Everyday I look at facebook and see one after another updates on the UAnimals page about the pets. In Japan, the news coverage is rather pro-Ukrainian, but in the rest of the world, I am sure there are many different reports depending on the position of each country. Still, attacks on unarmed civilians are not acceptable, and the pets are only victims.
We can only hope that both the dogs and their owners are safe. This is the least I can do, but I hope it will convey the message that there are people in faraway Japan who care about the dogs and their owners.
My wife had a tough time with adverse reactions both the first and second time, but I’m not sure about this time. She has been home for 3 hours after the vaccination and so far seems to be fine.
12歳と3日のこなつ、頂いたプレゼントで遊んでいます。
Konatsu, 12 years and 3 days old, playing with a gift she received.
I like the towel with her name and initials on it. Konatsu is living comfortably without any worries, but on the other hand, news of pets is coming from Ukraine, and I feel unbearable when I see articles about pets and not being able to evacuate because of them.
UAnimalsのfacebookから写真をお借りしました。
I borrowed the photo from UAnimals facebook.
誰かゴルゴ13の連絡先知らないかな？
Does anyone have contact information for Golgo 13? lol
Today is Konatsu’s 12th birthday. Konatsu became a part of our family when she was a puppy of about 5 months old, but it seems like it was just a while ago. We must be getting older too.
これはこなつが我が家に来て1ヶ月くらいの頃です。
This was about a month after Konatsu came to our house.
最近のこなつは少し足腰が衰え始めたか？と思えるような時もあります。例えば車に乗り降りする際に躊躇して、抱っこされるのを待つように動かずに待っていたり、家の階段で足を踏み外したり。ランでは元気に走るからまだ心配ないとは思うけど、気を付けて見守る必要はありそうだ。 Recently, Konatsu’s legs and feet have started to deteriorate a little. For example, she hesitates when getting in and out of the car. For example, when getting in and out of the car, he hesitates and waits without moving as if she is waiting to be carried, or she steps off the stairs at home. Konatsu runs well at the dogpark, so I don’t think we need to worry about her, but we do need to watch her carefully.
We have the Doll Festival on March 3. It’s the day to pray for healthy growth and happiness for young girls. Most families with girls display dolls called Hina-ningyo. This is my daughter’s doll, but it’s also for Konatsu.
All the parking lots in the city center were full because of the influx of tourists today. One by one, cars wandered into the alleys looking for a parking space, but…
裏道に入っても全て満車なのです。そういう私はどうしたかと言うと､､､
Even if you take the back roads, they are all full. So what did I do?
あるんですよねえ、これが(笑)
There is a parking lot that only the locals know about, lol.
ママの買い物を待つ間、私とこなつは人の少ない静かな所を散歩してきました。
While waiting for my wife to go shopping, Konatsu and I went for a walk in a quiet place with few people.
今日は人力車も大忙しのようだね。
It looks like the rickshaws are very busy today.
この辺りはちょっと歩くとお寺が沢山ある。ここ↑は蛭子神社、「ひるこじんじゃ」と読みます。 There are many temples in this area if you walk around a bit. Hereupon is Hiruko Shrine.
小町大路を歩いているところです。もう少し先まで歩くと
We are walking along Komachi-oji.
妙本寺の山門が見えてきます。
The main gate of Myohonji Temple came into view.
ここは静かで気持ちの良いお寺で、ここも頼朝や日蓮上人と関係が深いお寺だそう。
This is a quiet and pleasant temple, and I heard that this temple is also closely related to Yoritomo and Saint Nichiren. ※Yoritomo,he established Kamakura shogunate and was the very first general of the Kamakura shogunate.
境内には日蓮上人の像もある。
There is also a statue of Saint Nichiren in the precincts.
参道にこんな旗が立っていました。やっぱりねという感じ。
Kamakura is now a very popular tourist destination, and TV historical dramas are on the air. This is the flag that tells us that this temple is a place with a connection to that history.
賑わいはまだ序の口、おそらくGWの頃には凄いことになるんだろうね｡｡｡
It’s only the beginning of the crowds, but it will probably be great around the holidays in May.
In Japan, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has been reported in the news, but many people may feel that it happened far away. I can’t do anything about it myself, but since this is a blog where people from many countries visit, I would like to share at least my voice.
No war! Peace to Ukraine! In Russia, there is a “demand for Putin’s resignation” from within the military. Putin should resign immediately accordingly.
В Японии о российском вторжении в Украину сообщалось в новостях, но многие люди могут считать, что это произошло далеко. Сам я ничего не могу с этим поделать, но поскольку этот блог посещают люди из многих стран, я хотел бы поделиться с ними своим мнением.
Никакой войны! Мир Украине! В России среди военных раздаются требования, чтобы Путин ушел в отставку. Путин должен немедленно уйти в отставку.
I feel uncomfortable by the sudden news from Ukraine. There are several people who access this blog from Ukraine. I pray for your safety. And peace to Ukraine soon!
こなつも同じ気持ちです。
Konatsu is also filled with the same feeling of peace.
This is because my sister’s husband is fighting leukemia, and we are here to visit him. We left our home at 7:30 in the morning and arrived at Anjo at 12:00 in the afternoon.
We had about an hour before our appointment, so we decided to have lunch at Chou & Cream, a café that allows dogs, which we had checked out beforehand.
When we entered the store, there were many bottles of alcohol lined up on the shelves on the wall, which was different from a dog café. The owner told me that there are many people who come here at night with their dogs for a drink.
ワンコ用の食事メニューもあったので、こなつもここで軽く食事にしました。
There was also a food menu for dogs, so Konatsu had a light meal here.
There is a large park here with a nice view where you can take your dog for a walk. It was quite a nice place. It was a bit difficult to go back to Kamakura that day, so we decided to stay in the area. Since our purpose was different from the usual fun trip, we looked for a place to stay, hoping to get some sleep. As a result…
We decided to stay at Hatagoya Fukuroi. The price varies depending on the season, but this time we paid 9,900 yen per room, including tax. Considering it was the day before a national holiday, this was reasonable!
アメリカ映画によく出てくるモーテルみたいなものですね。
It’s like the motels that often appear in American movies.
It was quite comfortable, with two king-sized beds, a bathroom, and most of the other necessities. There are quite a few branches all over the country, and this was something I would be happy to use in the future.
Today is my wife’s day to go to the hair salon, so I dropped her off at Shichirigahama and decided to walk around Kamakura-Hiromachi Forest with Konatsu for about an hour and a half until she was done. I actually installed a pedometer app on my phone about a week ago, but I’m still up to about 8,000 steps/day. So, I decided to walk for exercise as well.
鎌倉広町緑地は市内で一番規模の大きな森で総面積は48ヘクタールだそうな。
Kamakura Hiromachi Forest is the largest forest in the city, with a total area of 48 hectares. (48 hectares is equivalent to 118 acres)
ではいつもの広場の駐車場に車を置いて、さあ出発！ 後ろの森が広町緑地の東端だ。
So we left the car in the parking lot of the usual plaza, and off we went! The forest behind us is the eastern edge of the Hiromachi Forest.
浄化センター入り口から森に入るとすぐに急坂を上る。
As soon as we entered the forest from the entrance of the purification center, we went up a steep slope.
動物の匂いがするのだろうか？こなつはあちこちでこうして匂いを嗅いでいる。
Does it smell like an animal? Konatsu is sniffing here and there like this.
After climbing up the hill, we came to this road, but it was still very up and down. The road was muddy from yesterday’s rain, so we had to be careful on the descents.
しばらく歩いていると､､､
After walking for a while…
木に番号を書いて透明なシートが貼り付けられていた。なんだろう？
There was a transparent sheet attached to the tree with a number written on it. What is it?
Apparently, this is what happened. I later found out that oak wilt has been confirmed in Kanagawa Prefecture in the past few years, causing widespread damage to Quercus serrata and Shii oak trees. It is said that the fungus is brought inside the trees by a small insect called “kashinaga”. As a countermeasure, they are injecting medicine into the trees and wrapping sheets around them.
その被害に遭った木はこうなってしまうんだって。知らなかった。
This is what happens to the trees that are damaged. I didn’t know that.
再び散歩に戻ります。我々は⑪の入り口から入り、現在⑬に来ています。
Back to the walk again. We entered through entrance ⑪ and are now at ⑬.
From here, we could see Sagami Bay and beyond that, the Miura Peninsula. After this, I plan to walk to the entrance of ⑭Shichirigahama, leave the forest, and walk the outer course back to the starting point.
ここが七里ヶ浜出口。さっきの入り口からの距離は2kmちょっとくらいかな。
This is the Shichirigahama exit. The distance from the entrance is about 2km.
出るとすぐに住宅街
As soon as we got out, it was a residential area.
ここからはいつも車で通っている道を下って行きます。
From here, we went down the same road we always drive on.
On the way, there is a pond called “A pond begging for rain.”. There is a legend that during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the area was suffering from a drought, Saint Nichiren chanted a sutra here and it rained heavily.
下り坂が続くからこなつの足取りも軽いね。
Konatsu’s footsteps were light as she continued downhill.
この突き当りで下り坂が終了
At the end of the road, the descent ends.
こなつもやれやれという顔だ。
Konatsu also looked tired.
ようやく出発地点の浄化センターが見えてきた。
At last, we could see the purification center where we started.
よく歩いたなあ､､､と歩数計を見てみると
When I looked at my pedometer, I realized that I had walked a lot…..
No way ! I only walked 4,800 steps. But well, I went up and down the mountain path, so I got more exercise than my steps! I can’t help but feel satisfied with myself lol
Continuation of Day 4 On the way back to Karuizawa from Hakuba, I found a roadside station called “Nakajo”. I decided to stop here, thinking that I probably wouldn’t be passing this way in the future.
すると、こんな怪しげなビールが目に入ってきた。長野善光寺＝七味唐辛子だから分からないでもない。
Then I saw this suspicious beer. Nagano Zenkoji = Shichimi Pepper, so it’s not hard to understand. ( Shichimi pepper is a mixture of red pepper and other spices. )
The beer was a collaboration between shichimi peppers from a long-established restaurant and a local beer, and it was described as having an exquisite tangy flavor. I bought one can, just to try things out, or like a curious eye.
軽井沢に戻り、この日は東急ハーベストクラブ旧軽井沢にチェックイン。
Returning to Karuizawa, we checked in at the Tokyu Harvest Club Karuizawa for the day.
At this time, Konatsu seems to sense that there is something different about the atmosphere. “You are quite perceptive!” Because we had a reservation at a popular Italian restaurant called “Emboca” for dinner, and Konatsu had to stay at the room for about two hours.
“Are you really going to leave me?” she said with a grudging look on her face. I’m sorry, but I can’t take Konatsu to this restaurant today. (They have a terrace where pets are allowed in summer.)
そういう訳で、こなつは車の中でお留守番。我々は歩いてお店に向かいます。
So, leaving Konatsu behind, we walked to the restaurant.
午後6時半ですが、だぁ～れも歩いてません。人の姿は皆無です。
It’s 6:30 p.m., and no one is walking around. There are no people in sight.
歩くこと6～7分でお店に到着。
After a six to seven minute walk, we arrived at Emboca.
平日だけど結構お客さんは多かった。
It was a weekday, but the restaurant was quite crowded.
Looking at the drink menu, there are about 50 Belgian beers on offer, which is a great selection for pale ale lovers. We started with Duvel, a golden ale. The smell of hops! It’s delicious.
まず最初に注文した料理は
The first dish we ordered was…
薪窯焼きの野菜盛り合わせ。岩塩orソースで頂きます。
Assorted vegetables baked in a wood-fired oven. Served with rock salt or sauce.
On this day, we reserved a counter seat so we could watch the food being prepared in front of us. The second dish was an assortment of smoked seafood, meat, and cheese.
どれもこれもとても美味しい！
It’s all so good!
ここに来たらピザは外せない。マルゲリータとレンコンのハーフ＆ハーフ
The pizza here is outstandingly delicious. That is why I ordered the Margherita and lotus root half and half.
２杯目のビールはWestmalleダブル。フルーティだけど心地良い苦みもあって、旨い！
The second beer was a Westmalle Double. Fruity, but with a pleasant bitterness, good!
今日はお腹を空かせてきたからどんどん入る(笑)。イベリコとパルマの生ハム。
I’ve been hungry today, so I’m going to eat more and more (lol). Iberian and Parma cured ham.
We ended up with red wine, but to be honest, I don’t remember much about the taste of the wine because the beer up to that point had been so intensely delicious.
最後は季節の果物でつくるデザートピザ。これもめっちゃ美味しかった。
The final dish was a dessert pizza made with seasonal fruits. This was also very delicious.
絶対にまた来たいと思わせてくれるレストランでした。
It was definitely a restaurant that made me want to come back.
We ate a lot of good food and didn’t mind the cold on the way hotel. This time we stayed in Karuizawa for four days and three nights, it was a good vacation with lots of fun.
Day 3 When I woke up in the morning and went outside, I found that my car was like this because of last night’s snow pile. At that time, the staff of Regina was using an electric snowblower to shovel the snow, and it was the first time I learned that there was such a convenient thing.
I cleared the snow off my car by hand and managed to get it running. Since we hadn’t moved around much the day before, we decided to check out early and go to Hakuba.
レジーナでの最後の食事を済ませ、白馬に向かって出発です！
After our last breakfast in Regina, we’re off to Hakuba!
R18号線を西へ向かいます。 Head west on the R18.
小諸ICで上信越道に入り長野に向かいますが、ゲートの手前で冬用タイヤの装着を確認してました。
We entered the Joshinetsu Expressway at the Komoro Interchange and headed for Nagano.
長野ICから1時間、北アルプスが見えてきた。目的地はもうすぐそこだ。
One hour after the Nagano IC, the Northern Alps came into view. Our destination was almost there.
Arriving in Hakuba, the view is spectacular. The reason why we decided to come to Hakuba today is because there is a bakery here that we have known for about 20 years, “Mont Pigeon”, but for the past three years we have not been able to come here because the summer Seigi Ozawa Festival was cancelled due to COVID-19.
This is Mont Pigeon. The bread is delicious, the store is cozy, and the owner sisters are always happy to talk. So, We feel like we’re visiting a friend’s house.
It’s quite impressive to see two big golden retrievers. After a short stay of just over an hour, we left Mont Pigeon with a sense of regret as I was going back to Karuizawa.
We were the only ones to have lunch with our dogs on the terrace in such cold weather, but since we were well protected from the cold, we didn’t mind the cold.
I had a Karuizawa hot dog and coffee. You can’t really see it in this picture, but there was a lot of pickle between the bread and sausage, which was very tasty.
午後はアウトレット・モールでお買物。こなつもDogdeptで洋服を1枚買いました。
In the afternoon, we went shopping at the outlet mall. Konatsu also bought a piece of clothing at Dogdept.
帰る頃になって雪が強く降り始め、天気予報のとおり大雪になりそうな感じ。。。
As we were leaving, it started to snow heavily and it looked like it was going to snow heavily as forecasted.
部屋に戻ると夕食の時間が近づいてきた。こなつはさっそくさっき買った服に着替えです。
Back in the room, dinner time was approaching. Konatsu quickly changed into the clothes she had bought.
うん、いいねえ！ さあ、これでレストランへ行きましょう！
Yeah, I like that! Now, let’s go to the restaurant with this!
Konatsu had the same steamed salmon as the day before, so I’ll skip the pictures here, but she was still a good eater. Our Japanese food was also delicious, and we were highly satisfied with our dinner after the previous day.
その間も雪は降り続き、明日の朝がどうなってるのか楽しみです。
In the meantime, the snow continues to fall, and I’m looking forward to seeing what tomorrow morning will bring.
This time it is a travelogue to Karuizawa. We bring a bed into the back seat of the car to create a living space for Konatsu so that she won’t get tired after a long ride. Let’s go!
我が家から軽井沢までは途中の休憩時間を含めて約4時間､､､
The journey from our house to Karuizawa took about four hours, including breaks along the way…
群馬県に入り上信越道のSAに立ち寄ると、かなり雪があります。
When we entered Gunma Prefecture and stopped at the Joshinetsu Expressway SA, there was quite a bit of snow.
軽井沢に近づくにつれ車からの風景もこうなってきます。
The closer we got to Karuizawa, the more the scenery from the car started to look like this.
そして、レジーナリゾート旧軽井沢に到着。
Then we arrived at Regina Resort Kyu-Karuizawa.
館内には犬連れで楽しめる場所がいろいろあり、ここは昼はカフェ・夜はバーラウンジ。
There are various places in the facility that you can enjoy with your dog, including a cafe by day and a bar lounge by night.
今回の宿泊は206号室
This time we stayed in room 206.
この広さなら3人＋1頭でも余裕でOK。
With this space, there’s plenty of room for three people plus one dog.
This is the dog park in the facility. I haven’t been able to take Konatsu out to play in the snow for the past few years, so this would be fun! The timing of the trip was just right, right after it snowed.
姉と妹の図 They’re like sisters.
このあとディナータイム
After this, it’s dinner time.
ここの日本食は美味しいと評判だから楽しみです！
The Japanese food here has a reputation for being delicious, so I’m looking forward to it!
This is a large size “steamed Shinshu salmon” for Konatsu (lol). It was eaten up in no time! It must have been delicious, because it looks like it could be eaten by humans.
I can’t comment like a gourmet reporter, but for example, each of the appetizers in the upper left corner is even better than it looks. If I were to comment on everything, there would be no end to it, so I won’t…
This is what we drank with the appetizer. You would think that since it’s Obuse Winery, it would naturally be wine, but it’s actually sake made by Obuse Winery. It’s a limited edition, so each person can only have one glass, but it’s crisp and dry and goes very well with the five appetizers. We were able to enjoy something very precious.
It was a fun dinner time with more food and drinks. The lady who was working at the hall that day happened to be someone we had met when we went to Regina in Tateshina, so we had a nice reunion. I guess such coincidences are one of the joys of travel.
I was expecting to be able to drive on snowy roads again since heavy snow was forecasted, but it started raining in the morning. and when I went to work, it started snowing around noon in Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway had closed some of its routes in preparation for the heavy snow, and I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic if it snowed heavily, so I left work early and came home.
家に帰ってきたときには丁度こなつの夕方の散歩の時間。今日はママが連れて行ってくれるらしい。 When I came home, it was just time for Konatsu’s evening walk. My wife was going to take her out today.
I was going to go with her to take a picture of Konatsu, but when I went outside to take a test shot, the snow didn’t show up at all, so I decided not to go.
こなつは「なんで一緒に行かないの」って顔してるけどね。
Konatsu has a “why don’t you go with me” look on her face, though.
Can you see it’s snowing in this picture? But it doesn’t look like it’s going to be all white with snow… Having grown up in a warmer climate, I’m always happy when there’s snow on the ground.
Konatsu went to the veterinary clinic yesterday for a shampoo cut and tartar removal. When I got home, I could smell the good smell of shampoo on Konatsu’s body, and I’m sure she feels great.
I always have Konatsu’s tartar removal done without anesthesia, but this time, since it had been about four months, the doctor said, “There was so much tartar on her teeth that she needed anesthesia, but she was able to do it without anesthesia because she was so quiet even with the ultrasonic scaler. The doctor said. Oh well, I’m glad. ※The black part at the root of the tooth is the discoloration of the gum. It was not left behind.
February 3rd is the day of Setsubun. It means the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
後始末が大変にならないように小袋で、鬼は～そと！、福は～うち！ を済ませて､､､
and in Japan, there is a legend that demons come at the turn of the season. , so we throw beans to get rid of them. “Damon go outside, Happiness come inside! ” And so on.
次は恵方巻を作ります。
After the bean-throwing, the next step is to make Ehomaki.
Ebomaki is a sushi roll like the one in the photo. On the night of Setsubun, people eat it in silence while thinking of their wishes in the direction of Eboshi. Eboshi is the direction that is considered to be the best for the year. The two of us will eat it first, then I’ll prepare one for Konatsu.
寿司飯は砂糖とお酢が入ってるから、こなつには玉子焼きの周りに薄くご飯を巻きます。
Sushi rice has sugar and vinegar in it, so for konatsu, roll the rice thinly around the omelet.
それ、アタシのですよね？ と見つめている。
That’s mine, isn’t it? And she’s staring at it.
こなつ用が完成です。
It is now ready for Konatsu.
これでこなつにも福が来るのだろうか？ 必ず来る、と思いたい。
I wonder if this will bring good fortune to Konatsu? I would like to think that it will.
Konatsu would go back and forth between the two of us and finally be satisfied. For Konatsu, this may be like a dessert. I am careful not to take in too many calories so as not to make her fat.
She still looks like she doesn’t have enough, but we don’t give her any more. Konatsu seems to understand that this is the end, and doesn’t ask for more. She is a very perceptive dog.
It’s been about ten years since I got to know HANA. The other day, I had just made a copy of HANA’s old pictures on a CD and gave it to her owner, so we walked together for about half an hour while talking about the old days.
上の写真は2013年のこなつとHANAちゃん。2頭ともスリムだった。左端はアッ君。
The photo above shows Konatsu and HANA in 2013, both of whom were slim. On the far left is Alex.
Now she has the dignity of a Miss (lol). And this morning, Konatsu came to wake me up at a little past five o’clock. She usually doesn’t do that, but for some reason this morning she was in a “take me for a walk early” mood.
At Shichirigahama park. Usually Anne is the first to arrive, but this morning Konatsu arrived too early, so Anne appeared just as Konatsu was leaving. After this, we decided to go to Enoshima…
橋を渡る頃に陽が上り始めた。
The sun began to rise as we crossed the bridge.
このあと片瀬漁港をもう一度散歩です。
After this, we went for another walk at Katase Fishing Port.
直売所はまだ開いてませんでした。
The market was not open yet.
たまには早朝の江ノ島散歩もいいものです。
It’s nice to take an early morning walk once in a while.
マンボウ発令中ではありますが、以前から計画していた旅行だし、自分たちが感染対策をしっかり行おうと決めて出かけました。今回は箱根の東急ハーベストに一泊、カーログループの伊豆高原クオーレに一泊です。ハーベストはいつもアップしているので今回は二日目から書きます。 My wife and I have traveled to the Izu Peninsula. This time, we will stay overnight at Tokyu Harvest in Hakone and overnight at Izukogen Cuore in the Caro Group. I have introduced Harvest many times, so this time I will write it from the second day.
Fuji on the way down Route 1 from Hakone in the direction of Mishima, just past the Mishima Skywalk. I hadn’t decided at all which route to take to Izu-kogen that day, so I just headed for the middle of the Izu Peninsula.
ここは道の駅「伊豆月ヶ瀬」、伊豆縦貫道を南下してここまで来ました。
This is the roadside station “Izu Tsukigase”, and we took the Izu Junkan Road south to get here.
From there, I decided to drive along the coastline of Nishiizu, which we had never been to, so I followed the route of Toi → Matsuzaki → over the mountains again and Izu Kogen. On the way …
土肥のパーキングから見た富士山
Mt. Fuji seen from Toi parking
日本で一番開花が早いと言われている土肥桜がもう咲いています。
Toi cherry blossoms, which are said to bloom the earliest in Japan, are already in bloom.
