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Special issued Japanese Post Stamp

Every year, many kinds of special stamps are published in Japan
celebrating events (of course Tokyo Olympic Games 2020).
For example, last year (2018) more than 50 kinds of stamps published!

These themes are covering many fields such as Animals, Cities, Historical Heritage, Landscapes, Foods, Arts,etc.

And their size and color
and shape (not only square but circle, animal shape, etc) are very variable.

About the above stamps, most of all,
its painting patterns are very traditional and beautiful.

The gold fantasy bird called 'Houou' gives us noble image.

The flowers called 'Kiku' is the symbol of Japanese Emperor Family
which has continued for more than 2000 years!

It's very interesting to send letters
choosing stamp designs according to your family or friends's characters.
They will feel fine with your good choice!

You know, Japanese Summer is very steamy and hot.
Sorry, but we don't prepare Air-conditioner in our guest house.
Because we hope you to experience the simple life of our ancestors
and non-electric power life as much as possible.

To escape this hot summer,
We prepare Wind Bells which have a big power
to make you to feel more cool.

Wind Bell: made with 2 parts, a bell & a strip.
The strip moves by wind and ring the bell.
This strip made of mosaic wood paper, very beautiful.

Please enjoy their cool sounds (Click here)!
Off course, only when the wind is blowing, bells ring.

Uhhm.. That's a nice sound similar to the Autumn insects singing.
The sound makes us Japanese feel cool.
How about you?

And there are many variations of the wind bell design .

The material of the bell in the above photo is made of steel.
But sometimes you can see the ones made of glass.

Glass made.
At a glance you feel more cool?
The bell made of glass painted with the pictures like gold fish, fire works, flowers, river, sea, etc.

And watch to the design of the strip, too.

Which do you like better, of steel bell or glass bell ??
I think the sound of the steel one is better than the glass one.

These wind bells are small (20 cm) and very light and not so expensive ($20-30).
We recommend you to buy them for Japanese summer memories.

When you select, don't forget to check its design and more, its sound!

Before, I wrote about Bamboo-Child (hidden under the ground) suitable for eating.
Bamboo over the ground is too firm to eat for human beings,
although Giant Panda looks to like it very much! Ahaha...

But Bamboo as materials is very useful
because it is soft and easy to bend and easy to change its shape.

We Japanese can make useful tools by bamboo.
But firstly, we have to cut up bamboo stem into thin pieces like a straw.

Next, we knit them by hands like this;

This basket is very useful for keeping vegetables dry.

How about this flower vase?

painted bamboo flower vase

Next, how about these Lamp shades (Lantern) ?

Bamboo is very soft, it's easy to hole

Our guest house has a Bamboo Forest.
We have a plan of event making some goods by bamboo materials.

When we could decide its event schedule, we'll inform you on this HP.
Please check and join us.

Bye.

Have you ever tasted 'Miso Soup' ?
You can surely find this menu in Sushi or Japanese restaurants.

Now, let's try to make 'Miso' by ourselves.
Easy but it takes much time. Let's enjoy!

Soy beans kept in the water for 1 night for softening

Prepare soy beans and boil
until you can easily crush them by your fingers!

Mash the soften beans till the paste!

Mix well mashed beans and Kouji (molted rice) and sea-salt.
Lastly, for escaping mold, put sea-salt on the top.

This working, you have to do during the cold winter.

And...you have to wait more than half a year for ferment over hot summer.
In August (Mid summer in Japan), open the lid!

White one is mold

Woh! Good condition!
Remove the white mold carefully and mix well again.
And close the lid again and keep it until the new winter coming!

We are preparing home made Miso in our guest house.
Please try to make Miso-Soup by yourselves.

In the near future, we will teach you its soup recipe.
We have many variations for Miso-Soup with vegetables.
And off course, good for your health, because of made from soy beans.

Bye.

Welcome to Bamboo Forest of our guest house!

Every early spring, we are expecting to eat Bamboo-Child hidden under the ground!
Have you ever eaten them?

Bamboo trees grow very fast,
so, the period of digging them is very limited.
Bamboo trees over the ground are too firm to eat.
Only soft Child is suitable for eating.

But, it is very difficult to find Bamboo-Child hidden under the ground.
Additionally, its roots are very hard to dig up.
That's why, it's special for us!

Oh! for 1 hour, just this 1 piece!

Next, peel the skin and boil them.

You must boil them as soon as possible, for good taste!

My favorite cooking of Bamboo-Child as below:

Nuta

Green onion & Bamboo-Child both only boiled.
And add 'Miso' with Sugar, Vinegar & Mustard.

Do you know Miso? which is multi seasoning made from soy beans.
Without this seasoning, we cannot cook anything! very important item!

Uhmm... Delicious!
Next spring, join us to dig and cook and eat!!

We Japanese love Bamboo-Child
but love Bamboo-Adult(?), too!
Because It' s very useful !
On the other page, refer to its special talents.

Bye.

Japanese Old house is basically made of natural materials
like Wood(wall), Paper(door), Grass(roof, floor), Clay(wall, floor), etc.

Photo of our guest house (Entrance) before reconstruction

Look at our Guest House Doors (before reconstruction).

There are 2 types.

One is 'SHOJI' mainly made of thin paper
which can gain the sunshine indirectly
same as the curtains in the western houses.

The other is 'FUSUMA' made of thick paper
which shuts out outside sunshine and noise,
more suitable for private zone.

Please take care when you open these paper doors,
because papers easily broken.

Especially SHOJI-Paper is very very delicate!
In fact, you see some holes of paper, don't you!

Every year end, we Japanese renewal these papers of SHOJI
for celebrating the new year.
This is our culture.

This picture is the landscape of the rice field,
at the left side, you can see our guest house far away.

Do you like Japanese white-rice?
I believe that Japanese rice is the best all over the world! Sweet & Tasty.

Chonan-town is famous for good rice producing area.

Now, Rice-seeds (called ‘Inaho’ in Japanese) are well growing up.
In a few weeks, they will be cut and dried,
and we can taste new-rice in early September.

Please don’t miss the new-rice (only in the autumn),
which is very very tasty, the most delicious!
We Japanese specially call this season’s rice `Gin-Shari’ (Silver-Rice).

Next, let’s go around walking.

In a few minutes walking, you can enjoy this landscape, ‘Field of Lotus’
The above picture in the late afternoon (No flowers).

The flowers of Lotus only bloom in the early morning,
So, please try to get up early and enjoy flowers.
You would enjoy their good smell, too.

Do you know that the roots of Lotus-flower (called ‘Renkon’ in Japanese)
can be eaten? Have you ever tasted them?

Very delicious!  After flowers in Summer,
their roots under the water will be cut during from Autumn to Winter.

In Japan, many variations of Renkon cooking,
I ‘ll introduce in the future at this blog.

Bye!