Weekly Topics/Archive
July 2011
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Today, July 18th, is Marine Day and also the day when Nadeshiko Japan
won its first
Women's Soccer World Cup title.
Nadeshiko Japan won the 2011 Women's Soccer World Cup!
Congratulations on your win!
Yesterday, I played in the 2011 summer Golf Team competition of Kamakura Public Golf
and so was a little bit tired.
So, I went to bed early last night after setting the alarm clock on my
mobile phone for
3:30 a.m. to enjoy live broadcast of the Women's World Cup Soccer final
match.
When I switched on the TV, the soccer stadium in Frankfurt, Germany was
already heating
up with enthusiasm of a great crowd waiting eagerly for the kick-off.
The Japan versus US final match of the 6th Women's Soccer World Cup was
kicked off at
3:45 a.m.Japan time.
In the first half, Nadeshiko was repeatedly exposed to stinging drives
from US team , which is
ranked first in FIFA's latest world ranking.
But, luckily for it, the balls came off the goal post.
And it escaped being scored due to goalkeeper Kaihori's strong defense.
Apparently, Nadeshiko Japan is physically-deprived compared to US team.
I imagined that Nadeshiko could concede at least two goal to US if this
goes on.
But in the first half, it managed to keep a scoreless tie.
In the middle of the second half, just as I thought, US got the first goal.
In the 36th minute when Japan seemed likely to lose the game, it equalized with a goal
from mid fielder Miyama and sent the match into extra time.
In the 36th minute of the second half, Miyama scored the equalizer.
Source ； Mainichi Newspapers,July19th,2011 morning edition |
In the first half of extra time, US added another goal again.
However, Sawa, the captain of Nadeshiko, kicked a ball from left corner
kick leaving behind
opposing defense player, and scored the dramatic and miraculous equalizer.
I shouted unconsciously, "Wow!", "Really!"
In the 12th minute of the second half of extra time, Sawa scored the equalizer
again.
Source ； Mainichi Newspapers,July19th,2011 morning edition |
And the game finally went into penalty-kick shoot-out.
I imagined again even in this scene that Japan might be overwhelmed by
US with a tall goal
keeper and its ability for powerful shoot.
GK, Kaihori saved nicely and miraculously on the first penalty kick by
US.
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Goal Keeper, Kaihori stopping US's penalty kicks in a shootout
Source ； Mainichi Newspapers,July19th,2011 morning edition |
At the stadium, spectators gave a deafening roar with a surprise.
Kaihori stopped another US's penalty kick.
And then Kumagai of fourth Japanese penalty kicker, who is only 20 years
old, scored on her
kick.
Nadeshiko Japan beat US 3−1 in a shootout to win its first World Cup title.
I was really surprised and shouted "banzai" three times.
Nadeshiko's spiritual strength that never give up overcame US's physical
power.
It's as if Nadesiko give the spirit to the Japanese people as a message.
Nadeshiko eliminated sense of stagnation currently overshadowing the country，which
was
crushed by the Great Tohoku Earthquake and nuclear
accident at Fukushima，I think.
It was a great match suitable for the final.
Thank you for your giving a lot of hope and courage to Japanese people.
The behavior that Nadeshiko's players walk around the stadium holding up
a placard
after every game made a strong impression on not only Japanese but also
people around
the world.
Actually, it was the scene my eyes filled with tears.
Today, I got up early in the morning and cheered Nadeshiko.
And so I'm happy I was made a good impression.
Thank you very much again.
[Note] Marine Day ； 海の日、Nadeshiko Japan ； なでしこジャパン
Women's Soccer World Cup；サッカ−女子ワ−ルドカップ、 team competition ； 団体戦
set the alarm clock for 〜 ; 目覚まし時計を〜時にセットする
watch live broadcast of 〜 ; 〜の生中継を見る、 a great crowd：大観衆
heat up with enthusiasm ； 熱気に包まれる、 wait eagerly for 〜 ; 〜が今かと待つ
stinging drive ； 強烈なシュ−ト、 come off the goal post；ゴ−ルポストにはじかれる(サッカ−)
strong defense ； 好守、 physically-deprived ； 身体的に劣る、 if this goes on ; このままでは
concede a goal to 〜 ； 〜に得点を許す、manage to 〜 ; 何とか〜する
in the middle of the second half ； 後半中盤に、 just as someone thought ； やはり
seem likely to lose ；敗戦濃厚と思われる、 equalize with a goal from 〜；〜(人の)ゴールで同点にする
send the match into extra time ； 試合を延長戦にもつれ込ませる、equalizer ；同点シュ−ト(サッカ−)
miraculous ；奇跡的な、 leave behind 〜；〜を振り切る，(penalty-kick) shoot-out；PK戦(サッカ−)
spectators give a deafening roar；観衆から耳をつんざくような大歓声が上がる
spiritual strength ； 精神力、 eliminate sense of stagnation ； 閉塞感を拭い去る
overshadow 〜 ；〜を覆う，〜に影を投げかける、 be crushed by 〜；〜に打ちひしがれる
make a strong impression on ； (人)に強い感銘を与える、one's eyes filled with tears；目頭が熱くなる
Japanese Diary / No.377−2011.07.18 / 「今日は海の日，なでしこJapanの日」
From 7 a.m., I had western-style breakfast with everyone at the hotel's
restaurant for
the first time in a week or so, while looking out the window at the stream
of the Shinano River.
After I said goodbye to three friends at the hotel who return to Atami,
Kannami and
Izu-kogen by car, I brought the rinko-bag into the service office of Yamato
Transport
Company, where is a five-minute walk from the hotel, to send it back to
my home in
Kusatsu.
I couldn't send it to my home directly from the hotel because of arrangement
for insurance.
After becoming mobile, I came to JR Niigata station by taxi.
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| In front of JR Niigata Station |
Click the thumbnail-size image below to see the full-size image
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| The views in front of JR Niigata Station |
Here in Niigata, maybe the electric power supply is under the jurisdiction
of Tohoku Electric
Power Company.
There may already be an electricity shortage in this area because of the
shutdown of the
Onagawa nuclear plant of Tohoku Electric Company due to recent Great Tohoku
Earthquake.
The JR Hokuriku appear to be forced to reduce train services.
I took the 10:11 limited express "Hokuetsu #4" at Niigata station.
Off course, the train was almost vacant even in the nonreserved seats and
so I felt very
comfortable.
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| The limited express "Hokuetsu #4" |
I transferred to the limited express "thunderbird #24" for Osaka.
One of the pleasures of traveling by train is to enjoy local Ekiben.
I enjoyed the scenery in Hokuriku from the train window, while eating a
piece of yakisaba-sushi, which is the Ekiben I bought at Kanazawa station.
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| A pack of yakisaba-sushi wrapped |
It started raining around Kaga-onsen.
It was raining cats and dogs, when I returned home in Kusatsu via Kyoto
before 5 p.m.
[Note] rinko-bag ； 輪行バッグ、 send 〜 back to − ； 〜を−に送り返す
electric power supply ； 電力供給、 under the jurisdiction of 〜 ； 〜の管轄下に
Tohoku Electric Power； 東北電力、 electricity shortage ； 電力不足
the shutdown of 〜；〜の停止、 Great Tohoku Earthquake ; 東北大震災
be forced to 〜 ； 〜を余儀なくされる、 reduce train services ； 間引き運転する
yakisaba-sushi ； 焼き鯖寿司，it's raining cats and dogs ；土砂降りだ
Japanese Diary / No.367−2011.06.17 / 「佐渡一周サイクリング(第5日目-5月28日-)」
When I woke up in the morning, Tamma−san was searching the Internet for
information
on today's weather forecast of Sado using his ipad.
According to yesterday's forecast, it would be rainy in the afternoon in
sado.
But the forecast this morning changed for the better.
I was relieved to hear that it would be cloudy but not rainy all day today.
The cycling in the rain isn't fun. You know.
We have breakfast in the same dinning room as had dinner last night.
Hey, breakfast has also many dishes! 
It included a chawan-mushi and a noodle-shaped raw squid.
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| Breakfast with many dishes |
That was a little too many for me and so I coudn't eat them all.
I was worried saying in my heart, "Hey, landlord! Can you still become
profitable even if
you served us so many dishes? "
We started at 8:30 a.m . after watching the NHK's morning serial drama
as usual.
Today, it's the final day in our cycling tour around Sado Island.
We are going to ride north along the coast of Japan Sea from here to the
Cape of Haziki
and then head south on the road, which runs along Uchikaifu Coast, to Ryotsu
Port.
The trip distance reachs about 60 Kilometers.
When we rode on the R45 along the flat coastline for about 30 minutes,
we got to Iwayaguchi.
From here, the road turns to become a steep upward slope, commonly known as Z-slope,
which is the physically toughest point for even a traiathlon athlete.
You can see the toughest upward slope ahead, commonly known as Z-slope
(Photo by tamma−san) |
Look! It looks like the letter Z, doesn't it.
There was a upward slope with difference in height of 130 meters from the highest to lowest
point and with a long distance.
Off course, I gave up pedaling halfway up the slope.
It's because the speed at which I pushed the bike up the slope wasn't so
different from
the speed at which I rode the bike up the slope changing to a lower gear.
The view from here was so beautiful.
Especially, the blue of the sea was impressive.
The view of the Coast of Sotokaifu from Z-slope |
After successfully going up and then pedaling for a while, there was a
steep downward slope.
Refreshing coolness of the wind on my sweaty body is wonderful, while riding
the bike down
the steep slope at full speed.
I feel great!
We can see Ono-game when passing through some tunnels.
You can see the Onogame ahead. (Photo by tamma−san) |
The hill which looks like a turtle stick out into the sea.
Pedaling up the slope of Ono-game, there were a sightseeing spot.
It was crowded with visitors arriving here by some sightseeing buses.
Getting in a rest house, we took a break while eating a soft-serve ice
cream and looking
at the Ono-game.
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| Ono-game which is 187 meters in hight |
It was decided that we would take a next break at Hazikizaki lighthouse
where is located at
the north tip of the O-sado.
The movie, "Yorokobi mo Kanashimi mo Ikusaigetsu" was set at
Hazikizaki lighthouse was
set here at the lighthouse in the past.
To my regret, I and Hasegawa−san rode past there.
I knew it for the first time on the mobile phone by cell-phone call from
tamma−san on the
road about 3 Kilometers away from here.
Click the thumbnail-size image below to see the full-size image
Since I didn't have enough gut to turn back, we continue to pedal for
a while and took
a short break at Kitaura fishing port.
It was 11:40 a.m.
As there seemed not to be such a big town that we can have lunch at a restaurant down
the road, we decided to make a nonstop bike trip to Ryotsu Port.
We enjoyed our last pedaling in a euphoric mood for the remaining 30 Kilometers
with
the speed of 20 to 30 Kilometers an hour.
I feel like singing, "Cycling! Cycling! Yee-ha! Yee-ha!"
When I entered the town of Ryotsu, the number of cars, people in the street and the traffic
lights has increased.
It seemed that I came to a different world because I rode the bike on the
country road.
We finally reached the goal, Ryotsu Port and so have completed our "Sadoichi"
safely.
We searched a food mall near the port for a restaurant to have late lunch and toast
completion of Sadichi with a glass of beer.
In front of a restaurant, a waitress, who could have been a kiryo-yoshi in her young days,
induced customers to enter her place, saying "We will provide you a lot of service! Welcome!
Come on in!".
A kiryo-yoshi means a good-looking woman.
We were pulled in for it by her and entered the restaurant which looked
like a izakaya.
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| A restaurant near Ryotsu Port |
First of all, we toasted with a glass of cold beer.
We ordered various kinds of dishes to go with drinks, including "ikadango",
speciality of this
restaurant.
Well, I 'd like to drink Japanese sake after beer.
Off course, local sake brewed in Sado!
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| Local sake brewed in Sado |
I was surprised to see that the brand name of one of the sake was also
"kiryo-yoshi in Sado".
Bruce−san and tamma−san broke it short and went for cycling around Lake
Kamo.
After changing our clothes in the room upstairs, we enjoyed celebratory
drink until 30
minutes before boarding a ferry.
We boarded the 17:05 ferry "Osado-maru" at Ryotsu Port and left
Sado in which we were
taken care of.
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| Second-class cabin of the ferry "Osado-maru" |
We had a bike ride from Niigata Port to hotel and then I packed my bike in rinko bag in the
basement of hotel.
It's because I had to send my bike to my home in Kusatsu using home-delivery
service of
bike called "Cycling-Yamato-bin" tomorrow.
After check-in at the hotel, we went out for dinner to mid-evening Furumachi
Street.
The neon-lighting mid-evening downtown street bring back old memories to
me.
Is it because it is Friday?
How lively the street is !
Though we searched restaurant for dinner arund the street, we decided to
enter the izakaya
"Okomeya" which the hotel staff recommended us.
I have some opprtunity to sing my song "Niigata Blues" in Karaoke.
But I just never imagined I could have a drink here in Furumachi Street,
which is the home
town of this song.
I thought it might be curious knot connected by bike.
Though it wasn't a misty day, the evening in Niigata went on tonight again as the words of
the song.
According to my cycle comuter, today's measurement data are as follows.
・Elapsed Time ； 3 hours 39 minutes 49 seconds
・Trip Distance ； 64.20 Km
・Average Speed ； 17.5 Km/h |
TBC Weekly Topics / No.142−Jul08.2011 /
"A cycling tour around Sado Island (Last day−May28−)”
The fourth day's photos of a cycling tour are also posted on the Web below.
Please click a button B or D and enter the password to look at them.
  Picture / Cycling / 「佐渡島一周サイクリング(第4日目-5月27日-)」
[Note] change for the better ； 好転する、 be relieved to hear that 〜；〜と聞いてほっとする
chawan-mushi ； 茶碗蒸し、 noodle-shaped raw squid ； いかソ−メン
become profitable ； 利益が出る、 landload ； (旅館・アパ−トなどの)主人
the Cape of Haziki ； 弾(はじき)岬、 Uchikaifu Coast ； 内海府海岸
steep upward slope ； 険しい上り坂、 traiathlon athlete ； トライアスロンの選手，the letter Z ； Zの字
halfway up a slope ； 坂の途中で，change to a lower gear ； ギアを落とす
ride the bike up (down) the slope : 自転車で坂道を登って(降りて) 行く
refreshing coolness ； 爽やかな涼しさ、 I felt great! ； 気持いい!、 Ono-game；大野亀
stick out ; 突き出る、 soft-serve ice cream ; ソフトクリ−ム
Hazikizaki lighthouse ; 弾崎(はじきざき)灯台、gut ； 気力，根性
make a nonstop trip ； 一気に行く, in a euphoric mood ； ルンルン気分で
the remaining 30 Kilometers；残り30 Km, Yee-ha! ; ヤッホ−
search A for B ; Bを求めてAを探す、 food mall ； レストラン街
toast 〜 with a glass of beer ； ビ−ルで〜に祝杯を挙げる、 good-looking ； 美人の
induce customers to do 〜 ； 〜するように客引きする、 kiryo-yoshi ； 器量良し
pull in 〜 ； 〜を引きずり込む、 dishes to go with drinks ； お酒のおつまみ
specialty of a restaurant ； レストランの名物料理、 break it short ； 早く切り上げる
change clothes ； 着替える、 celebratory drink ； 祝杯、 second-class cabin ; 2等船室
in the basement of 〜 ； 〜の地階で、 mid-evening ； 夜の
bring back memories to 〜； 〜にとって懐かしい、思い出を呼び覚ます
knot；縁，きずな
Japanese Diary / No.366−2011.06.16 /「佐渡一周サイクリング(第4日目-5月27日-)」
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