YUZU!!

It's one of my illustrations:) I drow this not with pencil but mouse. It was very difficult:O I want pencil-shaped mouse ;9!! If I get it, I would drow my illustrations much easier:D!!!
I like making picture books for children, and this is one of those;D I like illustrating, and I like to give my friends the books I made on their birthday:D!! My mom is the collecter of picture books... I like writing interesting tales:)
This character's name is *Yuzu. Yuzu means "citron" in Japanese. Citron is a kind of citrus fruits, and it is important and well-known for Japanese food. Did you notice that "citron" is a part of my web address? :) I love citron!!!! I love yuzu!!
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It's the pic of mine and one of my friends(o^^o) I am standing at left side:P We wear our high school uniforms although we have already graduated from our school because we expect to look young ;P LOL ( It'S important!!!)
We have the same hobby....It's MUSIC!!
In Japan, there are popular singers whose name is YUZU!!! (not means just a fruit, citron, they are duo singers, and they sing very nice songs:) )They are pioneers of history of street musicians in Japan:D
More people sing songs on the street because they want to be like yuzu. (and I am one of them:P)
In Japan, yuzu is very popular and all people know them and their music regardless of age. Both we are crazy about yuzu, and this pic was taken when we go to their concert together. We can sing all of Yuzu's songs and we have all of their CDs....:O!! When we go to *karaoke together, we only sing their songs... Their music is very Japanese style, and It makes us happy. I want many people even in the other countries to listen to their music!!! Their music is unique and their words are sooooo good! Very touching:)
....Did you notice why I like citron?? It's understandable, huh?

---Japanese words

*yuzu--citron

*karaoke--people sing songs with a machine that plays only the music of popular songs

To be a Ninja:D

It's my sweet cat, pickey;)
soooo cute!! right?
She was a wild cat once.
But my sis picked her up from a garbage station seven years ago, and we started living with her:D
Now she is a precious member of my family.

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Do you know ninja:D??

I wanted to be a *NINJA when I was a child. I thought Ninja was so cooool!!! They can use special arts (*ninjutsu in japanese) and tools. Ninja does not exist in Japan today, but I was just about 10 years old, so I believed it and I thought that I would be *kunoichi (means female ninja) someday!!! hehe:)

One day, I encountered the book, "How to be a ninja."
I read the book and practiced the training to improve the ninja skill. I memorized the special complex code of ninja, and I made special tools with *origami;D I trained everyday as the book said.

The book said,
"Good ninja must jump high at any time to run away from your enemies or jump across the wall of castles, so you have to practice doing it.

1, you have to buy hemp seed, and you plant it in your garden.
2, you have to jump over the hemp repeatedly everyday.
3, hemp grows quickly, and it will be taller and taller in a moment.
4, while jumping over it everyday, you will become to be able to jump over tall hemp even if it becomes several meter tall."

The moment I read it, I thought I had to buy hemp!!! So, I asked my mom to buy me it (when I was a child.) My mom was angry and said, "Do you know the meanig of hemp?? Are you serious??" I couldn't understand why she was angry.....and I cried:'(

Yes, you know. Hemp is a kind of drug...In Japan, planting hemp without permission is illegal....(other countries too?) if my mom gave me a hemp then, I would have been caught by the police..... LOL:P

To be ninja, illegal things and dangerous things are always with you.
Be careful, if you want to be a ninja.....The way for being ninja is difficult...LOL
If you have some question about ninja, ask me anything:D

---Japanese word---
*ninja--you know ninja is a person who works for japanese lord of castle to battle against their enemies.
*ninjutsu--the art of ninja
*kunoichi--female ninja
*origami--the Japanese art of folding paper into attractive shapes

I was not confident for above English...If I make a mistake, tell me:)

WA NO KOKORO

Hurray!!! Today is the last day of first semester of my school:D!!
From tomorrow, *natsuyasumi starts!! I am so happy!! Natsuyasumi means "summer vacation" in Japanese. I have some plans for natsuyasumi;)
On 29th, this month, I will go to fireworks festival with my friends:) We can see many *hanabi there. Hanabi means firework. They are beautiful... I like it!! It is a necessary thing for Japanese summer. Most Japanese feel summer when they see hanabi.
And, I wanna go to *Onsen with my family:D Onsen is Japnese hot spring;)

BTW, I like Japanese traditional words. I think that they don't only sound great but also meanings of them is very very good!! Today, I'll show you my best favorite word of Japan.
My favorite word is "WA". Wa is very short word but it has many good meanings;D
It is very difficult for me to translate it to English, but if I force to do it.......um.....:(
Wa means "Japan" "good relationship" "peace" and "mild feeling".......Something like that;D
Don't you think it is a good word:D??

My policy is *wa no kokoro* means "the spirit of Japan."

And Also, I'll tell you the difference between kimono and yukata:)

The difference is very difficult:(

Ah...well, kimono is very formal clothing and we wear it when we have a graduation celemony, wedding celemony and Coming-of-Age Day celebration like that. It is very rare even for Japanese to wear kimono. And it is troublesome and difficult to put it on:P We never be able to put it on by myself and we need specialist's help:O

But, yukata is informal clothing and we wear it when we have shrine festival, fireworks, etc. Yukata's cloth is very thin and we wear it only in summer. Comparatively, it is easy to put it on.

Do U make a sense;)?

---Japanese words---
*natsutasumi--summer vacation
*hanabi--firework
*onsen--hot spring
*wa--Japan, good relationship, peace, mild feeling
*wa no kokoro--the spirit of Japan

Nice To Meet You:)

Hi! I created my blog to study English more;)

Yesterday, there was a little big Japanese shrine festival near my house:-)
Japanese shrine festival is one of the most traditional events. Japanese people wear yukata ( a kind of kimono) and go around many kinds of stalls such as *kakigori, *watagashi, *ringoame, *yakitori ( all Japanese delicious food). Also, we can play with *kuji and *kingyosukui while eating sweets. At the end of festival, we can see beautiful big fireworks in the sky.
It is very romantic so many people go there with their boyfriends, or girlfriends. It is very interesting!!

I went there yesterday with my friend. I wanted to wear yukata but I couldn't because it is difficult for me to put it on by myself, and I need some adults' help....but at the time, there was nobody. I wanted to wear yukata------!!!!!I plan to wear it at the next festival, August. I'm looking forward to wearing yukata even from now. I love yukata! I love Japanese culture:)

And, I wanted to play kingyosukui;-) kingyosukui is a game that people scoop a goldfish with special tool. If I scoop some goldfish, stall owner will give me them. It is one of the most popular and traditional games in Japan. But I haven't tried it ever before, so I wanted to try it! But it was a little expensive, 300yen. So I abandoned.

At the festival, I and my friend were suprised because people who attended the festival were young....Almost all people might be less than high school students....They looked happy and had a fun time with their boyfriends and girlfriends... I felt strong young powers from them.
Oh!No! I am already 19 years old...!! I was a little tired only to go around festival area^^

Anyway, Japanese shrine festival is very interesting and traditional event. I like it!!!

----Japanese words----
*kakigori--a shaved ice with syrup on the top
*watagashi--a candy like cotton
*ringoame--a sweet that an apple in a candy
*yakitori--grilled chicken on a skewer
*kuji--a draw
*kingyosukui-- discription is the above