Korean BBQ

I was so excited !!
It was first time that my mom saw Kel and Kathy!
We went to Korean restaurant.
AND we ate a lot... too much...:(

I think it was first time that Kel and Kathy ate Korean food.
They really like Korean food.

When I ate Korean food, I remembered my birthday party.
Steve and Tiffany, Anna took me Korean restaurant.
I wish you were here, Anna!
I miss you... I hope you will come back soon!

Nice food, nice talking, nice friends...everything is great here!
Funny picture!

Welcome to Japan, Kel and Kathy!

Tiffany's parents Kel and Kathy came to Japan on December 23rd.
I saw them on Christmas Eve. They are so nice!

I went out with Steve and Tiffany, her parents, Mitsuru, Hiroto.
And we ate Takoyaki and Yakisoba, Okonomiyak...etc.
It was really good! I love Takoyaki:)

Everything is new for Kel and Kathy!
I hope they like Japan.

Yum yum Takoyaki!
Steve, Hiroto, Kathy, Kel, Maki, Tiffany, Mitsuru.
Maki, Tiffany, Kathy:)

Party season!

PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!
I had some parties with my coworkers.
Welcome parties, farewell parties, year-end party...

We ate a lot, drunk a lot, talked a lot...
It was really good time!
But I 'm afraid of putting on weight:(

My coworkers!
We are very good friends:)

Japanese culture

I went to watch "Noh" with my coworkers and my mom yesterday.
It was really good! I had never seen Noh and Kyogen before.
Noh is a classical Japanese performance.
Kyogen is the classical comic theater which balances the more serious Noh.
I am sorry, I can't explain about them well.

Click here! You can know about them!

When I was a little Maki, I danced Japanese dance like Geisha.
I really liked it. (That is why I can't dance in club. hehe.)
Noh and Kyogen are different from Japanese dance.
It was very gorgeous, but Noh and Kyogen are not gorgeous.
(Because most of player are men.)

It is Noh.
Noh playhouse
It is Kyogen.

Takoyaki party

We had "Takoyaki party" at Yuki's house.
Takoyaki is my favorite food:)

Matthew, I remember that you said to me you do not eat octopus.
But I'm sure you will like it!
It is very very very very yummy:D
I wanna eat takoyaki now!

Yuki's nephew Hinata wanted to eat takoyaki.
He is 3 years old, very cute boy.
He is very interested in Anna!
And he try to talk to her. But he did not understand what Anna said.
When Anna sang the Canadian national anthem, he tried to sing with her.
He was copy-cat:)

These are takoyaki.

Anna is making Takoyaki.

I am making takoyaki!

Hinata and me:)

Vacation in Kyushu

I went to Beppu in Kyushu with my mom and brother.
It's a spa town in south Japan.
Japanese people really like a spa. Of course, me too.

It is called "Ashiyu". It means "foot bath".

We took a picture with a demon!

We went to Safari park!

We took a picture with baby lion!
We had nice meal in Beppu.

Happy birthday to me!

Today is my birthday!! Happy birthday to me:)

I went to Rokko mountain and Kitano today.

My friend Brian took me there.

He gave me 22 pink roses! I was so surprised!!

I really like them:) They are so beautiful.

Japanese boys do not give flowers for girls often.

In fact, I had never gotten flowers from Japanese boys.

I told my friends (boys) about this present.

They are so surprised to hear it.

And they told me "we cannot give flowers for girls. We are shy!"

What do you think about it?

I think most girls will be glad to get flowers from boys.

Rokko mountain!

Teddy bear museum

★☆★Birthday Party★☆★

Steve and Tiffany, Anna had a birthday party for me!!
I was so glad and happy:)
(I still be 21 years old. My birthday is tomorrow!:-D)

I got very very very very nice presents!
Tiffany made a lemon cake for me:)
It was yellow and green, black...like Jamaican flag. Very cute.
Anna gave me a cool wrist band.
Steve & Tiffany gave me a perfume.
Mr.Tokimoto gave me a Hello Kitty's cake.

We had Korean food. It was so good!
After eating, we went to Round 1 to have a lots of fun!

Tiffany made this cake for me!

Roller skating!

We sang!

Tanuki ! Tanuki ! Tanuki !

I went to Shiga prefecture with my mom on October 27th.
There is mom's favorite Japanese restaurant in Shiga.
It was first time to me to go there.

The restaurant has a beautiful garden.

It is Japanese style. I really like it.

He is owner of this restaurant. He is VERY good cook!!

It is called "Dobin mushi". We can eat it only in Fall.
It is sashimi of flatfish (Sliced raw flatfish).
It is huge Tanuki!! What do you think it is?

....It is pottery store! Did you find entrance?

This is my favorite shop. So cute!

I took a picture with Geisya Tanuki.

She wears Kimono.

These are Tanukis!! Crazy!

Do you think "why are there many Tanukis in Shiga"?

Ok, it is easy. The maple syrup is popular in Canada.

Maybe most of the traveler buy it as souvenir.

Like that. Tanuki is popular souvenir there.

Danjiri in Tondabayashi city

I want to ask you which is the best crazy Danjiri?
Sayama city (I show you before) or Tondabayashi city (This one!).
I said our Danjiri is more crazier than Sayama Danjiri.

My friends Steve said to me "Sayama is the best ".
Because he lives in Sayama.
But he was wrong! He accepted I was right.
What do you think?

Anyway, Check it out! :)

And more...

Did you check it out?

I wish we could watch it together!

Japanese crazy festival "Danjiri"

I know there are many crazy festivals in the world.

I think it is one of them in Osaka area Japan.

Do you know "Danjiri"?

You don't know it yet!? Check it out right now:)

And more...

Did you check "Danjiri"? It's so cool:)

I watched it with my Canadian friends Steve & Tiffany, Anna.
Steve & Tiffany knew this festival, but Anna didn't know it.

We watched only 2 Danjiris in Sayama city.
Red lanterns team "Kawamukai" and white lanterns team "Maeda".
There are 13 Danjiris in Sayama city.
People was very kind who are in Red lanterns team.
One of them gave Anna special fan. So she have to cheer red team.
BUT Anna likes white team more than red team!
She said to me that there are many handsome Japanese men in white team.
I agreed with her. hehehe:D

An old man told me that this crazy festival is exorcism.
They drove away evil spirits!

We will watch Danjiri in another area (Tondabayashi city) next week.
Tondabayashi is my city, Sayama is Steve & Tiffany, Anna's city.
I think our Danjiri is better than Sayama Danjiri:D
It is more crazier than Sayama Danjiri.
My brother joined Tondabayashi Danjiri some years ago.

If I were a boy, I could pull it.
Because they prohibits girls from touching it.
Don't touch, Don't ride, Don't pull.
Did you watch it? Many girls cheered boys in front of Danjiri.
It is Japanese custom too.

Do you have a crazy festival like this in your country?

A special night

We (Japanese) had a special event last night.

It is traditional event to admire the moon.

The moon is very important for Japanese.

We think the moon is holy and mysterious, and BEAUTIFUL!

We have some stories about the moon in Japan.

Tradition says that there are some rabbits in the moon.

They make "Mochi". Mochi is Japanese food.

There are some rabbits in the moon.
They are making "Mochi".

Tradition says that There is a princess in the moon.

She was born in the bamboo in the earth.

Old man and woman brought up her in the earth.

When she grew up, the messengers came to the erath from the moon.

They wanted to take her to the moon.

Her foster parents and many soldiers fought with the messengers.

But they took her to the moon.

Princess and her foster mother.

I made "Dango" last night. Do you know it?
It is Japanese sweets, yummy!
We offered special Dango as sacrifice to the moon last night.

Do you wanna try it?

♡♡♡My sweet darling♡♡♡

"No good to have lots of beautiful things,

because I'm scared to lose them.

But I want you, I want you, I want you,

even if you love someone else.

I don't care if you don't know why the clearsky is blue,

but I want you to know why my cheeks are pink...

Darlin', Darlin', can I come close to you?

And can I talk to you?

Darlin', Darlin', can I hope you love me?

But if you say NO!

I will love you."

It is Japanese song! The title is "My sweet darlin'"

I like this song:) but I think a little strange English.

What do you think about this song?

I kissed him♡♡♡

I am a Japanese girl!

I went shopping with my mom at Kimono store today.

I wore Kimono because I love Kimino:)

When I wore Kimono, I am glad I am Japanese.

Do you like Kimono?

Japanese women have pride in Kimono.

Which Kimonos do I match? Tell me your answer:)

This flower is called "Gekka bijin" in Japan.

It means "a beauty in the moon" because this

flowers bloom only 4 hours in summer night.

A design of Egypt in Kimono.

Mr.Nakaji is a designer of those Kimonos.

His name is Gakuryo Nakaji.

He is painting flowers for us.

He gave me a message.

"Dear Maki, I am glad to see your lovely smile.

I hope you keep your lovely smile. 9.22.2006"

He painted it for my mom.

It is flower of July because her birthday is July 4th.

He painted it for me.

It is flower of November because

my birthday is November 7th.

(My birthday is coming soon! I will become 22!)

warm me and make me happy!

I like to collect some socks lately.
Do you have some funny socks?

I painted my toe nails in summer but I cannot put on
sandal in autumn and winter.
I think it is good to put on funny socks in that season
because it warm me and make me happy:)
Awesome!!

Sponge Bob socks

Pencil socks
Cat socks

Tree socks

Happy birthday, Anna

Today was Anna's birthday. She became 29 years old.
She is my new Canadian friend.
We had her birthday party today.

Anna & me, Tiffany, Steve, Mrs.Nabeshima, Mr.Tokimoto

We ate "yakisoba" and "takoyaki".
Do you know them? These are so yummy:)
I really like them.

It is "yakisoba" which is made of Chinese noodles and vegetables,

meat, some fish and shellfish, sauce, laver, dried bonito, red ginger.

It is "takoyaki" which made of flour and egg, octopus, leek,

small coating of tempura, red ginger, sauce, dried bonito,mayonnaise.

Anna and her favorite Japanese man:)