Sauna and Cold bath

The Japanese love Furo 風呂, you may know that.

And some of us love a sauna bath.

It’s called “サウナー” (a saunagoer) who loves sauna and cold bath.

Who believes in the bathing activity helps getting in shape (整える) both physical and mental.

Seems someone even started the world’s first research project in サウナで整う訳 ( news report in YouTube – “a reason why sauna works getting in shape”)

I think saunagoer’s contribution is one of reasons why those public bathhouses are surviving until this day.

Let me introduce my favorite public bathhouse, Tokuno-yu

I’ve been there everyday,

when I was 19, 20, 21 years old. With my old friends.

we were just obsessed so much with the bathing.

We were young and nonsensical.

Crazy about beauty, and tried anything which may have positive impact to make ourselves look good.

Since then I go Tokuno-Yu once in a while.

It feels so good taking a sauna/cold bath, so refreshing.

There is no alternative to sauna I could come up with.

Like many others, after COVID-19 the place had to be temporary closed until recently. For three months maybe?

Now they are open and look like they are recovering their customers.

“Can I go and join the bathing?”

Maybe negative.

…….

Since March or April, we have been advised to avoid gathering, close contact in the close room.

It’s called Sanmitsh(三密).

The question is, if humidity and high temperature will help deactivate coronavirus, just like UV sterilization.

Within UV wavelength, UV-B(280nm〜315nm) has sterilizing power.

I’ve been expecting to hear something similar..

Unfortunately, from the early stage the spread has been seen in many countries with high temperature and humidity.

And there is no concrete scientific evidence about environmental condition will decrease the power of Covid-19 until today.

Not yet. No.

🖐 Waiting is the only thing I can do.

While having a strong desire to sweating in the sauna, I am pulling myself away from it.

as it’s too early being in the closed sauna room with an unspecified number of people.

Instead, enjoy what I have.

Happy to be at home,

in the bathtub at home.

Playing by myself, doing a trial and error with like this, or this.

……it’s okay.

Yesterday, I did sunbathing in the backyard.

My cat was looking at me from the inside through the window.

I can’t believe it’s almost one year from the day my dad was carried away to the hospital.

His first year service will be held on Sep.

Hope the COVID-19 will be calm and relatives can join with us.

Visit the old and know the new 温故知新

Soy beans are called the “meat of the field”.

Around this time of the year we are able to buy seasonal edamame.

I got two bags of edamames, and boiled four minutes and a half.

Cool the heat with the strong wind using a fan. How quickly cool it down, is the key.

Then, put in the fridge.

Sprinkle the salt before eat.🍻

Edamame contains vegetable protein, vegetable fat and potassium.

Potassium has a diuretic effect which helps to prevent being swollen after drinking, in the next morning.

Besides, most of us eat edamame just simply because it’s delicious 😋.

As it is often said, everything is good in its season.

a delicious taste with high nutritive value.

Can’t enjoy 36 degrees outside but edamame and beer mitigate loss of appetite.

北の富士勝昭様

Yesterday, when we were leaving Ryogoku-Kokugikan we stumbled on Kitanofuji-san at the 北2 entrance.

He is 52nd yokozuna.

He is one and only, unconventional former yokozuna who has been very well accepted by regardless of generation.

NHK Sumo program fans love him so much,

that when he is on a commentator job being in a small room with a host commentator, in front of him are fans in queue waiting for him to allow taking a pic or selfie with him through the window glass.

See? Someone is trying taking a pic of him.

I wasn’t able to reach the room, so that the encounter was pretty exciting.

Also being impressed by his aura, he is attractive and mature come with age.

He was a tall guy, a good posture being in yukata, holding a small bag made of the same clothes.

https://twitter.com/j5uac9chyqwuxpl/status/1289308435217932288?s=21

and

Tomorrow is the closing day of July tournament in 2020.

Terunofuji is 12 to 2 as of today.

Terunofuji might be able to win the championship for the first time in five years.

July is going and August 2020 is coming.

We’ve only got once to live, let’s ease up.

On the last day of July 2020, we are going to visit the Ryogoku-Kokugikan for the Sumo Shichigatsu(July)-Basho(tournament).

We happened to obtain the tickets.

A strict guideline is given by Sumo Kyokai. For COVID.

All of visitors will respect procedure in public health, wearing a mask, isolation and social distancing.

The venue can hold 11,098, and for the July Grand Tournament there would be only 2,500 spectators, it’s 1/4.

It’s the first time for us to visit the site since the pandemic occurred.

In March, it was held behind the closed door.

In May, it’s been canceled.

Either way, with or without spectators Sumo Kyokai is facing adversity of its business situation.

As we are a big fan of Sumo wrestling, we would like to do what little we can do.

Sadly, one of our favorite wrestlers, Ozeki a second best wrestler Takakeisho-zeki 貴景勝 went absent from the ring due to injury. That is so sad.

We are hoping for his quick recovery.

Nowadays Makuuchi competition is intensifying, it is really hard to concentrating on treating injury and take necessary timeout.

Athletes must be strong against physical burden and mental burden.

And our another favorite wrestler Terunofuji 照ノ富士 made a comeback to Makiuchi.

It took him for three years.

He was Ozeki back then.

But he fell to the second lowest level of the rank due to serious injury in his knees.

So we are excited to see him in Makuuchi.

We would like to send our fullest cheers for his endurance.

Terunofuji beat Ozeki Asanoyama!

He might be able to win the July tournament.

We will see tomorrow.

Redesign Jewelry 💎

Make the one by what I have.

I have some jewelry, which won’t be used as is now.

Some are outdated, and some are for younger generation.

A special one is from my late grandma.

She ordered a ring for my twentieth birthday, which holds several gems, that makes me afraid to wear it in daily life.

I’ll keep this ring with me.

But Why still have them? Because each one holds memories.

And sometimes Dan-Sha-Ri needs to be done to move on.

Clear my mind.

Release material possessions, hold memories to cherish.

No fear of losing.

As part of Dan-Sha-Ri activities, I released 58 pieces including tiny silver earrings and chains.

It took a while but went well. Strangely I found peace of mind.

I’ve done something that I needed to do.

With some important jewelries, I’ll visit a jewelry redesign shop.

On the web I found a three generation redesign specialty shop, sent an email if he can make my wish come true, he replied “Yes”.

Jewelries like necklaces, ring and earrings, melt them once and mold a ring.

If all in one ring comes true, I am able to wear all at once. All the time.

with no risk losing any of them.

In my twenties, there was a boom of branded jewelry I can’t even spell correctly.
How silly of me.

I was no exception, excited and loved buying beautiful, pretty collection.

As time went by, the passion subsided and lost.

Furthermore, with this unprecedented COVID pandemic, almost no go out and it was good opportunity reviewing what I have, and among them which one I really want to keep with me in future.

For clothes, furniture and shoes I’ve done already.

Now, jewelry.

I’m doing Dan-Sha-Ri as a part of my routine tasks.

Like, if I buy one stuff I release one instead.

Thinking that is a good thing.

At the end, I wish I only possess one or two suit cases with me.

so that I can move anywhere anytime without hesitation.

I hope my mom will have interest in my way someday, because I need to take her with me 😆.

Mom owns many stuff. She loves shopping.

Over the rainbow

I just happened to watch this and thought it should be shared.

Over the rainbow. on YouTube

I’m Japanese and I simply admire the culture of overseas like this, because we are so shy and we won’t be able to sing like this.

It’s heartwarming and I listened to this all the way this morning during my jog.

I was probably smiling all the time.

Oh, and I saw a white crab was staying under someone’s Mercedes. Somehow feeling lucky.

See?

Haha

A white crab, not a red one.

Enough is enough

Life, walk, sight, hands, teeth, utilities and the necessities of life,

my personal satisfaction level is met.

Once I have read a wise saying about changing perspective in the face of adversity.

See yourself from above, you’ll know how small the thing that you think is bothering.

Looking at the sky, jogging, go home, take a shower, work and eat lunch.

Nothing special, but actually everything is so special.

His caloric intake, own nails as protein. Not okay.

I used a nail file for my dad’s toe nails instead of clippers.

as I was afraid to hurt him.

Now our cats stay inside of the house, so they have less or almost no opportunity to be reduced their nails in daily life.

if they are able to go out, they’ll climb up the trees, running around on the ground.

That help to shorten their nails, but they can’t.

We need to keep our cats indoors, it’s a regulation.

When I was small, the rule was mild.

Our cats used to go out freely.

One of our back door was always open, and any stray cats were able to come in anytime.

I wasn’t surprised when I saw a cat besides our own cats in the kitchen.

Unknown cat was sitting or sleeping on the sofa,

eating and drinking our cat’s food in the morning.

Other times, other manners.

One of our cats has to tear off his toe nails like this.

I thought he looks somewhat funny.

Of course we have a scratching board.

But not sure if it’s satisfying him. He may use a bigger heavier board or stuff.

iPad-mini to my mom

Yesterday, while I was working, a newspaper salesperson came at our door. It was Yomiuri Newspaper.

My dad loved reading newspapers.

he asked me to read aloud for him, after he became not capable reading it by himself.

As remaining family members prefer reading news on mobiles or watching TV, we stopped the subscription since last Summer.

And it was feeling bit sad.

If my memory serves me right, it was the first time no newspapers in the morning.

But anyway, we moved on.

Back to the Yomiuri Newspaper salesperson.

When answered the doorbell and talked through a camera, there was a meeting schedule about to begin.

so I just had to say “sorry we are busy, please excuse us.”

The person left.

In the evening, I found a newspaper was left to the post.

It was Kanagawa Newspaper.

I got confused.

I thought Yomiuri tried to promote selling it via a trial.

But it was different brand.

And this morning, I found the same Kanagawa Newspaper in our post.

again, I got confused.

maybe it’s better put a note like,

“please stop putting a newspaper without permission.”

Because sometimes they keep giving something with charge-free, and later become a high pressure salesperson.

That’s something troublesome.

I was going to write a message, then my mom came down asking me about that newspaper.

It was mom. she inquired the trial.

Anyway we could avoid unwilling trouble.

Mom wanted to read local news and decided a trial subscription.

It is good.

Reading, I personally think is better than watching TV all day long.

I’m happy with her decision.

She is the one who taught me, “books hold answers when you don’t know what to do”.

That helped me a lot, and I was blessed reading books as much as I like since I was small.

With the gratitude restored my bit old iPad-mini for her.

Saved some local news sites at Home screen.

So she can read as much as she like.

Also maximized the font size, for her it’s easy to read.

To protect her from any harm, I didn’t log into Apple.

still with wifi it works and that’s enough right now.

Spending time with a sensible cat

I got a nice side-table-installed-chair,

This one is popular for a conference and such, it has a table and small rack under the seat.

It can be folded.

A frame made by steel, a seat and table are made by reinforced plastic.

Light in weight and durable.

COVID triggered WFH so this kind of product became out of stock, and has been hard to get.

A longer lead-time applied to the delivery. Luckily this was delivered within a week.

WFH has been terminated?

Anyway, I bought this for releasing a stress from eyes,

with this it is possible to work at outside.

Also a lean forward posture I take for hours daily made my back feel uneasy.

A regular chair would be a big help.

We have bought a sofa in Apr, but problem is we don’t have a table.

Even if it’s called “Laptop” we still need a desk/table to put on.

Unfortunately it’s raining today.

It’s been raining for a week, and it will continue for an another week.

When the earth gets upset, I can do nothing but wait.

I am helpless.

Water has strong power. Unbearable to watch news report now.

And due to COVID a volunteer activity also has been limited.

Speaking of which,

the COVID cases recorded over 200 yesterday in Tokyo alone.

Of course, Tokyo has suggested to metropolitan citizen to not cross the prefectural boundary. Again.

We are living in Yokohama that is next to Tokyo.

Our workplace are located in Tokyo.

I strongly wish companies to keep WFH for their employees.

COVID is not over, not at all.

My brother started going to the office. I just don’t get how could such decision has been made.

Seemed too irresponsible.

He has been working from home until recently.

IF it is possible, what is the point risking life to commute to the office?

What we can do as individuals varied, but one thing in common is to not spread it by moving around.

Boiled apple

Work Life Balance of Behavior Psychology C