Polynesian Sunset is blooming at Jindai Botanical Gardens. As of today, there are still lots of buds of other roses, too, ready to open. I took this photo with my iphone.

Click here to see the photo of the JFK rose I took on November 23, 2005. It was one of the first photos I had taken with the big Canon camera.

Dragons in the Sky

Lots of dragons in the sky yesterday at sunset. Look at the shape of some of the clouds. This is the view from our roof garden toward the northeast. Looks like fire in the clouds. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

This is southeast. The skies were clear above our house! I had a rooftop view of other people's weather.

Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan

I was in the Ikebukuro area today to go to the hospital to see my asthma doctor. I was breathing a lot easier afterward so I stopped by here. Recognize the style?

This is Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Arata Endo. It was built in 1921 in Meijiro, Tokyo. One stop from Ikebukuro on the Yamanote line. It was once a girl's school. This building and others on the site are now used for events such as weddings and concerts. Visitors are welcomed when no events are being held inside.

Check this site Wright in Japan for more information and for photos of other buildings in Japan that were influenced by the Wright style.

Also check Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan for more information.

Detail of the main building of Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan.

Another building across the street from the main building.

On the corner.

Look at the detail of the windows!

Next time I go to the doctor, I want to go back to see inside.

Click here to see a post about a past visit to the asthma doctor. (They've remodeled the hospital since those photos were taken. The staff doesn't appreciate taking photos inside the lobby and halls of the hospital.)

Connie Francis Sang in Japanese

Japan and the United States has had many things in common. Like the love for the American singer, Connie Francis. My father and father-in-law were big fans.

She was very popular here and all over the world in the 1960s. She sang in 15 languages! Here is the cover of her greatest hits CD in Japanese. I am not sure if this is the original album cover.

I just learned that another American singer, Peggy March, known for her hit "I Will Follow Him" sang in Japanese, too.

A Cultural Icon

November 3 is Culture Day and a national holiday. I thought I would write a post about a national icon, Hibari Misora. She made her stage debut at the age of 8 in 1945. She became a very popular singer and actress. The last song she recorded was kawa no nagare no you ni. It means "like the flow of the river." It is a well loved song in Japan.

Kids Web Japan Culture Day