Our days in my home town. - week 4-5 in Japan -

1. Visiting my niece in Hiroshima City.

We visited my niece, who is already 20 years old and has moved to the big city for work. It was our first time together in Hiroshima, and we were thrilled to catch up. We went to her apartment for a cozy chat over a cup of tea, but we had other plans as well. 

We enjoyed delicious Okonomiyaki at Michan in the Orizuru Tower, a new tourist attraction. The food was just as amazing as we had expected. After eating and drinking, we wandered through the nearby gift shops, where I found many Orizuru-themed products.

On our way to my niece's place, we visited the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome and the Children's Peace Monument. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima, and we took a moment to pray for world peace to ensure such tragedies do not repeat. The Orizuru, or origami crane, symbolizes peace, and making a thousand paper cranes is an activity meant to wish for peace. It's disheartening that humanity has not learned from the past and continues to repeat its mistakes. Everyone should visit this place to understand the significance of the events that occurred 80 years ago.

Our plan was for my niece to give me a makeup tutorial. I wanted to update my style, so I asked her to show me the ropes. She has an impressive collection of eyeshadows, lipsticks, and glosses, which amazed me! Do I look good?

2. Catching up my old friend.

We have been friends for about 40 years—what a remarkable number! We met in junior high through taking lessons at the same cram school, then went to the same high school. In our final year of high school, we were in the same class for the first time. 

The top photo was taken at a Christmas party at her home when we were 17 or 18 years old. The middle picture was taken just before Christmas during our recent meeting, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch together. It was such a lovely time, and we are grateful to still keep in touch and meet up like this.

3. Myoshoji Temple

Myoshoji Temple is located on a mountain, and we decided to take a walk there, even though it was quite cold outside. I wanted to make the most of our day. 

We encountered many Torii gates leading up to this sacred shrine, which were so photogenic that I couldn’t resist taking photos. The glassless windows were stunning. This design technique, called Shakkei, uses natural scenery as a backdrop for landscaping, effectively framing the best views. The overall experience was breathtaking.

4. Our cuisine 

One of the highlights of our meals is Yakiudon, a Japanese-style stir-fried noodle dish that is my partner's favourite from my mother's cooking. He even asked her to make it again, and just look at his smile!

Being a creative person, he came up with a new recipe called Oden Burger, where Japanese fish cakes substitute for meat patties. Oden typically consists of various ingredients cooked in a pot, such as fish cakes, radishes, eggs, and potatoes. The fish cakes come in many shapes, including tubes, rounds, and squares, which inspired his creation! The taste was delicious, and he has a unique perspective on Japanese food, making it a fun culinary discovery.

5. Our fun time at home

Card games and online games are some of our favourite activities to enjoy together. Playing games is a fantastic way to communicate, especially when there is a language barrier or generation gap. My mom learned how to play Solitaire and loved it, as well as the online game on her iPad that was given to her. She is updating her skills in a fun and engaging way!