Portugal🇵🇹 the Age of Discovery👘
NO.202 Portuguese Republic ポルトガル
The sponsor of this kimono, Fukusaya co.,ltd., is a confectionery company founded in Nagasaki in 1624. I LOVE their Castella and Monaka Wafers😋
Kimono by 松井眞夫 Masao Matsui
The monument of King Enrique, the ceiling of the chapel of the University of Coimbra, the tiles of the palace (azulejos), the almond flower, the tower of Belém and the Portuguese naval training ship, THE ship, SAGRES! These motifs focus on the culture and history of Portugal at the dawn of the Age of Discovery. The pattern, which is divided into large waves, is full of elegance and style.
Obi by 洛陽織物 Rakuyo Orimono Co., Ltd.
It was carefully woven using the hand weaving technique of Nishijin and the Saga Nishiki process, focusing on the pattern of the tiles known as azulejos.
Image Reference: kimono.piow.jp
The next country I will cover is Malaysia. Reason being, I got a Postcrossing card from Malaysia recently, I was so thrilled that she wrote part of the message in Malay! Isn't that the great encouragement to be the next?
Germany🇩🇪 harmony between digital and analogue👘
NO.190 Federal Republic of Germany ドイツ
Kimono by 林克彦 Katsuhiko Hayashi
The theme of the kimono is the harmony between digital and analogue, focusing on the Bauhaus, a representative of modern Germany, and combining it with classical music. The rhythmic movements captured by the artist of Beethoven's 'moonlight' are expressed as waves. The cornflower, Germany's national flower, is depicted as a cogwheel, creating an image of Germany's development in heavy industry.
Obi by 紫紘 Shiko Co., Ltd.
The design is based on animal motifs provided by the sponsor Steiff. The designs using Baumkuchen and teddy bears were arranged so that when the obi is tied, it reveals a different animal on the front and back. It was made by hand by Nishijin artisans. A stuffed animal nibbling on Baumkuchen is also included in the design, which shows the artist's humour.
Image Reference: kimono.piow.jp
Next up is Portugal, home to some of my hilarious friends!
a total of 213 Kimonos👘
For Kimono Project, they have created kimonos related to 207 countries and regions: 206 countries and regions of the National Olympic Committee + 1 refugee team. This was because they were to be shown at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo2020 Olympics.
A total of 213 kimonos, including the constituent countries of the UK, for example England and other teams participated in the Rugby World Cup Japan in 2019.
To show my respect for Postcrossing's joint initiative with Deutsche Post, Postcards for a good cause 2021, the first country I will work on translating will be Germany🤞
youtu.be
⬆️You can see all 213 kimonos in this YouTube clip.
in honour of Kimono Project
I have a deep respect for Kimono Project and have included the URL in my postcrossing bio. However, I noticed that the introduction pages
kimono.piow.jp
for each country are in Japanese, so I will try to translate some of them. With today's technology, I'm sure you can translate them yourself, but I'll try to add my own twist to the translation! I'll take you through them in my order, but please let me know if you have any requests. You can enjoy all the kimonos here: youtu.be
my hair is exploding every morning
Recently I wake up in the morning and my hair is exploding. I've had a short cut since last year and it's easy to manage, but when I look in the mirror I can't help but wonder why it's happening. Maybe it's because I sleep so deep in my duvet?
For more than three whole years, I never went to the hairdresser and cut it myself when it got a bit long. The main reason for this was that I didn't want to spend the money and time on making myself look good. It felt like a betrayal to my mother, who loved to dress up but could no longer go to the hairdresser.
I know that there is no point in thinking like that, since a year ago I think I finally started to break free of this self-imposed stranglehold. My mind moves slowly, but like a bulb growing in the ground, it seems to be moving steadily in the right direction. It was only this month that I had this thought: Maybe I am about to finish overcoming the wall of the grief work.
this is December 🐎
International mail seems to have started to slow down these days. There has been very little activity in my postcrossing activities. At times like this it might be good to sort through the mail that has arrived this year 📬️
It's also December when the streets start to turn deadly, full of people wanting to get the good stuff - and the bad stuff even more so - done before the end of the year. That's why I feel overwhelmed when I go out around this season. But I will be one of those people who will be busily occupied because I want to get some things done in this month too. So, how are you?
am I born this way? - that's not good!
I'm going to write about my problems now. It is that I eat late at night. I know that I am not hungry. It is obvious that I am trying to settle down with a full stomach. I know the cause: mainly, you-know-who🤯 Now, I try not to see her, but I'm still involved in the background.
One morning, recently, I had a call from her care manager. He said she was not at home when he asked. He also said he had an appointment. Naturally I panicked and called everyone I could think of. Oh, as it turned out, she was fine! She had gone to the hairdresser.
I thought: Am I so worried about my grandmother that I run to eat, whether I see her or not, because I was born and love to worry about something? If my way of life is to live in search of something to worry about, that is very undesirable.
I had my physical the other day and it confirmed my weight gain↗️ I told myself it was due to strength training,
a certain fact: muscle is heavier than fat🙄
but there's no hiding the fact that certain trousers are flat!
happy Mondays
Since October, mail can only be delivered on weekdays, except for express mail and other specially designated mail. This has made opening the mailbox on Mondays even more exciting.
Today I had two postcrossing cards from Australia and Hong Kong, and some adverts and notices. I also had a couple of emails in my e-mail inbox.
One of them was from the Postcrossing Fellow Rüdiger mentioned in this post, who introduced my blog. Please take a look at it, it's very generous of him. It's great to have visitors to my blog, but it's also very encouraging to receive feedback.
www.muenchenkabel.de
The other emails I received were from some of my friends, and I feel like I could fly to the moon when I think about the fact that they all took time out of their precious weekends to write to me.
I'll try to answer some of the questions by them on my blog in the near future as I think it's great to share them here. I'm always on the lookout for something to write about! Thank you all who visit here 😍 On Monday, from Japan, with love.
a slight disadvantage, maybe
Recently I've been informed that I need to renew my driving licence. It is given as long as you take a short course where you can hear about recent traffic conditions. A good driver with no offences will have a gold licence which has a gold line. The order of promotion is green, blue and gold. I don't drive, which is undoubtedly a slight disadvantage when living daily life in a provincial city. But it's more painful to feel anxious about my own driving, I've even forgotten how🙃
Rüdiger's blog: Postcard Postcrossing
Today I'd like to introduce you to a blog of a fellow Postcrossing member, Rüdiger with his permission. He describes each card he has received, and when I read it I can relive the experience as if I had received the card myself. I think his blog is a great way for people who haven't been to Postcrossing to get a feel for what it's like.
Personally, I find that many of male participants seem to have a systematic and unemotional way of dealing with their postcards, in a good way. And I also have the impression that there are more male participants who are collectors of postal items like stamps or something.
It is also interesting to note that he doesn't stop at receiving postcards, but introduces them in his posts, and even creates categories such as The postage stamp of month and The postcard of the month. You'll find other amazing posts there too!
It's up to the person to make things fascinating, and I'd like to learn a lot from him, thank you Rüdiger🙌
ASMR
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response
A term I only recently discovered. There seems to be no Japanese word for this word other than the literal translation. A friend of mine told me about it. That's how she described the reaction she felt when she opened the envelope that I sent. I like to listen to the sound of a rushing river or the crackle of a fire on YouTube, and now I know that these things can also be described as ASMR.
Postcrossing December Writing Prompt: What would you do if you won the lottery?
I look forward to writing on a theme each month, but this one doesn't interest me, so I'm going to take a break. Sometimes this is just the way it is, isn't it?
Have a happy December🎄
my pen, in bold
The pen I use to write my letters and postcards is a Japanese ballpoint pen produced by Mitsubishi Pencil. The pen is marked on the barrel 'for office and address writing' (in bold, black, waterproof).
What I like most about it is that the ink comes out smoothly. As I studied Japanese calligraphy, I prefer to hold the pen lightly and let the writing flow.
By the way, does the colour of the ink have any meaning to you? In Japan it is common to use black ink for everything. Blue is not used.
the start of the knitting season
I received a small request and decided to knit for the first time this season. The weather is getting colder and it's nice to touch the yarn. When I went through my stash of yarn and knitting needles, I unearthed the remnants of last season's unfinished projects, which reminded me that, as with making clothes,
you have to get the materials just before you start...!
At the beginning of the knitting season I made a promise to myself. Unless I finish all these yarns, I won't buy any more.
suspension of entry to Japan
(1 January 2022, Postscript)
I found out much later that the strict measures had been lifted after JUST two days. For the latest information, click here.
www.mofa.go.jp
📌
I leave this post as a log🌬️🚫
In response to the unprecedented spread of the new Omicron strain of coronavirus, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on 29 November 2021 that all countries will be banned from entering Japan for the foreseeable future.
The entry of foreigners will be banned worldwide from midnight on 30 November. Japanese nationals returning from countries where an Omicron strain has been identified will also be required to quarantine themselves in designated facilities.
This post will be automatically posted at the same time as the date changes in Japan, at which point the measures will begin. I am amazed at the swiftness of the Japanese government's response. I suppose this is a rare occurrence🇯🇵
