A souvenirvfrom my old friend

Last night I drunk with my friend at his house.
I'm familiar with him since junior high school.
Lately we have not been drinking each other.
But we could finally make time to drink last night.
Now he is working at a company of neighborhood.
And he took part in the iai club activity on his holiday.
The iai is one of traditional sports in Japan.
They use Japanese blade and compete each other by form of swing the blade.

Then there were certainly some Japanese blades to use the iai.
Since I like to study Samurai history. I like to see Japanese blade like used by Samurai.
But don't get me wrong.
Blades I saw at his house are nothing more than imitations.
According to him, a Japanese blade to use for the iai are almost imitations.
So shape and view really similar to real blade.
It doesn't have a sharp side of blade.
Of course you can't cut someone by this blade.
Besides if you want a read blade in Japan. You need a special license to keep dangerous item.
Anyhow it was first time to see blade imitations. I was interested.

And when I left his house. He gave me one set of blade imitation as a souvenir.
I was glad it.
But now I'm confused about where to display in my room.
Now it is just leant against my desk.

I totally kept running for 120km to go and back

Yesterday I went a trip of long distance by my bicycle.
There is a long river called edo-gawa near my house.
It's a river leads to Tokyo bay through Saitama, Ibaragi, Chiba prefecture.
A road on embankment along this river is paved for walking and cycling.
We call it edo-gawa cycling road.
So it's one of good spots to enjoy a cycling of long distance.


These are photos of cycling road.
It's totally paved like these photos.
And leads to end of the river.


These are photos of historical place called Yagirinowatashi.
There is this spot in Tokyo area.
As you see. This is a port to go over opposite side of river by a ship.
This port has been exsiting from a period of Tokugawa shogunate(about 300years ago).
Tokugawa shogunate didn't permit to make a bridge over the river around capital city Tokyo.
This is a strategy for someday that enemy outside of Tokyo come to attack against Tokugawa shogunate.
I heard there were some rivers around Tokyo weren't permitted to make bridges at that time.
So Yagirinowatashi was only way that people at that time went over.


These are photos of Shibamata Taishakuten.
This is a temple in Shibamata area of Tokyo.
Actually there is very famous Japanese movie called "Otoko wa tsuraiyo".
Maybe this can be translated "A man is painful" in English
There are totally 48 works in serial of this movie.
1st work released in 1969 and kept making until 1995.
This movie is as famous as all Japanese know.
A leading part's man named Torasan lived around here.
So there is a lot of scene that Shibamata Taishakuten appears in this movie.
That's why this temple is one of spots for trip in Tokyo.


This day weather was unfortunately cloud.


These are photos near the Tokyo Disneyland.
I've been there with my family long time ago.
But now I don't like there.
Because it is always crowded.
When I ride on something. I have to get in line.

I enjoyed taking a big bath today.

Now I just went back from frequent Onsen facility in my neighborhood.
Today I took a bath alone.
When I went there. I always take a big bath made of cypress wood.
Since this bath is outside. I can take relax with beatiful stars shining on the dark sky.
I kept thinking about many things. While taking a bath.
About my job, my life, my future,
Just looked for resolution that I can't find right now.
As result I was soaked about two hours.
Anyhow if I have spare time on next weekend. I want to go again.

An Onsen facility that I frequently go looks old fashioned.
It has a nice taste to take relax.

This is a bath made of cypress wood.
Since this is outside. I can enjoy a big bath and beautiful stars at the same time.

Trip around nearby prefectures

Today I was on a holiday and weather was fine.
It was a nice situation to go out... Of course by my bicycle.
First I headed to Tochigi prefecture.
Tochigi prefedture is next to our prefecture.
It could take about one and a half hour even by my bicycle.
There is an artificial lake named Watarase Yusuichi near boundary in Tochigi and Saitama.
Once upon a time there was a copper mine named Ashio Dozan in Gunma prefecture.
This was one of mountain mining a lot of coppers in Japan.
But poison of copper leaked to down river and damaged to human bodies around nearby prefectures.
Then goverment mede Watarase Yusuichi to prevent to leak poison.
So poison from Ashio Dozan sinks in this lake. Of course no one can swim here.
But view around this lake is very nice.
Now this is one of spots to walk around.



After that I pedaled along down river and headed to Gunma prefecture.
There was a paved road for a bicycle along down river.
Almost flat road. Uphill was very little.
Besides I got nice view here again.
So I'm not tired at all.


I was on the way to go back. It darkened by sunset.
I don't like winter in Japan. Because of too early sunset
Then I noticed to forget a light to equip on my bicycle.
Yeah a light for dark road isn't standard equipment.
Unfortunately I went back without light to shine on a road.


But as result I safely arrived.
Today a distance I pedaled is about 80km.
From now on I want to increase more distance.
And defeat a metabolic syndrome on my ｓtomach
.

Nature that still remains in Tokyo.

On this sunday the weather in Tokyo was very fine for outdoor sports.
From early morning I took my bicycle apart and put them on my car for cycling.

Where I pedaled is one of long road on the western edge of Tokyo.
As you know Tokyou is capital city and center of business in Japan.
You might think it's totally developed city.
But actually most developed city like Shinjuku Akihabara is eastern side in Tokyo.
Nature forests, wild animals, clean stream are still existing in western side of Tokyo.
Someone who has ever seen developed area in Tokyo cannot believe that
photos below here are the same Tokyo.

So if you'd live in Tokyo. You can see haunting natures at once.


A photo above here is a stream flows around western derection in Tokyo.
This one is near head of a river and water is really pure.


I went up a road of mountain like this photo by my bicycle.
Since it was first time to try a hard uphill. I was really tired and next day stiff muscles annoyed me.


I got a great view from top of a mountain.
There is no cloud in the blue sky.


This is a vew of country direction that most Japanese has in their mind as Stereotype.