Toki, Ritsurin Garden, Takamatsu, Japan

klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 10:06 pm	Hi, I'm Toki! I work two jobs - one as an Airship Mechanic, and another as a Network Products Technician. Here I am at work at Seagate Technologies!
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 10:25 pm	After lunch in the cafe, I visited a bunch of coworkers! We have a lot duckies here are Seagate. Some of my best friends at work are Grayson Landshark and Tazer Jellyfish.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 10:35 pm	This is my home! I live on the Airship Horizons with Cpt. Amelia Reinier, Engineer Thomas Reinier, and Leverage Bennet Locke. Michelle is the lovely redhead in one of my photos. We have two wonderful cats; Monster is in the red collar and Gremlin in a black collar.  We once fostered an orange cat named Jack (they jokingly called us Pepperjack because of the peppers on my ears ha ha). We, also, have a fish tank; but sadly only Wally survived a tank infection. Wally is a plecostomus. We love Wally and we've decided we'll just let him have the tank all to himself. There are many toys who live here, so I'm never lonely. I love our big family! The toys in the photos are Necka Giraffe, Jose Dog, Bangal Cat, and Yurble Neopet.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:10 pm	I had Popeye's for lunch! It's one of my favorite fast food places.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:21 pm	Michelle's birdthay is February 2nd, but we waited until the weekend to take her to the Science Museum for her birthday! Our coworker Brian and his daughter Adrianna went too. This is also were we met Kasoogi, another toy who we adopted. It was a lot of fun. We had mini snowball fight outside the museum too. Oh and the ginger haired man is a scientist who does a science show about explosions. That was a blast!
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:25 pm	Henry is my Valentine this year. He's such a sweet lion. And then there's photos of me with money... for silliness.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:38 pm	PAY DAY! I went to the gaming store to buy some goodies. We also had dinner at Swadley's BBQ. Yum!
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:41 pm	I went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the UFC event. Yep, that's right! I'm a UFC fan.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:43 pm	Octo and I were assisting Chelle in making some softie crafts.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:49 pm	I had a wonderful fourth of July! Michelle made some patriotic stars for my ears that looked great on me. We had dinner at Zio's Italian Restaurant, where you can draw on the table paper. I drew some fireworks and Chelle drew a bunny girl. Then we watched the fireworks in Bricktown.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:53 pm	Hooters is a great place to eat.
klubwerks Posted Jul 20, 2011, 11:59 pm	In May, we moved to a new and better apartment! It was so hot out that we were being lazy about unpacking. So today we were going through a bunch of tech junk and sorting it all out. We had a simple lunch together - nuked chicken and dumplings, and a dr pepper.
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:00 am	Meet Alaska the Gecko. She's new on our Airship!
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:13 am	Bath time is mundane but fun.
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:20 am	I finally opened up all my new games. Also, I have a new Victorian style ear accessory. Oh and I got a photo with Fireduck. We have a lot of ducky citizens here.
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:22 am	How do you like my new Steampunk Goggles?
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:26 am	It's my turn to do the grocery shopping.
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:30 am	Michelle made me this great parasol. I love it! it fits in great with my other Steampunk accessories. She made me this awesome hat and here's my gears and wrench.
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:42 am	The Airship Horizon is traveling to Kansas City MO for a Steampunk social event and photo shoot. We stopped at a Denny's when we arrived in Kansas.
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:44 am	We stopped off at a really cool EZ Go gas station!
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 12:50 am	The Steampunk Circus social event was a lot of fun, but it was so hot!
klubwerks Posted Jul 21, 2011, 1:09 am	I thought the social was hot. The Steampunk photo shoot was miserably hot! Over a hundred degrees outside and no A/C. It was still pretty cool.
klubwerks Posted Jul 27, 2011, 9:40 pm	Cammo, Toki and Mulvane at work.
klubwerks Posted Jul 27, 2011, 9:49 pm	Having lunch at Jersey Mike's!
klubwerks Posted Jul 27, 2011, 9:51 pm	Tonight, Grandpa Ray passed away.  A moment of silence.
klubwerks Posted Jul 27, 2011, 10:09 pm	Me and my best friend Mulvane had a fashion show to cheer up an otherwise sad day. He's a great friend <3
klubwerks Posted Jul 27, 2011, 10:21 pm	Mully and me had some Chili's today. I don't know if you have noticed, but I have chili peppers on my ears. Oh and Mulvane eats more than me!
klubwerks Posted Jul 27, 2011, 10:37 pm	I just welcomed Mortis onto the Airship today! He's a Halloween Ghost. His mouth opens for treats! And it's my brother Chet's birthday so I called him up to wish him a happy birthday <3
klubwerks Posted Aug 6, 2011, 1:48 am	I have been in a crash coarse for Net+ certification all week. It's a lot of information crammed into one week and then a lot of studying. I also got some artwork made for me!
klubwerks Posted Aug 6, 2011, 1:51 am	It's the last day of the Net+ training for the week. In a couple of weeks we have two more days to finish up the class. The instructor made us a chocolate pie made of tofu. Yes, tofu! It was pretty decent. Our Instructor's name is Scott and he's pretty cool. We had a lot of fun.
klubwerks Posted Aug 7, 2011, 9:26 am	I went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch UFC. I had some chili con queso and chips, and mini corn dogs with honey mustard. Then I had a top shelf margarita!
klubwerks Posted Aug 7, 2011, 9:30 am	I got my Wardrobe Bin all setup. I still have some decorative designing to do on the outside. I, also, have a lot of work to do on my bedroom remodeling (as you can see in the last photo).
klubwerks Posted Aug 8, 2011, 7:17 am	Mulvane and I finished our house tonight. It's simply beautiful! We had a great time building it too.
klubwerks Posted Aug 14, 2011, 6:53 pm	I went to Cuppies & Joe for my Net+ study group. I had a cupcake and a mocha. We had a great time! The place was a bit noisy but we managed to get some studying done.
klubwerks Posted Aug 14, 2011, 7:00 pm	After my study group, I went to a friend's place to play Exalted and. It's a role playing game. I brought pizza, crazy bread, and soda... it was yummy! My friend's name is Nibbles... he's a tiny shark! He's from an Aquarium out of town and now he lives here in Oklahoma City. I must admit that I have a little crush on him. He's too cute!
klubwerks Posted Aug 20, 2011, 3:10 am	We rode the bus downtown and ventured around Bricktown. We ate at Texadelphia, saw two movies, ate at Hooters, and visited a tiny gallery. We saw Fright Night 3D and Conan the Barbarian. They were fun movies.
klubwerks Posted Aug 26, 2011, 2:38 am	I went to Los Vaqueros mexican restaurant for dinner. It was very yummy! The salsa and queso was great and I had the Chile Relleno.
klubwerks Posted Aug 26, 2011, 2:42 am	I got some new stuff. I have a bunch of new tools for working on the Airship Horizons. Me and Mulvane have gaming dice and books, and we have a tea set now, too. Yay tea party! We, also, have some cowboy/cowgirl stuff. Isn't Mully just adorable?!
klubwerks Posted Aug 26, 2011, 2:46 am	Huzzah! New wardrobe!! I am rocking it tonight!
klubwerks Posted Aug 26, 2011, 2:50 am	I went to Bhawna's house to play board games with some coworkers. It was a blast! We played Apples To Apples and War On Terror. I can't wait to do it again.
klubwerks Posted Aug 26, 2011, 2:55 am	Meet my new friend Harvest Owl! He's a pretty cool guy and handmade by my Mentor. We attended a meeting at work today and he helped me write a reminder to take my white board home. I have plans to study the Net+ with a few coworkers while we watch UFC at BWW this Saturday.
klubwerks Posted Aug 27, 2011, 1:33 am	We played our new game Robo Rally. It was fun!
klubwerks Posted Aug 27, 2011, 1:47 am	I put together a bookshelf for my mentor to put all her craft stuff on. It was a lot of work but it's done! The cats in the pictures are Monster (red collar) and Gremlin (black collar).
klubwerks Posted Aug 28, 2011, 5:19 am	We went to Hooters for UFC night. Better food, better scenery *ahem*, more comfortable chairs (as opposed to wooden seats), and less crowded than BWW. However, despite that it's less crowded, it's harder to hear each other talk, no booths, not as many UFC fans, and the wait staff can be very aggravating. I think we prefer BWW. On another note, I am not a fan of Anderson Silva, so tonight was a let down. I was rooting to Yushin Okami!
klubwerks Posted Aug 28, 2011, 7:49 am	Late night couch potatoes like Doctor Who (this episode is called Let's Kill Hitler), Torchwood, and Thundercats!
klubwerks Posted Aug 29, 2011, 1:07 am	I went to CVS, which is luckily right across the street. It's so hot outside, but at least it was in the 100's like it's been lately. I needed to get some noodles for skyline, and I grabbed a few snacks. Ahhh Skyline Chili Mac. This is something I miss from Ohio that we have to special order out here in Oklahoma. Any old chili just will NOT do because Skyline chili has a very unique flavor. I don't like traditional chili at all. We may 3-way Skyline which is noodles, chili, and cheese. The 4 and 5-way Skylines have beans and onions. And I love adding a few rain drops of Franks Red sauce. It's so YUMMY! It's also great on hot dogs!
klubwerks Posted Sep 2, 2011, 10:35 pm	Chilling with Skelly, who's joining the upcoming Halloween Contest.
klubwerks Posted Sep 2, 2011, 10:38 pm	Just having a light breakfast this morning. Thank goodness August is over and summer will be ending soon! It's been way too hot here in Oklahoma this year. I am ready for the winter!
klubwerks Posted Sep 2, 2011, 10:41 pm	A group shot with the Halloween Bunch. They were all handmade by my mentor Amelia, and they are all going to be in the upcoming Halloween contest! And a photo with the smurfs <3
klubwerks Posted Oct 7, 2011, 10:06 pm	Mmmm honey praline ham with pineapples and a side of cheese and shells!
klubwerks Posted Oct 7, 2011, 10:31 pm	Chelino's had good food but they rip you off! If you don't order something on the entree list, they charge you an extra $5! MEH! However, it was a great day. Went to several stores in Bricktown (down town Oklahoma City). Walk around a lot, ate at Earl's later in the afternoon, visited Outdoor World, and went to the Candy Store too.
klubwerks Posted Oct 8, 2011, 8:36 am	Dinner at Johnny Carino's.
klubwerks Posted Oct 8, 2011, 8:38 am	Smile :-)
klubwerks Posted Oct 8, 2011, 10:56 pm	Made some gumbo, enjoyed some flowers outside, and played with Monster <3
klubwerks Posted Oct 8, 2011, 11:10 pm	My new winter clothing is in!
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 9:12 pm	Goofing off at work. You can't be all work and no play... even at work!
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 9:14 pm	We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse... mmmmm!
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 9:21 pm	We visited the aquarium in Tulsa!
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 10:40 pm	Mini golf in Tulsa was a time waster in a good way.
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 10:44 pm	Dave And Buster's is a lot of fun and it turns out they are opening one out here in OKC.
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 10:52 pm	Let me introduce you to a bunch of my friends and my pets.
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 10:56 pm	We had some dinner at GoGo Sushi, our favorite sushi place.
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 11:03 pm	I hung out with my best friends Mulvane and Fleece. We ate at Hooters, watched some UFC, and put together some new outfits!
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 11:07 pm	For customer service week at work we had a Hawaiian Luau theme. It was a lot of fun! The otter in the last photo is my friend Wilson.
klubwerks Posted Oct 23, 2011, 11:15 pm	Here's a bunch of my Halloween outfits!
klubwerks Posted Nov 2, 2011, 2:28 pm	I got measured today! This ruler is in US Inches.
klubwerks Posted Nov 2, 2011, 4:01 pm	Yay taco's for lunch! Valentine's Day is close! Valentine's Day is a day for romance and love... flowers, candy, chocolates, and a night out with a romantic loved one.
klubwerks Posted Nov 2, 2011, 4:04 pm	Stew for dinner!
klubwerks Posted Nov 2, 2011, 4:06 pm	Meet another Dunny! We are Dunnies! A bunch of network drives at work. Snow in the dark. Just some random silliness.
klubwerks Posted Nov 4, 2011, 1:48 am	<3
klubwerks Posted Nov 4, 2011, 1:59 am	Masataku arrived here today and brought candy for me to try. My pet turtle Scooter loved it! We had some Taco Bell, made a Halloween collar for Masataku, and then went out to the parade. We also had lunch at Crabtown, got some photos in an old style phone booth, and saw The Three Musketeers in 3D. Then we put some memories in the memory book. It was a lot of fun!
klubwerks Posted Nov 4, 2011, 2:11 am	Paul joined Masataku and I today. We had red beans and rice for lunch. We also helped my mentor make a turkey (which isn't done yet). I posed on top of the pill holder and we made jokes that I had a mini-pharmacy. Then we went to a Five Finger Death Punch concert. And when we got home, we met up with Charles and Myka!
klubwerks Posted Nov 4, 2011, 2:48 am	Today is packing day for the weekend at the Emerald City Steampunk Expo! We still had time to put some stuff in the memory book too. We'll all be heading to bed soon. We get up early tomorrow to head to Kansas for the convention. Oh! By the way, the two extra toys in the photo are not voyagers. They are my bestfriends Fleece (pez sheep) and Mulvane (lion). Nite all!
klubwerks Posted Nov 13, 2011, 11:30 pm	Mmmm Freddy's Frozen Custard!
klubwerks Posted Nov 13, 2011, 11:40 pm	Halloween is one of my favorite Holidays! We had a great time at work with all the decorations and work trick or treating. Lots of fun. It's a great start to the Holiday Season.
klubwerks Posted Nov 14, 2011, 12:07 am	I went to the store and saw some adorable Halloween decorations and then went out for a walk to get some photos out in nature.
klubwerks Posted Nov 14, 2011, 12:24 am	My best friends Mulvane (pink lion) and Fleece (pez sheep) and I, plus several visiting TV's went to the Emerald City Steampunk Expo for the weekend. We had a blast! Amelia got sick, but she's doing well. After the Expo, Amelia sent me to visit with Rike and go on a cruise! I can't wait to get there.
klubwerks Posted Nov 25, 2011, 5:56 am	A long time ago, Pilgrims came to America, from England, to get away from religious persecution and the Native Americans helped them survive on the land and taught them many things. Religious persecution is the mistreatment of people because of their religious beliefs. The Pilgrims actually thought that this was India, which is why they called the Native Americans "Indians". There was a big feast that the Pilgrims and "Indians" had together in late November, but no one knows exactly when, so now Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November. There was more history in this time including the Native Americans being forced off their land. Oklahoma is part of the Trail of Tears where Native Americans were marched into reservations and many of them died. This part of the history is quite terrible and sad. However, we still celebrate Thanksgiving Day in America and it's all about giving thanks for what you have and being with your family. I got to enjoy Thanksgiving with my mentor Amelia, my bestfriends Mulvane (Mully the pink lion), Fleece (pez sheep), and Chico (mouse), and several TV's... and we all helped make the dinner... Jinny's Masataku Mischa's Paul Katie's Charles MamiTig's Myka Ina's Schnattchen Xadrian's Drashuven Mellialida's Mr.Shawn GubbL's Kalso
klubwerks Posted Nov 27, 2011, 3:52 am	We did hang some steampunk ornaments, but because a lot of the ornaments are dark in color, we think a white tree might work out better. Next weekend we'll get a white tree and if we like it, we'll probably donate the green tree. We still enjoyed decorating this tree! I've introduced many of the TV's that are here visiting, and you've met my two best friends Mully and Fleece, but I don't think you've met Chico. He's a sweet quiet mouse who is my mentor's oldest toy <3
klubwerks Posted Dec 3, 2011, 5:28 am	Making streampunk xmas ornaments!
klubwerks Posted Dec 3, 2011, 5:42 am	Yay xmas gear!
klubwerks Posted Dec 8, 2011, 1:34 am	My new xmas wardrobe <3
klubwerks Posted Dec 8, 2011, 1:51 am	We're already putting presents under the tree for our visiting Toyvoyagers. We put them in a box so the cats don't try to eat them.
klubwerks Posted Dec 9, 2011, 7:03 pm	These are all my Thanksgiving Day wear. I gave several of these away to visiting TV's as holiday gifts. Aren't they cute?
klubwerks Posted Dec 9, 2011, 7:06 pm	Several visiting toys went with me to work today. We worked on making some more xmas presents. Christmas is about 2 weeks away!
klubwerks Posted Dec 10, 2011, 9:05 am	My mentor made a tiny little holiday polar bear. Midori and I got to name him... Mr. Poley!
RikeH Posted Dec 10, 2011, 8:09 pm	Hello Mum, Two days ago Scritches and I arrived in Germany. We spent such a long time in our envelope, but now we were here. We went to the Chair where Dicker Kumpel normally is waiting for his guests - but he was not there. We saw a red bird. He was another guest called MadBird. We talked a lot. Today we heard someone opening the door - then we saw the face of a friendly bunny. Dicker Kumpel arrived. He gave us a warm welcome. Then he introduced us to the other guests here, they all came from a Cruise in Spain now. We had a nice afternoon. But before I stop writing I want to show you the weather in Germany. Greetings Toki
RikeH Posted Dec 22, 2011, 10:18 pm	Hi Mum, Can you see it – I made a trip in a plane. We started in Hamburg. We went to Cologne. Here you see me with some friends in our hotel room. We had our own bed. But to tell the truth – we preferred the armchair. Then we made a walk through the city. This is the dome. We saw a big Christmas tree. We were tired from the long trip and spent the evening in our room. Yours Toki
RikeH Posted Dec 22, 2011, 10:37 pm	Hi Mum, Today the weather was sunny – we wanted to see a lot of Christmas Markets today. This was the first one – it was on a ship. We had nice views from the ship. This was the entrance to another Christmas Market. Look – people in the ice rink. Later we saw this nice tower. Around the tower was another Christmas Market. In a shop window we saw these nice animals. They seemed to have fun there. Our next Christmas Market was next to a big gate. On our way back to the hotel we saw another side of the  dome – and this time we had sunshine. Yours Toki
RikeH Posted Dec 22, 2011, 10:48 pm	Hi Mum, It was our last day in Cologne – and we decided to visit the zoo. I thought that this animal was not living anymore. Mirembe wanted to see giraffes of course –so we went into their house. What a big buffalo. Then we visited the penguins. They were so funny. Can you see the meerkats – they were standing under a lamp, because it was very cold outside. Before we left the Zoo, we visited the hippos – wow – they were big! This was our hotel – I really liked it. In the afternoon we made a walk and had a nice view over the river. Back in the city we saw a television show. Here you see the cameras. This was the stage. We saw a man – who is famous in Germany, he is called Semino Rossi. RikeH and Dicker Kumpel didn’t know him – but many people around us were excited to see him. Yours Toki
RikeH Posted Dec 26, 2011, 3:37 pm	Hello Mum, Christmas will be soon – and I was allowed to help decorating the Christmas Tree. RikeH has a lot of Christmas Decorations. These ones are from her Grandma. I think that these balls were really funny. We had a lot more. This was the tree after the first Part of Decorating. Then we found more decoration for the tree. The Christmas tree was ready. yours Toki
RikeH Posted Dec 26, 2011, 3:38 pm	Merry Christmas, Mum! Today it was Christmas. We were waiting on our Chair. Santa Claus was busy, but fortunately he sent two of his friends. Snowy the friendly snowman and Rudi the famous Reindeer. I spoke with both, sung a wonderful Christmas Song and then I recited a poem. They loved it and I got a present. The others did the same – look, we all received a lot of sweets! Later I played in the Christmas tree. Of course I was careful. I want to show you the nicest things in the Tree. I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas, too! Love Toki
RikeH Posted Jan 1, 2012, 3:59 pm	Hello Mum , The weather was nice today, so we walked around Sülfeld. Can you see the nice blue sky? We found a bridge to cross this river – I loved the views. Later we had a rest in the sunshine. Then it was time to continue our walk… Behind me you can see a big tree – Dicker Kumpel loves the Tree – and told us that he has a lot of photos of it. Mum, I wish you a wonderful new year – and I hope that I will see a lot of the world in 2012! Yours Toki
RikeH Posted Jan 5, 2012, 2:13 pm
RikeH Posted Jan 5, 2012, 8:59 pm	Hello Mum, We had awful weather over the last days – so we decided to play billiard. Dicker Kumpel knew how to play it and explained it to us. Then I tried it. It was not so easy, as it looked like when Dicker Kumpel showed it. When we played we saw that MadBird looked like a billiard ball. Look, what we did! Oups…. Well – bad luck for the bird.  Only kidding, Mum, of course we would never do such a bad thing! It was time to explore the room. There must have been horses here in the Past. Then I tried to call you, but I have forgotten your number. Bye Yours Toki
RikeH Posted Jan 12, 2012, 10:17 pm	Hello Mum, Today we decided to walk around Sülfeld. Look – here is the longest nature trail for fruits in Europe. This is the old school. The mayor works here.  And you can see the emblem of Sülfeld. I liked this old door. Behind me you can see the church. Sadly It was closed,  we wanted to visit it. On the other side of the street is the pharmacy. There is a way with many churches around Sülfeld – you can do it with the bike, but RikeH told me, that it was too cold for such a trip now. Bye Toki
RikeH Posted Jan 26, 2012, 8:48 pm	Hello Mum, it is time for me to continue my tour around the World. Dicker Kumpel told me that you find a new host for me. So I said good-bye to Dicker Kumpel - he was such a good host. Then the other TVs gave me a big hug. Now I am on my way to the next host. Love Toki
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 4, 2012, 5:42 pm	Dear Mum. Midori was surprised when I suddenly stood before her. Our reunion was great! In addition, Mary has taken yet another Toyvoyager yesterday. Her name is Claire Squirrel. Today again it is very cold in Germany - well below zero degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, we ventured out the door. We visited Loch Baldeney. It was frozen over and we saw birds who walked on the ice. Greetings from the Ruhr area, sends you Toki!
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 6, 2012, 1:31 pm	Dear Mum. Today I visited Diners. I was so hungry. Finally I ate too much. I like it here very much, but I miss you, too. With love your Toki.
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 8, 2012, 5:03 pm	Dear Mom Actually, I wanted to annoy Mr. Pig and Sir Bruti. But the two men can´t get through my efforts from the rest. What a pity! TOKI
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 11, 2012, 11:50 am	Dear Mom. Today the sun is shining. A wonderful day for a walk. I´m very interest in this area of Germany, because they have lot of mines. An old mine I have seen. You can see it in my backround. Love, Toki
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 13, 2012, 2:54 pm	Dear friends at home. Today I visited the headquarter from Thyssen Krupp. It is a wonderful architecture building. Oh, I like it... It is in middle of the City from Essen. Now, I´m going home. I´m soooo tied. Love, your Toki
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 17, 2012, 5:11 pm	Dear Mom! Today I play with my friends. I have lot of fun!!! Greetings from Essen, send you Toki!!
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 22, 2012, 2:41 pm	Dear everybody at home!! Yesterday I played bowling. It was funny!! On weekend my friends will give a big goodbye party for me, because I will travel to Japan. I will miss all my new friends. Love, Toki
Fridoline the mole Posted Feb 26, 2012, 12:16 pm	Dear Mom. It was party time. Yesterday we celebrated an good bye party for me, because I will left my friends. I will travel to Japan soon. Also we went out for dinner in a restaurant. It was an fantastic party. Tomorrow I will start my journey to Japan. I will be miss my friends. Love Toki
hanachan Posted Mar 19, 2012, 5:18 pm	Doll Festival - Hina Matsuri March 3rd was the Girls' Day in Japan. It is also known as Hina Matsuri. It means "Doll Festival". hanachan displayed beautiful dolls representing Emperor and Empress in ancient court costumes on the day. This is the tradition that parents pray for their girls' growth and happiness. Usually dolls are put back in the box soon. hanachan decided to leave them for a while. Because she has more TV guests in this month. I was lucky
hanachan Posted Mar 22, 2012, 4:26 pm
hanachan Posted Mar 31, 2012, 7:23 am	Hello, Mom! We came to Kurashiki-city, Okayama pref. This area is kept the old city view of Tokugawa Shogunate period. (17th-19th century) There are many historical houses beside the canal. These were once used as warehouse of cotton. "Kura" of the city's name means warehouse in Japanese. Mom, what do you think about "JinRikisha(Rickshaw)"? haha... I'm smaller than other TVs. Can you see me? Anyway we enjoyed so much.  Toki
hanachan Posted Apr 7, 2012, 6:13 am	Hinomisaki is a cape in Izumo, Shimane prefecture, Japan. Check View Map where I am We are far away from Takamatsu now. Hinomisaki faces the Sea of Japan where blue sky and clear sea water are beautiful. The Hinomisaki Lighthouse is about 40m high, and is the highest of stone-build lighthouse in Asia. The guidebook says that the Lighthouse was selected as one of the World's One Hundred Most Historic Lighthouses Near the lighthouse, there is Hinomisaki Shrine.
hanachan Posted Apr 21, 2012, 8:17 am	Matsue Castle It's a pity the weather is bad It's too early for Sakura blooming. But plum flowers are now in full bloom in the castle garden. Near the castle, some old houses which once Samurai lived still remain. Today they are renovated as restaurants and souvenir shops, and beautiful garden is opened to public. more about Matsue Castle Statue of Lafcadio Herarn He is a famous writer also known as Koizumi Yakumo in Japan. He lived in Matsue city and wrote about Japan, especially collection of Japanese legend and ghost stories.
hanachan Posted Apr 21, 2012, 8:24 am	Sakura cherry blossoms in full bloom
hanachan Posted Apr 21, 2012, 8:48 am	Sakura is falling. Petals on the ground look like a gorgeous carpet Hey Mom, Japanese really love this flower.
hanachan Posted May 23, 2012, 1:13 pm	annular solar eclipse Unfortunately it is cloudy here. The sun went behind the thick clouds. So let's see it on TV!
hanachan Posted Jun 30, 2012, 10:53 am	Otsuka Museum of Art The world's first collection of Ceramic-Board Reproduction of Masterpaintings. These are not original paintings.  They are ceramic works using a special manufacturing technique. Visitors can see over 1000 full-size ceramic reproductions of major works of art, including the Sistine Chapel, Scrovegni Chapel, triclinium of the Villa of the Mysteries... The works are transfer-printed from photographs before being fired and retouched. Many famous Modern Art works are also reproduced. The ceramic reproductions of these masterpaintings keep their colors and shapes perfectly. It's incredible.
hanachan Posted Aug 9, 2012, 1:30 pm	Miyajima is an island located off the coast of Hiroshima. We visited Itsukushima Shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If it was low tide, we could get closer to the Shrine Gate. Sika deers around the shrine are left to wild breeding. They are not accustomed to be given food. They are wandering around. At night they go back to the mountain.  Itsukushima Shrine
hanachan Posted Aug 14, 2012, 6:12 pm	This old wooden arch bridge was built in 17th century. Kintai Bridge
hanachan Posted Aug 14, 2012, 6:19 pm	Bento - Japanese boxed lunch hanachan made omusubi bento for us. What's packed in the box? mmm... Teriyaki Chicken, Spicy-grilled eggplant and Cucumber Salad
hanachan Posted Aug 22, 2012, 3:37 am	Takamatsu-city faces the Seto Inland Sea which contains more than 2000 islands. It's very calm water.
hanachan Posted Aug 26, 2012, 6:51 pm	Without a doubt, Chinese food is one of the most popular international cuisines in the world. Here in Japan, there are many Chinese restaurants and we can eat good lunch in a reasonable price. Itadakimasu! Quote: Meals in Japan traditionally begin with the phrase itadakimasu (literally, "I humbly receive"). The phrase is similar to "bon appétit", or saying grace to give thanks before a meal. It is said to express gratitude for all who played a role in preparing, cultivating, ranching or hunting the food. This also acknowledges that living organisms have given their life to human beings as Dāna. Upon finishing a meal, the Japanese also use the polite phrase Gochisōsama-deshita (lit. You were a Feast (preparer)). Sama is the honorific word which gives respect to the person, therefore, this phrase gives respect for making the meal. - Wikipedia
hanachan Posted Aug 26, 2012, 7:16 pm	Hi! Goshikidai is a mountain range situated between 2 cities, Takamatsu and Sakaide. It's an amazing view of the Seto Inland Sea from the top of the mountain. Can you see the Seto Ohashi Bridge across the sea? I have been across the bridge twice In mountain we saw a very strange statue of Ushi-Oni. It is a creature which appears in the folklore of Japan.
hanachan Posted Sep 9, 2012, 7:24 pm	Sushi, again! Mom, this time I ate Sushi in Kochi city. P.S. My birthday is coming  I can’t wait to see what happens!!
hanachan Posted Sep 27, 2012, 7:20 pm	The old photo studio, the location of the scenes in the movie "Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World" Hi! We drove to the neighbor town Aji. This old photo studio was used a location in the movie. It's a little sad and romantic love story. People in love visit here as a "holy" place I'm enjoying here.  Toki Socrates in Love (Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World)
hanachan Posted Sep 27, 2012, 7:25 pm	This is Ritsurin Garden, a typical Japanese garden. It is located in the center of the city, among the modern buildings. For 228 years long since 1642, the Matsudaira family, the Federal Lord of Takamatsu owned and maintained the garden. Today the garden is open to public. more about Ritsurin Garden
hanachan Posted Oct 16, 2012, 6:55 pm	Shodo-shima - Shodo Island Shodo-shima is located north of Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa prefecture. The ferry boat took us here. It was one hour trip from Takamatsu port. Now we stand on the highest place in the island. This area is called Kankakei, if it's late November we can see the beautiful autumn color. On the way to the rest house from the peak of the mountain, we came across a group of wild Japanese monkeys!!! I was surprised
hanachan Posted Nov 24, 2012, 3:10 pm	Takamatsu Castle This castle is also called Tamamo Castle. Exactly Takamatsu (Tamamo) Castle Ruins. Main tower doesn't exist today. A few buildings still remain in the Japanese Garden. Bonsai is miniature trees. There are many Bonsai here. I love them.  Takamatsu Castle (Sanuki)
hanachan Posted Dec 26, 2012, 2:36 am	Saburo-ike, The pond where the dragon lives in Legend has it that the guardian of this pond is a large snake. In Japan dragons and snakes are often worshiped as a deity of water. They call clouds and shower benefits upon fields. Japanese folklore. See the map. The shape of Japan looks like the dragon climbing the sky.
hanachan Posted Feb 3, 2013, 6:29 pm	Say Good bye to 2012 Japanese people have many parties called "Bo-nen kai" in December. Bo-nen kai is a drinking party where they begin to forget about the problems in this past year and look forward to the new year. (oops, the battery of camera is empty...)
hanachan Posted Feb 3, 2013, 6:36 pm	Melon Pan - a type of sweet bun from Japan In Japan, western food is often developed and changed in its own way by fusing with Japanese original culture. It's interesting. What do you think? wow... the plate is cute P.S. Oh, I know I always eat...
hanachan Posted Feb 3, 2013, 6:43 pm	Yashima Shrine This shrine was built in 1651 by Matsudaira Yorishige, the first Feudal Load of Takamatsu. It is the place where to worship his grandfather Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. When we visit the shrine, first we wash hands. An old tap is often decorated everywhere in the world. In Japan lots of shrine and temples have "Doragons" like this. Then I went up to the long steps of stone and looked back... wow! I saw lots of the written oracles tied to the wires pulled between poles in the shrine grounds. When the result is bad, it is a custom to fold up the strip of paper and attach it to a pine tree or a wall of metal wires. Good luck!
hanachan Posted Mar 9, 2013, 5:18 pm
hanachan Posted Mar 9, 2013, 5:53 pm	Izakaya --- A kind of Tavern, Brewpub... I think. Izakaya is popular for drinking. You can also have good food with non-alcohol drinks there. Today we enjoy Torinabe. Nabe-ryouri is popular cuisine in Japan. Especially in winter it is a typical Japanese home cooking as well as the standard item for the Izakaya menu. It's cooking various things in a pot. Nabe-Ryouri(Nabemono) Torinabe is also called "Mizutaki", Chicken meat and vegetables stewed in a chicken soup. Yakitori (chicken BBQ) is also tasty.
hanachan Posted Mar 21, 2013, 10:55 pm	Ogijima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea. It is a few kilometers from Takamatsu port. It's a very small island just 4km around, about 150 people lives. Today we go to the island by ferry boat.  But... The weather suddenly turned to bad. We reached the lighthouse in the stormy rain This is the northernmost tip of Takamatsu city.
hanachan Posted Apr 14, 2013, 4:30 pm	Kobe is the 5th-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyogo prefecture. We changed the train at Okayama station. Here the Shinkansen Express "Sakura" is coming. It's hard to take pictures of them, because they come quickly and stop just a few minutes After 45 minutes, we reached Kobe. The weather was a little bad From the window of Marine Liner train Our train is running across the Seto Ohashi Bridge over the Inland Sea. If it were sunny day, we could see a beautiful scenery. Sakura, the Shinkansen Express train Sakura N700 Series Shinkansen Port of Kobe From the center of the city we walked to the port of Kobe. That red tower is very famous as the Kobe landmark. The Former Foreign Settlement The modern-era western style buildings remain standing in the new city. China Town Nankin-machi Nankin-machi is a compact chinatown in central Kobe, one of the three Chinatowns in Japan. (others are in Nagasaki and Yokohama) This area was developed by Chinese merchants who settled near Kobe Port after the port was opened to foreign trade in 1868. "Coca Cola" written in Kanji characters
hanachan Posted Apr 21, 2013, 10:15 am	The weather is a little bad also in Takamatsu, but it's warm. Sakura cherry blossoms start to bloom. Walking around my host hanachan's house, we can see many Sakura trees beside the streets. Soon they are in full bloom.
hanachan Posted Apr 21, 2013, 10:22 am	This is my second time visit here This time I came here to enjoy Sakura. It's a wonderful world
hanachan Posted Apr 21, 2013, 10:38 am	Sakura is full blooming This is Shinto shrine near hanachan's house. The sky is blue. It's a beautiful day. This memorial monument is for military horses in equisition. Twig of Sakura was offered to it.
hanachan Posted Jun 29, 2013, 7:56 pm	Shamijima - It used to be a small island in Seto Inland Sea, but today the island is connected to the main island by land reclamation. Here we came in sight of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Yes, we have crossed the bridge already. The trains run through the lower, the upper is the express motorway.
hanachan Posted Jul 7, 2013, 12:09 pm	Dear Mom, How have you been? Today, I was watching the photo book of 3.11 Earthquake & Tsunami. (just watching, I can't read) I wonder if people in the stricken area of Oklahoma start smiling again? I hope so. Japanese people in Tohoku are still halfway through the post-earthquake & Tsunami restoration and recovery. I wish disaster victims in both countries get back their happy days. love, Toki P.S. We had much rain during last 2 weeks. It's a rainy season called "Tsuyu". Today it still hard rains with thunder. And now the rain stopped and The sun shines. Oh, Mom, can you see? Rainbow
hanachan Posted Jul 22, 2013, 11:56 am	The lighthouse of glazing "Setoshirube" This lighthouse is called "Setoshirube". It means the pilot of Seto (inland sea). They say that the only crystal lighthouse in the world. The whole of lighthouse emits red light by internal illumination in the night.
hanachan Posted Aug 12, 2013, 12:10 pm	They say that severe heat of this summer is abnormal It's unbearable to go out from the air-conditioned room in the daytime. In the evening, we finally started  Mt. Yashima is a flat topped mountain in the east side of Takamatsu city. We drove to the top. It's about 300m high. Wow!!
hanachan Posted Aug 20, 2013, 1:17 pm	Oboke and Koboke The beautiful valleys located upstream of the Yoshino River.
hanachan Posted Aug 25, 2013, 9:15 am	And we are going to Kochi-city, where we can eat fresh and delicious fish. But it's a little bit early for dinner. So we decided to stop at the small zoo on our way. This summer is terribly hot and humid. Because of it, many of animals didn't appear in a daytime. Probably they were hiding in their shady place. Finally we ate Sushi! Of course, it was great!
hanachan Posted Oct 30, 2013, 10:46 pm	waiting for the boat for the island Inujima Oh... we were in a wrong place. Our boat is coming to the next pier Run there! from the window of the small boat (forgot to take pictures of our boat...)
hanachan Posted Oct 30, 2013, 10:52 pm	Inujima Seirensho Art Museum --- the remains of a copper refinery on the island Inujima is one of the large-scale art project set in the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.
hanachan Posted Apr 27, 2015, 4:36 pm	On my way home... I'll see you soon, Michelle<3 love, Toki
hanachan Posted Apr 27, 2015, 4:44 pm	Kochi-Jo (Kochi Castle) --- nickname "Hawk Castle" This Samurai Warrior on Horseback is Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, feudal lord of Kochi in the 17th century. The Castle was completed in 1611. After 100 years, in 1727 it was mostly destroyed in a large fire. Now we can see this castle which reconstructed between 1729 and 1753 in the original style. Greetings from Kochi city, Toki
hanachan Posted Apr 27, 2015, 4:47 pm	Ekin Matsuri --- Ekin Festival Kinzo, the painter, was born in Kochi in 1812. He was called "Ekin". Some of his artworks are blood-soaked scenes from Kabuki. This evening, on the third weekend in July, his folding screens on dramatic subjects are displayed at night by candlelight in the streets of Akaoka. After dark, it will be a little scary.
hanachan Posted Apr 27, 2015, 5:01 pm	The night view of Sakura cherry blossoms at Ritsurin Garden It's the another world

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