Happy New Year !

Hi ! Did you have a nice holiday??

I think most of you went back to your hometown. I envy you...;<>

We went to Yasaka shrine in Kyoto on New Year's day. Yasaka shirine is one of the famous shrine in Kyoto, so it was so crowded !! I was very very tired of people...

After that, we went to izakaya in Shijo. We drank and talked a lot. I could not talk with mother for a long time, so I was really happy :>

I spent a good day :)

Sushi

On Sunday, I went to Toku sushi with Shiori to make a pod cast :>

We have to shoot craftsman ( shokunin ) in this time and the sushi ya is a shop which my relative's friend runs, so we can shoot it. Here is a homepage of the shop.

The master looked like so strict, but he answered to our questions willingly:) And, at last, he made sushi for me and Shiori. It was nice! Thank you (^^)

After shooting, we went to Hirakata station and then I met Shiori's boyfriend first! I did not talk with him, but he looked like so kind !:> Shiori, please take him to a Christmas party!

AJISAI

Today,I will introduce one of my favorite artist, AJISAI.

They are minor band and not so famous without kanto area. The reason why I know such band is that two of them are my cousin's friends. So he recommended them to me when we were driving and looking for music to listen.

I like 'theater' and 'orange'(^^) They have their homepage, here.
If you have a time, check them! :>

Beautiful !

Hello,everyone :>

Today is 3rd December ,and 8months passed when we entered Kansaigaidai in this spring. It is very fast !

Christmas will come soon, which is one of my favorite event in a year! :> I went out to Shinsaibashi on last Sunday to buy a new bag( some people know that my old one was so shabby...), and I saw many colorful illuminations there. They were so beautiful !! One of the reasons why I like Christmas is illuminations.

However, there were a lot of couples on the street, so I felt lonley... ;> I recommend not to go out alone in December...

BIRTH DAY

I became 19 years old on last Thursday.

When I was in a high school, I could not imagine that I become a college student. I feel that the time passes so fast! My freetime has been filled with assignments since I entered this university and I could not often hang out with my friends... but this is the last year I can be a child. I want to enjoy my last teenage before I really become an adult :)

On my birth day, I received many mails and presents from my friends. This is a chestnut cake that Hitomi Tsuchida gave me. Hitomi, this was really delicious! and I received some bath goods of LUSH from one of my friend. I love LUSH and it smells so nice! I enjoy my bath time.

Thank you so much, everyone ! :>

Response to "Protect the whales off Australia"

According to “Protect the whales off Australia”, Japan will send this year’s whalers bound for Southern Ocean, Australia in less than a week. The aim of the action is to hunt and to do scientific research of a whale and the whalers are planning to hunt in all 60 endangered whales for their research. Then Australian have formed ‘Sea Shepherd’, an organization which tries to stop antiwhaling action and saves whales, has named Japanese whalers ‘Migaloo’, and Craig Stringer, the author of the article, disagrees with Japanese whaler strongly.

The article includes a lot of emotional appeals. Craig describes how whales will be captured and how they will be killed and researched, and tried to make the readers feel sympathetic and want to save whales. The descriptions are vivid and the readers can imagine the scene that whales are suffering easily, so probably most people will feel pity for them and agree with him.

Also, he mentions specific names of endangered whales such humpback whales and fin whales. It is easier for the reader to realize the situation and the word, ‘endangered’ can makes the readers want to save whales (because they are endangered), and make Craig’s opinions more convincing.

US-VISIT of Japan

New law that foreigners have to be taken their fingerprints and photographs every time when they enter Japan will carry out on November 20th by justice minister. A part of foreigners such people with permanent or children who are under 16, but this law is sure to become a annoying procedure for most foreigners.

This law does not work under a situation that the government does not have a database of fingerprints of terrorists in advance. If a member of al-Qaida entered Japan now, no one could notice that, because there is no data about him or her. So the government can not even suspect him or her and will overlook a person who may commit a crime.

Therefore I think this law will be effective to catch people who have already committed a crime and already be known their fingerprints by the government, but be unable to prevent terrorism.