Found

I disturbed this caterpillar when I replaced the morning glories with fall plants. It will be a hummingbird moth. I thought it had already taken off but it didn't. It ate the morning glories and then went under the soil in the planter.

This is what it looked like before it went underground. In the middle of September, it was green. Sorry, this is a photo of a pooping caterpillar. Or is it? I thought that was its mouth.

Soon, it turned brown and black.

It turned black and then went underground. I saw it wriggling around on the ground trying to move the soil. I put it back in the planter.

I disturbed this slug when I added flowers to the pot near our entrance. I think it's going to be a Japanese rhinoceros beetle. Sorry, this photo is blurry because there wasn't much light. I was gardening in the early evening. I put this back under the soil, too.

New Light Bulb

There was only one kind of light bulb available at our local grocery store today. This kind. It's more efficient than the old ones. It was more expensive, but it should last longer. The old light bulb is near the bottom of the photo. The new one is more opaque. You can't see through it.

Unless you hold it up against the light. This bulb is much heavier than the old ones.

The old light bulb is on the right. You can see the filament at its base.

Our View

Four houses will stand where the community gardens were. See the new fences? And the portable potty? Our view of Mt. Fuji from the roof garden may be gone. It depends how tall the houses are.

Japanese Halloween Treat

This is the first time I found Halloween-shaped glutinous rice cakes filled with bean paste at our neighborhood grocery store. Yum!

A purple ghost and a jack-o-lantern.

August Morning Glory

It was actually purple.

65th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

Mt. Fuji made an appearance again today. This time at sunset.

For the first time, the United States sent a representative to attend the memorial service in Hiroshima.

Kids Peace Station

Kids Web Japan--atomic bombing

Click on the labels below for past posts.

Hot Dog Buns

Look closely. See the difference? Japanese hot dog buns are sliced open on top of the bun. Not on the side. I have been meaning to post this for years. Can't believe it's taken so long to get a photo. We don't eat hot dogs very often. They are rarely available at our store!

N.B. The red and blue lettering on the bag says "hot dog roll" in Japanese katakana, The script used for foreign words.

Kids Web Japan--katakana

Tennis Court Lights & Mt. Fuji

So glad the new lights at the newly remodeled tennis courts are on the left. Mt. Fuji is on the right. Can you see Mt. Fuji through the haze? Usually we're not able to see it during summer. We're losing our view of it little by little anyway. Buildings are going up. Wires are draped across. Click on the photo to enlarge it. The sunset is highlighting the new tennis light poles.

Another sunset picture from a different direction. Looks like a heart cloud.

Gift from a Funeral

These miso soup bowls were wrapped more neatly than this when they arrived. I unwrapped them and then decided to take a picture of them in the box.

We attended the funeral in the spring, but the gift arrived in summer. There are sakura blossoms on the bowls.

The bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe.

Tanabata

Check old posts for tanabata. I forgot to do it this year! The children are older now and aren't that interested, but Papa and Baba and Aunt wrote their wishes.

Tea House

Entrance to a large tea room.

An entrance to a small tea room on the other side of the larger entrance. That is a small wooden door. One must crawl through to enter.


A window screen.

Mt. Fuji During Rainy Season

I don't ever remember seeing Mt. Fuji during the rainy season.

Hydrangea season

Ume Branches on Manhole Cover in Fuchu

 

First Day of School

These girls are on their way home after a short day at school. They're not carrying their usual school bags. They probably took their desk boxes to school in the bags they are carrying.


From the field looking into the park. Those are petals on the ground.

Not Quite in Full Bloom

In the park down the street, the sakura trees are not quite in full bloom.


Branch by branch, they're blooming at different rates.

Graduation Cake

Big Sister graduated from high school on Saturday. Aunt bought her this cake. The bouquet of roses is made out of a lemon flavored candy. It says Omedetou. That means "Congratulations!" Those are sakura (cherry) blossoms stenciled on top of the cake in pink sugar.

Hakama Rental

Big Sister wore a hakama for graduation. We rented it from this shop. Note that either boots or traditional sandals could be rented. She chose to wear traditional shoes with it.

The shop's name is Suzunoya.
www.e-hakama.com 0120-753-411

The Bloom Blossomed

Peach blossom.