Hello Kitty!

You can get Pon Juice Hello Kitty (left) and Bocchan Hello Kitty (right) only in Ehime.

Pon juice is mixture of orange and mikan, Japanese mandarin juice.

Ehime is famous mikan production area.

Botchan is a novel written by Natsume Sōseki in 1906. It is considered to be one of the most popular novels in Japan, read by most Japanese during their childhood. The central theme of the story is morality.

The story is based on the author's personal experience as a teacher being transferred to Matsuyama (Capital city of Ehime), which sets the stage for this novel. Natsume was born in Tokyo, and dwelling in Matsuyama was his first experience living elsewhere. The novel reflects his feelings during that experience.

(From Wikipedia)

Meeting Point at Ikebukuro Station

The statue is called Ike Fukuro.

Fukuro means owl.

Looking for a cat

猫 means cat.

Amazake, a sweet mild sake

Amazake is a traditional sweet, low-alcoholic Japanese drink made from fermented rice. Amazake dates from the Kofun period, and it is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki. It is part of the family of traditional Japanese foods made using Aspergillus oryzae (麹, kōji) that includes miso, soy sauce, and sake.
The basic recipe for amazake has been used for hundreds of years. Kōji is added to cooled whole grain rice causing enzymes to break down the carbohydrates into simpler unrefined sugars. As the mixture incubates, sweetness develops naturally.
Amazake can be used as a dessert, snack, natural sweetening agent, baby food, salad dressing or smoothie. The traditional drink (prepared by combining amazake and water, heated to a simmer, and often topped with a pinch of finely grated ginger) was popular with street vendors, and it is still served at inns and teahouses. Many Shinto shrines provide or sell this in the New Year. In the 20th century, an instant version became available.
Amazake is believed to be very nutritious, with no additives, preservatives, added sugars or salts. Outside of Japan, it is often sold in health.
(Definition from Wikipedia)

Wedding Card

Japan Ice Hokey Championship

Seibu won the title.

It was their last season to participate.

Due to the recent economic down turn, Seibu is eliminating their hokey team.

One afternoon at a pond in Tokyo

They are busy with fishing!?

Randoseru, a traditional school bag

A traditional school bag for elementary school children.

They usually use one same bag for 6 years.

It's name "Randoseru" comes from "ransel," a word in Dutch meaning backpack.

Soy source

Soy source from Kagoshima.

Masu, a square container

A square container used for measurement.

The unit is "sho" and one sho is about 1.8liters.

Recently used for the bean -scattering celemony.

It is a ritual to drive out bad luck and call in good luck by scattering parched beans on the last day of winter according to the lunar calendar.

a scenery from a train window

A small community in Kanto area.

Text on penmanship

Many adults buy text book on penmanship.

Even the Japanese have hard time writing Japanese.

Harmonica Row

Yellow gate is the entrance to the Hermonica Row.

There are 98 shops in the Row.

The shops are lined like hermonica embouchure holes.