2006
Christmas
25 Dec 2006
Christmas is not officially celebrated in Japan. The shops are decorated in Christmas theme, presents are given and they eat Christmas cake, but that's it. On 23, December it is Emperor's Day, which is a national holiday. Unfortunately this year it is celebrated on Saturday, so no long weekend.
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Kimono
02 Dec 2006
I wasn't planning on buying a kimono. It starts with the fact that I cannot dress myself... A kimono alone doesn't do the trick. There are countless visible and invisible attributes that come with it, like the obi (sash), under garments, specials socks and shoes etc. Read More...
Shosenkyo
23 Nov 2006
On 22, november everybody comes together in Tokyo for the yearly meeting and end of year party. It is a time to network, enjoy good food and for the jubilees to be honored. Read More...
Sumo
12 Nov 2006
In Fukuoka the sumo tournament starts in November. It happens to coincide with Shichi Go San festival. This means “seven, five, three”. Kids that age go the shrine to pray for good health and growth. It makes for some great photo opportunities. Read More...
House hunting
04 Nov 2006
In November we visit Aizu-Wakamatsu. We extended our contract with another year and this means we have to move. Aizu-Wakamatsu will be our new home from 2007. Read More...
Lenette's Pa and Ma in Nagasaki
11 Oct 2006
Yes, the old folks made the trip to Japan to visit us. We are, of course, very proud to be able to show them how we live in Japan. There is a lot to see in Nagasaki and surrounding area. Nagasaki is also easy to travel by yourself. There is a street car which brings you to the most important parts of town. There is also a tourist bus and for 100 yen, it takes you around all the touristy parts of town. Read More...
Hakone
08 Oct 2006
Carlos organized a nice evening for my birthday. First we went for a drink at our favorite bar Crazy Horse, run by Motoko and Yuko. There we meet Mark, Helena and Yuko. We all go for a nice Italian dinner and I get presents, always nice. Read More...
Carnaval in Tokyo
26 Aug 2006
We're lucky that both of us have to be in Yokohama for a meeting. This time we can spend a weekend in Tokyo together. Paulien told us about a Brazilian carnaval in Asakusa in Tokyo. That sounded very interesting. Read More...
Hokaido
23 Aug 2006
August is the best month to visit Hokkaido. That means, if you like the sun. As the most northern island of Japan, Hokkaido has short summers and long harsh winters. But they are prepared for the bad weather. E.g. they have beautiful shopping malls, completely covered but it feels like you're outside.
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Nikko
18 Aug 2006
Every now and then it is possible to combine a business trip to our Yokohama office with a tourist weekend. This time I visit Nikko, together with Paulien, a Dutch colleague who works in the Shinagawa (Tokyo) office. Read More...
Kanji
15 Aug 2006
Carlos would like to learn Kanji. Japanese use three character sets for writing. He can already read Hiragana Read More...
Baseball
13 Aug 2006
Baseball is baseball, but nevertheless it is very nice to watch a baseball game in Japan. We went to Fukuoka to watch the Softbank Hawks in action. Of course we had to buy something from the market with Hawks stuff, so we could properly cheer them on. Read More...
Country and western festival
30 Jul 2006
Yes, yes, there are also Japanese country and western fans. The day after the fireworks we get together at the Crazy Horse at 10am to go to Kurume. There's a country and western festival in Kurume, and the Crazy Horse band is playing too. It's a big thing, because THE country and western start of Japan: Charlie Nagatani, will be there too. Read More...
Yukata and fireworks
29 Jul 2006
During the festival season, the Japanese ladies (and girls), often dress in a yukata. The yukata is a summer version of the kimono. The material is lighter and there is only one layer, whereas you were various undergarments under a kimono. Read More...
Mount Fuji
15 Jul 2006
When in Japan you have to climb Mount Fuji. Since the official climbing season is only two months per year (July and August), it was about time we took action. In the middle of July we had a long weekend, so that was perfect timing for our adventure. We decided to take a break at around 3000 meter for a few hours sleep, instead of climbing straight to the top. The mountain is 3675 meter high and divided in 9 stations. Each station has one or more hut where you can eat and sleep. Read More...
End rain season
26 Jun 2006
Finally the rainy season has ended on Wednesday 26, July. Last year we were lucky, because the rainy season was very short. This year we pay the price, since the rainy season was very long.
It is a strange experience to be reading in the newspaper that the rainy season has ended. Try to do that in the Netherlands.
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It is a strange experience to be reading in the newspaper that the rainy season has ended. Try to do that in the Netherlands.
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Queensday
29 Apr 2006
So we are in Japan, but that doesn't mean Queensday is forgotten. We declined the invitation from the Dutch Embassy, to come over for a drink. Well, Osaka is quite a distance away, so we organized our own party. Read More...
Edo Preustiing
10 Apr 2006
Edo Preusting was born on April 10, and mother and son are healthy and doing well. Father, brother and sister are very proud.
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Catching up...
18 Feb 2006
It's been a while since our last update, so time to catch up. Although we're not going on a lot of trips, after all it is winter, we did experience nice things and took some good photos we want to share with you.
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Beppu
08 Jan 2006
In the beginning of January, there was a lot of snow in central Kyushu. A nice occasion to visit Beppu, the city famous for its hotsprings and they even have a sandbath. Since we've never experienced a sandbath, we just had to go. There were other people with the same idea, so we had to wait a while for our turn. You can tell winter is short here, they didn't provide for adequate heating [and that in a town full of hot water/steam]. They had two oil heaters in the hall, which just didn't do the trick. Read More...