Season of SAKURA

Japanese people have special place in their heart for cherry blossom (SAKURA). The flower is very beautiful but fugacious, and we, Japanese, identify our own lives with the life of the cherry blossom. Also, the cherry blossom season is April which all of schools and companies start their new year in Japan. Because of this, cherry blossom is the symbol of a new start of life.

In Japan, we have very nice culture called "OHANAMI." People drink alcohol under the tree of cherry blossom and have party with family, friends, or colleagues. During the season, people go outside with favorite alcohol, drink a lot, and get drunk like crazy. At the famous park in Tokyo, you can see hundreds of drunken people dancing under the tree.

The Busiest Season is comming!

For tea producers in Japan, new harvest season after the winter starts from the end of April. Now, farmers are waiting for their tea leaves get matured enough; once the leaves get matured, the harvest starts. They wake up 4 o'clock everyday and work until late night. The reason they have to work such a long time is because they have to finish the harvest before the leaves get hardened. Also in Japan, consumers' demand for Shin-cha (new harvest tea) is very high, and it makes the tea producers much busier.

Even if I have to work like crazy, I like this season. My town is enveloped in the flavor of steaming tea leaves (because in Shizuoka prefecture, there are thousands of tea farmers, and they start the harvest at the same time). Flavor of tea leaves give me energy and let me relax after the work. If you have chance, I recommend to visit there during the season.

Go Mariners!

Finally, Major Leage was back! Yesterday was the day I had waited for 6 months. Go Mariners!

Eric Bedard was struggled yesterday, but nice patient! You should be good next game. Today is our young hero, Felix Hernandez. He will duplicate the Opening Day of 2007.