Little greens

At the store we have edible greens. All the plants are actually edible. Herbs like basil and rosemary, parsley and shiso. Kumquat has green little fruits and will turn orange in December I think. There is another citrus that is getting close to harvest. That will be great on cooked fish. 

My favorite this year is the chives. It has appeared on our dinner table pretty often.  This is after we had cut them and used them in our cooking. It’s great that it grows so quickly and I just love the extra little something it adds to the dish. 

We add a little to our sashimi, this is red snapper, which is one of my favorites. We’ve had it with salmon and other fish. Bonito was very good too. Usually bonito is accompanied with grated ginger but chives will be great too. 

My other favorite is a simple carrot dish. The carrots are sliced and then tossed with salt so the flavor of the carrots are more concentrated. Then olive oil is added with chives. I like the texture of the thinly sliced carrots and the simple flavor. I could eat so much of it!

Thank you again Georges for these dishes~ the basil seem to want to be eaten soon! 

Tiny flowers

We are almost at the end of May. 

One of the things I enjoy about living in Tokyo are the seasons. I know there were seasonal changes even in California or Los Angeles. It was just not that apparent for me? Or it could easily be that I was not aware that plants and scenery could change so much. 

I did love the jacaranda trees in LA.  Everywhere I went there was that bright purple tree! And I remember it was was in May when it was graduation season for my school. 

Every year at this time, you can find these tiny flower that grow on the side of the streets. It inspired me to make my hanna collection which are gold tiny flowers you can wear as rings, necklaces and earrings. 

I found a spot right under my mailbox where it grows every year from a crack of the concrete. The flowers seem to cover more surface each year, something that I'll be looking forward to next year. 

meteor shower

I heard the peak to see the meteor shower was sunday, but unfortunately I couldn't go anywhere to see it.

I remember years ago when everyone was talking about the meteor shower a few of us drove up the 5 freeway, away from the LA lights to see it.

That was really something!

Tonight was clear so I had to see if I can see at least the brighter shooting stars. I got my anti mosquito incense ready and watched for the meteors from my balcony.

I saw 2, which I guess it is good considering the condition I was in with all the city lights and street lights around me.

Maybe next year I could go to our usual camping place in the mountains around this time in August. Lay down on the streets and watch the stars the planets ( maybe it won't line up the same) and ooh.... I hope the moon is not up......

I will just have to try again tomorrow!

little fish, gold fish, swimming in the water

There are so many things that are cute, cool and beautiful in Japan.

My friend had brought rice crackers (shrip crackers to be exact) confectionary the other day to the studio.

On the package it said "catching goldfish". Inside, there were shrimp crackers shaped in goldfishes and circular crackers as bubbles in water and a spoon like cracker that acts as a net to catch the fish. 

There is a tradition in the summer time where there are carnival like festivals and one of the common games is trying to catch goldfish with a net that is made out of tissue paper to make it challenging to catch with.

The crackers were such a playful idea and yet very seasonal. These are the things I love to find out about Japan, so fun! 

Layers of clouds

It's so bright out now that we are in June.

I can catch the sunset when I'm coming home on the train.

Today I was feeling a little happy picking out a gift for friend.  I found something I think she would be happy with.

When I was done and went outside, this view of the clouds  layers of  clouds, moving slowly in different direction across the Ueno station. 

Love the sky when I could see so much of it.

This is another view as I was getting off the train at my station.  Another great spot because the platform  for the train is about the same as a three story building.


It almost feels like friday...... almost.

Mid May

   

Love it when the weather is perfect!

The trees and plants are soaking all the sun and everything is turning green all around us.

At our little balcony garden, this year there are lots of flowers on the citrus tree.

The fruit is called Kabosu, in Japanese, it is similar to a lime, it is green and small but smaller, more round and  but I think is tastes a little sweeter.

The smell is so strong it makes me want to leave the widows open all day. The breeze even carries the scent inside the studio at night.

During the day, there are butterflies, small bees, big black bees with black wings that come to the trees. We wait patiently so they can do their job and we can enjoy the fruit in autumn~!

feels like Spring

It really feel like Spring is here when you see cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Every year I forget how pretty they are!!

This year I wasn't able to go to any area where the cherry blossoms are famous but I was able to see them bloom in my usual neighborhood.

This is the closed park from where I am. Small park but really great trees.

This was in Shibuya. It's really funny that cherry blossom trees are so appreciated this time of year but you forget the trees lining up the streets are cherry trees.

It is a also great to see them at night specially when it is lit up.

I know it's not that great quality but even my father who was visiting had to stop and capture that moment.

Then a week later another type of cherry blossoms are in full bloom!

They are the type that cascades downward and creates a really pretty walkway by the stream.

Here we are back at the small park. I love how the ground is now covered with the petals.

Rain is also happy that the weather is getting warmer.

The tradition is to have a small get-together and enjoy the cherry trees. There would be more people under the trees just a week before. But I thought this season is really nice, too. It's almost like snow falling but pink petals!

I never get sick of looking at the cherry blossoms every year. So pretty.

And sometime they surprise you by following you all the way home on a train back to you house~

getting ready for spring

So I looked up the other day, and there it was! Plum blossom. 

I was just in time to see the pink buds ready to burst.

I like the plum trees with a few flowers and those pink buds, and their the branches that usually  grows upwards. 

It doesn't feel like spring yet but there are a lot of signs from nature.

Like the frogs in the pond....... very loud and big!

something warm

It is still very cold in Tokyo and what is great for cold seasons is something warm and sweet. A little bit of alcohol will help you warm up.

Tonight I had a cup of Irish Coffee. 

There is a place that is right by the train station that is nearest to me and it is always nice to warm up before you ride your bike back to the house.

snowflakes

It has been a while since it last snowed in Tokyo. It is really colder in January and February here than it is in December.

But even if it snows all day, there are never snow on the asphalt, only on lawns and dirt. So there would never be enough to make a good snowman in this neihborhood!
I was thinking of making a very very small snowman, but thought that I needed to pull out my good gloves that I wear for skiing or snowboarding... and that wasn't going to happen today.

This was a card that I made. My dog making the snowman.

So, as I watched the snow fall today, while making waxes and new pieces, I was thinking of the new Kate Bush song Snowflake.

I wonder how many times it will snow this year~

Happy New Year~!

I hope this year will be a great year for everyone!

I put this up on the wall. The greens and the acorn are so cute and they are real~!

Color of fall

There is something that I do everyday around this time of year.
It is eating persimmons. I love them! 
There are different types of persimmons and depending on the orchards, they taste different. 
But I just love them all!

This year my grandfathers tree had some fruit and my husband was there to pick them, I was thereto photograph him.
There were about 20 to 30. All very small but really sweet.


Around the neighborhood there are a lot of persimmon trees. A lot of them are big trees that have lots and lots of fruit that are ripe ready to eat. I wouldn't leave it hanging on the trees all for the birds, but I guess those neighbors don't like persimmons as much as I do.

Some of them were still a little hard so here, we have them sunbathing. Each day they are getting sweeter and softer.

so pretty

I love it when I have flowers in the studio.

This one is special because it was given to me by a neighbor.  She plants and grows them each year and when the flower blooms she gives it away to her neighbors.  Everyone can see them getting taller and taller in her garden when we pass by her house until it blooms at last. She gives us all to look forward to.


The gesture is so nice, and she does it every year.
It's also right when it is starting to get colder, more cloudy days and shorter days. Nice to see some colors. 
This type is my favorite of the bunch.

Thank you for this years flowers!

purple

The humidity, temperature, everything has changed now.

The sun is setting a lot earlier.

This is the time when I can get a good view of Mt. Fuji. from my station. I haven't seen it yet, but one of these day. I'm constantly looking out of the window of the train.

Here ia a photo I took few days ago. The neon signs are just starting to show more presence.

Fall

The one great thing about chestnuts are that they have a distinct, not so great, smell earlier in the year. So, I knew where the tree was before they even had the fruit in fall. 

So here is the floating green very prickly chestnut.

I picked one that had dropped from the tree that grows in a neighbors' back yard.

So I took it home to see if it's going to hatch..... but I think these young ones that fall from the tree are the ones that you can't eat?

A few days has passed and still not much of a difference for this guy.

I went by the tree again and saw that the ones on the trees have turned brown now. 

So I think I need to open this guy up by force, if I want to see what is inside..... well I know what's in there.....

And meanwhile if I do want to eat chestnuts, I just have to go buy them!  One wasn't going to satisfy me anyway~

green~

When you head west a little ways in Tokyo, you reach a part that has still a lot of nature and trees less houses and apartments.

It's really nice to come here sometimes. It's nice there are place like this just an hour away.

This river that we like to set up our gear and invite friends to come, is a big river by the time it is closer to Tokyo Bay and around the city.

The water is clear, and to hear the noise out there is refreshing.

you can click to see the whole photo

In this photo, we had all set up the tents (because it was drizzling) and Georges had just started on the slow roasted beef~! so good! 

we are waiting for the other hungry guests to arrive~

Next time when it's sunny I know everyone is going to be in the water.

too much

iced coffee.

I think it was hurting my stomach. 

So instead I had mint tea today.  

Our mints hasbeen doing good this summer. Growing very well and fast!

We have three different kinds and sometimes I like to try and blend them all and sometimes I  like to just choose one.

I think the best way to make the tea is to put it directly in a pan with water and let it boil.

I've tried pouring hot water in to a pot with mint leaves but I think boiling it directly would give you the most flavor.

Its very easy and simple. the mint taste is really refreshing too. 

I think my stomach feels better today.

Hydrangea

There are so many colors and shapes. I love spotting one in the rainy season. Their colors cheer you up even with all the gloominess and rain.

These are some of the hydrangea that I came across this year when I was walking Rain.

Yes he's the one that lets me know when it stopped raining and we can go out for a walk this time of the year.

Smells

This time of the year in Tokyo, it rains a lot and also starts to get humid. It's not too humid just yet.
But, scents and different smells are more apparent. It travels well with the humidity, or just stays where they are......
A lot of advertisements are about how to keep the bad smells away, or adding good scents.

At the ileava studio, we are preparing for an event for July.
Our new wood and silver collaboration pieces are in the works!

So here, we have the rain and also the scent of wood.  I will post the finished pieces here soon~

Roses

About a week ago, I went to go see roses with my family. They are plated all along the train tracks and it is only in May that they bloom all at once. 

It was really nice. It would've been fun looking  at them from the train too, and I'll do that next year I think.

The best part I think was that there were all these rose petals on the streets. All different colors~

June is all about rain and hydrangea.