◎I always look forward to the updates on your website.

　You can see carp streamers every year in Shukugawa Park near my workplace.
　The train in the back of the picture is a JR train.
　It's my daily commuting route,so walking this route is enjoyable.

　This week I will visit Doshisha University in Kyoto.
　Kyoto is so crowded with tourists that it is known as overtourism.
　I spent my university years in Kyoto and there were many people during the autumn leaf season, 　but not as many as now.　
　I would like to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace, it is a good season.

Kishi Shikugawa park.jpg


--------------------Masayuki Kishimoto, Sanda, Hyogo Pref. Japan-----------------

◎ I loved your new home page especially the flying carp and your own carp in the Garden pool.It is winter here now and cold and frosty in the mornings but nlce And sunny in the afternoon,I now have two gardeners to help me one comes for Two hours and the other just for one hour so my garden is looking much tidier.I Do a little bit and today I am going to a new nursery to buy a rhododendron called Kings cream to celebrate K ings Birthday Weekend .Keep well much love fromJocelyn Christchurch New Zealand ,

 --------------------Jocelyn Fifield, Christchurch, New Jealand--------

◎ Thank you for the May Home Page.

You came across the wonderful display of the carp streamers. What a find! I wonder who put them up. Residents of the houses background?

Or municipal hall? I hope you remember this location and visit next year again. The real carp in your pond also looks magnificent. All of your photos are beautiful and the accompanying English essays are well-written and interesting.

 After the long winter I got almost emotional when I spotted the first dandelion during my usual walk on May 1. Here (latitude　52° North, 1050m

above sea level) May is the beginning of spring. Right now tulips and daffodils are blooming side by side. From my window of 3rd floor condo I admire the early spring green of the great grass and farm lands that extend as far as the eye can see.

 Please take care of yourself. Looking forward to June Home Page.

 ---------------------------- Haruyo Konishi Hazelton, Alberta, Canada ----------- 
44

◎Thank you very much for your May 2024 Coffee Club Homepage.

　It arrived when we were travelling in New Zealand …..

　Attached please find a photo (from our Hotel room) of 

　Akaroa Harbour   about 80km south of  Christchurch.

-44

 We also visited Hamner Springs, Kaikoura and the town of Picton, in the 

Malborough Sounds area.   The weather was sunny fro the whole time ……

I am sure that you too may have visited these places on your past travels to 

Christchurch …..With our best wishes to you and all your Coffee Club correspondent
s.

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

 

◎It is always a great joy to study your homepage and also to find out what is happening　in locations far and wide — from the reports of your faithful correspondents.

 Here on the New England Highlands (in the State of New South Wales, Australia), the Autumn Season has arrived and the trees are displaying their seasonal　colours ……. 

 

      
However, if we drive 180km westwards, down to the coast, we can still experience warm summer weather and go swimming / surfing in the ocean …….

 With our warmest Autumn Greeting to you and your Homepage Readers.

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


◎Thank you for the beautiful photos and excellent English essay. I am happy to see the wild cherry bloom in your garden every year. You and Rumiko-san worked hard to send us the Home Page! I appreciate it very much.

April is the best time in Japan: Cherry blossoms and the beginning of the school year - one of the best times in their life for students who could get into the schools of their choice. ( I suppose  the education system in Japan has not changed much from my student years there – very tough entrance exams to good schoosl! I cannot forget April was the most cruel and depressing time for some of my friends who failed university entrance exams.)

 Our weather here at the foothills of Rocky Mountains are quite different from yours. Although yesterday's the temperature was close to 20C, overnight it went down to -6C and right now I am admiring the blizzard over the great prairie. This kind of drastic weather changes are quite common here and very entertaining to watch. I walk everyday for 30-60 minutes and only one spring sign I encountered was a single vivid yellow dandelion flower against the sunny fence. When you are enjoying millions of cherry blossoms, I a single flower.

 Please take care of yourself. Looking forward May Home Page.

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

AB, Canada

◎So good to get your update, and to see the wonderful cherry blossoms in full flower.  

It is especially good to see the cherry blossoms in your own fine garden.
I well remember being in your fine country as cherry blossoms were in flower.  One year you took us to Himaji Castle grounds, and we had a Cherry Blossom picnic  - with many other picnics happening around us.  

　　　　--------------------------- ---------------------------- --------------------------- 
 
I certainly DO remember the days in Kyoto, and when we experienced the beautiful cherry blossoms AND snow.  

I have such great memories of my trips to Sonoda Womens University and our visits to other areas in your beautiful countr

--------------Tom Gregg , Christchurch , New Zealand ----------------------------

◎Thank you for showing us the signs of spring in Japan. When I lived in the west coast of Canada, our spring was only 2-3 weeks behind yours. Now that I live in further interior , on the foothill of Rocky Mountains, the difference between your early spring and ours is remarkable.

Although the temperature is still fluctuating between -20C and 10C , and not a single  spring flower,  in early March I saw the first subtle sign of spring – softness in the color of the sky . On March 11, I saw the definite sign of spring from my living room window -hundreds of Canada geese on the snowy field. Although some people associate the arrival of spring with blooms of dandelions and the arrival of swallows, the people on Canadian prairies believe that the first sign of spring is the arrival of the Canada Geese.

I am very happy to see you are enjoying the day on Rokko. You look happy and energetic. You are a good role model to us seniors.

---------------------------- Haruyo Konishi Hazelton, Alberta, Canada ----------- 
44°

◎As always, thank you for your Homepage with the sign of Early Spring in the Kobe Area.

　There is not much to report from our country town of Armidale, except to say that we are planning a short trip to the South Island of New Zealand

　There we plan to visit the town of Akaroa (a former French Waling harbour), Hamner Springs (Onsens), Kaikoura (on the ocean) and the Kahurangi National Park near the town of Picton in the north.

　With our best wishes to all the Coffee Club members around the globe.

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

◎Takeuchi sensei

I visit your website from time to time,always enjoy looking at your wonderful photos!
I was very happy to see the comments of my old friends when I met them in New Zealand and Australia.

I am now working at Otemae University in Hyogo.
I work in the Academic Affairs Department and international exchange center.

Otemae University is affiliated to a Japanese language school in Myanmar and has 10 Myanmarese students enrolled.
I visited Myanmar 3 years ago （Just before COVID-19）and visited Yangon
University of Foreign Languages, among others.
I hope Myanmar will be at peace soon.

I hope you are doing well,Takeuchi sensei.
Also, kiwi and Aussie, please take care of yourselves.

If I have a chance, I would like to visit New Zealand and Australia.

---------------------Masayuki Kishimoto, Sanda, Hyogo Pref. Japan----------------

-

-
 ru

Thank you for the May Home Page.

You came across the wonderful display of the carp streamers. What a find! I wonder who put them up. Residents of the houses background?

Or municipal hall? I hope you remember this location and visit next year again. The real carp in your pond also looks magnificent. All of your photos are beautiful and the accompanying English essays are well-written and interesting.

 

After the long winter I got almost emotional when I spotted the first dandelion during my usual walk on May 1. Here (latitude 52° North, 1050m

above sea level) May is the beginning of spring. Right now tulips and daffodils are blooming side by side. From my window of 3rd floor condo I admire the early spring green of the great grass and farm lands that extend as far as the eye can see.

 

Please take care of yourself. Looking forward to June Home Page.

 

Haruyo Konishi Hazelton

Alberta, Canada

I loved your new home page especially the flying carp and your own carp in the Garden pool.It is winter here now and cold and frosty in the mornings but nlce And sunny in the afternoon,I now have two gardeners to help me one comes for Two hours and the other just for one hour so my garden is looking much tidier.I Do a little bit and today I am going to a new nursery to buy a rhododendron called Kings cream to celebrate K ings Birthday Weekend .Keep well much love fromJocelyn Christchurch New Zealand ,

◎It is always a great joy to study your homepage and also to find out what is happening　in locations far and wide — from the reports of your faithful correspondents.  

 Here on the New England Highlands (in the State of New South Wales, Australia), the Autumn Season has arrived and the trees are displaying their seasonal　colours ……. 

 

      
However, if we drive 180km westwards, down to the coast, we can still experience warm summer weather and go swimming / surfing in the ocean …….

 With our warmest Autumn Greeting to you and your Homepage Readers.

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


◎Thank you for the beautiful photos and excellent English essay. I am happy to see the wild cherry bloom in your garden every year. You and Rumiko-san worked hard to send us the Home Page! I appreciate it very much.

April is the best time in Japan: Cherry blossoms and the beginning of the school year - one of the best times in their life for students who could get into the schools of their choice. ( I suppose  the education system in Japan has not changed much from my student years there – very tough entrance exams to good schoosl! I cannot forget April was the most cruel and depressing time for some of my friends who failed university entrance exams.)

 Our weather here at the foothills of Rocky Mountains are quite different from yours. Although yesterday's the temperature was close to 20C, overnight it went down to -6C and right now I am admiring the blizzard over the great prairie. This kind of drastic weather changes are quite common here and very entertaining to watch. I walk everyday for 30-60 minutes and only one spring sign I encountered was a single vivid yellow dandelion flower against the sunny fence. When you are enjoying millions of cherry blossoms, I a single flower.

 Please take care of yourself. Looking forward May Home Page.

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

AB, Canada

◎So good to get your update, and to see the wonderful cherry blossoms in full flower.  

It is especially good to see the cherry blossoms in your own fine garden.
I well remember being in your fine country as cherry blossoms were in flower.  One year you took us to Himaji Castle grounds, and we had a Cherry Blossom picnic  - with many other picnics happening around us.  

　　　　--------------------------- ---------------------------- --------------------------- 
 
I certainly DO remember the days in Kyoto, and when we experienced the beautiful cherry blossoms AND snow.  

I have such great memories of my trips to Sonoda Womens University and our visits to other areas in your beautiful countr

--------------Tom Gregg , Christchurch , New Zealand ----------------------------

◎Thank you for showing us the signs of spring in Japan. When I lived in the west coast of Canada, our spring was only 2-3 weeks behind yours. Now that I live in further interior , on the foothill of Rocky Mountains, the difference between your early spring and ours is remarkable.

Although the temperature is still fluctuating between -20C and 10C , and not a single  spring flower,  in early March I saw the first subtle sign of spring – softness in the color of the sky . On March 11, I saw the definite sign of spring from my living room window -hundreds of Canada geese on the snowy field. Although some people associate the arrival of spring with blooms of dandelions and the arrival of swallows, the people on Canadian prairies believe that the first sign of spring is the arrival of the Canada Geese.

I am very happy to see you are enjoying the day on Rokko. You look happy and energetic. You are a good role model to us seniors.

---------------------------- Haruyo Konishi Hazelton, Alberta, Canada ----------- 
44°

◎As always, thank you for your Homepage with the sign of Early Spring in the Kobe Area.

　There is not much to report from our country town of Armidale, except to say that we are planning a short trip to the South Island of New Zealand

　There we plan to visit the town of Akaroa (a former French Waling harbour), Hamner Springs (Onsens), Kaikoura (on the ocean) and the Kahurangi National Park near the town of Picton in the north.

　With our best wishes to all the Coffee Club members around the globe.

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

◎Takeuchi sensei

I visit your website from time to time,always enjoy looking at your wonderful photos!
I was very happy to see the comments of my old friends when I met them in New Zealand and Australia.

I am now working at Otemae University in Hyogo.
I work in the Academic Affairs Department and international exchange center.

Otemae University is affiliated to a Japanese language school in Myanmar and has 10 Myanmarese students enrolled.
I visited Myanmar 3 years ago （Just before COVID-19）and visited Yangon
University of Foreign Languages, among others.
I hope Myanmar will be at peace soon.

I hope you are doing well,Takeuchi sensei.
Also, kiwi and Aussie, please take care of yourselves.

If I have a chance, I would like to visit New Zealand and Australia.

---------------------Masayuki Kishimoto, Sanda, Hyogo Pref. Japan----------------

-

-
 ru
Coffee Break
We saw th big carp streamers by the Music Hall affliated with City Hall,
We came home with satisfying feeling to see many carp streamers. And went to the pond in the garden to see the carp.She approached
to us saying "Don't forget me"
　　　Tango-no-Sekku (Iris Festival)


Children’s Day falls on May 5th, and this is one of the most popularly celebrated national holidays. It is actually celebrated as the Boys’Festival. It is also a seasonal festival called tango-no-sekku (Iris Festival), because May 5th marks the beginning of summer on the old lunar calendar. To drive away bad spirits and celebrate the future of their sons, families hoist koinobori (cloth constructed carp streamers) from balconies and flagpoles, and indoors display gogatsu-ningyo (samurai dolls and their armaments) on layered ledges. Carp, samurai, irises, oak trees, and bamboos all symbolize strength. Parents prepare these decorations and foods with the earnest wish that their children may grow up to be healthy

It is sad that today we find difficulty in seeing the carp streamer which we could find lots in the old days. It may come from the declining birthrate or/and indifference toward traditional culture among young parents.


　　　 　　


On the 5th of May, we were so happy to find the carp streamers in the upper reaches of the Muko river. A lot of carp streamers were swimming in the air with green muntains in the background,
The view was really spectacular.
Coffee Break
After we enjoyed the magnificent sight of carp streamers, we planed to visit Sasayama,Tak' home town. This is the rice planting season and we saw the farmers planting the rice by the farm trator.