Kanako's Blog Profile

About me

My name is Kanako. I was born and raised in Chiba prefecture. I have a 4-years-old son and a 6-years-old daughter.

Likes and Dislikes

I like listening to music and taking a walk and doing yoga. I hate cold places and noisy it.

Hobbies and interests

I've played the flute since I was ten years old. I'm interested in cooking and making cakes.

My New Year's Resolution

I make opportunity to perform the flute. At a first step, I played the flute last month at Christmas party of children's center. It was performance after long time. I'm planning the recital for close person with a pianist of my friend.

Posted for Kanako

Doh, a deer. My train hit a deer...

A nightmare journey I remember was three years ago, when I was only 13, going to Chiba to meet my granny.

Tokyo station - scary at night

I left Matsumoto at 6:45 by train. About three hours later, the train stopped at Tokyo. I waited inside the train for about fifteen minutes, but it didn't move. And then I heard an announcement that the train had crashed with a deer. The train couldn't move for about two hours. So I decided to take another train, but they'd all stopped already. I was too young, so I stayed at the station.

When I phoned my mum, she said to wait in the station. My mother's sister lives in Yokohama, so she came to Tokyo station to pick me up. In the end, I stayed in Yokohama for a night, and the next day I went to Chiba. I was very glad to see my grandmother and to be safe. The journey had taken 14 boring hours instead of four!

Posted for Tomoro

Jet setting around Japan

Where's Damian?

I hope that you've all had a grand Golden Week, letting loose and relieving any pent up stress.

I was one of the more fortunate souls and got over a week off! I made the most of it and went travelling around Chiba, Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and even a little bit of exploring closer to home. Had an absolutely amazing trip and would like to thank Jim for lending us his tent. We really would have been roughing it without it!

Replicating Tom's favourite movie scene

I won't go into  further details as there will be a guest post from my friend Tom (once he finishes his 30 hour transit home!), who I am grateful for putting up with me during our travels.

I took my fare share of photos, so if you're interested in having a look, here's a link to my album on Facebook (should be able to access without a Facebook account). 

Tomoro's summer holiday report

Mount Jōnen from Mount_Akaiwa 赤岩岳から望む常念岳 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In my short summer holiday I went to climb a 2986m mountain called Jonendake with my mum. It was very easy to climb because it wasn't so high. At the top of the mountain we took some photos of the beautiful mountain scenery. The weather wasn't so bad but, it was raining a little bit. We stayed for one night in a lodge at the top of Jonendake, and we ate a good hot dinner of hunberger, rice, miso soup, vegetables and jelly for dessert.

I also went to my grandmothers' houses in Chiba and Kanami. In Chiba I saw a Japanese samurai film called Ruroni Kensin. It was really enjoyable because the samurai Kensin, the star, was a very cool killer. The rock music was super and the fighting was very glory. In Kanami I tidied my grandfather's room, which took a long time as it was really untidy. I also watched a lot of the high school baseball tournament on TV. All of the games were good. My grandmothers were very happy to see my face and I was happy to see them.

I had a very good time this holiday, but next year I will have a high school entrance exams so I won't be able to play much then.

Massive deja - vu: Akihabara station

I had one of those "hair prickling on the back of my neck" moments this evening, walking along the platform in Akihabara station towards the Sobu line for Shinjuku. It really was a "wow, I have done this before" feeling. Unlike deja-vu, I can actually remember when I did this before: exactly twenty (yes, 20) years ago.

Image via Wikipedia

Do you want to know something that makes it extremely weird? I was wearing the same jacket (rarely worn since) that I bought for interviews - always wore back then as my 'teacher uniform' because I didn't actually know how to teach but figured I needed to look the part. Yes, the jacket is a bit tighter now than it used to be...maybe I should wear it more often?

I used to grab a bowl of noodles on the opposite platform after my last class, once a week, teaching Phillipina hostesses on cultural visaes, just around the corner on Showa dori. I didn't have to speak to get food - it was one of those vending machine jobs outside; coins in, ticket out, noodles on counter. Just enough time to wolf that down, before making the last train 'home', all the way around Tokyo Bay Kemigawahama (nr Makuhari) in China, with the drunks and the porno manga reading losers.

Strewth. 20 years? Same clothes. That says a lot doesn't it?! My last trip to Akihabara then had been to buy a 'ghetto blaster', before I escaped the crap job, crap money, crap flat-mates, crap lifestyle to get "gaijinned" constantly in Suzaka. Consolation prize there was discovering a beer machine outside my apartment; drawback was the Arctic blast delivered from the long-drop khazi in a very cold winter, and the even colder flatmate Barbara I had to pretend I didn't hate. God, she was a miserable cow!

Absolutely twenty years ago, pretty much to the weekend. Thanks Dad, for lending me the cash to survive that first week in Tokyo - bought that jacket down the side of tracks in the famous markets beside Ueno station. Serious decision then was "food or clothes?" - so, again, nothing new!