鳩ノ巣渓谷 （キャロル先生)

  Hatonosu Valley

 

Last weekend I had no work on Friday, as it was a public holiday. I decided I needed to get out of the big city and head for the hills! I researched the best places to visit in West Tokyo to see the autumn leaves. Hatonosu Valley popped up on my phone as a very popular spot due to its colorful mountains. It took one hour and a half to get there from Musashi Sakai and I was so impressed when I got there. The Tama River flows through the valley and it is surrounded by high mountains lacing the sky. It really was a sight to see and I took so many photos to send to my friends and family. The colors of the leaves were so pretty and they were the brightest I have seen so far in Tokyo. I sat on the large rocks beside the river and relaxed for a while, watching couples and friends eat their lunch and crossing the large bridge that drapes over the valley. After I relaxed, I went for a walk alongside the river and then had some soba noodles in a small café beside the train station. It was cold and the noodles heated me up along with some tasty green tea. The sun was setting as I stepped onto the train for my journey home.

By the time I arrived home, I was tired and ready to relax in front of a good movie. I will definitely be bringing guests to Hatonosu Valley when they visit me, as I am sure they will not be disappointed. Maybe next summer I will paddle in the river and sun bathe on the rocks.

冬の花火 （ミーシャ先生)

 

Winter　Fireworks

 

As the time gets even colder, I have become even more interested in exploring the wonders of Japan during this time. Lake Okutama and Mitake are on my itinerary for December. I was told that these are the places to explore and see the autumn colored leaves. I definitely hope to experience this. The cold time is the best time to go hiking and site seeing. I tend to stay home once I do not have work because I am really trying to avoid the cold. However, I went to Tachikawa over the weekend to see the Fireworks at the Showa kinen park. It was so crowded; I didn’t know so many people would want to see the fireworks. It was an hour of amazing lighting and art form. As I am an art enthusiast, I took a lot of pictures of the different colors and shapes of the fireworks. It was worth enduring the cold.

芸術鑑賞会 （ミーシャ先生)

 

The cold has intensified and this has caused me to be worried about what it will be like when it gets really cold in December. I have to now be shopping more for winter clothes because of the cold.  Despite the cold, I continue to explore Tokyo and enjoy the culture. I recently went to watch the musical Marie Antoinette at the Imperial Theatre and it was amazing! The costumes, the lighting, the special effects and the sophistication of the theatre were features that I found very appealing. I was not sure what the actors were saying since I do not understand Japanese but I certainly enjoyed the acting, the scenery and the singing.  I still understood what was happening in the plot of the story though. The school went to the theatre in recognition of “Art Appreciation Day” and I can say I truly appreciate Art. I hope to go there again and even tour the Imperial Palace. I am beyond grateful for the experience.

川越一日旅行 （キャロル先生)

 

Day Trip to Kawagoe

Last Sunday I went on a day trip to Kawagoe with a friend of mine. The sun was shining and the sky was blue without any clouds. It took us about one hour to get there and we arrived in the afternoon. We happened to stumble upon an Asian festival, which had some tasty food options to choose from. We ate food and then visited some shrines in the area where we had our fortunes told, luckily, our fortunes were quite good. We walked through the Edo period street called Ichibangai Shopping Street which had lots of lovely little souvenir shops and chic coffee shops. We took some photos at Kitain temple, which was so colorful and pretty, the leaves are slowly changing color and were a lovely warm red and yellow hue. We walked around for most of the day and were exhausted by evening time. After a yummy cream coffee, it was time to hit the trains again and head home. I would highly recommend Kawagoe as a good place to visit, and will be sure to tell people about it.