Good Mystery

I haven't read a good mystery for long. But this one is really good. KH's husband gave it to me to kill time during the flight to San Francisco, but I did it today.

"Hazakura no koro ni kimi wo omou toiukoto (Thinking of You in the Leafy Sakura Season)" utilized reader's (unconscious) assumption and imagination very well. I felt similar sense of trick in "Lautrec so jiken (Toulouse-Lautrec Lodge Case)" by Yasutaka Tsutsui, though both books use different kind of tricks.


OK, I know. Now, I have to finish at least one book (academic one, damn) before I leave here. That's my hope.

Summer Clouds

"Talent" Book

Don’t laugh at me for buying a book written by a “talent.” To be honest, I’m easy to get influence from advertising. Anyhow, I heard in a variety show or somewhere about the book entitled “Homeless Chugakusei (Homeless Junior High School Student)” written by Tamura of Kirin—manzai comedian. I had known a little bit about his poor childhood because he used to talk about it in every TV program which he appeared. But, I bought the book anyway.

Simply put, it is heartwarming. I happened to buy the book in Osaka (acutally, the Junkudo bookstore in front of Nanba Grand Kagetsu) and read in the train from Tennnojo to Wakayama. It is a short story so that I finished reading during that about an hour train trip. I couldn’t help but wiping tears a couple of times while reading. I was not interested in how poor Tamura was, but in his gratitude and affection toward his family, friends and neighbors. Of course, a higly skilled editor or two constructed the plot to make the story humorous as well as moving and to make Tamura look good. But put that aside, I simply enjoyed the one-hour reading.

Oops, I remember I have books to read. I shouldn't have wasted my time reading this kind of book. I know, I know.

Grand Shrine

I can't say that I went to Ise without visiting Ise Shrine. Well, you may say that you went to Ise by eating Matsusaka beef, hee hee hee. Anyway, I visited Ise Shrine this morning to understand how big it is. Yes, it is big ... and very tenno-ish. It's the shrine of Amaterasuoomikami (the ancestor of the emperor). What else could I expect?


This one is what I want to mention. I forgot the name of this shrine, but I remember that it is located in the precinct of Ise Shrine. Damn, I'm not that idiot! Anyhow, this shrine is believed to make your dream (only one! Don't be greedy) come true. I could conquer the world in the future, hee hee hee.

Hasedera (Hase Temple)

I was not brave enough to count stairs. If I did, I couldn't have reached the main building of Hase Temple in Sakurai, Nara.

Komeda's Coffee

I was kind of shocked at that Komeda uses aritayaki (one of famous porcelain wares in Japan) for its coffee cups. Komeda's Coffee is better than I think.

Rocks

Rock ('n roll) in Mie! But, as you may know, Meoto-Iwa doesn't rock. Well, they are rocks, different kind.


... and frogs. Why frongs?!

Umeboshi

Man! No, mom!


She came home, ate lunch, and lied down by saying, “Ah, it’s so hot that I don’t feel like doing anything.” But lying down, she didn’t forget to speak to herself (or order me), “Ah, I have to spread ume (plums) on bamboo sheets to dry,” loudly enough for me to hear. Then, I couldn’t help saying, “OK, OK. What can I do for you?” Mom was still lying down but said, waving her fatty arm, “There are three buckets of ume in the hallway and bamboo sheets in the garage. Spread ume one by one, using chopsticks, on the bamboo sheets.” In the end, I did that by myself. Geez.

A Month?!

Oops, I’ve been ignoring blogging since I came back to Japan. Well, I’ve been lazy. Thanks AB for reminding me of updating my blog.

OK, today, I dragged my brother to Koyasan (Mt. Koya) to take some photos to show off here. As you may know, Koyasan is the World Heritage Site in my home prefecture. I saw more foreign visitors than Japanese ones there. Yes, it’s a world heritage!


After driving mountain roads, the Great Gate welcomes you.


Kongobuji Temple is the place where Kukai started his religion. I usually simply look outside and leave, but I looked around in the precinct this time. Then, I realized that it is larger than I expected. What impressed me most is the rock garden. It is fabulous.




Okunoin, the massive gravesite of Koyasan, prohibits visitors from taking photos. Of course, it is a very sacred place, and visitors don’t have the right of disturbing the dead. So, I took a couple of photos at the entrance :-P




I came across an old man who was pumping water. He said he comes here every summer to clean the monument for the war dead in Myanmar during WWII. He is a survivor of the battle.