Happy New Year! The new year has just begun, and I'm very excited! I truly hope everybody including myself will be able to have a better year. Today my husband, my parents, our daughter and her

Having soba (a type of Japanese noodle) with our family at the end of the year is our long-standing tradition, which started during the Edo period (1600 to 1868). Eating it has several meanings, and

Last year (if you're curious about last year's meal, you can click here), my husband and I had Shanghai crabs by ourselves, but this year we invited our daughter and her family. The five of us went

In Japan, December is called 師走 (shiwasu), and the kanji characters suggest that even teachers are so busy that they have to run around taking care of errands. We clean at the end of the year, so

I like setting my goals and working for them. Because of that, I'm also interested in reviewing how I spent each year. This year was awesome because I could achieve one of my goals, which was to win

Do you like trying new things? Yes, I do! Trying new things makes us feel happy and excited! A couple of days ago, I tried making some dried persimmons. The first three pictures show fresh

Some people say that Japan has a gift giving culture, and I have to agree. Today I'd like to write about a part of that tradition called oseibo. At the end of the year, we send gifts to people whom

Although I've been walking 6 to 8 kilometers every single day, I don't like walking under the sun. I care about my skin. Even so, a couple of days ago I decided to walk in the morning because I

Two weeks ago, a friend and I visited Chourakukan to have afternoon tea. We wanted to make a reservation for the best reception room, but it was really difficult because of the Christmas season. Many

This year, my camellia sasanqua in the garden has produced lots of buds. When I noticed them, I was very excited! A couple of days ago, some of them started blooming. My garden in winter always looks

Almost six months ago, I made doubanjiang, and if you're curious what it is, please check my earlier post, and here. Since it has passed six months, I opened the lit of the jar and checked it. I

Last Saturday, my husband and I had to babysit our grandson while our daughter and our son-in-law attended a Christmas party. We took him to a nearby amusement park, and it was his first time.

Ponto-chō in Kyoto is famous as the place where you can see geisha and maiko (apprentice of geisha). When I was young, we often saw maiko there. Last week, I visited there with two of my friends for

Do you like curry? I like making various different kinds of curry, and today I'd like to share my homemade Thai green curry. Although spicy food really isn't my thing, I always enjoy this green curry

In Japan, there is a day called "Tango no Sekku" also known as "Boy's Day", and this day is dedicated to celebrating children’s personalities and praying for their healthy growth. The families who

Konoike is one of Japan's former zaibatsu, which has still influenced on Japanese business. For example, my neighbor runs a company that relates to the Konoike Group. When I visited Osaka Museum of

Last week, my husband and I invited my parents, our daughter and her family to a French restaurant to celebrated my dad's 93rd birthday and Christmas together. I'm so delighted that I can still have

It's getting colder, so I don't expect many flowers in my garden. Even so, a few exciting things are still happening. For example, two different kinds of my narcissus have sprouted again this year.

The fig season is already over, but about two months ago, I found some organic figs for making jam at a farmer's market. I'd never made the jam before, and it was my first time. When I found them, I

Last week, I had a Christmas party with my knitting friends. First, we had lunch together. Most of my knitting friends are more than ten years older than I, and they've been knitting since they were