Hello everyone! Hope you’re all recovering from the new years holiday.
I had a really great time in Ehime at my parents place. So much so that it’s been a struggle getting back into work-mode this week. But somehow I got through the week. I’m hoping next week will be a little bit easier because it’s a four-day work week.
Anyways, here are some photos from Ehime:
Every day started and ended with these mikan in Ehime.
Ehime is known for their delicious mikan (mandarin oranges). We buy them by the boxes because we all love eating these mikan during the winter. Our family of six ate a total of two store bought 10kg boxes in a week. Not to mention the other mikan we ate from the trees growing in the yard (pictured above).
But I did manage to pry myself away from the box of mikan and get out and about for a bit. On the last day of the year, I was still making my nengajo and in the evening I made a mad dash to the town post office to make it in time for the mail pick-up. I took a detour around the local port before heading back home to watch the Kohaku show on TV with the family.
Watching this NHK program has become kind of a tradition…my parents tell us stories and information about the older singers and my sister’s keep us up-to-date on who is who in the younger generation. Since I don’t have a TV in my apartment, I don’t have any information to offer so I usually just sing along with all the songs that I know. All the while eating mikan, of course 🙂
Do you have new years eve traditions? Did you watch Kohaku this year (if you’re in Japan)?
Tiny flowers growing in our yard.
I love these old wooden walls.
Not only do we eat mikan, we include them in our new years decorations, too!
Small boats just bobbin around in the water.
Notice the number four is missing.
We had amazing sunsets.
Toshi-koshi Soba and the NHK Kohaku show.
We rose extra early on new years day to see the first sunrise…isn’t it pretty? 😀
Kaori Square Feet 
Sounds like a good holiday. I didn't have any mikan and didn't watch kohaku that night but I did watch kohaku later. Usually I watch Gaki no Tsukai instead.
LikeLike
The pink flowers look like red clover. People make a tea of the dried flowers. It is used as a detox or “blood purifier.” Knowing that, a long time ago I just munched on the fresh red-clover flowers growing on a hillside of the property of a late friend living in the mountains of Nagano. Pretty good. More information here.
The canal sunset looks like, yet even more beautiful, than something by my favorite woodblock-print artist Kawase Hasui. One example here.
Did you ever wonder how the tiles fit together like on the top of the wooden wall and above the sliding doors? Probably not.
I love the heavenly rays in your bottom photo.
LikeLike
A nicer version of Kiba Dusk here. Still, I like your image much better.
LikeLike
By the way, how is your cousin M doing? From the photo (not always a good source to judge such things) she looked like she might have been still more of an observer of the family than a participant. That always takes time. Let’s hope she makes many good new memories while still holding on to the good past memories.
LikeLike
Beautiful photos, as always! The sunset and sunrise pics are amazing.
We used to watch Kohaku when we were in the States but now, not so much. Isn't that weird? We do eat toshikoshi soba though!
LikeLike
New Year in South Africa? Celebrated on a beach with a barbecue and beer, and wearing as little as possible. 😉
LikeLike
This New Year in Tokyo was probably the quietest I've ever had: cocooning at home, recovering from a rough year, preparing for the next one. I stalked Sky Tree one day, and I went temple-hunting on another day. Enough. 🙂
LikeLike
This is lovely! I wish I could have celebrated New Years with mikan, but we don't have them in the Caribbean 🙂 When I was in Japan in 2009, it took me awhile to notice all the missing “4”s. Kind of like all the missing 13th floors in North America, ne?
LikeLike
There was a time when all us kids were in school and we switched over to watch Gaki-tsuka as well. I find it so amazing how the concept is always exactly the same and yet it is so hilarious to see over and over again! But I think we've mellowed down and just let our parents choose the program now 😀
PS: You can't go through winter holiday without eating mikan!
LikeLike
They do look like red clover, except much smaller and round. I remember we had these back in Michigan, too. Maybe they are related to red clovers?
I actually have an uncle who can re-tile roofs, although I've never had the chance to help out. Would be interesting to see one day for sure!
Winter is a great time to see beautiful sunsets, in my opinion 😀
LikeLike
Thank you for asking, I hear they had a big relative get-together down in Okinawa for the new years holiday 😀
LikeLike
How did you watch kohaku in the states? Funny how somethings work out, right?
We actually ate toshikoshi-udon because we all like udon more that soba! Hey, it's a noodle! ;D
LikeLike
Well that sounds amazing. And although you may not have the tradition, the hatsu-hinode in South Africa is something fantastic! 😀
LikeLike
Well that's what new years holidays are about. Doing absolutely nothing guilt-free. I just ate and ate and ate at home…and gained a good 3.5kg just in a week! It should keep me warm for the rest of the winter. Ha 😀
LikeLike
Rika, thank you so much for your comment! (So sorry the reply is late!) I would imagine the Caribbean has a variety of other tropical fruit that you can't get here in Japan!
Yes, the number four is exactly like the number 13! Isn't it odd how superstitious we are when it comes to buildings? I have to wonder if there is a bad luck number in the Caribbeans? ;D
LikeLike
I've been watching Gaki for a while too and while some jokes are not so funny anymore, some are just priceless.
PS: I don't need mikan in the winter. I'm just weird that way.
LikeLike