Running and English

 Are Japanese people religious? I think that we Japanese are religious in fact. In daily life almost all Japanese are not conscious of religion but we have customs related to Buddhism or Shintoism. So, we unconsciously follow the customs in general.

 My family also follows the customs. I don’t know if my family belong special religious sect. But we visit the temple, there is our ancestor grave, during bon holiday and sometimes. In addition my grandparents pray after breakfast. It is very short. They offer a cup of tea, a mouthful rice, and incenses, then ring mini bell and pray. I follow it once in a while.

 Some people think that most Japanese don’t have special religious event or taboo comparing with other religious people or countries, so they are not religious. Certainly, it is one of the idea. But let’s change our point of view.  I think we can say Japanese people accept religions to the level we don’t have to think religions.

 However we Japanese should recall religions once in a while and save Japanese good traditions.

<Beetle>

I lived in Tochigi prefecture, and there are rich natures around my home. There are woods. When I was child I often go there to collect beetles and stag beetles with my father. There were many beetles and stag beetles. We could get them easily and I sometimes made them fight. That was real musi-king. I was very fan. But the number of beetles was getting fewer as I grew up. Was it for environmental pollution , or for my too much collecting?

<Cat>

I like cat, but I haven’t kept cat. I sometimes asked parents for keeping cat. But my mother was opposite to me every time. She always said “if we keep cat, it will smell bad and we can’t go long tour.”

 In this university, there are a few cats and they are familiar with human. I made my mind satisfied this situation some degree.

<Snake>

When I was elementary school student I and one of my friend found out may be tiger keel back (yamagakashi) in irrigation channel. We try to attack it. But it disappeared somewhere that time. Then immediately it started a heavy rain. We got wet. We have been wondering if it was snake’s revenge.

<Mosquito>

In this university, there are too many mosquitoes! If you are outside in a minute exposed your skin, you are pricked several points. So, I can’t stand it! I think that existing some ponds and woos are promote appearance of too many mosquitoes. I will fight them every summer.

I lived with my family member, my parents, paternal grandparents and my younger sister until I become the university student.

 

<Parents>

My parents both work in city hall. I think they are serious. My father likes sports and he was good at various sports, tennis, skiing, running. My mother graduated a nurses’ training school. She likes reading book.

 

<Sister>

My sister is 14 years old, third grade of junior high school. Her personality is somehow aggressive different from me. We used to fight or quarrel. She belong to volleyball club. She likes sports and comic books.

 

<Paternal grandparents>

My paternal grandparents are both over 80 years old. And they are healthy. The grandfather worked an insurance company as salesperson. It is said that he is very good at kendo but I haven’t seen his kendo. Now he is doing fields or garden work. I respect him. The grandmother had got serious sickness, and she recovered. When I was very young she was my best playmate. She takes me a walk, teach me many things. So, I likes her the best in my family members.

 

<Maternal grandparent>

 My maternal grandparent live in Itakura town in Gunma prefecture. It is thirty minutes’ drive from our home. They are private livestock farmer and also farmer. They breed pigs. We sometimes go their house, they are kind and fun.

 

<Memory>

When I was about elementary student we sometime went on a trip, for example theme park, dude ranch, Hokkaido, Okinawa, and so on.

 Especially, having been to ski resort is main memory. I have been skiing and learned how to ski by my father or skiing school teacher since I was nursery school child. We went skiing several times in every season. And the return the trip, we often stop at a hot spring. It was very comfortable for tiring body.

 I often dream something. when I’m dreaming and just after dreaming I can see the contents. But I hardly remember it after waking up. I remember a few dreams somehow.

 I was in like a big colosseum alone. I was uneasy. And like a Japanese demon or enmadaiou watched me outside the colosseum. The demon was huge, I was very scare.

 Next, I was on a big ship and I was chased a criminal and big round stone. Also I was scare.

 I don’t remember happy dream. I remember only bad dreams. I want to dream happy thing and remember it.

  My hometown is Asikaga city in Tochigi prefecture. It is located southwest border of Tochigi and Gunma. It takes about three hours to go Asikaga from Futyu. The population of Ashikaga is about 160,000 people. May be, the third or fourth largest population city in Tochigi. Ashikaga has rich nature (fields, mountains,rivers) and history (several  traditional buildings). So, Ashikaga is “town of history and culture” as well as Futyu. There is “Ashikaga gakko (school)” in the city. Some people say that this is the oldest school in Japan. And “flower park” is famous for the archway of wisteria flower (Japanese Fuji) in May, only one in the world. There are many many viewer in there in Japanese Golden Week. The famous person From Ashikaga is Aida Mitsuo. He became a calligrapher and tried writing unique calligraph. Now his calligraphs are familiar with a lot of people. 
I like my hometown, so I want to know it more. And please come to Ashikaga city!