Murofushi wins Gold

Koji Murofushi earned a surprise gold medal in the hammer with a throw of 81.24 meters to give Japan its first title of the World Championships.


Murofushi's mark was six centimetres better than that of Hungarian Krisztian Pars and Slovenian Primoz Kozmus, who won gold in Berlin two years ago, had to settle for the bronze.



Congratulations!!


I also look forward to London.


 

Noda wins Japan leadership race

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda won the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) presidency today and will replace Naoto Kan as Prime Minister, becoming the ruling party's 3rd leader since it swept to power in the historic 2009 general election.


Noda won 215 votes in the second-round ballot against the Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda, who gained 177 out of the 392 valid lawmakers' votes.

The 54-year-old Noda, a known fiscal hawk, is expected to be confirmed as Japan's 7th prime minister in six years at the Diet on Tuesday after the Kan Cabinet resigns en masse.


"I will stink of mud, and work until I sweat on behalf of the people," Noda said, comparing himeself to a loach, a less attractive fish that scours the mud for food.


He has inherited all the problems ― a divided parliament, a divided party, a strong yen, a northeastern Japan desperate for progress on reconstruction and an early end to the nuclear crisis.






Well, I hope his leadership will be slippery as a loach...

Souvenir from New Zealand

One of my students took part in studying abroad program this summer.



And she also gave me a souvenir from New Zealand.

Kiwifruit Tea

Thank you, Nao.


I like this kind of flavor tea!! (^o^)

Souvenir from Spain

One 9th grader went to Spain this summer, and he gave me a wonderful souvenir yesterday.

Two magnets that are designed FC Barcelona's emblem!!



I really like football, as you know.



But do you know my recent hobby is to collect overseas magnets?

We can see a variety of magnets sold in souvenir shops.


Some of them are so sophisticated that magnets are cheap for its quality.








Anyway, thank you so much, Kazuaki!! (^o^)


I'm really happy to get them and to know that you can understand me well.


I'll try hard to help you master English!!

Shinjo Festival

Shinjo Festival is well-known as the biggest float parade in Tohoku region with over 250-year history.


The festival was nominated for Nation's Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property two years ago.


What made the festival famous is the magnificence of floats called "Yatai".


Each neighborhood in the city constructs large and vivid scenes from Japanese or local history, folklore or fairy tales on wide floats.

If you want to see more floats, go to http://www.city.shinjo.yamagata.jp/5816.html.

Ramen in Shinjo

I'd like to introduce a famous and popular ramen noodle shop "一茶庵 (Issa an, Iccha (w)an)" in Shinjo, Yamagata.


Like an effect of drug, I get impelled to eat the ramen whenever I go to Shinjo.


The exterior of the buildings look very old, but the taste of ramen have been loved for a long time.

一茶庵　本店 (Honten: the head shop)

一茶庵　支店 (Shiten: Teppomachi branch)

一茶庵　分店 (Bunten: Okinocho branch)

末広 (Suehiro: Suehirocho branch)

Those shops are in the same group, but the taste and noodle are a little bit different.

What the ramen is famous and polular is the original menu called "もつラーメン(giblets ramen)".

We can never try this taste in Kanto.

Cherry & La France Jerry

Yamagata is known for delicious fruits, in particular cherries and pears called La France are so popular.


And it is no wonder that there are many kinds of products made of cherries and La France.




Here is my favorite jerry "Shunkoka".

No other jerry is more delicious than these ones, I think. (*^u^*)



※ Shunkoka is produced by Kineya (→杵屋本店)