Eki-Ben Lunch Box
Duo Lutin Afternoon Concert
A baroque music concert by Duo Lutin was held at the B&B Gekkasosha in the town of Kobuchisawa, the city of Hokuto, in Yamanashi Prefecture on 10/23/2022. Duo Lutin: Mikira Asakura (Transverse Flute) and Fumi Kimura (Virginal).
One Day in Lake Yamanaka
There were a lot of water birds in Lake Yamanaka. The lake is located in the village of Yamanaka in Yamanashi Prefecture. It seemed that there were several migratory birds like coots (Fulica atra), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), tufted ducks (Aythya fuligula), eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), and great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus). It is said that there are about 20 mute swans (Cygnus olor) in the lake. The mute swan is not a wild species in Japan. It was introduced to Japan from Europe in 1952 to decorate parks and estates. Some of the captive swans escaped and established a feral population here and there.
Mute Swans, Mallards and Coots, Lake Yamanaka, Yamanaka-village, Yamanashi, 10/19/2022
Jomon Ten _ The Exhibition of The Jomon Potteries And Clay Figures In Yamanashi
In the middle of the Jomon period 5,500~4,500 years ago, the Nagano and Yamanashi areas are said to be the most flourished and there were a lot of villages. Located almost in the middle of the Honshu island, the southwestern regions at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountain Range, were called the Central Highlands. The areas were also located close to the major obsidian mining sites; obsidian was used to make arrowheads, knife blades, and other sharp tools. There were more than 3,000 Jomon ruins in the areas. (https://jomon.co/en/story/)
The Jomon-Ten, the Exhibition of the Jomon potteries and clay figures, has been held at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art in the city of Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture during September 10 to November 6, 2022. The artifacts collected in the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Archaeology, the Shakado Museum of Jomon Culture and the following regional Boards of Education, South Alps-city, Hokuto-city, Nirasaki-city, Koshu-city, and Fuefuki-city have been displayed.
(https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/) (https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/exhibition/2022/650.html) (https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/exhibition/jomon_DM.pdf) (https://www.art-museum.pref.yamanashi.jp/exhibition/r4.9.10.l1.pdf)
Unfolded pictures of the patterns of the Jomon potteries taken by Tadahiro Ogawa are displayed in the last section.
A Little Autumn Scenes
Unknown Woods _ Takahiro Yoshino
An exhibition titled “Mishiranu Mori (unknown woods)” by Takahiro Yoshino has been held at The Yatsugatake Kogen (highland) Lodge in the village of Minamimaki in Nagano Prefecture from September 17 to 30, 2022.
The World of Takahiro Yoshino “Unknown Woods“
Yatsugatake Highland Lodge, Minamimaki-village, Nagano, 9/17~30/2022
It Is Misty And Chilly
It is misty and chilly here in the Uminokuchi area in the village of Minamimaki in Nagano Prefecture. There are The Yatsugatake Kogen (highland) Lodge and The Yatsugatake Kogen Ongakudo (the Hall of Chamber Music) nearby.
East Meets West
The idiom, East meets West, is sometimes used to describe things that blend aspects of eastern and western culture.
In “Modern Japanese Literature,” Donald Keene, an American-born Japanese scholar of Japanese literature and culture, presents a unique product of the meeting of East and West: the product of the traditional Japan, which goes back to 1300 years, and the western-influenced Japan, first introduced to Japan about 150 years ago. Before him, the most well-known book in Japanese culture may be “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture” by Ruth Benedict, although the book was resulted from Benedict’s wartime research.
Last month, I heard the idiom on the radio. A renowned Japanese fashion designer, Hanae Mori has died at the age of 96. She was known for her butterfly motifs and her designs themed on harmonizing the Japanese culture and the western culture. In 1965, she presented her first overseas collection in New York. It was highly acclaimed and dubbed “East Meets West.”
Queen Elizabeth II Lies In State
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. She was succeeded by her eldest son, who will rule as King Charles III. The state funeral of Elizabeth II will be held on Monday, September 19, at Westminster Abbey in London.
BBC WORLD NEWS
September 15, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II lies in state at Westminster Hall. State funeral to take place at neighboring Westminster Abbey on Monday. Public can view late monarch’s coffin until Monday. Hall open to public 24 hours a day until Monday morning.