Looking Back on 2025 (1)

It’s time to write the article having the title described above this year too. Heat waves in this summer were exceptional. This year, summer had come in the middle of June and had not gone even around beginning of October. I’m feeling uneasy what will be going on next summer even from now on.
Well, I started doing something new this year. That is, I have begun to do exercises for health once a week. I also begun sewing and knitting, and joined a local chorus. They are all run by Amagasaki-City or my friend. I’m interested in all of them so far. Of course, I won’t stop taking photos, but I’d like to increase activities that I can do around my house.

Now let’s look back on this year while looking at the photos.

January
We went to Ikuta-jinja Shrine in Kobe for the first shrine visit of the New Year.

I saw “saru-mawashi” (a traditional Japanese monkey performance in which trained monkeys show us traditional tricks) when I visited Ohatutenjin Shrine in Osaka. In Kyoto, there are some long-established coffee shops that well-known persons who left their marks on history favored, and I went there. I also went to a workshop of Keiko Udaka who is an artisan who carves Noh masks.

Sarumawashi in Ohatsutenjin

Tea Room Soirée
Workshop of Noh Mask

Salon de thé François

February
On the National Fundation Day, February 11, Kemari (traditional Japanese ball game) is dedicated in Kamigamo-jinja Shrine.

On that day, it snowed. Each temple or shrine in Kyoto has its own setsubun ceremony. Chorakukan is one of the famous long-established hotels in Kyoto. Kobe Airport is an airport on the sea like Kanku Airport, but it is very convenient because it takes only 18 minutes from Sannomiya (the center of Kobe) by tram.

Setsubun, Oni at Shogoin Temple

Kesobumi-uri at Suga Shrine

Oni at Yoshida Shrine
Kamigamo-jinja Shrine on Rainy Day

Chourakukan

Kobe Air Port

March
Plum trees are divided into an early flowering group and a late flowering group, but this year, both of them came into bloom at the same time.

I go to the plum garden in Osakajo Park every year. A white eye on a plum tree with blossoms is the best combination. Vehicles with bodies wrapped with specific films (wrapping car) of Hankyu are popular with not only children but also adults. I went to a college in Kyoto but I saw the clock tower of Kyoto University for the first time.

Plum Garden in Castke Osaka Park

Plum Garden in Suigetu Park in Osaka Ikeda

Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto Gyoen
Hankyu Wrapping Car

Kyo Train Garaku

Entrance and Clock Tower in Kyoto Univercity

April
In the Matsuo-taisha Festival, “funatogyo” in which the mikoshi crosses Katsuragawa River using a boat was held.

This year, I went to see the cherry blossoms at Sewaritei Bank. In addition, cherry blossoms in Nishinomaru Park in Osaka Castle, Nishimuko in Kyoto, and neighboring parks were all beautiful. Wisteria has also beautiful blooms. I went to see the blossoms at Manyo Botanical Garden in Kasuga-taisha Shrine and wisteria trellises in Nakayama-dera Temple.

At Sewaritei Bank

At Nishinomaru Park in Castle Osaka

At Nishimuko
From Port Tower

At Manyo Botanical Garden

At Nakayamadera Temple

May
This year, an international exposition was held in Osaka Yumeshima. I went there once and I wanted to try to go there one more time, but I couldn’t do it.

Aoi-matsuri festival held in Kamigamo-jinja Shrine is very famous, and many festivals are held in Japan in this season. This season is the best season for photography.

Aoi Matsuri

Imamiya Matsuri

Stroll along Kamo-gawa River
At Kennin-ji Temple

At Kobe

At Nishinomiya-jinja Shrine

June
I saw many swallow’s nests here and there. It is not uncommon to see swallow’s nest, but I saw it more times than other years. Taihei Shinji (Taihei Ritual) is a simple festival, it started at 10:00 am and finished at noon. Stroll in a rainy day in Kyoto was very emotional. I went to Hase-dera Temple in the middle of June, and net week, I couldn’t walk around because of hot weather.