Laos

Just got back from three weeks away. Two weeks in Laos and another week travelling to and from Bangkok. I caught the train from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani, then crossed the border to Pakse. After that visited Don Det and Don Khon, Champasak and Tad Lo. My favourite place was Champasak, a pleasant town by the Mekong. 

Moving

After almost four years living in this lovely house with a garden, I'm moving out. I brought the avocado plant with me from Tokyo when it was a still sitting on a little jar. Sadly, I can't take it with me this time as I'll be spending the next couple of months on an island. But they are in good hands. Now, I'm trying to fit everything in three boxes, ideally but realistically five.

new mobile

I made a new mobile for my sister. She requested for it to have some strange creatures. So I made some little characters to go on it. It's fun to make, I think I should make one for myself too. 

a gift from the garden

Spring hike

Magnolia

Yuriwasabi 

Camellia

Last weekend, I went on my second hike this year. I didn't really spot any signs of spring on the first hike just a couple of weeks ago, but this was a more enjoyable hike with beautiful flowers spotted around the mountain. It truly was a pleasant hike with good weather although a bit on a hazy side. 

New Year!

It's the new year! For the last few years when thinking about new year's resolutions,  I've thought about what I enjoyed doing the last year and hoped to do more of that in the new year. I've made this new year's resolution in the past too, but again I'd like to spend more time with good friends. Last year, I especially enjoyed hiking and going on walks with company. I often get lazy about inviting people to things. Sometimes it just seems easier to go places on my own without having to adjust the schedule and deciding on where to go. But looking back, those outings with friends  have been the highlights of the year.

Other than that, there are many things I hope to continue doing. Like growing vegetables, learning new songs on the ukulele, learning Indonesian... But something new is to wake up in good spirits. This is something I'd really like to work on. 

Autumn hike

At the beginning of the month, I went on a two-day hike with my coworker. It's one of the most if not the most beautiful place I've been. We were the last ones to reach the hut as we kept stopping to admire the view. In the end we didn't take many pictures because the view was just to overwhelming and I knew it couldn't be captured with my photography skills. The first part of the hike was especially delightful, walking by the river, waterfalls, and beautifully coloured foliages. Such a stunning, isolated place. 

It's time for them okras again

It's the second year I've grown okras. Last year I just had one plant that survived so I just got to harvest one at a time. This year I sowed a few more seeds but at a later time so they haven't grown very big but still producing quite a few fruits so I could harvest a few at a time.

Heart of the home

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cooking together and sharing mealtimes is such an enjoyable experience for me. I  like how conversation naturally flows when you sit at the table. Countless times I made up with my family and friends over dinner too. It's hard to refuse food and or stay being upset about something while eating something delicious. These days I've been making pickles.

This too shall pass

Yakushima

I made it to Yakushima this month. I actually wasn't really thinking of going there until a friend suggested going on a hike there. It was a place that looked nice on photos. Somewhere that maybe I'd visit one day. But we started planning and it turned out that it's pretty accessible and not that expensive to get to either. And the island is much bigger than I had imagined with many things to do and see.

What I liked about the island is that there are so many hikes you can go on. With high mountains and rivers and you are never far from the sea either. I imagine it could get a bit too crowded on the popular hikes during the holiday season but there are many others where you could stay away from it all.

My favourite part was of course wild swimming!

bateaux

It's been a little while since I last made a painting this size. It was challenging not being able to edit things on the computer but it gave me a chance to experiment with some new materials and it made me want to make more larger pieces of work.

久しぶりに大きめの絵を描きました。新しいクレヨンのセットを使って、楽しく描けました。

Winter cherry blossoms

Expedition No.2

Explore the frozen wastes! Beware of the six-legged bear! Marvel at The Lights and The Darks! Visit the Stone Mushroom-shapers!
Expedition No.2 - To The North opens in little more than a week on the corner of Vesterbro Torv and Vesterport in Aarhus, Denmark!

Here are the opening hours:
6th Dec. 11AM-5PM (Workshop noon-3PM)
7th Dec. 11AM-5PM (Workshop noon-3PM)
8th Dec. 10AM-5PM
9th Dec. 10AM-5PM (Workshop 1-4PM)
10th Dec. 10AM-5PM
11th Dec. Open late: 5-8PM
12th Dec. 10AM-5PM 
13th Dec. 11AM-5PM (Workshop noon-3PM)
14th Dec. 11AM-3PM

Our Café will be serving snacks for both belly and brain.

a secret club

www.schhh.org

Minami-Alps

Hiking in Kyushu

  

Last month I did some travelling in Kyushu. The highlight was hiking in the mountains in Kuju. There was a hot spring up in the mountains and a great camping area. It was the first time climbing up the mountain with a tent but the tent was so light I took it up in my backpack without much trouble. I hope to do some more overnight hikes this summer.

Expedition No.1: The Eastern Forests

I will be exhibiting at a secret club's "Expedition No.1: The Eastern Forests" show.

Expedition No.1: The Eastern Forests

(Danish title: Ekspedition No.1: De Østre Skove)

Jægergårdsgade 57, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

17th-20th April, 11am-5pm, 21st April: 11am-4pm

Explore The Eastern Forests, where 14 Danish and international artists have joined a secret club and created fabulous works of art, that tell of the forests and the animals, tribes, plants, and beings that live there.

Rest in the Supplies Café with coffee and cake. Solve a HAMA bead sudoku or have a go at our collage-material pick'n'mix. Follow on twitter or facebook to see which cakes are fresh out of the oven and when.

Free family workshops:

Thursday 17th April  between 2pm and 5pm and Monday 21st April from 1pm-4pm, you can drop in and learn how to look like one of the creatures of The Eastern Forests.

Visit us on Saturday 19th April between 2pm and 5pm to make a glorious medal, fit for the most intrepid explorers.

Both workshops can be completed in approx.20 minutes, but if you're having fun, it can take a lot longer.

Funded by Børnekulturpuljen.

Here is a list of partaking artists:

Morten Barker (DK), Frederikke Becher Hermansen (DK), Elkeland (DK), Rita Fürstenau (DE), Garudio Studiage (UK), Birgitte Haahr Lund (DK), Ponga Huang (TW), Stina Langlo Ørdal (NO), Reena Makwana (UK), Esther McManus (UK), Yumi Okuda (JP), Cendrine Rovini (F), Phuc Van Dang (DK), Melanie Williams (UK) and a secret club.

plum blossoms

It's almost springtime here. It feels like the garden is changing every day. It's such a joy and reassuring to see familiar faces showing up at the same spot as last year. 

winter hike

I went hiking in the snow for the first time today. 

It was a beautiful mountain. There would be spaces between the snow where the earth was exposed. Displaying intriguing patterns. And occasionally the path opened up to striking views of the mountains around. It was just out of this world.

Viri Fide

オーガニックコットンTシャツストア、Viri Fide でうさぎのデザインのTシャツ作ってもらいました。売り上げの11%はNGOに寄付されます。

The rabbit drawings are now on sale at a organic T-shirt store, Viri Fide. 

Toba

鳥羽に牡蠣を食べに行った。前の日からボーっとしていて、みんなの会話が夢の中みたいに聞こえた不思議に一日だった。

My friends and I went for a drive to Toba to eat oysters. It was my first time eating fresh oysters. I ate two. Not sure I liked it. Really salty.

winter walk

Bike trip

We cycled from Nagoya to Yoro Falls in Gifu. It was more than 80km there and back, the longest bike ride I've done! It reminded me of a cyclists I met in China travelling for months. He said there are times when he doesn't see anyone for days. I don't think I would be able to cope with the loneliness. 

gocco print

giving

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?"

-Kahlil Gibran

garden flowers

China-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan

 

 

  

I went away for the summer to China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. At first the plan was to go to Kyrgyzstan to take some lessons in Russian but I ended up spending some time travelling through China mainly in Qinghai and Xinjiang. And staying at Issyk Kul and Altyn Arashan, the countryside in Kyrgyzstan. 

7月から2ヶ月中国、カザフスタンとキルギスに行きました。最初はキルギスでロシア語を勉強しようと思っていたけど、中国ではウイグル自治区や青海省時をみてまわって、キルギスではイシクル湖の周りやアルティンアラシャンという山の方に行きました。

キルギスのオシュで会ったお友達のサイト。夫婦で世界一周しています：

ふたりでふらり　ゆるりとぐるり

Weekend activities

I often work weekends but it's great having them off sometimes. A few weeks ago there was a free music festival in Toyota. It was nice hanging out with good friends with music and dancing all around. Last weekend a furniture maker friend came and taught us how to make a wooden spoon! I must start taking more time off on weekends.

Rain

最近雨の日がいやじゃない。

2 days

When I came back from my trip to Kanazawa and Kaga, all the cherry blossoms were in bloom. 
2日の旅行から帰ってきたら、桜がたくさん咲いてた。