Hanami Party! April 6 & 7! At Tamagawa! Free! You're Invited!

don't forget about our Hanami party on April 6th and 7th at Tamagawa!

2013年花見！Hanami Party!  今年もこの季節がやってきました！花見〜〜〜〜今回は4月6日、7日の２日間でやります。日曜日に来れなかった人も今年は大丈夫だよ！皆さんに声をかけて参加して下さい。会場は毎年花見をやっている尾山台の多摩川河川敷です。飲まない人は駐車場も増えたので車でもだいじょうぶです。

More info on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/153224684837610/

ACCESS: Best way is Ooimachi line to Oyamadai Station. Walk towards the river. You'll see a huge Volkswagen used car lot. We're on the other side of the road by the river in the grassy area. You can't miss us. Be careful when crossing the busy streets! URL to Volkswagen: http://yahoo.jp/h6jYOo

来る人全員　バッジ　プレゼント！

Japan Hanami Season is Almost Here! Hanami Party!

It is now Sunday, March 10th. Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of the disastrous March 11, 2011 Earthquake, Tsunami and Fukushima disaster. I pray for all those whose lives are still affected and hope that time quickly heals them.

Since it is Sunday, and the weather is now getting fully into Spring, I thought I'd let you enjoy some view of blooming plum blossoms that I shot near my home.

Please use these photos freely if you wish. 

Calling out to the birds and insects, "Time to wake up!"

An old lady was tending these by the side of a park walkway. I said, "Thank you!" to her for growing such beauty for everyone. 

An old guy grows Bonsai trees out by a busy street. No one steals them or vandalizes them. He is proud of his "children." Of course, they are beautiful.

Across the street stands a huge plum tree that is the first to alert the neighborhood that "Spring is here!"

Near an apartment building, a lone tree pushes out a few lonely flowers

This tree stands in the strong sun-light and it shows as it is a festival of blooming flowers  

Along the "Magic Trail" another plum tree alerts its neighbors to wake up and begin pushing out buds and leaves.

To see more beautiful Japanese flowers, see: Beautiful Springtime Plums and Other Japanese Flowers at Okamoto Park: http://bit.ly/10xYtnC

And don't forget, if you are in the Tokyo area, our annual Hanami (flower viewing and eating and drinking party) will be held for two days on April 6 and 7 at the Tamagawa river.

See details here:

Thanks to Everyone for a Wonderful Hanami 2012

Thanks to all my wonderful friends who helped make our Hanami party 2012 such a wonderful day!

Photo by Osamu Arai

I hope the rest of 2012 sees you and yours healthy and prosperous. May all your dreams come true!

Beautiful Video of Hanami (Flower Views) in Fukushima Japan

Tomorrow is April 1st. The plums have already blossomed in Tokyo and we're having our annual hanami bash tomorrow. I've put the information on Twitter with tweets and on Facebook with, er, what-you-call-thems, so please come. Everyone is welcome!


Here's a breath-taking video of flowers in Fukushima with many views of "Hanami Yama" (Flower view mountain). Enjoy the beauty of Japan:

Hanami Party Sunday April 1, 2012 at Tamagawa!

TOMORROW! April 1, 2012 HANAMI PARTY! FREE! 

明日！花見！全員集合！！

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 and their families and kids there too. Everyone is welcomed! 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! 

(First 200 people there get a free badge!)

Here is a map URL: http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/oozappa/GMG/hanami-map1.jpg  

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！　

日時；4月1日　日曜　朝7時から午後の4時ごろまで 

場所:東京都世田谷区玉堤1丁目-23付近（多摩川土手） 

○多摩川土手の桜の木の下です! 

■目標は　Volkswagen世田谷認定中古車センターの看板です。 

■看板の玉堤通りをはさんだ土手側です。 

地図 

http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/oozappa/GMG/hanami-map1.jpg 

最寄駅 

東京急行電鉄・東横線・目黒線・東急多摩川線　[多摩川駅] 

東京急行電鉄・田園都市線・大井町線　[二子玉川駅] 

最寄バス停留所 

東急東横線・目黒線・多摩川線　多摩川駅　または 

田園都市線　二子玉川駅より東急バスでそれぞれ８分 

[ 玉11 ] 二子玉川駅←→多摩川駅 

東急ゴルフパークたまがわ前停留所 

東急大井町線等々力駅からでているバスも利用できます 

「武蔵工業大前」で下車になります 

会費:飲み物食べ物を自分が食べて飲む分持参です 

各自、ゴミを持ち帰れる程度でお願いします。←重要です 

皆さんによかったら御用意していただきたいもの 

○レジャーシート。（シートを止めるザイル等あると助かります） 

○紙コップや紙のお皿やお箸・フォーク・スプーン 

○テッシュやタオル（汚れちゃっても最悪捨てちゃってもいいもの） 

○ゴミ袋（大きいのとスーパーのレジ袋みたいなもの） 

○レジャー用の折りたたみテーブル等 

周辺施設情報 

近所にセブンイレブンともう一件コンビニがあります。 

当日、足りなくなったものはここで調達できそうです 

コインパーキングが30台分ぐらい（台数は定かではないです。）があります。 

◎注意!!!飲酒される方は絶対に自動車の運転をしないでください!!!◎ 

◎できるだけ電車・バスをご利用ください◎ 

最寄駅 

東京急行電鉄・東横線・目黒線・東急多摩川線　[多摩川駅] 

東京急行電鉄・田園都市線・大井町線　[二子玉川駅] 

最寄バス停留所 

東急東横線・目黒線・多摩川線　多摩川駅　または 

田園都市線　二子玉川駅より東急バスでそれぞれ８分 

[ 玉11 ] 二子玉川駅←→多摩川駅 

東急ゴルフパークたまがわ前停留所 

東急大井町線等々力駅からでているバスも利用できます 

「武蔵工業大前」で下車になります 

会費:飲み物食べ物を自分が食べて飲む分持参です 

各自、ゴミを持ち帰れる程度でお願いします。←重要です 

皆さんによかったら御用意していただきたいもの 

○レジャーシート。（シートを止めるザイル等あると助かります） 

○紙コップや紙のお皿やお箸・フォーク・スプーン 

○テッシュやタオル（汚れちゃっても最悪捨てちゃってもいいもの） 

○ゴミ袋（大きいのとスーパーのレジ袋みたいなもの） 

○レジャー用の折りたたみテーブル等 

周辺施設情報 

近所にセブンイレブンともう一件コンビニがあります。 

当日、足りなくなったものはここで調達できそうです 

コインパーキングが30台分ぐらい（台数は定かではないです。）があります。 

◎注意!!!飲酒される方は絶対に自動車の運転をしないでください!!!◎ 

◎できるだけ電車・バスをご利用ください◎

First Plum Blossoms of 2012

Spring is here in Tokyo! Today the plum trees have blossomed across the street. It is the first of the year!

The blossoming of the plum trees means that the blossoming of the cherry trees is just around the corner... And that means Hanami time!

I hope that your dreams and wishes come true for the rest of 2012!

Please come to our free Hanami party on 4/1/12!

Japan Economy in BIG Trouble

Mish Shedlock from the Global Economic Trend Analysis Blog has sent me a link to his latest post showing a shocking one-two double punch whammy of extremely bad news for the Japanese economy. If you are interested in money and the economy, the Mish's blog is a daily must-read.

Yo Yo Hashi - Yo Yo's Pad

In his most recent posting: Japan Retail Sales Plunge Most in 13 Years; S&P Cuts Japan Debt Outlook to "Negatibe"; 30,000 Dead or Missing, How You Can Help, Mish writes up, and links to, articles and data that point to a very bad future for Japan.


Immediately after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, foolish Japanese politicians told the Japanese public that we should not be trying to live our lives normally. Shintaro Ishihara, the mayor of Tokyo, even told people that the traditional "Hanami" celebrations should be cancelled this year. 

Hanami is an old tradition whereby the Japanese go to park and eat and drink with friends under the cherry blossoms. 


Due to these sorts of short-sighted pronouncements, many famous Japanese festivals were cancelled and the country went into a sort of mourning like that of a funeral. Things still haven't gotten 100% back to normal. Now, because of these ill considered pronouncements, the Japanese people, businesses and the economy are paying the price.


The best thing the people could do is try to get their lives back in order as soon as possible as get back to work and get the economy back on track. In that way, with a strong economy, can we help those poor people who suffered in Tohoku in this terrible tragedy. But, no! The government wonks made their dumb announcements and now we are paying the price.


Japan prime minister Naoto Kan has announced his idea for reconstruction but he's not said how he will pay for it. The idea to raise taxes was floated but that died a quick death - especially after Kan's party got trashed in local elections this last Sunday. Now, ratings agencies suspect what I fear; more Japanese government debt.


That's the last thing we need. Mish writes:


Japan’s sovereign-rating outlook was cut to “negative” by Standard & Poor’s as the nation’s reconstruction needs following last month’s earthquake will likely add to what’s already the world’s biggest debt load.

The outlook on Japan’s local-currency debt rating, at AA-, the fourth-highest grade, was lowered from “stable,” S&P said in a statement today. The company had reduced the rating by one step in January in the first cut since 2002. Moody’s Investors Service said last month the disaster may bring forward the “tipping point” for the country’s bond market.

Today’s decision adds to pressure on Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who has yet to detail how the rebuilding will be paid for and how he plans to rein in longer-term fiscal deficits. As public spending increases, revenue will likely decline because of the economic hit from the disaster, with a report today showing retail sales tumbled the most in 13 years last month.

Moody’s today reported no change to its negative outlook for Japan's Aa2 grade rating, the third highest, after a reduction from “stable” in February because of political gridlock. Japan’s public debt will probably increase 5.8 percent to 997.7 trillion yen ($12.2 trillion) in the year started April 1, from a projected 943.1 trillion yen last year, the Finance Ministry said in January.


As I predicted in December of 2010, Naoto Kan will be gone by summer. That's the good news. The bad news? That will do nothing for Japan's political stability and our credit rating and economic outlook.


The only thing we can say for certain is that it looks to be a long hot summer in 2011.


Read the rest of Mish's post here: http://bit.ly/kOqL8i