August 2009 Archives

A Lower House general election was held yesterday and The Democratic Party of Japan won an overwhelming victory in the election. As a result of that, the DICTATOR's regime by Liberal Democratic Party for more than half a century was over.

This election has historic new wave and opens the door to true DEMOCRACY. Unfortunately, we have had the absence of democracy.

I hope that the new government will respect minority opinions and reflect the voice of the people. Also, we always have to be watch dogs that check government policy and what direction the government are heading in. What matters most is that we are responsible for participating actively in politics.

Today, I went to Akasaka ACT Theater to see rock musical RENT.

RENT is one of the longest running shows on Broadway (From April 1996 to September 2008) and RENT was the winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Akasaka ACT Theater is right next toTBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) , Minato-ku, Tokyo.

In Japan, the film RENT began showing in theaters in 2006.

Poverty, drug, AIDS, death, loneliness, desperation, love, friendship, dream ... life of young people in New York is described with beautiful songs, amazing voices and passionate performances.

There is no future
There is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us
There's only this
Forget regret
Or life is yours to miss
No other road
No other way
No day but today

The lyrics have touched my heartstrings since I saw the movie RENT ... I almost cried by the live performance today.

RENT calls up memories of my school days in America ... I wish I had a time-machine and could go back to the good old days when I had wonderful friends and passions, and dreams even though I faced a lot of difficulties and made many mistakes. Friends were always there for me. 

Autograph session by Adam Pascal as Roger ... I got an autograph on the official book.

'Sora wo koete  ra ra ra hoshi no kanata  yukuzo atomu ......'

I got off at the JR Takadanobaba station and then I heard the melody of the theme song of 'Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atomu)' from the next platform.

Sakura Hotels (Jimbocho, Ikebukuro and Hatagaya) and Sakura Hostel (@Asakusa) welcomed so many guests from France last month.

The number of our French guests in July is 3,111 (one in five).

Bienvune!!

France tops a list ranking the number of guest in

Sakura Hotel Jimbocho (http://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp/index.html),

Sakura Hostel (http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/)  and

Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro (http://www.sakura-hotel-ikebukuro.com/index.php).

As for Hatagaya,

Japan tops the list.

I know it's easy for Japanese to come to our hotel.

They don't have to go through immigration and customs.

When I was on my way to Yodobashi Camera at Shinjuku this morning ... 

Huge crowd of spectators came into my sight. Kazuo Shii, chairman of the Japanese Communist Party, spoke for election kickoff at the west exit of the Shinjuku station quarter past 10am. Around that time, Yukio Hatoyama, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, was in Osaka and Taro Aso, President of the Liberal Democratic Party, was in Hachioji, Tokyo.

Today, it officially announced the campaign for the 45th House of Representatives election (the Lower House election). Election day is August 30th.

According to a female police officer at the gate of the National Diet Building,

the National Diet Building is in the middle of washing exterior wall.   

I hope that Japanese politics will be completely cleaned up as well.

I want to say that politics is not for the politicians but for the people.

As the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln said,

August 15th is the anniversary of the end of World War II (Defeat in the War Memorial Day).  

The 91th high school baseball tournament is held at Koshien stadium from August 8th to the 23rd. Today's second game was stopped at exactly 12 noon and players and spectators stood in silence for a minute.

August is the month that makes me get in a sad mood, but smiles and tears of 'Kyuji' high school players in the midsummer heat give me courage and energy.

No more war ... Article nine of Japanese Constitution states "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes."

I am proud of the Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan.

In case of fire...

What are you going to do???

We conduct an emergency drill for customers!

Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run  Run Run

Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run Run  Run Run

Japanese Summer starts with swmming in the sea, and ends with fireworks. By Mitsuko

Japanese Summer starts with wearing sunscreen, and ends with mosquitoe bites. By Keiko

Me? Japanese summer starts with this　↓

And ends with this ↓

Keiko and I went to Jingu-fireworks festa.

We had been there since 4pm to keep a watching space and drinking beers.

It seemed quite long first, but after we started drinking, not at all.

If you want to experience real my style Japanese Summer, you are always welcome.

Cheers!  Enjoy your summer!

This month, we have 3 birthday boy/girls.

Our first Birthday Girl, Ai turns to 2★　years on August 3rd.

We love you no matther how old you are.  

The birth Flower of August 3rd: Tree Peony            Meaning: Charming, Innocence

I guess it is right, don't you think so?

keiko bought a birthday cake!

Looks so good...... Can't wait....

even though Ai said "NO", i couldn't wait to take a one bite......

She gave me 5 slaps later....... she did her revenge.

Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ai!   Wish you will enjoy your time of life :-)

Loves from all of us

 Have you ever heard of Fukagwa?

 If you are interested in downtown and/or the road less traveled, I strongly recommend you to go there.

 They hold Fukagawa fair three times a month (1st, 15th and 28th of each month).

 On 1st June and on 28th June, we went there with our guests.

 On 1^st June, 3 guests joined our tour.

And, on 28^th June, 13 guests joined our tour.

 We browsed around in street stalls that come up only on fair days,

If you are a big fan of sumo, you might enjoy Tomioka Hachiman.

 It has

 handprint of sumo wrestlers (much bigger than mine),

 stone monument all the names of Yokozuna (the title given to the strongest sumo wrestlers) on it,

huge portable shrines (the below is heavier one),

 and a shrine (of course).

As for Fukagawa Fudo Temple,

 There are a lot of statues in the temple.

 Unfortunately, taking photo is prohibited inside the temple, so we cannot show you how the inside of it is.

 It means that you need to go there if you are attracted.

 The picture below is Kiyosumi Garden (the Japanese garden located near from Fukagawa).

We haven't been there in these tours, but if you feel tired owing to much sightseeing, why don't you go there and take a rest.

 It is the very place to make you relax and take a nap or siesta.

↓me

Sorry, just kidding.

more info : http://www.sakura-hotel-hatagaya.com/index.php

much more info : Asking us

A great news for rugby fans!

On July 28th, it was announced that Japan will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The National Stadium

I have gone to watch rugby games since I was a small child, actually it was the first time when my father took me to the game at the National Stadium to cheer for the University where my father graduated from. Horizontal stripes with dark red and black color were vivid. Every time I see the games, I still get hot all over.

Chichibunomiya Rugby Field

A long time ago, 'rugby fever' was amazing and it was hard to get tickets even for regular season ticket for university games and my father and I used to wait in lines in front of the ticket shops from very early in the morning.

Now, baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming and judo are popular sports in Japan, but on the other hand, popularity of rugby has declined ... that's ok ... we do not need non-fan spectators. When we had 'rugby boom,' a lot of couples or groups came to the rugby field as a part of fashion. The real fans are who have passion (not fashion) and love the rugby ... I have seen many many old men who watch the game alone. They are real fans.

On July 11, 2009, Sakura Hotel Hatagaya did a tour to watch FIREFLY in the night.

They are guests who joined our tour! (10 people joined. They are from Spain, USA, Germany, Thayland, and Sweden!)

Most of the guests haven't ever seen frying and lighting FIREFLY.

Around 5 PM, we depertured of our hotel.

So, we could watch nice Japanese garden and livers in this area,on day-time(can watch clearly, and on night time(light up garden!).

This is cascade.It's dinamic.

This is Japanese liver　(carp was swimming peacefully).

But, I heard that several countries eat them at chrismas day!

It's amazing!

One of the guest, from Sweden, had a very good video camera, so he could take good shot of firefly.

It's too bad that our camera couldn't take a good shot of firefly in the night...

(The light is too small to take a good picture...)

If you go there, and watch them, that would be much better than pictures.

I found a good article "how to wear A YUKATA"

in Japan's No1 English Magazine "METROPOLIS"!!

You know A "YUKATA"?

A "YUKATA" is a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton.

 People wearing yukata are a common sight in Japan at fireworks displays,

bon-odori festivals, and other summer events.

Off course, we can wear it!!

Would you like to enjoy Tokyo's summer festivals with your "YUKATA"?

I don't mind the heat, but I am sick and tired of the humidity.

In summer, it is very humid here in Japan.

We do need refreshing coolness.

There is one thing that could give the coolness to us.

That is FUURIN (wind-bells).