◎Thank you for the February update of your Home-page.

We do enjoy receiving it every month and hearing  the news from your many friends from all around the world.

It has been a warm summer here in Christchurch, New Zealand – sometimes too warm. We worry that the predictions of increasing global temperatures may be correct and irreversible

Fortunately the populations of the world are beginning to understand that we have a big problem and that we will need to take urgent action to reverse the trend that is taking place.

We had an excellent Christmas, Georgian New Year and this last week-end Chinese New Year. We have  been able to have visits to and from our Children, Grand Children and Great Grand-Children. It is a wonderful time of year to hear of their achievements in life and their plans for the future.

The restrictions brought about by Covid 19 have largely been removed and in New Zealand we have been able to host increasing numbers of visitors to our country. We enjoy having them here to share the quietness and beauty of our country.

We wish everyone a happy and enjoyable year of the dragon. 2024. With positive change and fresh beginnings

Kind Regards

　************************Robin Mann, Christchurch, New Jealand ******

◎As always, it is great to hear from you two, and catch-up with your activities.  

 All is good here with us too. 

 - ーーーーTom & Kate Gregg, Christchurch,New Jealand-----

◎Thank you very much indeed for both your Japanese HP with the many pictures of the birds and the English HP with messages from friends, near and far away.

We are both well and looking after our garden.  This year too we had a beautiful rop of peaches for the second year.   The only problem is that they all become ripe at the same time ………..

 With our best wishes for a continuing Spring Season and the Summer Season in Japan to follow.   We are about to embark on a trip to Queensland to see our daughter and family.

Our grand-son has commenced primary school this year.

Please keep well and continue to enjoy your life,

With our best wishes for a continuing Spring Season and the Summer Season in Japan to follow.   We are about to embark on a trip to Queensland to see our daughter and family.

Our grand-son has commenced primary school this year.

Please keep well and continue to enjoy your life,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*****************************

Thank you for your kind words..

While I work in my garden, your “楽しみ” is to cultivate your fabulous Home Pages, 

giving constant pleasure to many personsin Japan and the wide world.

May your HPs blossom and continue to produce much happiness ….

－－－－－Claus & Michiko Jehne, Armidale, NSW, Australia         .

◎Belated Happy New Year　ｔo you and Rumi. I hope 2024 is a good year for both of you.

I enjoyed your New Year' s photos. The white carp looks like a symbol of peace. Indeed it  looks “deeply relaxed”.

I happened to be reading a fiction based on 1989 San Francisco earthquake when I heard the news of Ishikawa earthquake. The scale of the damage and losses are huge. I am so sorry for the pain the victim are going through.

We are experiencing an unusually cold weather for the last few days . As El Nina is gone, we are being visited Arctic vortex. Fortunately my suite in the retirement community is comfortably warm (the heating system is very good here.) although the outside temperature is -40c. I will miss my daily walk next few days until the temperature goes up zero, but I enjoy my day reading, painting / drawing and viewing the beautiful scenery of Canadian Rockies and infinite snow covered prairie.

We are having the outbreak of Covit 19 Corona and influenza here in the retirement community. The patients are segregated in her/his room and the life of the rest of us is quite normal except all the employees and visitors are wearing masks. It seems that hysterical fear of the Corona epidemic is gone.

Looking forward to 2024 Homepage

----------------------------Haruyo Konishi Hazelton, AB Canada----------------------------

 ◎Hopefully, A Peaceful New Year 2024

Thank you so much for your kind messages from Europe and the UK, and your compassion for the victims of great earthquake in Noto Peninsular, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan Sea. 

The size of the earthquake is as big as the one that hit Kobe in 1995 and the one hit North of Japan in 2011.  As the main roads in the huge peninsular were destroyed and consequently many people in the local villages have been  isolated from January 1. 

Good thing is that thousands of local polices, fire fighters and Japanese Self-Defense Forces and volunteer groups, NGOs and NPOs from all over Japan are making every effort to bring tons of clean water, food, daily necessities by helicopters, Self-defense transportation ships and trucks. 

Japanese Self-Defense forces have never ever killed any single person since 1945 based on our constitutional pacifism and they always work hard for the victims of natural disasters together with local polices and fire fighters from all over Japan, which makes us feel better.

When my house in Kobe was partially destroyed ( Our roof was damaged, the television was blown off for 2 meters and destroyed, the strong quake broke all the precious Wedgewood dishes) by the Great Hanshin Earthquake in the cold morning of winter, 1995, many people from Tokyo and all over Japan came to Kobe and helped us  a lot. All citizens of Kobe were deeply touched by the power of human love and volunteer activities and supports gave us a sense of human solidarity along with the quick actions of brave international rescue parties from abroad.  We showed off human resilience against the series of great earthquakes in 1995, 2011 and 2024 without looting and violence affected by the Japanese ethical code of Bushido spirits by Nitobe Inazo (1862-1933).

Your words "Japan is in our thoughts so much." touched our heart. Also, your words" We are proud of the way the Japanese people deal with life especially thinking of the calm way they all left the Japanese plane and the miracle that saved over three hundred people from dying." encouraged us very much.  We are very proud of your lofty and heartful words for Japanese people and victims in the series of crisis in the beginning of the New Year 2024 in Japan.  We are very fortunate to have good friends in the EU, North America and the UK, whom we respect in many ways. Friends in need are truly friends indeed. Thank you again for your friendship, brotherhood and  sisterhood. We are connected beyond cultures and nations. 

In return, I would like to send you some impressive photos today.

1. two red roses opened towards the cold blue sky at the front door of our house, which gave us the power of nature.
2. my grandfather's summer oranges are already large enough with lovely colour, for our Vitamin C and delicious marmalade.
3. Our winter baby leaves are shining in our little garden, and we eat a lot every day directly from the garden.
4. Cyclamen and daffodils are strong enough to show off their beauty and strength in the midst of cold morning. we respect them.
5.  I was like this when I was 29 in the States as an exchange teacher in Seatle Public High Schools.  This photo was taken in Victoria, Canada close from Seattle Washington, USA in 1982-83
6.  I could see the evening star in the night landscape of Kobe from Rokko Mountain this summer.
7. Challenging spirits

8. My grandson, 16 years old became the champion in 57Kg  (bantamweight class) in East Asia Youth High School Championship, after defeating powerful and competitive representatives from Korea, Taiwan, Mongol and China, one by one at Ulaanbaatar in Mongolian State in October, 2023. My eldest son (46) is very proud of him. He is studying at public high school, practicing hard as a member of his high school boxing club, and working part time for his college tuition from next year on. He is quite a man of efforts and reminds me of athletic family blood lines. Influenced by his continued efforts and challenging spirits, I challenged myself in the area of carbon organic agriculture in our little garden and playing tennis with young athletes,  consequently, I was qualified as an advanced level tennis player in Noah Tennis School in Japan at the age of 74.  His face reminds me of mine when I was 16, albeit he is more handsome than me.  
    
   
   
   
   We pray for health, happiness and the brave new world of my dear friends and each family member.

Respect and Friendship,

－－－－－－Koji Nakamura,Kobe,Japan----------------------


◎Happy New Year to  you and Rumi, my old friend.     We hope you both have a good year ahead, in 2024.

We woke up here in New Zealand to news of earthquakes off the west coast of your beautiful country, including one large magnitude 7.6 quake off Ishikawa Prefecture.   

We trust that you two fine people are fine where you are? 

---- ーーーーTom & Kate Gregg, Christchurch,New Jealand-----

 
◎Happy New Year! Congratulation for completing 2023 Tak and Rumi's Home Page. Over many years I have enjoyed Japanese seasons via your Home Page.◎

The large window in my bedroom frames the northern night sky beautifully- auroras and constellations circling around Polaris. I already saw auroras a few times this winter. As I am not good at photography, I tried to capture their beauty by painting.

Looking forward to 2024 Home Page.















- 　　　　　　　-----Haruyo Konishi Hazelton, Alberta, Canada--------


◎Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the greatest James Bond

　-　　　　　　　　　　　--------------------Don Lorentz,Washington,USA--------------

◎Belated Happy Birthday!! I am looking forward to Tak's Home Page many years to come.

Thanks for taking us to Mt. Rokko for the autumn leaf viewing. The beauty of colourful trees are stunning. It is also so nice to see your active images taking photos

Here at the foothill of Canadian Rockies, our autumn is long gone. It was a gorgeous sight when the aspen trees turned a bright golden color in September. We are having an unusual mild winter -5C to 10C (Thank to El Nino ?)– the ground is barely covered with snow.

Fortunately I have a huge window facing north in my bedroom and whenever I wake up during night I enjoy watching the stars rotate around Polaris. So far I saw the aurora only once. It was not a spectacular sight, because I woke up too late and witnessed only the very end of the event. I hope someday I can send you a spectacular aurora photo.

Please take care of yourself.

 ---------------Don and Linda Lorentz, Poulsbo, Washington, USA -----------

◎Dear Sensei and Coffee Break correspondents,

It is always a great pleasure to read and view the reports from everyone far and wide.

Here in Armidale, country NSW,  everything is well and the seasons are taking their course.

Summer is approaching and there is a group of avid Bushwalkers of which we are members.Once a month we go and walk in the National Park to see the spectacular terrain in this area.From the roadside we mainly see pastures for sheep and black Wagyu cattle.

However,  beyond that, there are spectacular gorges (1000m+ deep) and waterfalls ……..

Please enjoy the following pictures.   And best wishes for the end of this year ad the next.

 －－－－－－Claus & Michiko Jehne, Armidale, NSW, Australia         .

 ◎We are fortunately in Ireland now for our visit to our son and his family, in Celbridge in County Kildare (not far from Dublin City).

Very good to hear from you again via your welcome Home Page.  Your wet season doesn't sound like too much fun, old friend, but how great that you can get out and about via a wheelchair, AND with the assistance of Rumi and three of your ex-student friends.

Your photos are great, of course, and it is so good to see them, and catch-up with how your place looks right now, with the plants all enjoying the wet weather.

Keep up your activities, my old friend, and best regards to you and the amazing Rumi.

--------Tom & Kate Gregg, Ireland--------

◎Thank you, as always, for a very informative and beautiful Coffee Break report.

We are visiting our daughter, her husband, and our two grand-children who live on the beach front in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, to escape the frosts and cold weather in Armidale.

 With our best wishes to you, your family and all our  Coffee Break friends around the world.



----------------- Claus & Michiko Jehne,  Armidale, NSW, Australia-------------


◎Thank you for showing us beautiful hydrangeas. They look well-hydrated.

I remember well the rainy season in Japan, dark, dull and muggy. I also remember well hydrangea blooms during this season which seam to counterbalance the unpleasantness of tsuyu. The beautiful , bright flowers never failed to uplift my spirit. Here in the north west coast of Canada, June and July are very dry, especially this year. Although my hydrangeas are planted on the shady part of the garden and I water them almost every day, they always seem thirsty. I wish you could send us some of your rain.

On July 1 (national holiday called Canada Day /Canada's birthday) a large tornado (diameter 2 km with softball sized hail) struck Disbury, Alberta. It is a town at the foothill of Rocky Mountain of vast agricultural fields and very small population of 5000. I was shocked not only because of the record breaking size and speed of the tornado, but also because of the damages done on my beloved ex-home town. ( I lived in Disbury for a few years before I moved back to the west coast. ) I loved it's big and dark sky. (I am interested in astronomy.) although winter temperature could be -40c there.

◎ After a very enjoyable trip to Japan in April and may, we have returned hometo our town of Armidale, NSW, Australia.  Here the weather has become colder with some frosts overnight.

Wishing you and your readers a wonderful time, whatever the season it is in the towns and cities, all over the world, in which they reside.

It was indeed very nice to have been able to visited you May 4th and to find you and your wife good health and in high spirits.

With our best wishes to you and your family.

 ----------------- Claus & Michiko Jehne,  Armidale, NSW, Australia-------------

◎You described tsuyu(rainy season) as the most unpleasant season in Japan. While you are enduring rain patiently, we are anxiously waiting for rain. Our traditionally wet spring was only moist, and early summer is unusually dry.

Wildfires are raging in Canada . (According to the official wild fire information , 431 fires are burning across Canada. ) Although the nearing wildfire to the town where I live is about 300 km north, the sky hazy. Probably you heard the news of Canadian wildfire smoke pouring into New York.

Please take care of yourself.

-◎How good to hear from you and Rumi again Tak.   

And the new life in plants in the start of your rainy season, is so good to see.  It is also good that you and Rumi are getting out and about. 

We are entering our winter now here in Christchurch with some very cold days. 

However, in one week’s time, Kate and I are flying off back to stay for 2 months with our son and hi

-