SUMMER
Thursday, 28 June 2018
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
BELATED SUMMER: HOUSHI ONSEN
Saturday, 7 October 2017
So, my last post was belated spring post and now it is time for belated summer. It's already October and is starting to feel so much more autumn.
This year we had a rather strange summer weather-wise, we had many really hot days but we also had many not-really-that-hot days and it was so much easier. (I mean when compared with previous years, summer had been insanely hot and intolerable.)
Anyway, this summer I had a mini brake and went on a little trip to this gorgeous onsen ryokan - hot spring inn. Our lovely friends from Melbourne Michelle and Steve were travelling around Gunma and R and I joined the two. I had been really looking forward to visiting this ryokan Choju-kan at Houshi Onsen and to see this beautiful architecture built in the Meiji period - 140 years ago.
This secret onsen is at the very end of the road so deep in the mountain in the Minakami area in Gunma prefecture. So quiet and peaceful surrounded by nature, it was just so incredible.
END OF RAINY SEASON
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Yesterday, it was announced that the rainy season has officially ended and now our real summer is starting in Tokyo - tsuyu ake - 梅雨明け。
This year's tsuyu (rainy season) had been so strange, we had so many thunderstorms which has never been common for Tokyo to have at this time of year. Climate is changing a lot over the recent years, this rainy season in Tokyo really reminded me of Darwin where I spent the whole school year when I was 15.
It's funny but I think of my year in Darwin a lot lately. Probably because I recently wrote a story for The Best Wishes Magazine in their Tokyo Chapter to share the story of life and thoughts in and about the city as one of the Tokyo creatives.
When Nana, a lovely Norwegian girl who have just graduated from University in Tokyo, came to take some photos for this project and we were chatting about her life in Tokyo, how it must have been so different and challenging for her coming here all the way from Norway so young and all on here own - she is doing amazingly well - I could not help but relate myself many many years ago as a young girl travelling to Australia all on my own.
I never talk about these experiences anymore, it's been so long and I sometimes almost forget that I even once did that. It was not always easy, especially when I first got there as an exchange student at high school studying together with local teenagers, no one cared if I came from Japan. I was badly homesick but none of my friends had email address and of course there was no sms.... Oh why am I talking about this??? I am not sure, oh yes, the rainy season! Haha. The monsoon weather brought me back some harsh memories! I want to give little 15 year old me a pat on the back whenever I remember that year, that one year made me strong and because I made it through that one year I had more amazing opportunities and experiences later in Melbourne :)
Now I really forgot what I initially was going to write about in this post but thank you if you have read through this rambling talk..! I need to give my brain some good rest I think, been working too hard forever now.
I hope you are enjoying Summer (or Winter)!
LAST BIT OF SUMMER
Saturday, 14 September 2013
Cricket chirping was replaced by that of cicadas and it felt like autumn for a little while, but summer is back and is still sticking around. Even cicadas are back. But hopefully this will be the last post talking (or complaining) about summer, I've had it. Although...I finally took the film to have it developed so I may be posting some photos from this summer later. Hope that's okay ;)
Earlier this month, I launched a new website for my online store, it took me so long to finally have it up since I started thinking about and working on it, like over 3 years ago.... When you are your own client and have no deadline it can take forever and it seemed it will never be done but it's done and I'm so pleased. I hope you will pop by and have a look if you have a moment --> uguisustore.com
I have a limited section for selling international artists works which I sell in my tokyo store, currently listed are lovely potholders by Renilde and postcards by Mary. I had Ros's zine too but it's already sold out! You can still order it directly from Polkaros shop.
Another thing..., lovely Ishtar asked me to do an interview for her charming blog a little while ago and it's up on her blog now, I'm talking about my shop and some thoughts behind it as well as little about my life in Tokyo. Thank you Ishtar for putting it together so nicely, and even with Spanish translations!
UGUiSU♥ on Ishtar Olivera
I hope you are all enjoying the lovely change of the seasons, either moving to autumn or spring.
And happy weekend!
Hiki
xx
SUMMER, ON INSTAGRAM
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Summer in Tokyo..... I'm sure I've told you enough times how hot and horrible it is over the past 4 summers since I started my blog. It even seems to get worse each year, I think it actually is getting worse. It's so hard to sleep through the night without waking up at least a few times, either feeling cold or hot and having have to change the setting on air-conditioner each time I wake up. By the time a morning arrives I am exhausted. Not a pleasant thing to hear about I know. The worst is gone and we can feel that the end of summer is not too far away now, which is VERY good.
Although enjoying Tokyo summer never feels such an easy thing for me, I must say I love lights in summer nights. Lanterns from summer festivals (bon-odori), catching glimpse and hearing sound of the fireworks shows happening here and there accompanied with frozen daiquiris and cold beers - perfect.
The other day I had a lovely fun mini evening picnic with Ebo-chan at Saigoyama Park in Daikanyama. It was another hot hot day but there was really nice breeze and it was so nice. I even enjoyed walking home from the park.
Oh summer, we never get on but you do entertain me lots now I realise writing this post. But I will be so glad when you will be gone and Autumn arrives, though I know I will feel just a tiny bit sad when you really go.
RECENTLY, ON INSTAGRAM - JUNE
Monday, 1 July 2013
So, June is gone and it's already July....! I haven't had a proper day off for so long now, but that doesn't mean I am not enjoying life. We're still in the rainy season but we're not having that much rain this year, I wonder what the real summer that is soon to arrive will be like. Horridly hot and humid, that will be for sure.
Recently, on Instagrarm - Late Summer
Saturday, 15 September 2012
I have been really busy with my client works which resulting in me not taking so much photos lately, even on Instagram... but here are some from September! Mostly taken around home including some very enjoyable reading matters: WILDER QUARTERLY, Mjolk and the latest issue of Smith Journal which just arrived yesterday.
How has your September been? Hope you are all enjoying it!
Hiki
p.s. My instagram id is hiki_k if you would like to follow me please! You can find me on facebook too, and please also check out my shop as I have many new items added recently! Thank you :)
SUMMER LIGHTS & SUMMER GREENS
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Strong summer sunshine and the extreme heat are still around. Tokyo summer and I never get along. But I must admit that I do love the summer lights -especially the late afternoon sun- and summer greens, a lot.
Lots have been happening around here, all happening so fast. I will tell you all about it soon, hopefully before summer ends.
Happy Late Summer to you all!
Hiki
x
SUMMER, ON INSTAGRAM.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Yes it's summer. August in Tokyo is probably the least fave month, the heat and extreme humidity take away all my energy... but actually the last couple of days have been actually quite nice and I wish it will always like this the entire month.
This morning I thought of Nagasaki. I thought of my grandparents who were there so close in the city, as newlyweds, who saw the flash and the blackness, who then survived. I thought of what happened there 67 years ago. Made my heart ache.
Listening to Priscilla Ahn makes me feel calm.
Happy Summer to you all♡
Recently, on Instagram.
Friday, 6 July 2012
It's going to be very random but I hope you bear with me.
I always take the same photo when I go here.
My favourite bakery had the first anniversary and they gave me this happy face anpan :)
I used to hate tomatoes, until quite recently, but now I love them. Miracle does happen?
One morning I woke up to see these on the table and it made me smile.
Although we are in the middle of the rainy season, we've had many days with sunshine. (definitely not today.)
Trying some new tea.
Found a great place for great coffee.
And then we found an amazing forest (park) -best discovery of the year- and I can't wait to go back! (the tanabata decoration there was so pretty.)* * *
So it's already July.
This month my shop UGUiSU turns 3 (!!) and so I am having an anniversary sale, you can use the code UGUISU3YEARS and receive 15% off entire store so if you are in need of some washi tapes, wrapping papers, other Japanese paper goods, kitchen towels etc., it's a good time to stock up on them :)
Happy July to you all!
.
End of Summer
Friday, 23 September 2011
September had still been really hot in Tokyo until last weekend, but this huge typhoon that just went through seems to have brought the cool change. It was the biggest typhoon I had ever seen and it did a lot of damage in the west part of Japan and caused panic in Tokyo last night. It was really scary but phew it's gone!
I couldn't update my blog for long as I had been swamped with work. Life is not much fun when work takes too much of it, when work gets too much to enjoy :( So tonight I went over some of the photos I had taken this summer and posted them to remember the fun bits of the past month or so, before summer goes far away. My niece was here from Sendai during her school holidays and we laughed a lot. It was colourful too :)
I hope you are having a lovely autumn (or spring)!
Tokyo Summer Days 02
Sunday, 24 July 2011asagao (morning glory) from potted garden
"green-curtain" growing
spider web after the rain
"ho-o-zuki" (Chinese lantern plant)
"green-curtain" growing
spider web after the rain
"ho-o-zuki" (Chinese lantern plant)
We've had a few cooler days last week and it was really great my plants seem to have enjoyed a nice break from the extreme sun too. I secretly wished that the summer will just end like that but it doesn't work that way we still have to put up with the awful summer in Tokyo for a bit longer before autumn arrives. I really can't wait till when summer finally ends.
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