Hi there!

How are you doing everyone who is excited to read my next post? 

I am sorry, I said I will upload new post soon, but I never did it! 

Well, things around me is hectic and I lost goot time to re-start my blog. 

The reason why I started this blog is to improve and maintain my English skill by writing since I came back from Vancouver, Canada (yes, I lived in Canada for 6 months). 

However, this blog becomes a tiny tiny bit popular and now it's like not only for myself! 

I would like to update something interesting about Japan soon. (this time, seriously)

I think I want start this in December or from 2009. 

I am actually going to NYC for a week in December, so hopefully after that. 

Or I can do it today if I finish packing! 

Anyway, you will see.

mayuko from Discover Japan

Photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/discover-jp/

I uploaded the photos of Mountain climbing.

I will write about this later, so check the photos first!

New Announcement

Hello everyone who visits my blog, "Discover Japan".

Here is the news. I'm coming back soon!

I am thinking to renew my blog style and shere Japanese culture, my thoughts, photos and more.

So, I will post my articles constantly again.

I hope to have all of you again.

See you soon :)

Annoucement

Thank you for visiting my blog :) I like providing everything about my culture, Japan. Also, I think this is great to share ideas with you from all over the world.

Now, for some personal reasons, I will take a short break here. Hopefully, I can write my blog soon :) I will be back again!

Thanks for reading.

Shibuya

Photos of Shibuya

The Soul of Japan, Bushido

If you are ever fascinated by Samurai or Ninja, you definitely should read this book, called “Bushido (武士道)”. This book is not only talking about Samurai but also about how Japanese interprets matters and how they act against it.

Bushido is the book about “The Soul of Japan”. You could know the basis of Japanese soul a (Behavior, Loyalty, Duty, Education, Etiquette etc), and how special country Japanese is from this book. For example, when you give a present for someone, what do you say or do? Probably, you tell the person how nice the present is. However, Japanese people say “Tsumaranai Mono Desuga(つまらないものですが)” which means “Please accept my small gift” which might sound strange to some of you. Japanese people think that no gift is enough for the person who receives it. The gift is like a symbol of feeling toward the person.

The writer of Bushido is Inazo Nitobe (新渡戸稲造) who was painted in Japanese 5000 yen bill before. He was born in 1862 in Morioka prefecture, Northern Japan. He became a Christian in his agricultural school in Hokkaido. He went to Johns Hopkins University in the U.S and Universität Bonn in Germany. In 1891, he got married toMary Elkington who was an American. Inazo eventually became an administrative vice-minister for the United Nations. He wrote Bushido in English during his medical treatment. The book was translated into many languages, and it affected people all over the world.

I recommend this book even to Japanese people. This is interesting to see Japanese culture from the outside. Things we do is normal for us, but sometimes it is very special and even curious when it is compared to other countries. Check out this book, and find out Japanese soul!

Yokohama Bay Stars V.S. Hanshin Tigers

I went go baseball game again! Today's game was Japanese professional baseball game.

Hanshin Tigers V.S. Yokohama Bay Stars in Yokohama stadium.

Again, Japanese charactors on the board. Does anyone feel strange? lol

This is how Japanese baseball fun cheer up their teams. They sing all the time...

I was at Bay Stars side. You can see blue color all over. That's the team color.

The other side is Tigers'. Yellow is all over!

And this picture is after the moment Takahiro Arai in Hanshin Tigers acheived his 1000th hit!

Yokohama Bay Stars' Dance performance. The charactors look cute :) Their faces are star.

Today's game was awsome. After Arai's 1000th hit,

Timonori Kanemoto acheieved his 2000th hit!! What a great show!

He is 37th player who made the 2000th hit record in Japan. Omedeto!!

Sakura in Shinjukugyoen

I went to see Sakura(cherry blossoms) in Shinjukugyoen (新宿御苑) whish is huge and histrical park in Shinjuku ward in Tokyo. Here is about Shinjukugyoen.

Shinjukugyoen has 58.3 ha and the perimeter is about 3.5 km. Here is the map.

It was clowdy when I went there, but Sakura bloomed beautifully.

It was a garden for the Imperial Household, but became national park after war.

I think Japanese people are most crazy nation for Sakura.

People love to just watch and do Hanami party under the trees.

You can get in the part at 200 yen for an adult. I think sports stuff is not allowed, but you can lay down on the ground and relax, and even lunch :)

MLB Opening Game in Tokyo on March 25th!!

Tokyo Dome. It looks really beautiful at night with light up.

It was really crowded... I saw many people had snacks, bento, and beer in their hand. Before people enter the dome, they had baggage check.

People, people, people!! All seats are sold out on this day, of course.

Manny Ramirez in Boston Red Sox.

Kurt Suzuki in Oakland Athletics. His grandparents are from Japan. He is originally from Hawaii. I think nobody in Japan know about him until this match that there is a Japanese player in Athletics.

Here are Daisuke Matsuzaka!

Dice-K seemed pretty tense at the very begining of the game. he got a home run in the first inning. This is the moment, you really can's the ball though.

Is this information is only in Japan? My foreign friend said this is very Japanese.

The game was nice. I was concentrated on eating hot dog at first :P Anyway, I stayed there till 8th inning. I wanted to stay there but I had to leave there early to avoid crowed. In 10th inning, Okajima in Boston Red Sox pitched and won the game! (I'm sad I missed the inning!)

MLB Opening Game in Tokyo

On March 25th and 26th, there will be season openers in 2008 of Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics in Tokyo, Japan.

This is third time to have the opening game in Japan (NY Mets vs. Chicago Cabs in 2000, NY Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays in 2004)

Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox will be a starting pitcher.

I will watch the game on 25th. Hopefully I can show you some photos and write about the game soon!