花見～ sakura picnic♪

We're enjoying the peak of cherry blossoms this week!!

In Takayama, I've never seen people doing
night hanami (picnic under cherry trees)
It's probably because nights are still quite cold here.

Or maybe we still haven't found "the right place" for
night hanami.

Anyways, we were able to do
several hanami walks last weekend.
The peak of cherry blossoms last only for a week,
that is why going on a hanami is such a big deal for us.
If we miss it, we'll have to wait for a year.

I was wondering at the same time,
how many more times do I have with my kids
(especially my daughter) to spend such fun time under
the beautiful cherry trees?
cry cry cry

桜のピークを満喫しております。

こちらでは、「夜の花見」をする方々の姿を
見たことがありません。
桜が開花しても、まだまだ夜は寒いからかな、、、。
もしくは、また「夜の花見スポット」を
探せていないのでしょうか。

いずれにしも、昼の花見をしっかり堪能しております。
ただ、あっと言う間に葉桜になってしまう
桜の木の下でふと思うのです。
子供たちと（とくに娘）あと何年こんな時間を過ごせるのかな。
涙～～

やっと finally

Cherry blossoms have finally bloomed!!

I only have a few photos so far that I took
while doing tours with my customers.

Can't wait to go on a "sakura-picnic."

やっとやっと
桜が開花し、順調に咲き進んでいます！！

まだ、ツアーの合い間に撮った
写真しかありません、、、。

早くお花見した～い♪

春の高山祭（山王祭） Takayama Spring Festival 2017

We enjoyed the Spring Festival this year, too!!

What I love about the Festival here is that
although the population kind of doubles during the festival,
I can always find quiet and peaceful spots.

Also, it is quite easy to observe the floats up-close
and enjoy the details of all the gorgeous decorations.

This year too, I visited the Festival alone during the daytime
and with my kids and their friends at night.

So lucky that the location is within a walkable distance,
can enjoy alcohol + festival food while watching the
lion dances and lantern-lit floats, yay.

今年も山王祭（春の高山祭）を堪能できました♪

高山祭の好きなところは、
祭の間、人口が倍増するにも関わらず
静かなスポットを難なく見つけられるところ！！

屋台の細かい装飾まで、間近で観察できちゃいます。

今年も日中は一人で祭会場を訪れ
夜は子供たちと宵祭へ行ってきました。

歩いて行ける距離に
祭会場がある、
なんて贅沢なんだろう。
という訳で、祭会場でお酒を楽しめちゃうのです♪

この頃の様子 had been busy these days

It's been a week since I last updated a post.

Takayama is packed with tourists from
around the world!!

And we're still expecting cherry blossoms to come
but Japanese plums have just started blooming.

Don't forget,
the big Spring Festival will be held tomorrow
and the day after.

Obviously,
that is one of the reasons why I had been
busy these days.

And,
we did an "English activity" again with kids
during their spring break.
They were able to spend precious moments with
the tourists from around the world!!

Come visit Takayama,
this is the place where you can feel the world
without having to carry your passport!!

最後にブログを更新してから
一週間が経ってしまいました。

現在の高山、
外国みたいですよ！

桜の開花はまだ、
梅がようやく開き始めたところです。

そう、明日・明後日は
春の高山祭（山王祭）です。

そして、最近バタバタなのは
祭＆春のせい（？）です　笑

春休みには
キッズを引き連れて
恒例の「英語アクティビティ」を行いましたよ。
前大陸の方々と接することができ
とても貴重な体験ができました。

是非高山にいらしてください。
パスポートなしで
海外旅行をした気分が味わえるかも？

梅 Japanese plums

Japanese plum trees that come into bloom
before sakura (cherry blossoms) are
still tight.

Below is the photo of a Japanese plum tree
near our place.
(the photo was just taken this today)

ウメのつぼみすらまだ堅い高山です。
写真は、近所の梅の木です。
（4月6日撮影）

ホタルイカ firefly squid

Last Saturday,
we went to Toyama again!!

Guess what?
It's the midst of firefly squid season!!

Our dream is to actually watch them glow at night
but just eating them is fine too : )

We went all the way to Namerikawa Port to get them!!

Usually, we enjoy them simply by itself with soysause or
with mustard vinegar miso BUT this time,
we had enough to enjoy them in many other ways, yay!!

It's still sooooo cold in Takayama
and our morning was -4 today,
but firefly squid is here!
I guess slowly and gradually,
spring is arriving.

先週土曜日、また富山まで行って来ました！

ホタルイカをもとめて♪

富山湾で発光するホタルイカを観察してみたい、
でも、食べるだけでも大満足（笑）

せっかくなので滑川まで行って
ホタルイカを買ってきましたよ。

いつもなら、シンプルに
醤油が酢みそでいただきますが、
今回は贅沢に他のメニューも楽しみました。

今朝の気温は‐4℃、
まだまだ寒い高山ですが、
ホタルイカシーズンも始まったし
やっぱり確実に春は来ているのね。