tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071Fri, 17 Jul 2026 17:53:24 +0000Apartment and AddressBrothersBuddha and gardenChristmas cake and chicken legsEruptions and surrounding sceneryFish MarketFuji-san and Sky TreeFuton bed in KomatsuGando FarmGreenhouses and IeyasuHot Spring Resort TodayKareigawa Train StationKenji-sanKobuntei in the backgroundMonkey businessNagasaki Peace MemorialsNeighbour across the street (back alley).Nephew Kaoru and wife KeikoOkano-san and TsukubaPony mailbox and vanRest StopSky and SnowSomen noodlesTempleToilet and BathViking RestaurantYayoi and family friend Keiko.Yayoisugitable and firepitOur adventure living, working and traveling in Japan.http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)Blogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-2878122553932103192Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:02:00 +00002012-12-19T19:07:47.093-06:00This is an account of features of this country that either became apparent for the first time or were enhanced by exposure. Previous visits due to their brief nature and usually occurring in the month of May did not always reveal these impressions. Another factor that allowed us to learn much more about this country was our spending a substantial period of time in the countryside. The Japanese http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/12/impressions-of-natural-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-783640871213100674Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:02:00 +00002012-12-10T14:02:29.394-06:00The Japanese countryside is punctuated with countless concrete pillars on top of which automobile or train traffic travels day and night. The concrete pillars are quite substantial possibly to better withstand earthquakes. But what is more unusual is that the freeways are frequently above ground level even in rural areas. Why I ask? One reason we were given is that earlier attempts at freeway http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/12/japanese-freeways.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-8523053890663960450Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +00002012-12-06T22:16:39.297-06:00We came to Komatsuka in Ibaraki prefecture in early March 2012 where we were greeted by our hosts and a small dog chained up near the house we would be living with. Much later we found out that all dogs were being chained up due to some unfortunate incident between a child and a dog. No one seemed to be walking the dog so eventually we asked Okano-san whether I could walk Muku the dog. We went http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/12/mans-best-friend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-6183323102773206778Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:58:00 +00002012-12-06T17:58:59.702-06:00I had begun to convince myself that southern Ibaraki and especially Chiba prefectures were the warmest parts of 'mainland' Japan to be living in. But as the weekend of December 1st and 2nd, 2012, arrived we were greeted by at least the third heavy frost on the roofs and ground. But this time there was also 4-5mm of ice on puddles. Oh, well, we might as well get ready to greet our home in Winnipeghttp://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/12/sayonara-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-7254646271642217295Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:09:00 +00002012-11-29T23:03:07.878-06:00We have encountered countless examples of hospitality in this country. Invariably gracious and always accompanied by delicious snacks and meals. Two examples pictured here are our Komatsuka hosts Shigeko-san and Akio-san, but another incredible hostess must also be mentioned. She is Kenji-san's sister Etsuko-san who invited the Okano's, another Okano-sensei and ourselves on November 23, 2012 for http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/japanese-hospitality.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-5443068800195067635Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:05:00 +00002012-11-27T06:05:32.388-06:00We have been living in the village of Komatsuka which is part of the Kanto plain, a large reasonably flat area including Tokyo. We have a view of Tsukuba Mountain from Komatsuka, but Tsukubasan hides the mountain ranges behind it to the west and north. Seeing these mountains forces one to realize that Ibaraki prefecture is not as flat as we have believed based on where we live. We drove up the http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/tsukubasan-views.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-4087145389881586244Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:55:00 +00002012-11-29T23:08:24.674-06:00There are still a significant number of thatched roof houses in the Yasato area. The one we visited November 20, 2012 is still in the family after more than 200 years. The "Ojiichan" or grandpa who gave us permission to see the place was quite proud of his family home. There are eight layers of thatch in the roof which can be distinguished by the variable colours. The traditional Japanese garden http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/thatched-roof-home-in-yasatomachi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-5454482987124730219Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:44:00 +00002012-11-27T05:44:19.509-06:00On November 20, 2012 Kenji-san showed up at breakfast time and took Okano-san, Yayoi-chan and myself off to see Ibaraki prefecture tourist attractions. Minedera Saikoin is a temple in Yasato-machi in Ibaraki-ken which is often called the Kiyomizudera of the Kanto area. The reason is that it is a resemblance to the Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto with beams and posts supporting the structure over a http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/minedera-saikoin-in-ishiokashi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-5624404707076312068Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:11:00 +00002012-11-27T05:11:32.771-06:00Earlier we attended an Imonikai in the Tokyo area of former residents of Yamagata prefecture where Yayoi grew up. On November 19, 2012 Shinomiya Masao showed up with the fixings for another Imonikai. The weather was not cooperating so Yayoi cooked the satoimo and other vegetables inside. What a delicious soup it turned out to be! Okano-san was able to join us for lunch and he and Masao-kun had a http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/imonikai-at-komatsuka.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-2603499545786070394Sun, 18 Nov 2012 10:59:00 +00002012-11-18T05:03:03.208-06:00It was cool in the house this morning at about 11°C, but after taking Muku for a walk or rather him taking me for a walk, I went out to the 'hatake' or field and began to pick green beans or 'ingen'. Then the word entered my consciousness. These people live in paradise. I was out in shirt sleeves on November 18, 2012, the sun was shining from a clear sky and a cool breeze was blowing. Click, http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/paradise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-6451732359979943414Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:03:00 +00002012-11-17T05:03:09.190-06:00The Momiji is a Japanese symbol, in my mind, as memorable as Fuji-san or sakura ( cherry blossoms). It is a good thing we chose to take the cable car (train) down Tsukuba-san as the pedestrian route had nothing like the brilliant display of the journey down the mountain by train and especially the terminal station at the bottom. It was a fitting end to a lovely weekend. Thank you Kenji-san and http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/momiji-or-japanese-maple.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-3237271940600745001Sat, 17 Nov 2012 11:01:00 +00002012-11-17T05:01:01.782-06:00Everyone in Japan would like to be able to say that they climbed Fuji-san. Yayoi mentioned to Kenji-san that she would like to see/climb Tsukuba-san so he arranged that Akio and Shigeko Okano would join us on November 13, 2012 and at about 8:30am Shigeko-san drove five of us to the tourist village at the base of the mountain. The mountain itself is higher than Tokyo Skytree and is a bit of an http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/tsukubasan-or-mount-tsukuba.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-2079909278882860302Sat, 17 Nov 2012 10:51:00 +00002012-11-17T04:51:04.664-06:00Tsukuba is a city with a university of course and many agencies dedicated to science research. It is home to JAXA or the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The headquarters of the Asian space program is also headquartered here. The city of Sapporo in Hokkaido is more non-Japanese in appearance than many cities, but Tsukuba was built from plans so that streets tend to be laid out more like a http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/tsukuba-science-city.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-8694034549357233969Sat, 17 Nov 2012 10:48:00 +00002012-11-17T04:50:00.754-06:00On November 12, 2012 Kenji-san and we took the Tsukuba express train to Tokyo to see a Japanese artist's woodblock prints. Her name is Naoko Matsubara and in the photograph she is second from the left. She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is visiting Japan. Then after viewing, chatting, drinking tea, Matsubara-san accompanied us to a small restaurant near the station where we had ahttp://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/woodblock-prints-and-kichijoji.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-5034996423798868452Sat, 17 Nov 2012 09:47:00 +00002012-11-17T03:47:39.358-06:00Even for natives this can at times be a daunting experience. In a standard parking lot probably more than 80% of the vehicles are parked by backing in. Many vehicles are equipped with GPS navigation units which include a backup camera that automatically activates as the car reverses into a parking spot. The navigation systems are indispensable in Japan, but Japanese people who are familiar with http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/parking-in-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-3193624361694495279Sat, 17 Nov 2012 09:43:00 +00002012-11-17T03:43:32.854-06:00Are you finished high school and don't know what to do? If you are into sports you can go to a sports only university where the three R's would be a minor concern. Yayoi's brother has taught at and been president of universities that specialize in agriculture. Currently he is president of a college in Sendai that teaches veterinary assistant skills. If you don't want to go to university, then http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/specialty-schools-in-japan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-9096774284038450549Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:52:00 +00002012-11-09T07:52:22.592-06:00November 3 is Culture Day in Japan. On November 4, 2012 Shigeko-san drove Yayoi and I to the same venue where we had earlier seen a Noh performance to hear Akio-san sing with his choir. We had seen his Town Chorus earlier at a Spring Concert. There were a number of groups performing including one with about ten "koto" on stage. Later we left to see exhibits in the next building, including http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/culture-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-4149980948646279945Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:46:00 +00002012-11-17T02:06:13.089-06:00For a long time we have known that Atsuko-san has a niece that is working in a patisserie (actually three) in Ginza, Marunouchi and Kichijoji. I hoped that we would eventually be able to sample some treats at one of these places. So on November 2, 2012 Atsuko-san and two of us hopped on a train and went to Kichijoji. Apparently this part of Tokyo is one most people would like to live in. I http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/rose-bakery.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-3622906413153178897Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:40:00 +00002012-11-09T07:40:18.291-06:00On November 1, 2012 four of us took the train to Mitaka-eki and then a bus to Jindaiji to see the temple and then the park, Jindai botanical garden and greenhouse nearby. Already November and still the roses were blooming beautifully along with dahlia and other flowers. We were still in Tokyo enjoying one of the many treasures it has to offer. And when there are people inevitably there is a lane http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/jindaiji-and-jindai-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-7661175186760049109Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:32:00 +00002012-11-09T07:32:05.935-06:00October 29, 2012 after a night at the "minshuku" like university farm sleeping quarters we were served a breakfast rivaling that of many an "onsen" or spa hotel in Japan. After a last admiring look at Fuji-san from this vantage point we left the farm and began a day of tourism. We stopped at Narusawa where some of us examined the icy entrails of one of many caves surrounding Fuji-san. Yayoi was http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/mount-fuji-and-fujigoko.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-5594829482689316712Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:25:00 +00002012-11-09T07:35:32.664-06:00We have been very fortunate to have had Yayoi's brother Tsutomu-san agree to act as our sponsor for our application to live in Japan temporarily. Both Tsutomu-san and his wife Atsuko-san have been very good to us and supportive of us. Atsuko-san has always made us very welcome in their home in Ome and has continually fed us much too well. Whenever we leave we feel as though we need to go on a http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/our-sponsors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-8104490484817755631Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:16:00 +00002012-11-09T07:16:23.424-06:00On October 27, 2012 Tsutomu-san and Atsuko-san's friend Arai-san drove four of us to the community farm which is on the extreme outskirts of Tokyo. This was the second time we were able to partake in a party, the first took place almost as soon as we arrived in Japan in December 2011. At the farm people were busily preparing lunch including soup composed of "satoimo" and other goodies and freshlyhttp://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/11/hatake-or-farm-picnic-near-ome.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-6253303462477826289Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:24:00 +00002012-10-25T06:24:49.022-05:00Ibaraki-ken is second only to Hokkaido with respect to farming activity. And we are beginning to believe that they can grow almost anything here. Summer may well be the slow season as it tends to be very hot. Eggplant and cucumbers appear to like the heat. Foods collected in the wild or growing wild include "takenoko" or bamboo shoots, "mioga" or the inner shoot of a weed, "nanohana" or canola http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/10/japanese-hatake-or-farm-food.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-5755692646192669682Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:22:00 +00002012-10-23T06:22:40.980-05:00It is a tradition especially in Yayoi's home prefecture of Yamagata which begins in high school, where in autumn people gather at a riverside to enjoy the taste of "imo" a potato like tuber. Yayoi's former classmate Kakima-kun invited us to such a party for people living in the Tokyo area who originated in Yamagata prefecture in the area Yayoi was brought up in. On October 21, 2012 we went to http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/10/imonikai-at-akigawakeikoku.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1813038064399071.post-1248378244433786473Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:01:00 +00002012-10-18T15:06:47.184-05:00Ryoji-san and Debra-san have been married for forty years and appear to be a perfect Japanese couple. But she is not Japanese. So how did they meet? Ryoji-san grew up in Otari, but although being a smart student was unable to go to university due to family finances. In Nagano there was a agricultural school run by a Christian organization. They offered scholarships to bright students and http://yayoibrandt.blogspot.com/2012/10/ryoji-and-debra.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Yayoi and Lester Brandt)0