Tamaki SAITO（西東たまき）

Every school kids are looking forward to the summer vacation. The summer vacation is the longest school holiday, though in fact the regions where people experience heavy snow or tough coldness, winter vacation is the major holiday of the year and the summer vacation is just transient. However, summer vacation must be the most active and awaited holidays for everyone as it is the best season to visit the sea and mountains! In Tokyo region, for example, it starts from around 20th July until the end of August For compulsory education students – primary and junior high school – there ...

Every coast region have some beach resorts of which they are proud. The announcement of the termination of the rainy season is the notice of the arrival of the summer. People flock to the sunny beaches with families and friends. They enjoy dipping themselves into the sea water, sunbathing or play some beach sports.   Umi-no-ie The beach side will be filled with temporary cottages called ‘Umi-no-ie’ (beach house) Umi-no-ie provides various services for visitors to satisfy every kind of needs they would wish to have; shower and bathrooms, space to relax, and serves drinks and light meals. They are ...

Summer festival －Natsu-matsuri in Japanese － is one of the largest events in each community. Some of them are so prominent that attract a flock of visitors and tourists, even from abroad. But in fact, almost every local community holds their own summer festival. So just imagine thousands of summer festivals are happening throughout the season, throughout Japan. Such local-based Natsu-matsuri is a great opportunity for reconnection among the neighbours; people are too busy with each body’s activities － a person who lives in your next door doesn’t mean you can catch often.   But the day of the Natsu-matsuri ...

In the age of internet, sending a physical postcard seems to be outmoded. But the fashion still persists with some nostalgia. There is one greeting card specific for the middle of summer.   ‘Shochu-mimai’ greeting card is the postcard exchanged in the mid-summer   The main purpose is to share the sympathy in enduring the consecutive days of harsh heat and remind the recipient to take good care of him/herself. Actually, there is a great deal of potential risk for heat stroke in recent years, and basically there’s high risk for food poisoning and loss of appetite in summer.   ...

wimming lesson seems to be set as one of the crucial parts of the education in Japan. Every school usually is equipped with a swimming pool, and kindergarten will not complete their time-table without giving children a dip during the mid-summer Learning swimming at swimming club is one of the most popular activities that parents arrange for their small children, often for health purpose, as many parents claim that the children became tougher against cold after starting swimming lessons. Swimming in school curriculum starts in June in Kanto region. It is still in the middle of annual rainy season so ...

During the summer, people are keen to grow climbing plants such as morning glory and bitter guard most commonly, by the windows of houses or public buildings. Windows will eventually get covered all over with the ‘Green Curtain’. This is a very practical idea. Not only the green coverage produces cool breezy shades against the sun but furthermore, the transpiration from the plants will actually reduce the temperature of nearby area. It also contributes to the reduction of CO2. This idea is not a new. But it has grown as much mainstream event in recent years along with the rise ...

There is a wonderful treat perfectly fulfil your need of refreshment in extremely hot and highly humid summer in Japan. ‘Kakigouri’ is only a heap of shaved ice cubes yet it’s amazingly enjoyable. It is made of a large ice cube of pure water with no additions, only to shave like snowflakes it becomes a special treat in deed. Since it’s easy to melt for its delicacy, it is laden onto a bowl to the fullest yet it’s easy to eat up because they are very light. Over the heap of shaved ice, any syrup of your choice will be ...

‘Seikyo’ which is known as Consumers' co-operative is largely popular and common system among Japanese to enrol in all over the country. You may see boxes of foods and groceries placed at the entrance of houses or apartments on certain time and date. They are delivered to the members of the Seikyo, which is familiar with the name ‘CO-OP’, upon their orders. The system is like this member will place their orders weekly, choosing items from paper catalogue or via internet and receive the order on their specific date of the week. You may like to have a private delivery ...

‘Chawan’ is a collective noun for the ceramics used to serve meals. In many countries, dishes serve for anyone indifferently. Though in Japan, basic pieces of dishes – such as plates, bowls, cups, and so on, except large serving dishes and plates – are personalized. When a family takes meals, each of the family members uses their own chawan. The size of chawan is prepared to match the user The big daddy would need a bigger portion to eat so that his set shall be a larger one. Mother’s could be secondly large. For small kids, the smaller ones will ...

Despite its significance to the life and health, household chores are often under-evaluated as a work, just because its value is not easily recognised as in the way we hardly dare to acknowledge how much air and water mean to our lives. You may catch a hint of male chauvinism in Japanese tradition; access of women to the Sumo ground is strictly prohibited, daughters of Emperor Family cannot take the throne but they are rather dismissed from the royal family once they get married. You may be also suggested by the low rate of political and executive positions taken by ...