●May.23 (Mon.) I will be busy this week, because on Thursday I have to help out with an event for syodo experience. And there is also a matsuri (祭、まつり or festival) from Friday to Sunday. Today I went for a meeting from 5:30pm to 9pm at the syodo school.

●May 24 (Thu.) I went for jyoshikai at Civic Sky Restaurant on the 25th floor of a Bunkyo ward office building. 

We can see Tokyo Dome(baseball stadium). We met each other last summer at a training center. We took a short course on day care and we also had to learn first aid. We are all mothers, so we love children very much. 

Today we had a tuna and avocado salad with rice, and a soba set for lunch.

We talked about our private life. Our average agg is 55 years old.

●May 25 (Wed.) I went to a hair and nail salon for tommorrow's event.

●May 26(Thu.) This is the event I was telling you about. About 65 foreigners came on a trip to Japan that the travel agency planned. We're in a conference room at Chinzanso Hotel. This hotel has a big Japanese garden. After the meeting, they can try Japanese cultural activities like karate or syodo.

First, they watched a  karate performance, then they will choose what they want to try.  

24 of them chose syodou. They made their own fan with a Japanese character, kanji. They can choose three different kanji characters: 幸(happiness), 愛(love) or 絆(bond).

We also showed them how to change their names to Japanese. They enjoyed themselves very much.

This is my syodo teacher's student, Wakana, who has her own website.

http://www.wakalture.com

I got a bento (lunch box) and a bottle of green tea from the event. I was tremendously tired, so I brought it home with me. This sweet green asparagus is produced in Hokkaido.

●May 27 (Fri.) Yushima Tenjin shrine had a festival from May 27 to 29. And Kandamyoujin shrine's festival was on May 14 and 15. Sanjya was May 13,14 and 15.Please check this link for more information.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_festivals

Local festival(matsuri)

Festivals are held at local shrines. Young men wearing headbands(hachimaki) and happi coats carry mikoshi on their shoulders, shouting "wasshoi, wasshoi."

I cooked a steak for dinner. Japanese marbled beef is very tender. Yummy!(^-^)v

●May 28 (Sat.) There was a parade with a musical accompaniment.

I went for a rakugo. I will explain about rakugo next time. I went to a sentou (public bath). This is the third time since I came back from abroad. The admission fee is ￥460.

●May 29(Sun.) We can contribute money to the gods. This is the contribution list.

After that, we get a memento. This is a talisman, a fan and osekihan (glutinous rice steamed with red beans).

Children like matsuri (festival), because they can carry mikoshi (a portable shrine) and pull dashi (a decorated float  or Japanese drum).

After they finish, they get many snacks.

These female drummers are beating a Japanese drums.

See you next week.(^-^)/