Last Sunday, my sons found a hedgehog in front of our house. It was the first time we saw a wild hedgehog. We had to transfer the hedgehog to another location because he was going to be hit by our front door whenever we would swing it open. My sons were fascinated with...
Today is Mother's Day. I got a lot of presents from my three sons. I'm very happy to experience this as a mother, and at the same time, to express my gratitude as a daughter to my own mother in Kyoto. She had been hospitalized because of Takayasu disease, but fortunate...
Today is Easter. Our friends living nearby invited us to their home. Immediately, an egg hunt took place in the backyard after lunch. They told us to find the eggs before the hourglass empties on one side, but they are good at hiding their eggs, so my kids and I had di...
A storm of fireworks always heralds the beginning of the year in the Netherlands. For the past five years, our family has been celebrating the New Year in the Netherlands, but this year was the first time that my sons participated in lighting fireworks with the rest of...
Thanks to you, I was able to spend a simple but meaningful Christmas with my whole family. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, too! I am spending my time relaxing at home, although I have not gone out because we need to fulfill so many housekeeping duties. I hope tha...
Typhoon Jebi (Typhoon 21) struck the Japanese cities of Kobe, Osaka and my home town Kyoto on Tuesday, 4 September. My parents’ house also suffered a power outage. I was very worried because I could not get in touch with my parents until my mother was able to charge he...
I went to the Japanese embassy to pick up a kimono rack to exhibit Mr. Hiroya Fujii’s kimono and some confectionery plates. They shall be used for the next International Day of Peace Amsterdam. Since I have no car, I had no choice but to ride a train because the displa...
Three times a year, my son has the task of doing something useful to society that he can do with himself as part of his school class.
First, my eldest son negotiated with the fish shop in the market so that they could hand over fish parts that they are not selling in t...
Today is the birthday of my youngest son, which coincides with Okuribi. When we lived in Kyoto, we would celebrate his birthday after watching the bonfires. I miss doing that here in the Netherlands.
I bought a movie pass to enjoy learning languages during the summer vacation. Every month, we pay 19 euros. It is necessary to continue for a minimum of 4 months. The pass can be canceled after 5 months. My eldest son and I gifted each other with movie passes because o...
