Cool Japan!

Good evening:) How were you today? Were you fine? It gets colder and colder day by day, so I think that I need to buy a new coat, but I don't have enough money...I am going to save money in order to buy it!

By the way, Do you know this site? http://www.nhk.or.jp/cooljapan/

This site is TV program about "Cool Japan", which is broadcasted by NHK in the night, and it intoduces Japanese things with some foreignes who are interested in them. I took the class which teacher taught us about comparison between Japan and another country with this site last year. Recently, I watched it and remembered learning in the class last year. Today, I'd like to tell about a thing that I feel Cool Japan.

Please look at the picture.

Have you ever eaten "Namagashi"? they are Japanese traditional sweets. Allmost of them are made from adzuki beans and sometimes included food which people can get each seasons. They habe been eaten by Japanese for a long time, and people enjoyed feeling seasons when they ate Namagashi in those days. Because Some are represented seasons and others are represented traditional things. They can be made in detail by a workman. I think that there aren't traditional things like them in another countries, in other words, These sweets are only Japanese things! Japanese sweets don't only enjoy watching, but also eating. I can say that Namagashi can be expressed Cool Japan. Don't you think so?

If you are interested in this TV program, you should watch it and look for your Cool Japan. I think that many young people aren't proud of Japan. There are many great things and beautiful places in Japan. Foreign people are more interested in Japan than us, so they can understand good points of Japanese more than Japanese people. We need to know about our country so that we take over next generations and tell about Japan for people in another countries. It is a good opportunity for us to look for Cool Japan in order to reconsider about Japan.

White Fish!

Hi! How were you today? Did you spend enjoyable time in Bunkyo University? December started four days ago, and it gets colder and colder day by day. I often see people who wear a mask which prevent from catching a cold in the train or this university. I want you to be careful to avoid a cold!!

Anyway, please look at the picture. What do you see these?

I think that you may understand what these are, so it's famous sweets in Japan, which are called "Taiyaki." Have you ever eaten them? Most people must answer "Yes!" However, we usually get them that are colored brown when we eat them. Last weekend, I ate them with my friend in my hometown because I had found about them in the magagine, and I wanted to know how different from brown ones. What do you think about differences between white taiyaki and brown one?

As a result of that we ate and compere them, they were softer than brown ones! I think that you may be surprised if you eat them. They were very delicious and comfortable to eat. In addition, other kinds of them were colord green by green tea, brown by chocolate and pink by strawberries, so we could enjoy seeing them by color.

Do you know why they are colored white? The paper which I got from a taiyaki shop said that they were made from "tapioka powder", not use wheat flour. Tapioka powder effects soft to the wrapping of dough, so it's possible for staffs who work there to give us soft things. Besides, according to the paper, it is healther than wheat flour. It said that it recommends to eat them if someone wants to eat, but you are worried about calories. Therefore, there are many articles in the magagines to give us imformation about it and to try in these days. We can find shops which make taiyaki in many area due to publish many articles. I want you to try to eat them...you must be favorite them!!

Incredible Wedding!

Good evening! What are you going to do this weekend? Do you have a plan?
Resently, it gets colder than before, so many people catch a cold...you have to be careful for your health not to catch a cold:-)


Anyway, I would like you to introduce about an interesting news which I found in these days. The title of this news is "Somali man, '112', weds girl,17". Can you imagine it?


The news said that hundreds of people have attended a wedding in central Somalia because the groom is Ahmed Muhamed Dore, who is 112 years old and the bride is Sofia Abdulle, who is 17 years old weded there!! They have differences of 95 years old between them. In addition, Mr. Dore already has 18 children by 5 wives before he got married with his new wife, but he wanted to have more children, so he decided to get married. They were from same village in Somalia, and he waited for her to grow up to propose. He didn't force her and made use of his experience to convince her to get married. Finally, Mr. Dore, Ms. Sofia and her parents agreeded with their wedding, they could get married on October 29th.

Can you believe this story? It's true indeed even if you can't believe it. When I read it for the first time, I also couldn't understand their wedding because he would die if they spent a few years together...if so, she will leave alone. I felt sad that she can spend only a few years with him. On the contrary, I also doubt that she aims to get his inheritance after he dies. What do you think about it? If you were proposed by a man who is over 100 years old, but he has a lot of maney...Are you OK?

Vegetable Sweet☆!

Hi! Do you have a plan this weekend? What will you do? We won't have any classes tomorrow because it's an anniversary in Bunkyo Gakuin University. I hope that you will enjoy your holidays:-)

Anyway, please look at these pictutes.

What do you think that these sweets were made from? They were made from vegetables!! Can
you believe that?

I went to Nakameguro to eat them with m friend last week because they had been introduced on TV, so I was interested in them. Recently, a sweet shop which are sold them are call "Patisserie Potager" and become more famous than before. Its owner is Ms. Kakisawa, she always studies how to make sweets with vegetables. She is particular about materials so that it's good for many consumer to keep their health, all materials that she uses for making them are organic! In addition, These sweets are made from vegetables, and she makes full use of vegetables' taste when she makes it, so they are healthier than other sweets.

In my opinion of eating them, they were very delicious, and felt vegetables' taste more. I thoughat it great that she makes them with vegetables. When I ate them, I thought how she used them to make sweets. If you want to eat many sweets, but you worried about gaining weights...I recommend to go to this shop to eat them!! I expect that you will be fine thanks to eating them!

2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Hi! Tyhoon came to Japan yesterday, so we couldn't go to university ,and all our classes called off! What did you do yesterday? I think that many students had boring time because they couldn't go out because of stopping many trains. In fact, I spent boring time...I couldn't go anywhere!!

By the way, do you know who wins the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009? I found this article on the Internet today. Please look at it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm This article said that Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The reason why The Nobel Committee chose him to this prize is that he contributed to supporting international diplomacy and appealing to abolish nuclear arms. In addition, Nobel Committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said that he would like Obama to support what he is tring to achieve. I think that many people strongly hope to decrease or do away with nuclear arms, so they expect to success it by him in the future.

In my opinion, I also hope to abolish nuclear weapons someday...but this problem is too difficult to come true because many countries which have them haven't abolished yet even if Obama declared about it before. In fact, America also has them now. I think that America should do away with it sooner than other countries so that they show their attitudes. I wish many countries cooperate each other to abolish them, and become to live peace for everyone in the world.

New My Hobby☆

How was your long vacation in this summer? Did you enjoy it? I think that many students may say "Yes! I enjoyed my summer holidays." As for me, I also enjoyed it, and going many places where I was interested in. In addition, I found new my hobby during summer vacation, so I'd like to introduce it.

Have you ever experienced Yoga?

I met Yoga during this summer vacation, and sometimes do it as my hobby. The reason why I started Yoga was that my aunt recommended me. I felt a little tierd and stress in those days, so I asked her how to get rid of tired and stress. Then she recommended Yoga because she also experienced to get rid of them thanks to doing it.

There are many effects for us to do Yoga. Yoga makes us relax for our body and heart. We need to breath deeply during it in order to concentrate on our own. Deep breathing gives us relaxation , and forget our stress and tired. In addition, it is important for our body to presearve our health. We can understand ourslves through this act, for example, how we feel pain, what part of our body have pain and so on. If you do Yoga and feel pain on your body, you can stretch your body. As a result, you can get good health and great body!! If you keep it up, you would become nice body more and more:-)

In fact, Yoga gave me relax and good condition for my body. I can feel relax and my condition while I breath deeply through Yoga. I try to continue it to maintain my good condition, and I become good leady! Now, I'm very glad to meet Yoga. If you want to get rid of stress or something, I recommend you to Yoga and try it.

The Way Of Cook Japanese Food☆

Hello! Do you enjoy spending your summer vacation? Did you travel

Recently, weather freuently changed...suddenly rained and thundered:-(


I think that we should check the weather forecast if we go out.








By the way, I'm interested in cooking now, especially Japanese food.


I cooked for dinner which is called "kenchinjiru" yesterday. Please look at this picture.
This is a traditional food in Japan, and people who live in the countryside have eaten it for a long time. I have liked it since I was child, so my mother taught me how to cook it. This process was very easy, I think that people can try to make it!
Today, I'd like to introduce the way of making "kenchinjiru."

1. You should prepare some ingredients, but you can choose them that you like.
I recommend them; a carrot, a burdock, a white radish, a taro and konnyaku.
2. You cut them so that you can eat better.
3. You prepare a pot including water, nextly you put them into the pot with water and turn on a gas stove. You should wait until it is cooked.
4. If it is cooked and water boils, you add some seasonings in order; salt, sake, suger and soy sauce. You turn off it later in order to be soaked taste into them.
5. You had better turn on it before ou eat, so you can eat it!!

Do you think it easy? It's very delicious:-) In addition, it is good for your health bacause it is included many vegetables. Did you often eat fast food in these days? I want you to try to cook it and to tauch Japanese traditional food through cooking. If you cooked it, please tell me your opinion!!