冬至（touji) Winter solstice

December 22nd, 2007
Taking a long bath with yuzu

It is a tradition to eat squash and sweet red beans cooked together, and take a warm bath with yuzu (a highly aromatic citrus fruit) to stay healthy and strong against the bitter cold winter in Japan.

sirakaba

December 14, 2006
White birches of Hokkaido

After spending all day locked myself inside the room working, I went out and took a bit of a walk.
The air was clear and smelled like winter.

cyclamen

December 10th, 2006

It was snowing all day.
In side of the house, our cyclamen is now blooming almost fully, and I regretted that I didn't painted it earlier when the buds were still very small. The flowers are beautiful but they were even more beautiful and enchanting before blooming to my eyes.
Now, could we say the same thing about our lives, careers, and dreams... ?

on the way to

December 6th, 2006

At around 6:30 in the morning, I was on my way to work. Slowly going down the road to the town below, the sun was just starting to rise behind the clouds, in the eastern sky.

on the way from

December 6th, 2006
On the way home

Walking back up on the road after work. I turned around and saw the clouds reflecting the sun very low in the western sky.

Two kitchens, Two coffee makers

A kitchen with a black coffee maker in the morning sunshine.

A white coffee maker in a kitchen shines in the afternoon light.

winter morning

Looking down the Tobetsu field

After a few days of snowing, it feels that this snow will probably stick about for the rest of the winter.

Walk, An Autumn Afternoon

This is a piece that I submitted to an annual community gallery show held at Sweden Hills' own art gallery. The show consisted of many variety of art work crafted and created by the residents of Sweden Hills. The small room was filled with ceramic pieces, stained glasses, wood works, furnitures, weavings, and photography. The duration of the show was as short as five days, but the level of overall quality of the works was surprisingly (or not surprisingly) very high. Having been away for the past few years, for the first time, did I recognized all the many talented people of this little Swedish Town.

"Hot Station in the Neighborhood"

Lawson in a village of Futomi, Hokkaido

Lawson is one of the largest convenience-store chains in Japan. It's been more than a month since I started working there part-time now. I never imagined that working at a convenience store could be this hard, but I have to admit that I am rather enjoying doing something that's completely different from what I've done in the past.

For the past week or so, the colors of the hill behind the store has been so pretty, that I'd volunteer to go and empty the trash bins just so I could go outside and see the bright colors of autumn in the neighborhood.

Autumn in Sweden Hills

Near the end of October, the Autmn leaves are dazzling in Sweden Hills in Hokkaido.

Season of imperfection

Setember, 2006

A Bunch of Grapes
Harvested in my parents' garden. They have big seeds in side but really really sweet and delicious. I maybe should have put the fruits on a nice looking plate but instead they are on the usual milk carton.

Life

September, 2006

Dandelions are able to grow through whatever that's in their way to simply flower and to set seeds. And maybe to inspire people, also.

Packing away

A packing day in September, 2006

I am going home and I am leaving home behind
There's so much to say
and so much to hear

I won't go back, I can't go back
It is a new challenge, I am going forward to home

Sunset in Ilsan

September 13th, 2006
A View from the Lake Park in Ilsan

At the end of my week-long travel in Korea was the serene and deep sunset at the Lake Park,(일산호수공원) in Ilsan. The park is famous for its largest man-made lake in Asia. Unlike many of the big parks in the big cities in the world that I know of, this park is populated with the local people (...playing, taking walk, jogging, gathering, practicing music...), and keeps its fun and safe atmosphere even after dark.
As I watched the sun set and the sky slowly darken, I looked back the time I got to spend with my sister and my friends, and the experiences I gained because of them during my visit.
Then I was glad I went there.

I'd like to thank the thoughtful, kind-hearted and beautiful people of Korea who helped me to get around and make good memories.

Seoul streets and the Palace

Septemner 9, 2006
Wastern side gate to the Gyongbokgung Palace

Probably because it's Saturday or maybe it's normal, but the streets in Seoul are flooded with people all day. Seoul is big but not too big to go to many of the busiest sites on foot. And the streets are full of food stands and street vendors/sidewalk sales, that it felt as though I ended up in the middle of something that's like a mixture of a carnival and a summer festival.

Gyongbokgung Palace (景福宮）-
Originally built in 1394 during Doseon Dynasty. Sadly, however, most of the original constructions were destroyed during the Japanese invasion. There are other few palaces near Seoul but this one is most popular. Because, I suspect, that it is located in north tip of the city, it has no tall building surrounding and destructing the historical site visually.
Once you are facing the Geunjeongjeon from its front gate, you can convince yourself that you are back in the time of the ancient dynasty.

Scapes with apartment buildings

September 8th, 2006
City of Ilsan, South Korea.

Ilsan is a suburban city just north of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.
My big sister lives and teaches Japanese there now and I got to visit her for a week. It's a lot quieter neighborhood than Seoul and yet quite convenient and clean residential area for the commuters.
One of the most interesting things I found in Korea is the huge apartment buildings that tower high above everything everywhere. They all pretty much look the same. Very tall and they are almost always built in groups. I even saw several groups of apartment building in the middle of a golden rice field, in front of big blue mountains. They are everywhere, and they are building more.

Weekend on the Cape

Sketch #1. "on a beach, Cape Cod"

Sketch #2. "looking down the ocean"

On the second weekend in August, 2006,
We found ourselves on the road to Cape Cod, MA. One of the most popular vacation places in the U.S. except our purpose of the trip was to go to the opening of the art exhibit of our beloved professor from Green Mountain College at the Cove Gallery in Wellfleet.
It was to be a quick day trip but instead we decided to sleep in a car in a woods and take a slow trip down through the pretty neighborhoods of small towns on the peninsula in daylight on the next day. After having breakfast we made a brief stop at one of the numerous beaches off Rte. 6A and I sketched about while feeling the flesh morning breeze on my skin and the cool and soft sand under my feet.

William Feick Arts Center

at Green Mountian College.

A small red roofed building with lots of windows on the southeast corner of the campus is an art gallery, so called The Feick. It features artists in the New England area and beyond, and holds the exhibitions of the art faculty at the college every year introducing what they have to offer the students and the community.
The current exhibit of a recent graduate of GMC will be up for another week. If you haven’t checked it out yet, go and see it today.

Under Construction

July 17th, 2006

It's been a little more than a week since I got back to Poultney and I amongst most of the people who live on the Main Street have been waking up to the sound of drills, bullodzer, concrete mixer, people shouting at one another everyday. Yes, they are rebuilding the straight and beautiful sidewalk and setting street lamps up along the side of the road. I indeed wish to see the finished look before I leave at the end of the summer.

Beautiful slow evening

Detroit Metropolitan International Airport
is a hub for Northwest Airlines. I flew over from Tokyo and had six-hour layover there at the airport. The departure terminals are huge with lots of stores and all kinds of restaurants, cafes and bars. It wasn't too difficult to kill some hours there. Besides, the sunset at around eight o'clock was so exquisite that I could just keep watching the western-sun-lit terminal for hours.

Summer in Hokkaido

July 1st, 2006
Poplars

As blindingly bright days continue in Hokkaido in early July, green is so "blue" and bright out and about.
Rows of Poplars never fail to make picturesque scenes.

A town with an atmosphere

June 30th, 2006
Otaru

Otaru is an old port town 50minutes away from Hokkaido's capital, Sapporo by local train. The city is almost over populated by the tourists who visit to see the town's picturesque scenes with a canal and the Victorian style street lamps. The glassware is really popular and famous here as well.
However, the best is the near-by beach. On the way to Oraru, you can see the real clear water and the beach from the train. For a split second, I wanted to live there for real.

Sweden? in Japan

Early June
Sweden Hills

Sweden Hills is like a theme park. It's like a "pretend-place." Once you are in the neighborhood you feel as though you're in somewhere that's not quite Japan. It's a part of a small town called Tobetsu in Hokkaido and is a sister city of Leksand in Sweden, and has been so for twenty years. The houses in the village are all built in the same "Swedish style" to keep the "not-quite-Japanese-look" of the place. It is fairly populated with retired couples from urban cities but it also plays an important role as a touristic attraction for the area.

Ishikari Beach

4th week of June
Ihsikari Beach

Very cold/sad looking Sea of Japan, aka East Sea. This beach is popular for swimming and filled with lots of people in summer... when it comes.

A View with Wind turbine

It was absolutely brethtaking. Two huge wind turbines stand and run slowly on a small hill by a small village of Bourai. Later I learned that Hokkaido now is the biggest wind farming land with 186 wind turbines at about 40 sites, in Japan.

Deja vu?

4th week of June, 2006
Ishikari sea-coast, the entrance of Ishikari River, the third longest river in Japan.
I was walking along the coast line. It was cold, cloudy and very windy day. Then I saw this view and stopped walking. I sat down and drew this picture remembering the very similar scene I saw and sketched in Thurso, UK two summers ago. The only big difference between the two scenes is the building in the distance. This one in Hokkaido is a dumpster, instead of an old castle in Scotland.

Season of fresh vegetables

Friday June 16th, 2006
Some fresh asparagus for dinner. Harvested by Hanae -san, a local farmer who runs a vegetable farm with her husband and children. Every once in a while she brings and shares "second" vegetables, which may be shaped funny but still the same so sweet and tasty goodies with us. Thank you, Hanae -san!!

If you are going to San Francisco...

Sunday June 11th, 2006

Got my mom some flowers/ sun flowers, for it's her birthday.
Making the bouquet made me miss bouquet making which I enjoyed quite a bit last summer at the Cerridwen Farm.

Railroad Crossing

Tuesday June 6th, 2006

Thirty minutes walk to the closest railroad crossing from the Sweden Hills. Not too many cars go by here. The local train goes to the city of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, to take students and business men/women to their schools and their jobs every day.

Rice field in Tobetsu

Saturday June 3rd, 2006

Paddy rice fields in the neighborhood, recently filled with water for planting. Just beyond the fields is a series of hoop houses. I didn't find out what was growing in there.
The locals say "when the Cuckoo starts singing, it's time to start planting the rice seedlings." Indeed, I could hear them sing all morning.

From the hills of Tobetsu

Thursday June 1st, 2006
Back to Hokkaido, the land of blue fields and hills. Looking down the green of barley fields from the Sweden Hills, my home town. This part of the country has not seen too much warm summer weather, yet. The wind is still very very chilly up here.

Tokyo Train

Wednesday May 30, 2006
A quick sketch on the train from Narita International Airport in Tokyo to the city.
The rather long train ride with the mixture of after work business men/women, after school students and travelers from all over the world is quite relaxing, thanks to the LCD monitors above the doors that tell you where you are in the train route, what the next station is, how long it takes to get to the up-coming stations, and more and everything.

View from the top

Friday May 19th, 2006
From the small bathroom window in Apt.#5 you can see the college up at the end of the Main St. standing in front of the blue hill that changes its color depending on the weather everyday. It is a little foggy, this morning.

Tanglewood

July 2005
at the Tanglewood on Parade
in the forest of Tanglewood, set in Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, the distinguished musicians, conductors and world -class orchestras gather and perform all summer long. People bring their camping tables and chairs, lay their blankets and enjoy their wine on the lawn, people talk, children play, while they all enjoy their summer afternoon with the music.

A night out in Ithaca

January 2006.

Restaurant/bar in Ithaca, NY. Lots of lights and colors in this bar.

Weekend at The Rohes

Saturday April 15th, 2006
The house itself is a piece of art. Beautifully and skillfully crafted, completely handmade by the Renaissance man, Al. It is a comfortable house, rich in love, wisely designed by Anne who cares, welcomes and cooks warm and hearty meals to her family and their guests.

Past and Present

We are living in the heart of Historic Downtown of Poultney, VT as we make our own history right here, right now.

I wish i didn't check my bag...

Thursday April 6th, 2006
The public library. Very humongous. Empty-minded, I checked my jacket and my backpack on the first floor, and I wished I didn't. This library is full of colors, light & shadow and gesture models and my drawing kit was left in my backpack. It was lucky that they had some scrap paper by the printer and I had a sharpie in my pocket to draw this with.

sunny ny morning

Thursday April 6th, 2006
At Chealsea international Hostel. On the top floor, there was a shared bathroom and a private sink in the room. The water tasted a little funny and the radiator by the bed was loud in the morning, but it was clear-skied fresh morning in New York. On the day like this, the Magnolia's cupcakes would make a perfect breakfast.

every other wednesday night...

Wednesday April 5th, 2006 -late night
She is a neo soprano, trained accordionist, who performs every other Wednesday night from9:30 -12:30, on and off, ten-fifteen minutes at a time, at Anyway Cafe in New York City.
You might wonder when the every other Wednesday started and if the Wednesday this week was the Wednesday she sang. Now you know it. The 5th of April was one of every other Wednesdays.

waiting for Colbert

Wednesday April 5th, 2006 5:00pm
A couple conversing in a cafe, Studio Coffee House at the corner of 54th St. and 9th Ave. This very welcoming cafe is possibly the most convenient place to pass time for the people who are waiting for Mr. Colbert to start reporting.

again on the road

Wednesday April 5th, 2006 9:30am

A little more than three hour drive from Poultney, VT, a railway station called Croton-Harmon is where you catch a local train that takes you to NYNY. In forty minutes, you are in the center of the universe.

from the previous posts

At the heart of 85 Main Street apartment building is apartment #3 . In its living room, there is a big long red sofa, a kotatsu, a TV monitor, lots of small plants, lots of small glass paperweights, lots of chairs and a violin.

On the second floor of the 85 Main Street apartment building, there is a tiny little room for a writer who sits all night there and writes all night there.

In the kitchen window in apartment #5 on the third floor, there are some used coffee filters resting and a couple of amaryllis growing out of yogurt containers.

In a kitchen corner of the apartment #5, there are plenty of foods.

(c) masumi nyui