Looking Back on 2024 (vol. 1)

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New Year will come in an instant; I always say this phrase during this time of the year, though. It hardly got cool even in autumn this year, but it finally got cold when December came.
When looking back on this year, first of all, I got retired. I continued to work after graduation from college, although I changed my job several times. In recent years, however, I had built up some anxiety and dissatisfaction of whether or not I could keep up with the times. I finally decided that my time to wind down my operations might have come. Now, I don’t have any stress caused by jobs, but, at the same time, I don’t feel a sense of tension in my daily life; I don’t know whether this situation is good or bad. Accompanied with my retirement, I rearranged my workroom and cleared out my old unnecessary accumulation of clothes, books and tableware. In addition, I exhibited my photos in a small gallery to show them to my family members and friends. Further, I joined a mini tour group in which tourists enjoy walking in a town in Osaka or Kyoto, while a specialist in various fields guides tourists in terms of a unique viewpoint. I also went on an overnight trip for the first time in a long time. It was an unfortunate thing that the trip to Kumamoto was canceled because I had Covid.
It’s good that I could go here and there in Kyoto, Osaka and my area this year just like the last year. I don’t know how long my good body conditions will last, but I’d like to enjoy photographing and walking from now on without trying too much.

Now I’d like to look back on this year while looking at the photos.

January
We went to Mondoyakujin Temple on New Year Day. There are so many people in temples and shrines during the Near Year Days every year. In Kobe Luminarie, the exhibition place was divided into 3 sites from this year and the exhibition is held in January. The dense crowd in this exhibition could be lightened.

February
I finally went to Otsuka Museum of Art that I had earnestly desired to go to from before. From the end of this month, plum blossoms will start blooming.

March
I saw many Hina dolls this year. Further, I had my first experience of having photos exhibited in a small gallery.

April
I go to take photos of cherry blossoms every year. I also take photos of plum blossoms in early spring, cherry blossoms in spring, hydrangeas in the rainy season, and autumn leaves every year.

May
There are many old towns in Nara Prefecture. The old town isn’t so wide so you can easily take your time strolling in the town.

June
I like hydrangea or sweet flag, planted by the waterside. Kobe Suma Sea World, which was previously Kobe City Suma Aqualife Park, opened.