There's an old guy who lives in an apartment building near me who also collects and raises Bonsai trees. I see him outside everyday taking care of the trees that are placed outside of his apartment building. What is wonderful about them is not only their beauty and the art, but the fact that they are worth hundreds of dollars each yet he doesn't lock them up and no one steals them or vandalizes them. You know what would happen to them overnight in the USA, right? Anyway, I walked by on Thursday and was very happily surprised to see the first blossoms in Tokyo that I have seen this year so far. They were on one of the old guy's Bonsai trees. I asked if I could take a picture and he was very happy to allow me to do so. So here I want to share them with you.
The first blossoms of 2013. For me, these represent good fortune and prosperity!
This is a photo of the entire Bonsai tree. I'd say it was about 2 feet tall (about 60 centimeters) tall and about twenty years old. The old guy told me that the blossoms were out "About a week to two weeks early this year." That surprised me because this winter has been so cold and snowy. I guess Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing time) is going to come early this year!
Also, since those were the only plum blossom flowers I've seen in Tokyo so far, I wanted to share some more great Mt. Fuji photos I have. This one was taken by my friend, Yuki Koizumi.... Beautiful!
This next few were taken near my house by the Tamagawa River on Feb. 17, 2013. In the background, Mt. Fuji. In the middle, you can see the Japanese "Boys of Summer" (baseball players) playing baseball in February while it's freezing cold outside (the puddles on the ground were frozen!)
This one reminds me of one of Hokusai's "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" in that in some of those, it's difficult to pick out Mt. Fuji.... But there she is in the very middle on the horizon covered in snow!
Today is Tuesday, March 13, 2012. It is very warm and sunny today, but there is a chilly wind blowing. This is raising hell on people who have allergies. But it is also the notice that Hanami is almost here! Woo! Hoo! Mad drinking outdoors with your friends and all sorts of hijinks! (花見やりましょう！詳しくは下！）
This isn't exactly the type of hijinks I was thinking about! Guys! Guys!
No! You're doing it wrong! There's supposed to be girls in there too!
The Japanese have a traditional old saying that starts somewhere about this time of year. They say, "三寒四温" (sankan shion) which translates into "three days cold, four days warm." It is the beginning of spring in Japan.
My wife would start sniffling just by looking at this photo!
Before "three days cold, four days warm," though, it is usually something like four days colder than heck in Tokyo then, all of a sudden, one day warm like spring. It's weird! Yesterday was like that for half a day. In the morning it was very warm and seemed like April weather. Then, suddenly about noon, it become cloudy and very cold again. Back to winter.
This weather marks the beginning of an annual ritual at the Rogers house: My wife bitching constantly about her allergies! Oh my god! Do something about this!
I gotta tell you I love my wife but this goes on every year and it drives me crazy! Oh you so stoooopid woooo-maaan! You are a Japanese! This is Japan!You are supposed to enjoy the blossoming of the plum and cherry trees! You are supposed to be running around half naked in a kimono all the time wanting to drink sake under the cherry trees and have constant sex! (Of course after cooking, cleaning, taking the kids to school, giving me a bath and then a full body massage with your feet!) I want you in that kimono serving me sake under a cherry tree RIGHT NOW!!!!
My image of what married life was going to be like before marriage...
But no. It is not to be. My wife refuses to go outside this time of year. In fact, I am going to have to put up with her complaining and sniffling like this for the next two months! Two months! Can you believe it!
Oh, but I do feel sorry for her as I have no allergies at all. How about you, dear reader? Do you have any allergies?
My wife gets so bad for about 10 days to 2 weeks somewhere around April that she basically stays in bed for the entire time... That was great when she was my girlfriend! I mean, what guy doesn't want his girlfriend in bed all the time?
The perfect girlfriend would be in bed (or in the kitchen) all the time anyway...
Women today won't admit it but they were happiest when all they did was
pump out babies and cook shit for us guys to eat.
But after 15 years of marriage? Oh, well... I guess before marriage I should have checked under the hood better before I bought the car.
That's the annual ritual we go through at the Rogers house every year, this time of year. But that's the down side. The up side is that, since she refuses to go under the cherry blossoms, that means I can go by myself and get roaringly drunk and make a total ass of myself at Hanami with having her nagging me all time about my drinking too much! Woo hoo! Hanami here I come!
I love Japanese ritual traditions and celebrations and parties and festivals!
In one of Japan's most upstanding and respectable festivals, the
(Wait a minute! Is that lady second from front - the blond one -
actually a guy with a wig on? I do not want her carrying my penis!)
And speaking of annual rituals, in a few weeks, on April 1, 2012, I will host a massive Hanami party in Tamagawa. It is free for everyone. If you are around, please come along. The party starts at 5:30 am and runs all day into the night. DO NOT DRIVE THERE IF YOU ARE GOING TO DRINK! (If you aren't going to drink, why go?)
The place is just from Tamagawa station on the Toyoko Line or Futakotamagawa station on the Denentoshi line. Please take a bus about an 8 minute bus ride! There will be a few hundred of my friends there. It's completely free. Please bring your own booze and some snacks... I will bring some free food too but it is usually all gone with the early birds who get there before 7 am and start the festivities REALLY early!
Hey! I want to have a 【花見たかったけど寒いので４月にしようよ！」Party. 多摩川尾山台近辺４月１日（日）もちろん、ただ！Free! Family fun party! （これはInterFMの番組や局とはかんけいありません）！皆どうですか？このメッセージを読んだら、知り合いに連絡してください！僕はみんなの連絡先が分からないので。。みんなPartyしよう！
I just got back from the 2011 Rugby World Cup Press Conference in Tokyo. It was pretty much a success. Since basically everyone else who was there was from old media (TV & print) I thought I had better use the Internet and my blogger advantage to tell you good folks what happened at the event at least a day before the antique media gets around to it...
I mean, what's the point in inviting a blogger if they don't blog immediately, right?
The event was held at Tepia Hall 4F. Tepia Hall is next to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Aoyama in Tokyo. The closet subway station is Gaienmae (exit 3). The event started at 2:30 pm and ended at 3:30 or so.
The guests included the New Zealand Ambassador to Japan, Ian Kennedy; Jason Hill the head of New Zealand Tourism; John Kirwan the most famous Kiwi rugby player in history and head coach of the Japanese national team, the Cherry Blossoms; and the Japan team current representative player, Fumiaki Tanaka.
John Kirwan, head coach of Japan's National Rugby team gets award from children
The event started with a short speech by the ambassador to Japan, Ian Kennedy, followed by another speech and a list of data presented by Jason Hill. (Wow! New Zealand representatives can speak Japanese! The people the USA sends over never can!)
Some of the interesting points about the Rugby World Cup 2011 are:
* It is the world's third largest sporting event (soccer is #1)
* This will be the 7th World Cup
* In 2015 the WC will be held in England; in 2019 in Japan
* There will be 48 matches in 45 days with 20 teams
* Opening match is Sept. 9 at Eden Park featuring New Zealand vs. Tonga
* 1.65 million tickets will be sold
* Plus New Zealand is safe and the most desirable place to visit on earth (I can attest to that!)
After Jason Hill gave his speech, the guest of honor appeared. John Kirwan took the stage to answer questions and give his take on the World Cup.
Since John Kirwan took over as coach of Japan Rugby, the Japanese Rugby team has improved by leaps and bounds. Japan used to be ranked #19 in the world, but with John Kirwan (JK as he is affectionately called) at the helm, they have shot up to #12 in rankings.
That's amazing.
JK says that Japan must do well this World Cup in order to qualify for the 2015 World Cup in England and that is the goal for the Japan team and JK's personal goal too.
John Kirwan answering reporter's questions
Well, that and doing well against the All Blacks, New Zealand's team who is hungry for a World Cup victory - and will be extremely tough to beat - especially since they are playing at home.
When I asked JK what his purpose was when the Japan team takes on the All Blacks in their second game at the World Cup, JK said that no matter what, that after the game is over, win or lose, the All Blacks must respect the Japan team...
He also said that if Japan can beat the All Blacks that he would be satisfied and retire right there on the spot. I reckon that would motivate his guys!
Good luck to John Kirwan, the Cherry Blossoms and well done to New Zealand and New Zealand Tourism for a very interesting and well done event!
Keywords: John Kirwan, All Blacks, Mike Rogers, Rugby, 2011, 2011 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand, Fumiaki Tanaka, Cherry Blossoms, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Marketing Japan
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Tomorrow, Jason and New Zealand Tourism are holding one of the biggest promotions in recent memory. The event is the Japan kick off for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. A World Cup that the Japanese team will appear in! Everyone will be there; all the famous old school media in Japan (print, TV and radio) and even the new kids, Yahoo and crowd.
This is a big deal!
Let me stop here and tell you some more background. A man named John Kirwan is a former All-Black player (you know, the New Zealand Rugby team that just completely destroys everything in its path like Godzilla does). Anyway, John Kirwan is the most famous Rugby player in New Zealand history. Now, John Kirwan is now the coach of the Japanese national Rugby team, the Cherry Blossoms.
ALL BLACKS DOING THE HAKA (SEE VIDEO BELOW!)
At the 2011 Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand, the Cherry Blossoms will appear. This is an incredibly impressive deal for Japan and a source of national pride. It is so exciting for Japan to play at this Rugby World Cup and to even appear on the same field as the All Blacks. The last time they played the New Zealand team, score was something like: All Blacks 1,240 - Japan 2 (well, it wasn't quite THAT bad, but it was a stomping!)
Now, with John Kirwan as coach of the Japanese team, Japan has a real shot at getting some respect and making a great showing! And the Japanese, of course, are getting real excited about this!
Anyway, tomorrow is the kick-off press conference in Tokyo for the 2011 World Cup. Jason Hill, the boss of New Zealand Tourism, is in-charge of this mass media event press conference featuring John Kirwan. All the major Japanese mass media will be at this event and Jason actually invited me to come because he said, "You are a blogger."
2011 Rugby World Cup PR Video
Can you believe that? All the old school major Japanese media will be there at this event with their press passes and camera's and hats... And, representing the blogosphere, will be little old me!
Actually, not only is this a huge honor for me, but it is a huge honor and acknowledgement for the Internet and all bloggers as a whole!
My countrymen! Our Internet and blogging efforts are being recognized!
I wonder if I should show up at the event like that old Three Stooges show? Remember the one where they snuck into the press conference and Larry and Moe walked in with a button that said, "Press" and, after them, Curly showed up with a button that said, "Pull!"
HERE IS A VIDEO OF THE ALL-BLACKS DOING THE HAKA!
I guess this just shows that our blogging and SMM efforts are starting to get some influence and "pull." So, if you are blogging, remember that there are people reading, even if it may not seem that way.... Keep it up and the rewards will come.
That is the ultimate compliment for a blogger; to be invited and recognized. Here they are running a huge press conference to kick off the Rugby World Cup in 2011 in New Zealand, and they think well enough of me to invite me to that event? Wow! I'm so happy and excited! I'll write about the event tomorrow and tell you all about it!
Keywords: Haka, All Blacks, Rugby, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Rugby World Cup, 2012, Cherry Blossoms, John Kirwan, Jason Hill, Marketing Japan, New Zealand, Mike Rogers, Tourism, blog, blogging, SMM
