7/08/2008

Tanabata

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Tanabata ya
another opportunity
missed





Star Festival (Tanabata, Japan) July 7

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

7/06/2008

summer heat

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



summer heat ...
my cat hides under
the silk carpet





Haiku kun sneaked into my cooled room and peeks out from under the fringes of the carpet ... fully knowing he is not supposed to be there ...




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

7/02/2008

seeds

  
  




haiku -
picking the seeds
from real life







:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . "Kigo" and "haiku" as Haiku Topics



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

7/01/2008

last day of june

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



last day of June ...
the broad smile
of my healthy husband





. . . . Summer Purification Ceremonies in Japan
June 30






last night of june ...
wild boars trample
through the grove


they are back! in the bamboo grove!




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/29/2008

almost missed

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



looking for fireflies ...
I almost miss
the dramatic night sky




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



A friend suggested to leave out the"dramatic" .

I am rather fond of adjectives lately ... grin...

this was not just any dark night sky, it was one with thunderclouds racing in many layers of gray like spotlights and would make a haiku in itself to discribe it.
I want to make sure, using the adjective, that it was a very special night sky and I did not realize it in the beginning because I was focussed looking below in my valley for the fireflies. Only when I looked up I saw what I was missing there ...


looking for fireflies ...
I almost miss
the night sky

that gives me a much more quiet evening which I experience most often, but not the drama of the other night.

Maybe another adjective would work ?
Then he suggested:


looking for fireflies
I almost miss
the thunderclouds



thanks so much for your help, B.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/28/2008

dark night

  
  


dark night -
just one firefly
in the rain






we are expecting heavy rain this night ...







:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

rain again

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


tsuyu sanaka, in the middle of the rainy season



rainy season ...
dark coulds huddle
below light clouds



rainy season ...
the green of the forest
deepens




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Here are a couple to add, Gabi.


as if silence
were enough . . .
the monsoon!




a groaning in the
jungle, that dragon
made of water


robert d. wilson



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/25/2008

silent night

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



  
  



dark night ...
a firefly flies
over my roof




two days later




dark night ...
three fireflies brighten
my valley




again two days later







silent night ...
the delicate shimmer
of fireflies








:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



At first I was tempted to write ... a silent night
to make sure it was not THE Silent Night ... spelled mostly with capital S and N.

It is like a Christmas present to see these thousands of fireflies in the remote valley in complete silence, up and down, back and forth ... and we can enjoy it for about two, three weeks if there is no rain at night ..




. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

power of life

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


summer rain ...
some cut-off flowers
take root again




Hydrangea branches in the compost have sprouted ... we just planted six new ones in the garden !



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/24/2008

inaka gurashi

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::




毎日の
風景の中に
毎日の

私がある



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/22/2008

simple life

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



doing the dishes ...
outside
two tender butterflies









:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The TENDER ... well, we have so many different types of butterflies around, and these "janome" are always as a pair, on their honeymoon trip, so it seems, and really tender, considering the bigger and tougher ones that can even escape the claws of my cats without much harm.


As for the form, I am experimenting with .. short long short ...

the OUTSIDE ... should bring you inside yourself, meditating whilst doing the dishes ...

Greetings from my zen kitchen!


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Butterfly (choo) KIGO



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/21/2008

rainy season

  
  



露最中



rainy season ...
only two iris
remain




tsuyu sanaka ...
in the middle of the rainy season






:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



MURASAKI
Violet, Purple, Lavender ... or ?



. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/18/2008

Osaka

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


looking down
from my toilet seat ...
35 floors down






Click for more photos of the Umeda Sky Building !




This was the most scary toilet I ever used ...
with glass walls to have a good look straight down ...

The German Consulate is at the 35th floor !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


The Umeda Sky Building (梅田スカイビル, Umeda Sukai Biru) is the seventh-tallest building in Osaka City, Japan, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center.

Located in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, the building was originally conceived in 1988 as the "City of Air" project, which planned to create four interconnected towers in northern Osaka. Eventually, practical considerations brought the number of towers down to two.

The 173 m (568 ft) building was designed by Hiroshi Hara. It was constructed by Takenaka Corporation and was completed in 1993.

The building features a rooftop observatory, The Floating Garden Observatory, as well as an underground market that attempts to recreate the atmosphere of Osaka in the early 20th century. At the base of the towers is an urban garden with walking trails and water features.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/16/2008

last strawberry

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



but I love you ...
a gentle fight for
the last strawberry




:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



koi shita ya ichigo hito-tsubu kuchi ni ire (1961)

wishing to fall in love,
I pop a strawberry
into my mouth


Suzuki Masajo, trans. Susumu Takiguchi



Stuff about strawberries, including a couple of folk tales:
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Strawberry.html

Compiled by Larry Bole


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


wildflowers
promising next month's
strawberries



bob
happy haiku forum



:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


no mangos today_
but there is a strawberry moon
tonight



terrytip

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


A lot of thanks to my friends who contributed to the strawberry thoughts !


Strawberry, ichigo イチゴ、苺
KIGO


. . . Read my Haiku Archives 2008


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

6/15/2008

earthquake Iwate

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. . . . 岩手・宮城内陸地震
Iwate Miyagi Nairiku Jishin


This was just in the news .....

They have upgraded the quake to 7.2, and depth of 8 meters only.
A lot of mountain slopes have crashed down !
First Jolt: at 8:43. Many aftershocks.
So far, at 13:00, two deaths are confirmed.



マグニチュード 7.0
2008年6月14日 8時43分ごろ


Strong earthquake in Japan, people injured
2 hours ago

TOKYO (AFP) —
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck northern Japan on Saturday, shattering windows from some buildings and injuring a number of people, officials and reports said.

The earthquake hit in Iwate prefecture, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of Tokyo, and was strong enough to rattle some buildings in the capital. An aftershock was felt less than an hour later.

"I was driving and my car suddenly started shaking. I saw telephone poles and buildings shaking violently. That's when I realised there was an earthquake," a disaster management official in Kurihara, a town in Miyagi prefecture near the epicentre, told public broadcaster NHK.

But one house crumbled in Ichinoseki city of Iwate prefecture, injuring one person, NHK said.

Elsewhere in Iwate, window panes broke at a child care centre and another building in Oshu city, injuring children and at least one teacher, NHK said.

But initial signs did not point to widespread damage. A television helicopter from NHK flew over some of the worst-hit areas, where there was no visible damage to farms and homes and traffic flowed as normal.

The meteorological agency did not issue a tsunami warning.

However, the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned that there was the possibility of local tsunamis "that can be destructive within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre."

Bullet trains in northern Japan were automatically shut down as a precaution.

The Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi prefecture was working as normal, but its operator Tohoku Electric was checking if there was any damage, NHK said.

An earthquake last year in central Japan caused a small radioactive leak from the world's largest nuclear plant at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, heightening public concern.

Japan endures some 20 percent of the world's powerful earthquakes. It has built an infrastructure intended to withstand tremors.

A new earthquake warning system kicked in for the latest quake, with public broadcaster NHK flashing an alert moments before it struck.
...afp.google.com/



Will keep you updated.
It is far away from my place, but our friend Uwe lives there in Morioka!

GABI

We just saw Morioka on TV.
It was only magnitude 4.something there and not much damage done.




. . . . . UPDATES in the English News !



Sunday Evening

9 dead, 7 still burried in landslides, 11 missing.

The damage to homes, other than the ones hit by landslides, is rather small compared to the strength of the quake.


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


 . . . UPDATES 日本語 . . .



 © mainichi.jp

..........................................


CLICK for more photos


 © sankei.jp.msn.com



岩手県奥州市と宮城県栗原市

震度6強
岩手県
岩手県内陸南部 奥州市 奥州市衣川区
宮城県
宮城県北部 栗原市 栗原市一迫

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .