Lake Utonai Listed in Ramsar Treaty !

by Kazu

It was not the season of the migratory birds to have a rest on their way to the northern regions on this globe. 

I could not find any migratory birds  in Lake Utonai on that day. Even so, many tourists dropped by the Migrato Birds Observation Center.

 

Itanki Beach to Lake Utonai !

by Kazu

After the sunset, the blue sky got darker and the orange lights on the coastline got brighter an reflected on t surface of the ocean.

The next day, on our way back to Sapporo, we dropped by Lake Utonai listed on the Ramsar Treaty to be preserved as the sacred place for migrant birds and other creatures.

 

Itanki Beach in Tomakomai at Dawn !

by Kazu

Before dinner after enjoying the ice hockey game won by the Red Eagles  in Tomakomai, I jogged around Itanki Beach and the downtown of the city. 

Fortunately, I really enjoyed the beautiful landscape of the ocean, clouds, wind and sunset in the magic hour on that day.

The beauty of the pale, dark blue and pink color created so nice scenery with the silhouette of the coastline.It was so beautiful a day in Tomakomai City.

 

The Ice Hockey Game in Tomakomai again !

 

by Kazu 

We could get seats warmed up with electric heater. I did not have to wear thick ski pants  to watch the game but as I experienced the coldness during the ice hockey game held in Sapporo before that,   I brought my ski pants to be on the safe side. 

The Red Eagles based in Tomakomai with local cheering-up had never lost the game when we visited and watched their games .

A Hidden Space for Culinary Delights !

by Kazu  

It is the appetizer of a supper we had in an after-party and talk about the castle owned by the Schwalzenbergs the Grand Duke. Black money must be handled, laundered, invested and reaped by the peerage. 

It was a secret ? meeting in a sense held in a private room of a hole-in-the wall restaurant like a hidden den. It must have been tough for closedphobia because the private room was so narrow. The atmosphere of the place was so weird and curious. We were on the opposite side of the Black Peerage in Europe. 

The next day, we visited Tomakomai City to watch the ice Hockey game of the Red Eagles again. 

 

The Sacred Flame early in the morning!

by Kazu

The agricultural experimental fields were covered with white snow and drifting mist early in the morning on that day. 

The mist drifted to the road and the residential area adjacent to Hokkaido University.

Even for myself who jogging around the area every morning, such fortune of the scenery can be savored once in a whil. Thanks, God for such opportunity to see the beaut of this planet. 
 

Sapporo City waking up !

by Kazu 

I was wondering when I would be refreshed and inspired by the cold air and the contrast of white snow, blu sky and sunrise early in the morning. 

Th silhouette of the rows of trees on the premises of Hokkaido University and the buildings were whimsical 

and gave me the intestinal fortitude. I want to see this beautiful scenery even decades later.

 

The Doll's Parade in Hokkaido Shrine !

by Kazu

This display of dolls that shows how the annual festival and th Parade of Hokkaido Shrine was conducted to please the Gods in the portable alter.  

All the figures wore Japanese traditional attires for the festival that are so similar to the Jewish priests' traditional ones for their ceremonies.

It may be so hard to recreate such full-spec festival

in this age and era but the communities in Sapporo still has the to 
 

Doll's Festival in Hokkaido Shrine !

by Kazu

On the day of Doll's Festival, March 3, so many units of dolls to celebrate and pray for the healthy growth of the little girls were displayed in the waiting room for the people who wanted to  be given Gods' protection and shedding-off  evils in Hokkaido Shrine.

It seemed that the supporters of the shrine donated the dolls well−crafted and expensive after they finished the role in each household,

I don"t have any sister nor daughter who need such beautiful dolls but as a kid, I used to check up the swords of the figures of males when I encounterd the opportunities to touch the dolls units in my infancy.   

 

Sushi Bar "Sushi Zen" in Daimaru Depavtm-ent Store !

by Kazu

"Sushi Zen" is one of the most famous and popular sushi bar in Sapporo headquartered in Maruyama Area in the city. It has its branch bars in the most famous and popular bar-hopping area in northern regions of Japan "Susukino" and this place, on the eighth floor of Daimaru Department Store adjacent to the railway station.

The lunch course menu included Japanese appetizer pudding made of broth, chicken, mushroom, seeds of Gingko biloba, leek and fishcake and so on. The chef and his staff did so good job even in cooking the starter. 

As a tenant of the department store Daimaru, even for the famous sushi bar "Sushi Zen", the room of the arrangement of the inside is limited but their principle could be seen here and there in the bar. The design of the interiors were so comfortable and played up the protagonist on the dishes subtly.    

 

thenIn Order to Understand Each Other !

by Kazu

This is all the members of the participants from the Coast Guard in Indonesia to the JENESYS Program conducted by JICE Hokkaido. Their host families including us joined and shared the memorial photos. 

Some guests from Indonesia were weeping after the lunch and before our departure. We were convinced that we will miss them after that. 

It was only two-night stay but we really enjoyed the opportunity to have them in my condo. and experience to have two daughters.