A Happy New Year! 2020 is a year of mouse (or rat) in Chinese Zodiac. Pidan has had a "mouse visitor" and they are relaxing in "Kotatsu" which is a Japanese traditional heating appliance. With some oranges! It is a Japanese tradition that eating orange when you are in "Kotatsu"! By the way, Pidan and mouse are more or less same size, aren't they? 明けましておめでとうございます。 2020年は、ネズミ年ですね。 ピータン家には、ネズミ君が遊びに来たようです。 コタツに入って、二人でまったり。 みかんもあるよ。 コタツでみかんっていうのは、日本のお正月の風物詩ですね。 ところで、ピータンとネズミ君、大体同じ

30th April 2019 and 1st May 2019 were very important days for Japanese citizens. Japanese emperor, Akihito, abdicated from his crown on 30th April 2019 and the next day, on 1st May 2019, the new emperor, Naruhito, took over the crown! Japan has their own unique calendar, in which the year is counted from the current emperor's coronation. Akihito's era was called "Heisei". Now, Naruhito's era is called "Reiwa". Celebrations are held in all over the country and Japanese people

Time flies like an arrow, and now it's already April! In Japan, April is the month when new a school year starts. Also, April is the month when Japanese Archipelago is dyed with "PINK" by Cherry blossoms. I'm not joking! If you have a chance to look at Japan in bird's eye view in the the beginning of April, you will see. It really becomes pink! So, it is Japanese tradition that new students starts their new school life celebrated by a storm of Cheery blossoms. Sounds beautif

It's already March! One month has passed since we celebrated the Happy Chinese New Year. Still a little bit chilly, windy and rainy in London, but Daffodils are starting to bloom here and there and we have warm days from time to time. And, most importantly, day time is getting longer. When come to think of it, of course, Spring equinox day is just around the corner! Though Pidans who live in London have had a little bit SAD symptoms these days, the idea of having Spring equin

A Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Lunar New Year! And also, it is a Japanese New Year in their "Old Calendar". In Japan, people celebrate their "Old" new year eating as many Roasted Soy Beans as the number of their age. You know, Roasted Soy Beans are quite tasty with full of flavour! When they are kids, they wish if they were older as they want to eat more. As time goes on, however, kids grow and change their mind, start wishing if they got younger. 春節おめでとうございます。そして春節は、日本の旧正月で

A Happy New Year to you all! 2019 is a year of wild boar. As a grown up wild boar is too big for Pidan, Pidan is riding on a "Uri-Bo", which is a wild boar piglet. He is so cute, isn't he? 明けましておめでとうございます。今年もピータンをよろしくお願いいたします。 2019年はイノシシ年ということで、ピータンもイノシシロデオに挑戦です。 でも、大人のイノシシは大きすぎるので、うり坊ロデオです。 それにしても、うり坊ってカワイイなあ。 Let's go to see the first sunrise of the year and make a wish! Pidan's feel vaguely familiar with the sunrise.. It has certain resemblance to Pidans, doesn't it? そして皆で

Happiness is... Singing a Christmas carol together with old friends again. 今年も、みんな元気に集まって、そろって合唱できて良かったね。 Happiness is... Finding a lovely present under a tree on a Christmas morning. サンタさん、ピータンの事も覚えていてくれたんだあ。 Happiness is... A Christmas Party!!! Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! めりくり～。そして、よいお年を～！ And then, on a New Years day... そして年が明けたら。。。 Happiness is... Taking alfresco hot spring bath on a very cold day. ピータンは、温泉タマゴならぬ温泉ピータンになるの。 #Calendar

November. The month when wine lovers receive the "preview wine" of the year's harvest from the Beaujolais region. When the Japanese economy was booming (from late 80's to early 90's), affluent people in Japan competed to get nice bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau as early as possible and through a lavish party to celebrate the new wine. Nowadays, as Japanese economy being rather quieter and young people becoming more humble, we don't see such craze any more? But, Pidans are wine

We have just entered into October and it's very cold in London. Maybe it's about the time when we start finding hot chestnuts sellers on the street. The roasted chestnuts sold on European street looks so tempting, but when you actually buy and taste it, they seldom satisfy your expectations. Maybe your expectations are too high. By the way, October Pidans are disguising as chestnuts. They are so good that they don't look like Pidan at all anymore.. 10月になって、ロンドンはすっかり冷え込んできました。

"Yeah, you and me, we can ride on a star If you stay with me, girl We can rule the world.." It's just the beginning of September but getting quite chilly in London. And a typhoon of the size of one-in-quarter-century has just hit Japan. I cannot believe that scorching hot August was just fortnight ago. Abnormal weather every year, so we cannot remember how the normal weather used to be any more. I wonder what direction our earth is going? Worrying (?) or not worrying (?) ab