I just started listening to an audiobook called Atomic Accidents:  A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters;  From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima by James Mahaffey.   Since I am at the very, very beginning, I don’t know how good it is yet, but I expect to learn quite a lot.  (I have read books before on the disaster, and every so often like to brush up on it.)

The author starts by discussing accidents, and ending with the disaster in Fukushima, saying “the problem of water inappropriately forced upon a large power plant would come up again, this time in Japan in 2011.  We now call this incident Fukushima.”

As a long-term resident (since 2006) of Fukushima City, it rankles me when I see the word Fukushima as equivocal to “the meltdowns that occured at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power in March of 2011.”    A far better name for the disaster is 3/11 (begging a thousand pardons to those who share that birthday,) similar to the appellation 9/11.

Because you see, many of us actually live here in Fukushima.  It’s a place.  NOT a disaster.   I tried to get that across in the two middle grade manuscripts I have written, which are far more the stories of Fukushima’s children than of its infamous disaster.

So you wanna see what Fukushima City has looked like recently?   These photos are near my home, on a day when I walked to a shopping center during a blizzard.

Stepping out, on my way there.   The wind was very strong, although it wasn’t snowing a whole lot.  My umbrella rebelled and turned itself inside out, due to the strong wind.

I actually was going to the mall for a tea ceremony.  (On the fourth floor, there is a center for classes and so forth.)  However, it was cancelled.  So I ended up buying these gloves at an end-of-the-season discount.  I always try to buy on sale!

Now I have to leave…the snow has picked up, and how!!!!!….no, I don’t wanna walk home…No…too windy too snowy……….Gah.

がんばります！(Ganbarimasu!  I’ll do my best!)

I speak a bit of cat language, so this kitty and I talked to each on my way home.  She said it was cold.

This building (which is roped off, although you can’t see that in the photo) is probably almost a hundred years old.  It’s amazing that the 3/11 earthquake didn’t topple it, but I am really glad because I love this building.  It’s a piece of history.

I thought this shade of blue was so lovely in the falling snow.  (This blue color is quite common for structures in Japan.)  Notice the graffiti.  Graffiti is most definitely not at all common in Japan.

Almost home!   The duty of shovelling this path falls on my family and on my neighbors.  So I have mixed feelings about snow!  It’s beautiful, isn’t it……..But sometimes a bit of a pain!

I hope you enjoyed these photos of my neighborhood from winter 2017.   And now excuse me while I go drink some hot green tea and cuddle in a wooly blanket…..

What?

It’s only February!  How can spring be here?!?!

In Japan, it is traditionally believed that spring begins on February fourth.  This day is called “Risshun.”  February third is known as “Setsubun” and is one of the most celebrated festivals in modern Japan.

Here is a display for Setsubun at a local grocery store.

Here is another display at a different grocery store chain.

So why the big masks?  And what is being sold?

Setsubun is the day when one drives evil spirits (oni, often translated into English as “devil”) out of the home.  Traditionally roasted soybeans were thrown at the oni.  Nowadays, it can be roasted soybeans, or peanuts, or even chocolate covered peanuts.

At the beginning of February in Japan, there are many brands of dried beans to choose from.  I bought these roasted soybeans for celebrating Setsubun with my students, and also at home with my family, because the package was so stinkin’ cute.   During our class on Tuesday, I let the students choose which little packages they wanted.  They loved them so much!

Nowadays, the soybeans are often in packages like these because they are usually eaten after being thrown at the oni.  And of course, not many people want to eat soybeans that have been on the floor!

Here I am…….a terrifying oni!

Setsubun does not seem well-known at all in the United States.  (And understandably so, since it is a very traditional and extremely old Japanese custom that dates back to the 1300’s.)   It’s a lot of fun.  After all, who doesn’t like dressing up in scary masks??!!!???

Tomorrow (January 28, 2017) Chinese New Year begins.   What about in Japan?  Well, we have already had our new year here in Japan.

Let me explain.

Years and years ago, Japan followed the old calendar and celebrated new year at the same time as many other Asian countries (January or February.)  However, in 1873, Japan began to use the same calendar as western countries.  So, at that time, the new year began to be celebrated on January first in Japan.

This is a new year’s decoration inside a Japanese house.  (My parents’-in-law home)

This is a new year’s decoration outside of a house.  (My sweet neighbor’s home)

Here is a sign for the new year at a local coffee shop.  There is a rooster on it because 2017 is the year of the rooster.

Here is another New Year decoration.  This is a shopping area.

I hope you are enjoying the new year!   May 2017 be a happy one for all of us!

I love maps.  They are so much fun!  So when my local shopping center held a Fukushima map exhibit, I knew I had to go.

Here is the exhibit…a huge photograph of Fukushima City that we can walk on.

That’s the downtown area.  A mountain (the green area) at the bottom.  You can see the river towards the top.  Off to the left is famous Hanami Yama (Mt. Hanami.)

Oooh!  Oooh!  My house! I see my house!

Northern Japan.  Somebody is stepping on Fukushima Prefecture!!!!!!  Eeek!!!!!!!

Towards the bottom (on the right) is the Tokyo area.

Northern Japan–the region known as Tohoku.  The blue lake is where Fukushima Prefecture is at.

This is a map of Fukushima Prefecture.  I live in the red area at the top.  (Fukushima City.)

A map of Japan.  Lean and serene, except when there is an earthquake and then it careens.

Last Tuesday morning we had rather large earthquake in the Fukushima region.  It woke up lots of people here in northern Japan!

One of the big fears was a tsunami.  Another big fear was a failure at the nuclear power plant.  However, everything turned out all right.  Nobody was killed and the power plant is in working order.

The poor children of Tohoku live daily with the fear of earthquakes.   Although I suppose everywhere has dangers…..  That’s how most people here look at it.   Nevertheless, it grates on the people of northern Japan, especially those living closest to the east coast where the danger is highest.

Today’s photos are a bit old–they date from October.  However, I wanted to show you this interesting art exhibit at Fukushima City’s art museum.

(Photography was allowed in this exhibit.)

This says in white print:  “Hisaichi kara no Hatsugen”

That means “Statements from the Stricken Region.”

It’s all art from Fukushima artists.

These are photos I took this morning at Momiji Park (Maple Leaf Park) near my home in Fukushima City.  It’s a little park in the downtown area.

I made a friend.  His name is Koma.

Early in the morning! The sun is rising.

Beautiful fall colors.  Tohoku is a great area for autumn scenery.

That building in the background is Fukushima Prefecture’s Administration Building.  It is also the site where the castle once was.

A shinto shrine

Cosmos Flowers

This park is near a river, so it’s a great place to stroll.

Happy halloween, everybody!  Do you know what my costume is?  I dressed as a boy for Halloween!

English is an international language, so kids all over the world learn English.   The school that I work for held a little Halloween party.

The kids had fun dressing as mummies.

They really enjoyed the party!

She makes a cute mummy!

It’s not easy for Japanese kids to learn English, so I really admire them.  English is so very different from Japanese, that they have to work really hard.   Some of them may grow up and get jobs that require English.    I do my best to teach them and make it as fun as possible.

Do you learn a foreign language?

Recently we had a festival here in Fukushima City.  It’s a festival that is celebrated every year in October.   We always participate…but this year my son son came down with a fever on festival weekend!  He couldn’t participate at all!  Poor guy!

See what he missed?

The haunted house…..  This haunted house is not for Halloween, but coincidentally it always comes to Fukushima City in October.  So my son and I do it for Halloween!  But not this year….Mr. Sick Boy was at home sleeping!

Too bad he missed all the excitement.  He’ll have to wait until next year for the festival to come again….

Have you missed out on something fun due to illness?    Bummer!

Are you excited about Halloween?  I am.  I love this time of year when the air gets crisp and cool.   It definitely brings on an appetite!  Let’s see what stores in Fukushima are selling during this season…

Halloween soda!

Oh, so cute!

The tea wants some of the fun, too!

Scary chips.

Bag of Bones Cheetos is actually yogurt flavored,  um yummy????

My local grocery store has decorated for Halloween.

Halloween pizza.  Lots of different foods have Halloween designs.

A fast food restaurant called Lotteria has burgers with purple sauce for Halloween.  The scary part is wondering what its ingredients are.  Spooky!