Furin ( Japanese wind chime ) in 100 yen shop

Yesterday, I found some furin in the 100 yen shop in Funabashi.
Fuurin is Japanese wind chaim.
It is usually hung from the eaves during summer.
So it gives sound makes us feel cool.
I think it is useful to prevent global warming.

Car free

This is one of main street in central Funabashi.
Last saturday and sunday, it was car free.
Because festival of shopping area was held.


There are many street vender.

Not only local Japanese but also foreigner who live in Funabashi enjoyed it.

It is pity that It changed rain, and I couldn't take Photo of the atractions.

Akita Komachi

"Akita Komachi" is a brand name of the rice.
I think it is delicious and good price.
"Akita" is a prefecture located nortern part of Japan.
It is one of good rice-produceing area.


by the way "Komachi" means "Ono no Komachi" who is a woman poet in 9th century in Japan.


"Komachi" aloso means beautiful woman.
Because it is tolled that she was amazing beautiful.



Click the link below, you can read her poem translated in English.
http://hyakunin.blogspot.com/2008/07/9-ono-no-komachi.html

Broiled eel selling

In summer, we often eat broiled eel (Unagi Kabayaki).
Because it is highly nutritious.

Yesterday, I found Broiled eel were sold in front of the supermarket.
They used charcoal to broile eel.
They broiled eel fanning with fan.
It gave very good flavor, because filleted eel is dipped in sweet barbeque sauce befor broiled.

Inari Shrine

We call Inari shrine "Inari Jinja".
They say that there are more than 30,000 Inari shrines in Japan.

An Inari shrine is a shinto shrine to worship the god Inari.
Originaly god Inari is adored as god of grain or agriculture.
But nowaday it is adored as god of industry.


Generally, there is a pair of stone foxes behind the gate, insted of stone guardian dogs.
Because god Inari usues foxes as messengers.

The Inari shrine in this photo is located in central funabashi, near Funabashi railway station.

Tamagawa Ryokan ( An old hotel in funabashi )

"Ryokan" means Japanese style hotel.
This hotel has been run since 1920.
It is located in central Funabashi, and close to the city hall.
The scenery of the suround of the hotel has been changing.
But the hotel still remain the exterior in the past.

Ikebana in the railway station yard

" Ikebana" is an art that combines and compose the plant such as flowering plant.
Not only flower but aloso branch of tree and moss are included in the materials.
I took this photo in the railway station yard of Tobu-Funabashi st.

Nakazuri Koukoku

This is an advertisment hung in the commuter train.
We call it "Nakazuri koukoku".

It has an efective means of advertisment.
In urban, many people go to work by train.
Morning and evening it so crowed in the train.
We have a long boring time there.
So, we look naturally at that advertisment.

Sand pear

When I walking along the sand pear farm near my hause, I found the sand pear had grow up.
I suppose the harvest will start next month.
Farmers will be very busy.

Japanese Folding Fan (Sensu) in 100 yen shop

My wife hate using air-conditioner.
So, we don't use it, though it is getting hot.
The other day, I went to 100 yen shop near my house to buy dry buttery .
And I found japanese folding fans in the 100 yen shop.
Now I'm thinking, It is good to use in my house.

Hollyhock (Tachiaoi)

We call this flower "Tachiaoi".
It blooms from Jun to August in Japan.
It grows up straight.
Colour of petals are various, red, pinc, white, purple , and so on.

Tachigui Soba

This is a Soba shop. (Soba is Japanese noodle)
But it is not a traditional soba shop.
We call such a Soba shop "Tachigui soba".
"Tachigui" means eat something standing.
Usually It is in railway station , and near railway station.


Usually we buy a ticket in vending machine in the shop. and give it over the counter.
Soon we get Soba dish. Because Soba is already boiled in such shop.

Soba in photo above is 320yen. ( around 3 US$ )


In these days, there are usually stools in "Tachigui soba shop".
So we can sit and eat. But we still call it "Tachigui soba".
Such soba shop is popular among the people who want to have quick bite, especially business man who don't have enough time to take a lunch.
But I think it is not popular among women.
I rarelly see a young girle in "Tachigui soba" shop.

Bamboo grass

This is a kind of bamboo.
It is also called "Sasa bamboo" in English.
We call such low bamboo which has leaf tip is sharp, "Sasa".

Today is july 7.
In traditional custom, we write wishes on small pices of paper.
And hang it on bamboo grass.

Garigari Kun

"Garigari Kun is most popular ice candy in Japan.
It has been put on market since 1981 by Akagi nugyo.
Usually there are two type of Garigari Kun. soda tast and cola taste.
But more than 50kind of taste of Garigari Kun was sold as a limited term.
Grape, Kyoho grape, Fuji apple, grapefruit, mango, yogurt taste, and so on.

After eat it. If the word "当り" (it means "hit") is written on the stick of the ice, we can get another free for charge.

By the way, the caracter of the ice candy is so funny and lovely!!.
His name is "Garigari".

the photo below is soda taste and sand pear taste.

Stroll road along Ebigawa at central funabashi

Ebigawa (ebi-river) is a narrow river flows in Funabashi city.
Both side of the river are stroll road.
It is a my favorite walking course.
In spring, the cherry blossoms along the river are beautiful.

Izakaya at road side

" Izakaya" is a Japanese pub.
Usually Izakaya are in central of the town.
But sometime, I see such a Izakaya at road side far from central of the town.
I suppose that almost guest of such Izakaya are neighbors.

Keisei Funabashi station

This is Funabashi station of Keisei-line which is maneged by Keisei Electric Railway.
This station is connected with JR Funabashi station by pedestrian deck.

We can go to Asakusa in Tokyo from there without transfer.

No sign on the cigarette vending machine

Taspo Card system has already been running in some region.
But today cigarette vending machines all over Japan has started to ask the card.
We have to put the card on the panel on the vending machine to buy cigarette in the vending machine.

I hear that the diffusion of the card is around 25 percent.
I think many of smoker will buy cigarette in the shop.

Telling about me, I have alredy quit smoking.
Because I don't want to have such card.

Thanks Taspo Card for helping me to quit smoking.