Jazz Picnic

Jazz Picnic in Ina River is an outdoor jazz concert held at the field along the Ina River in Ikeda city, Osaka. This concert is held annually around this time of the year and every year I enjoy it with my friends.

This year I joined with my close friend and my husband.
First we went to the supermarket to get something to drink and eat.

The concert started at five p.m. and lasted for four hours. At the beginning, it was still sunny and hot, so I opened the parasol to get a shade. But luckily there was a good wind through river.

Little by little it got dark. I like to see the changing colors of the sky and the setting sun.

In addition, we can eat, drink, talk and lie down ( sleep) during the concert. So everyone can enjoy the concert in his/her favorite way.

Not to mention all live jazz performances. I had a jolly good time today.

Nara TO-KAE candle show

This evening I went to Nara Park, or Deer Park to see Nara TO-KAE. It is a candlelight show held only 10 days in summer which started twelve years ago.

Tens of thousands of candles were lit up in Nara which used to thrive as a capital 1300 years ago.
TO-KA is a lump of flower shape on the top of a candlewick after lighting a candle. They say it is a good fortune when the flower shape is made.

People just sat down along the pond in peace to spend a relaxed time by the mystic candle light. Beautiful, peaceful rather new tradition.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today: Augutst 11, 2011

Outside my window...It is still hot and humid. Around 9:00 p.m. 86 degrees F (30 degrees C). 86%. No wind is blowing.

I am thinking...five months have passed since the Great Earthquake hit Easten Japan. Even today there are countless amount of debris still remain. Many people are still suffering.

I am thankful...to my friends and my family, espeically my husband who is the number one supporter of mine.

In the kitchen...there are some more things for me to do. Preparion for tomorrow.

I am wearing...a brown Tshirt and a gingham half pants.

I am creating...a blog that started one month ago.

I am going...to play tennis tomorrow under the scorching sun. I have to prevent heat stroke.

I am wondering...how to go with this summer heat.

I am reading...a Japanese historical novel of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who united Japan in the late 16th century.

I am hoping...that my three-month-old grandson will grow up healthy and my eleven-year-old beagle will live long.

I am looking forward to...get a job offer as an English tour guide. After the March Earthquake and its following Fukushima nuclear power plant issue, tourism industry has been greatly affected though I live in Osaka, 1000 km away from the area.

I am hearing...the buzzing sound of electric fan. I also hear the sound of cars heading for their homes.

One of my favorite things...walking with my dog Annie in the morning. Although she is sick and old, she likes going out with me. She walks soooo slowly and stops soooo many times.

A few plans for the rest of the week:playing tennis on Friday, going to outdoor jazz concert on Saturday. I will be busy this week.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...My first grandson Rintaro. He is so cute and lovely.

I've never imagined how happy I am with a grandkid.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out some other Daybook entries here!

Summer Koshien

Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan along with soccer. A great number of Japanese boys start to play baseball from childhood and there are many teams for boys throughout Japan.
As well as professional baseball, high school baseball is very popular. And there are two annual tournaments played by some 4000 high schools in spring and summer.

Now is the midst of the summer high school tournament held in Koshien stadium in Hyogo Prefecture. It is called "Summer Koshien." It started on August 6th which will last for two weeks.

A large number of fanatic supporters travel from hometowns to cheer for their local team.

It is a national tradition that symbolizes Japanese summer.

Hozuki-Chinese lantern

Hozuki is a perennial plant with a bright orange papery covering over its fruit, which resembles Chinese lanterns.　

Hozuki is physalis alkekengi in English. It has also other names such as Bladder cherry, Chinese lantern and Winter cherry.

At this time of the year, hozuki is used as part of the Bon Festival as offerings to guide the souls of the deceased. (Bon Festival is Buddhist event when the deceased spirits are believed to return to their home.)



In Japan, a hozuki fruit was used as a fun, especially for girls. Just yesterday my friend showed me how to do it. She made a funny sound by hollowing an empty fruit in her mouth.

But it took a lot of perseverance to take out seeds. It’s not my kind.