Feb. 27 - The Japanese White-eyes

I took the pictures below this afternoon.  We had rain yesterday, and the flowers of our Japanese apricot tree began to fall down.  Birds of the Japanese White-eyes came to suck the nectar of the flowers.

The white part of the trees means it has been affected with some disease. 

We have to do something soon.   

They should hurry up before the flowers fall down.

Feb. 24 - Japanese White-eye coming to our apricot tree

Our Japanese apricot tree is in full bloom now. 

Upon coming back from the clinic I visit every month, I saw two birds of the Japanese White-eye came to the tree for flower nectors this morning.  I felt lucky because I had a compact camera in my shoulder bag then.

 

 

Spring is the season which school year begins in Japan.

 

I am not a student anymore, but it is the season to start something new.

 

I will be 49 years old next month, but I still wish to enrich my life in a better way. 

I don't mean to try hard, though.

 

The most important issue is eating properly, enjoying exercises,

and good sleeep to maintain be in good shape.

I don't want to make crazy schedule myself.

 

Some tutors suggested that I should read English article more to improve my English skills.

However, I find it very difficult to get good books which catch my attention.

 

Being a housewife in the countryside, I don't use English in my daily life,

much less any opportunity to discuss political / economical issues in English.

 

If I study such kind of materials, I really don't enjoy myself.

I believe that if I really don't like to, it doesn't make fruit.  

 

Instead, I would like to have seasonal enjoyment in the countryside.

 

We can enjoy apricot trees in February, and cherrry trees in April.

 

I would like to be surrounded with various seasonal joys

which flowers and wild birds bring to our life. 

Christmas Roses in 2015

 

 

 

Himeji Castle Marathon in 2015

Marathon events have become very popular in Japan in the recent years.

Today, I would like to write about World Heritage Himeji Castle Marathon 2015, which was advertised early in 2014 and will be held on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015.

There are two types of marathon; "full marathon" and "fun runs."

The committee needed 6,000 people for the full marathon, which is 42.195-kilometer run. 

For the fun runs, the committee requested a total of 4,000 people to run according to 4 types of distances, such as 1.0 kilometer, 1.5 kilometers, 2.0 kilometers and 5.0 kilometers.  

To join as runners, people must have submitted their applications from July 22 to August 31, 2014.

By the end of August 2014, a total of 21,486 people from all across Japan submitted their application for the full marathon.  Because of the roads capacity, only 6,000 people were registered as runners through lottery.  Once registered, each participant must pay 10, 000 yen.

For fun runs, runners were chosen by way of "first come, first served" basis.

As a result, the Himeji Marathon committee collected 10,000 runners for a total of 68,800,000 yen (approx. US$688,000) for the one-day event.   The committee also asked volunteers among its citizens for the event.   The vacancy of 3,000 opening staff members were easily filled.


Volunteering staff members wearing green jacket

(added sentences on Feb. 23) ↓↓↓

I thought the runners were unfortunate because the event was held on a rainy day, and they got soaked in the rain.   Nevertheless, many people thought that keeping Himeji castle was important, and they donated pocket money by participating in the marathon event.

In my opinion, the Himeji city officials wanted to accumulate funds because they spent for the castle's maintenance and that's why they came up with the idea of organizing a marathon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(more details)

The capacity for the full marathon is 6,000 people. 
Himeji castle was built in 1346.  In the recent years, the castle is repeatedly restored for maintenance every 60 years. The most recent restoration began in 2009 and they have just finished its maintenance recently. 

No one lives in the castle anymore and it is used as a museum.  The castle will be opened to the public on March 27, 2015.


(for calculation details, scroll down to the bottom of the page)

* * * * * * * * * *

(1)  The Full marathon is 42.195 kilomters run.
The number of runners: 6,000 participants.
Participation fee: 10,000 yen  / person
Runners must finish the marathon within 6:00 hours.
Starts at 9:00 a.m. / Ends at 3:00 p.m.

Some of them wearing his or her rainy coat.

(2)  The Fun Run ... 4,000 participants in total.
4 types of courses, such as 1.0 kilometer, 1.5 kilometer, 2 kilometers and 5 kilometers)

* * * * * * * * * *

1.0 kilometer for "the family run" 
We call it "the family run" because participants must be in pairs:
1 adult (over 18 years old) and 1 child (of 4 to 6 years old.)

The number of runners: 300 pairs or 600 people
Participation fee: 4,000 yen / pair
Runners must finish the marathon within 10 minutes.
Starts at 9:10 a.m.

* * * * * * * * * *

THE 1.5-kilometer COURSE of FUN RUN
Paticipants must be on their 1st to 3rd grade elementary school students.
The number of runners: 1,800 students
Participation fee: 2,000 yen / students
Runners must finish the marathon within 15 minutes.
Male students start at 9:20 a.m. and ends at 9:35 a.m.
Female stundents start at 9:45 a.m. and ends at 10:00 a.m.

* * * * * * * * * *

THE 2.0-kilometer COURSE of FUN RUN
Participants must be on their 4th to 6th grade elementary school students.
The number of runners: 800 students
Participation fee 2,000 yen / students
Runners must finish the marathon within 20 minutes.
Male students start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 10:20 a.m.
Female students start at 10:30 a.m. and end at 10:50 a.m.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

THE 5.0-kilometer COURSE of FUN RUN
Participants must be over 15 years old.
The number of runners: 800 people
Particpation fee 3,000 yen / person
Runners must finish the marathon within 40 minutes.
Starts at ????

The guest runners are Olympic marathon runners or other experts.

* * * * * * * * * *

A total of 10,000 runners will gather from 9:00 am at the starting point, and we expect terrible congestion in the area.

Don't cheer for the runners even if they are your family members or friends at the starting / finishing points.

We are also holding a campaign "No My Car Day," which can be translated to "Car Free Day" on Feb. 22 around Himeji castle, Hyogo Prefecture.

The map in the picture illustrates the marathon course and its traffic scheme

Terrible congestion will be expected on that day,

so please don't stay near the starting / finishing points,

shown in red in the picture.

The Traffic scheme will be held from 7:00 am. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 22.

 

Emergency vehicles and regular routine buses

are the only vechicles allowed within these hours.

 

Even bikes and pedestrians will be restricted for the marathon event.

 

 We thank you for your coorporation!

 

 

 

* (calculation details)

For full marathon event, 6,000 runners will pay 10,000 yen per head which amounts to 60,000,000 yen (approx. US$600,000).

For 4,000 runners of the fun marathons, they asked a total of 8,800,000 yen (approx.US$88,000)
details:
4,000 yen x 300 pairs = 1,200,000 yen (=approx. US$12,000)
2,000 yen for 1,800 students = 3,600,000 yen (=approx. US$36,000)
2,000 yen for 800 students = 1,600,000 yen (=approx. US$16,000)
3,000 yen for 800 people  = 2,400,000 yen (=approx. US$24,000)

 

Feb. 19

Our apricot tree started to bloom a few days ago, and I think it means we are now experiencing the coldest day of the year. 

 

I feel terribly cold these days, but I look forward to the festivals every year.   

This is one of the poster for the festival at the Matsubara Hachiman Shrine.

Festival schedule 

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 18

0:00 a.m. (midnight) to 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 19

Their schedule will be the same time and same day of every year.

* * * * * * * * * *

Here's the poster of Aso Shrine.

Feb. 16 - Crochets

 

I knitted these two pieces today.

It took me only 30 minutes or so.

Making these things is enjoyable time for me.

 

 

I knitted these one year ago. 

Orange and green leaves.

Rose with its leaf.

 

Patterns of rose and leaves were shown in this book.

This bird (Cockatiel) pattern was also shown in the book.

I have one female cockatiel as pet.

 

I walk regularly to maintain good shape.  

I always bring my pendant type pedometer to check 

how many steps I take evey day.  

 

I knitted its covers with different colors of yarns.
It sounds a bit big, huh?     

 

I knitted the blue one last summer, and

the red one in the beginning of this winter.

When I flipped another magazine, I found one Jizo stuffed doll.

There was no instruction how to make Jizo,

but I looked into the magazine for a number of times to knit one.

I took the picture before sending it to my sister one year ago. 

Here's the one which I knitted.
 

Jizo - He is cleaning with broom.

 

This one is not my handmade bag: 

I bought it almost 12 years ago. 

 

The bright colors of the bag cheers me up! 

 

You can see one cloth inside.

It helps to keep the bag in a good shape.

 

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

 

Here's the bag I knitted last month as well as the gloves and the room shoes.

For me, my favorite color is red at the moment.

My favorite color changes sometimes.

I like blue colors in summer.
I like the color which makes me hot winter.

 

 

 

 

Okuyama (Feb. 8)