May. It means...it'll be soon to start to live with Dan & Jack!

I decieded not to visit Dan & Jack this winter because it's too expensive to go to Ontario and come back to Tokyo. Dan wanted me to visit in Christmas season this year, but it costs more than $1500 if I buy a round trip ticket! And I need some time to pack up my stuff after finishing my job on December 30th.

So, only three more months!

It's too far away to see Dan & Jack, but on the other hand, it's too short to spend some time together with my parents and my younger sister for me.

Actually, it doesn't seem real yet that I'll leave here and can't see my family not so often from next year.
I can't imagine I'll not be able to live together with my parents. I still feel like traveling between Canada and Japan as ever.

How will I feel when I leave Japan? Am I going to get homesick?

Breathtaking trekking!

Today, I went to Nagano to see my friends to trek a low mountain together. It was a beautiful day to hike! Clear sky, moderate temperature and nice wind...

It took one and a half hour to the top. There were some steep part. I was so exhausted when I got to the summit. I promised by myself to start to build up my physical strength!

The view from the summit was indescribably beautiful! I could see Mt. Fuji far away. When I was taking a short rest and looking around the mountain range, I realized again that I get very excited and I love the landscape and beautiful rural scenery.

I was of two minds about my future 4 years ago. To keep doing my job or to quit my job. I was a computer graphic designer of TV program in Tokyo at that time. I felt that I was not suitable person for that job and for the life in Tokyo. I should be always in the forefront of fashion in TV program, but I was not. Even I wasn't interested in following the fashion. And it's too hurry-scurry to live in Tokyo for me.

On the other hand, I was getting interested in a book. The book was written by Michio Hoshino who was a photographer of Alaska. He wrote about caribou migration in the north. At the same time, my dad came down with a brain cell disease.

On occasion an encounter with a single book can change one's life forever.

I thought I should change my lifestyle and do what I really want to do right now. I couldn't wait to do that till retiring age. So, I quit the job and dreamed to travel around the Arctic Circle to see the caribou migration.

I think I made a right decision. I was very lucky, because I could meet many nice local people and go many place which I wanted to go. And, of course, I could find a nice father and son: Dan & Jack in northern Canada. When I was taking a short rest and looking around the mountain range, I remembered the Canadian landscape. And I missed my new family. I was sure I am on the right track !

My mom's sushi.

One of my favourite Japanese food is my mom's sushi.
Sometimes she makes some nice sushi at home. She's the best sushi-maker in the world, I think.

Today, she made some tuna fish sushi for me. I noticed that she wanted to treat me to her home cooking a lot before I leave Japan next January.

She's the best person who indicates my understanding. My mom casually encourages me with her words and cooking when I feel uneasy about my new life. I'm sure I will miss my mom's sushi and my mom when I move to Canada!

I'm looking for a sewing class!

I'm interested in sewing, especially embroidering for one of wedding stuff right now. This is funny because I didn't like the sewing when I was a junior high school and a high school student. I had a quite bad grades in domestic science such as sewing and cooking! So I've thought that I was very awkward when it came to making things. I was super clumsy with my hands!!!

I think I changed my point of view after I made a pair of mukluk three years ago.
I found a nice sewing kit of mukluk at the store in Tsiigehtchic and started to sew. Ladies were surprised at my sewing because they didin't expect the Japanese girl sew muluk and felt warm affection for me. They taught me a lot how to sew and that was really nice experience for me. I even joined their sewing class with my mukluk. We had some hot tea, sometimes eat some sweets, and chatted a lot in the evening! I had really fun sewing at that time!!

I hope I can find a sewing class in Lucknow. It might be really fun!

Will you sing the national anthem?

I found this news story last week. It's about our national anthem.


"'Kimigayo(Japanese national anthem)' directive violates freedom of thought, court rules.

The Tokyo District Court on Thursday ordered the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to pay 12.03 million yen, or 30,000 yen each, in compensation to 401 teachers who objected to a city directive obliging them to stand and sing the national anthem at school ceremonies."


The guidelines for teachers were set by the education ministry in Tokyo, which says schools must fly the national flag during official ceremonies and that teachers must lead the students to sing the national anthem.
Some school followed the guidelines and fired the teachers who didn't stand and sing the anthem few years ago.

Does our national anthem obstruct teachers and students freedom of thought? Well...I don't think so.
The judgement is something wrong. The guidelines disturb thier freedom, that's all...don't they?

I'm proud of my country, and feel like that I want to hand our culture down to posterity when I sing Japanese national anthem. Currently, there is not so many opportunities for us Japanese to straighten up and think our culture. So I think it's good thing to sing national anthem, of course it's not good way to force people to sing though....will you sing your countries national anthem?

A nice flower arrangement for my parents.

I went to the flower arrangement class today. I've been interested in flowers since I was in my twenties...but finally! I found the nice class which is near my hometown!

Today's class was the secound round for me. I feel that I arrange flowers much better than I used to.
I hope I'm not mistaken my judgement!

I wish to make a nice flower arrangement for my parents at my wedding party in Tokyo next May, because May 26th is also my parents wedding anniversary!

My mom has looked after my dad for 4 years since we found his cerebral illness. She has devoted herself single-mindedly to her husband. I am deeply grateful for my mom's effort. Also, I have great respect for my mom. My dad can't speak or express his thought any more, but I'm sure he thanks to her, too.

I would like to be a wife who is like my mom.

Fish! fish! fish!

Today, I went to the Japanese cooking class. Today's menu was ...split and broiled sardines with a special sauce, pork miso soup, and barbecued eggplant with a special soi source. Yes, I splited raw fish with a kitchen knife by myself like a fish shop staff!

I realized how often us Japnese people dress fish, cook fish, eat fish! Japanese people do it very naturally. Mothers taught how to cook fish to their dauthers, and that was Japanese traditional in earlier times. (But mordern Japanese young people generally don't know how to cook it, including me though...) Eating fish is surely part of Japanese culture. And I'm proud of it as Japanese. I think that's why I got use to the native people's fishing life in Tsiigehtchic quickly.

Since I decided to move to Canada, I've felt that I need to know how to make Japanese food. I've started to make a list of some Japanese spices and foodstuff which I should take. And I added some dry small fish and shrimp on the list today!

Something very special.

Dear my friends,

Well, this is my personal note. Today I have something very special to inform you of.

I have recently engaged myself to Dan Koebel whom I met in Tsiigehtchic, N.W.T., Canada. I'm sorry but it's embarrassing to begin to talk about my engagement one by one, so I chose this way.

Currently I work for a camera manufacturing industry as a Website director in Tokyo. But I'll quit my job at the end of the year, and start my new life in Lucknow from the begging of January 2007. I can hardly wait to live with my fiance and his little son!

The wedding was set for the 29th of April 2007. We are looking for the site around Lucknow. I wish you would attend our party!

Lucknow is a nice small town which is what I want. It takes three hours from Toronto to Lucknow by car. Please drop in on us when you come our way.