Today I’m talking about high school baseball. The National High School Baseball Championship of Japan, commonly known as “Summer Koshien”, is an annual nationwide high school baseball tournament. It is the largest scale amateur sport event in Japan, even as soccer continues to gain more attention. There are about 3,500 teams participating nationwide. Currently, my alma mater is also competing in the Shizuoka Prefecture Tournament for a berth in the Koshien Tournament. They won yesterday’s game to remain in the top 8, and will play in the quarterfinals tomorrow.
A friend of mine who went to the ballpark yesterday to cheer for the team sent this photo. The cheering scene is the same as it was 50-60 years ago when I was a student at the school, which can be said to be a continuation of tradition. And this year, too, a new legend will be born. People call it a sacred place.
サヨナラ勝ちして歓喜の瞬間！
A moment of jubilation after winning the game!
さあ明日の準々決勝には私も草薙球場に応援に駆け付けます。さて、どうなることやら｡｡｡
The yellow one in the upper right is my alma mater. Now, I will be at the stadium to cheer for them in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Well, I wonder what will happen…
At the nursing home in Shichirigahama where my mother resides, visitation has been suspended since last year due to the Covid-19 disaster and only online visitation has been available, but face-to-face visitation resumed this month.
早速面会の手続きして行ってきました。
I immediately arranged a visitation and went with my wife.
入居者が普段生活しているスペースには入れず、面会専用の部屋で15分という決まり。
The rule is that residents are not allowed to enter the space where they normally live, but in a room dedicated to visiting for 15 minutes.
8か月ぶりの面会だが特に変わりなく元気そうだった。
I visited my mother for the first time in eight months, and she seemed to be in good health with no particular change.
It is like this for 15 minutes. This Shichirigahama Home is located on a hill near the sea, so it has a nice view, and the atmosphere of the staff people seems to be cheerful and comfortable. I think it would be good for me to move in here in the future.
Meanwhile Konatsu was waiting in the car. It would have been nice if Konatsu could have joined us, but unfortunately they wouldn’t let the doggie inside, so my mother had to put up with the pictures.
And when you eat it with this nut sauce, it is very tasty. And I drank a little too much and ended up going to the concert the next day somewhat hungover.
ここは相模原の「杜のホールはしもと」、我が家から車で約1時間半。
This is “Morino Hall Hashimoto” in Sagamihara, about an hour and a half drive from our house.
この二人のコンサートで、人気者の二人だから全席売り切れの超満員。
It was a concert of these two, and since they are both so popular, all the seats were sold out and the place was packed.
I did not know the name of the composer of the first piece, Nadia Boulanger, but according to Ms. Miyata’s explanation, she was Piazzolla’s teacher and was the one who recommended Piazzolla to write tango. And Frank’s cello sonata, which I was looking for, was also very good. After listening to such good music, my hangover was completely gone and I was full of energy by nightfall!
I come to Gunma several times a month for work, and Gunma is a very hot place in summer. This time, the temperature was lower due to a typhoon, so it was nice and comfortable.
The scenery is tranquil, typical of a provincial town. There is a school called Tomioka Jitsugyo High School right in front of the hotel where I am staying, and in one corner of the school there is a practice field for the baseball team. I went to take a look in the morning on my walk.
The ground was well equipped, so I checked out what kind of team they were, and found out that in recent years they have been playing games with an alliance of six neighboring schools due to a lack of members. Even so, the team won two games this spring, which is quite impressive.
こんなスコアボードがあり、後ろに回ってみると､､､
There’s a scoreboard like this, and when I go around back…
It was a gift from all the parents; 14 years ago they could probably still compete as a single team. Somehow, I felt compelled to support this combined team in this summer’s tournament.
昨夜、こなつママに電話したらこなつが夕飯を食べないと心配していた。今朝は元気かな？
I called my wife last night and she was worried about Konatsu not eating dinner. How is she this morning?
This time we are in the cheapest seats on the back side of the stage. I’ve heard this kind of seating in other halls before, but the wind instruments sound louder and the balance is not so good.
This was the Cologne-Gerzenich Orchestra’s first visit to Japan, and I had never even heard of them, but as soon as they started playing, I knew this was a great orchestra.
これはNHK交響楽団との共演のYoutube。第3楽章です
This is a Youtube of the performance with NHK Symphony Orchestra. 3rd Mov.
Recently, the number of accesses to my blog has been increasing, especially from abroad. The table below shows the number of accesses by country for the past month. While I am surprised to see more accesses from overseas than from within Japan, I’m happy to see so many visitors.
The hydrangeas in my garden have begun to change color. Why is it said that Kamakura is famous for hydrangea? I looked it up and found that “Kamakura is surrounded on three sides by mountains, and because of the fragile soil, hydrangeas were chosen as a countermeasure to prevent soil erosion by keeping their roots firmly planted in the ground, and also to prevent them from becoming large trees”.
We have hydrangeas in our garden and they are beginning to bloom. I had never been interested in hydrangeas in our garden before, but when I took pictures of them, it seemed that there were many different types.
上から2番目以外は色の違いだけなのかもしれないが､､､
Except for the second from the top, maybe it’s just the color difference, but…
I have always said that Konatsu’s goal is to be 20 years old, but lately I have been feeling a little less confident about that. People often tell me that she still looks young, but it is clear that her movements are becoming slower and slower.
Last Saturday and Sunday, I went to support my alma mater, Shizuoka High School, as they competed in the Tokai Tournament. On the way back, I stopped by “Hamamatsu Flower Park,” and the roses were in full bloom this time of year, making a big impact.
小型犬ニコルは避難列車「Ukrzaliznytsia」の乗客のストレスに対処するのを助けます。4年前、ドニプロガイドTatiana min ʹkovaの駅で見つかった犬。今、彼女は避難した人たちがストレスに対処するのを手伝っているそうです。
This is a dog story from Ukraine. Small dog Nicole helps passengers of the evacuation train “Ukrzaliznytsia” cope with tress. The dog was found four years ago at the station of Dnipro guide Tatiana min ʹkova. Now she is helping evacuees cope with stress. From UAnimals.
The following dog was rescued by a volunteer from being left behind in a dumpster one day. This boy may be able to find a new family with the support of UAnimals. I have written before about “people who cannot evacuate because of their pets,” and there are dogs in these pitiful circumstances.
長期化するウクライナ情勢、困ったものだ｡｡｡
そんな戦争状態が続いているが、日本では昨日こんなことがあった。
Such a state of war continues, but this happened yesterday in Japan.
It was a sumo match between a Ukrainian wrestler “Shishi” (left) and a Russian wrestler “Roga” (right). The audience applauded loudly. What was the result? If you are interested, please check it out. (lol)
The other day I wrote about Konatsu’s epileptic seizure, and I would like to let you know how she has been doing since then. On that day, my wife and I tried not to push her too hard and kept an eye on her. Konatsu started eating normally that night, and from the next day, she started taking short but cheerful walks. Konatsu is now an old dog, so I will let her spend her time at her own pace without overworking her. Thank you very much for your concern.
Today I am in Gunma Prefecture for work. On the way there, I stopped by Mentai Park, a recently opened food theme park. Mentai is cod ovum slowly marinated in chili pepper sauce. It is usually served hot on rice. Furthermore, Mentai pasta is very popular these days. There are even snacks which are made of spicy cod roe.
It was such a peaceful and beautiful city. The act of aggression such as destroying it is the same as the Islamic State’s destruction of ancient ruins. It is unforgivable. ※ The deadline for distribution is April 28, 03:49.
Ukraine is on day 47. We can know about the devastation in the cities and the people there as it is reported on the news, but I am observing the situation from the perspective of someone who lives with his pets.
The following is from the UAnimals article. Ukrainians who managed to escape shelling and massacres by Russian troops have arrived in Zaporozhye. Even in the most difficult times of their lives, many of these people did not abandon their animals and took refuge with them.
もちろん彼らの気持ちはよく分かるし、このすべての人が無事であってほしい。
Of course I understand how they feel and I hope all of these people are safe.
This ballpark has a long history and is also known as the place where Sawamura pitched a great game when the American baseball team, led by Babe Ruth, came to Japan right after the war. Japanese professional baseball has the Sawamura Award, which is the equivalent of the Cy Young Award in American Major League Baseball.
スタジアムの入り口付近にはその二人の像が立っており、待ち合わせ場所としても有名。
Statues of the two men stand near the entrance to the stadium, which is also a famous meeting place.
And the games begin. This spring tournament also decides the seeded schools for the prefectural qualifying rounds of the summer Koshien Tournament, so the results are very interesting for the alma mater’s supporters like us.
The result was a 19-0 cold game in which they dominated the opposing team. Our team will now qualify for the prefectural tournament, and if they finish in the top 8 in the prefecture, they will be seeded.
楽しい一日を過ごしてきました。
We have had a fun day.
帰ってくるとこなつが「アタシを置いてどこにいってたの！？」という顔してるようにも見えるが､､､
When I came home, Konatsu asked, “Where did you go without me?” I think she’s saying.
I have decided to change the top page image for a while. It has been 36 days since the Russian invasion began in Ukraine, and the lives of many people and many animals are still threatened. I know some of you have been accessing this site from Ukraine, and am praying for your safety !
Here’s another one from the UAnimals article. Berlin is now one of the largest centers for refugees, with thousands of migrants passing through Berlin Station every day. And since many people don’t leave their important dogs behind and travel together, Berlin Station is like a dog show with many dogs.
It was a late-night earthquake. Right after I turned off the TV and got into bed, I thought, “Huh? Earthquake. The shaking gradually increased, and Konatsu seemed surprised to see what was going on.
I hurriedly turned on the TV and saw that another earthquake had hit the Tohoku region, this time measuring 6 on the Japanese seismic scale. I can only hope that the people in that area must have been scared and that the damage was minimal.
I was watching the JMA conference and found this data. They said that the tremor was transmitted to Kamakura, where I live, in 55 seconds after the earthquake warning was issued. The “0” in the center means that the earthquake had already shaken when the warning was issued. If it had been a huge earthquake, we wouldn’t have been able to escape.
This earthquake is said to have a magnitude of 7.4, but even so, the Tohoku Expressway broke ground and the Shinkansen bullet train derailed. This reminds us of how powerful the 2011 earthquake was, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale.
話は変わって、今朝から近所のお宅で工事が始まり、その音でこなつは何だか落ち着かない。
On a different note, construction began this morning at a neighbor’s house, and the noise made Konatsu somewhat restless.
工事車両を見下ろしているが、大きい音がするたびにこなつの身体がビクッと動く(笑)
Looking down at the construction vehicles, Konatsu’s body jerks when she hears a loud noise (lol).
一方、庭はだんだん春らしくなってきた。
Meanwhile, the garden is gradually becoming more like spring.
私は今日から5連休。こなつを連れてどこかに行こうかと思うが天気が怪しい､､､
I have 5 consecutive holidays starting today. I’m thinking of taking Konatsu somewhere, but the weather is doubtful…
More news from Ukraine today. For 20 days, Ukraine has suffered from the actions of its Russian occupiers. Despite fatigue and all the risks, keepers continue to do their best to help the animals. Today, Team UAnimals provided financial assistance to several shelters to help their animals. Today Kyiv volunteers distributed food to residents who could not afford to buy food for their pets. Some exciting news. At the blockaded Gostomel shelter, today the 78 year old facility owner did a great job and brought a generator that will bring water to the shelter. Together with him we donated 70 liters of gasoline, 500 kg of dog food, and food for the shelter staff. This will help the shelter residents survive.
Day 15 of WAR: Animal rescue status. The war with the Russian invaders has been going on in Ukraine for more than two weeks. In such difficult conditions, UAnimals team continues to rescue animals. Unfortunately, the situation is critical for many shelters. Many of them are still blocked by Russian troops and are in the area of active shelling. It is impossible to get to such shelters, especially since it is not possible to evacuate animals from there. This means that with each passing day, the lives of every animal in blocked shelters are becoming more and more endangered. We try to stay in touch with shelter owners and look for ways to save animals. Today we helped the Kyiv Botanical Garden by providing it with 100 kg of fodder. In the garden, local volunteers sheltered hungry animals from the private sector nearby. They also helped with horse feed at the Kyiv Hippodrome. In addition, our team provided funds to the veterinary clinic “Asti” (Pechenizskaya 35) for the purchase of medicines, equipment and feed for sick animals. This clinic provides free treatment for injured animals. Besides, assistance from UAnimals was sent to Kharkiv Zoo. Another 1,100 kg of feed we sent for the needs of Odessa animals. Today, UAnimals team began evacuating two bears and a wolf from Chernivtsi and Kamianets-Podilskyi to Romania. We do not forget to monitor the situation with animals in small towns and villages and situationally help local shelters. UAnimals team is sincerely grateful to you for your support during these difficult days for Ukraine. Everything will be Ukraine! 🇺🇦
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.
