Hi David,

The best place to live in Japan? That's an interesting, but difficult question. I like my hometown because it's an easy place to live and I grew up here. I think we have four seasons, but the summer is sticky, and we hardly have snow here - which is not fun for you. Hmm, it's a difficult question for me because I have lived only two places in the same prefecture. I think you know Japan more than I do!(笑)

Anyway, I'll think about it again, and I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's opinion.

See you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月 9日 16:54

hi, David.
how are you?

My name is Yu.

As for me, I lived in three areas, Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kanto area.

From my opinion, Tohoku is a best place for you.

In winter, we can enjoy winter sports there because it snows in the season.

On the other hand, we can also enjoy hot season. In Tohoku region, particularly in rural area, it isn't too hot in Summer because lots of nature like trees or other plants absorb the energy of the sun, makes temperature cool.

That's why I recommend you to live in Tohoku region.

What do you think?

•  yuu
• 2009年4月 9日 19:26

Hi Yuu,

Which prefectures are in Tohoku?

•  David
• 2009年4月 9日 19:55

Happy Birthday, Amica!! ♪♪♪
I'm looking forward to seeing you at the next blog event ;-)

•  Lily
• 2009年4月 9日 21:57

★゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★゜・。。・゜゜・。。

Amica! Happy Birthday!!
Hope everything will be going wonderful
with you!

☆*:;;;;;;:*☆*:;;;;;;:*☆*:;;;;;:*☆*:;;;;;:*

Hi Everyone,
How's the weather in your area? I hear that today's weather in some areas was just like summer in Hokkaido. A TV news showed a scene that people wearing T-shirt were walking under cherry blossoms. Isn't that unmatched?!

Hi David,
As I told, maybe the north of Miyagi or the south of Iwate are the perfect places for you.
But my honest recommendation is "Hokkaido"! We surely have four seasons, you know. It isn't very cold in my area in winter, and it's less colder than it used to be. Besides, summers are not so short.;-)

I'm so happy that there is one more working day for me this week, as I've been very busy at work these days.

Talk to you later,

Maki

•  Maki
• 2009年4月 9日 22:32

Hi everyone,
It's been a while, hasn't it?

Happy birthday Kiyoko and Amica!
I would send you fancy gifts if I knew where you live.

Hi David,
Thank you for uploading pictures. I just remembered we had spent a great time. I guess the tallest man might be Appoh.
Anyway, I know it's really difficult to have someone feel and enjoy the differences in four seasons of Japan if he grew up in a country with only two seasons. But you don't have to worry about it.
四季のない国で生まれ育った人に四季の味わいを感じてもらうのは無理な話ですから。

Hi Yu,
You're a new member, right? Very nice to meet you! Great to have you here.
I totally agree with you. Sendai is the best place to live I think. The food is great. You can get everything you want. It's an only one-and-a-half bullet train ride from Tokyo. There are four profesional sport teams and they are quite popular and loved.

Hi everyone again,
I'll take all your questions about Sendai. Please feel free to post your questions.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年4月 9日 22:51

It's me again.

Hi Yu (yuu),
I'm sorry, but I'm not sure wether you are a new comer or not. Anyway, I'm glad to hear from you!
Have a lot of fun in the blog.;-)

Maki

•  Maki
• 2009年4月 9日 23:00

Hi David and everyone,

The best place to live in Japan? For whom?
Well, I've been living in Aichi in my whole life, so it's difficult to say where is the best place, but I like my home town; it's in rural area, and surrounded by mountains, so it's not so humid in summer as in Seto or Nagoya, and not so cold in winter.
Yu's opinion would be nice for you.

Welcome to this blog, Yu!

Actually, wherever you live, what matters is that you are satisfied with the life there.
I'm not sure, but in Hokkaido, people enjoy everything is flowering at a time after a long winter.
Isn't it wonderful? What matters is what you want there. But According to Maki's opinion, Hokkaido would be nice for you to live!
( I really want to visit Hokkaido again.)

Speak to you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年4月 9日 23:08

Hi Yu(yuu),
Welcome to the blog! It's nice to have to with us. Look forward to hearing from you again!

Good morning, everyone. How are you today?
I'm going out with my sister today, so I'll make another comment later.

Talk to you soon,

Tomo

PS Appoh - I'm glad to see your comment! I thought you might be dealing with another difficult paper. Anyway, I'll ask you some questions about Sendai later.

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月10日 08:11

Hi Kiyoko and Amica,

Please let me say to you two "Happy Birthday !! "
I'm always enjoying your comment, so I'm lucky.

eeko

•  匿名
• 2009年4月10日 08:40

Hi Appoh,
I'm glad to to see your comment here again.
「四季のない国で生まれ育った人に四季の味わいを感じてもらうのは無理な話ですから。」←I agree with your opinion. That's why there are a lot of beautiful words and phrases appreciating each season such as" 花霞（a hazy curtain of (cherry ) blossoms "or something.
Talking of "Sendai", it reminds me of a song"青葉城恋歌" by Muneyuki Sato; it's old song, and I wonder how many members here know it. It's a beautiful song, and I like it.

My questions about Sendai are...
* If I would visit Sendai, where do you recommend?
* One of the professional sport teams is ,I think, "ヴェガルタ仙台（a soccer team), and what else?

Hi Tomo,
Hope you have a lovely time with your sister!

Speak to you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年4月10日 09:31

Hi Maki,
We had lovely spring weather with a nice breeze today, and the highest temperature was 24 degrees. Is it like the summer in Hokkaido?

Hi Anne,
Thanks! My sister will be back to work tomorrow, so we went shopping today. We bought clothes and shoes, and had lunch together. It was just a girl's hang out, but we had a lovely time;-)

Hi Appoh,
I've never been to Sendai, and I don't know much about your hometown, so let me ask you some questions.

・I like ancient(and medieval) history and seeing old buildings like temples, castles, and bridges. Are there any good places to go?

・You said, “The food is great.” Like what? Do you have local dishes?

Talk to you later,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月10日 17:16

Hi David and Everyone,

The best place live in Japan...it's difficult and interesting question. If I am asked where I like to live in north or south place, I'll ask north place. I especially like Hokkaido in north area in Japan. Actually, I have lived in Sapporo, and now live in Nagoya. I also lived in Matsumoto and Sakai(Osaka). The best place I have lived is Sapporo. I like that there are a lot of nature in the town even though big city. In the winter, there were a lot of snow in Sapporo but wind was very little. It was because that there is Mt. Moiwa in the town. In Nagoya, there isn't like wall, so cold wind comes directly （伊吹おろし）. That is reason which I hate the winter in Nagoya (but I love Nagoya). I think that the tempture we feel is colder in Nagoya than Sapporo when the storng wind blow. In Sapporo, winter was long, cold, and lot of snow. When I first spend at winter in Sapporo, I was suprised that all people did warm not only a room but also in their whole house, all house had 断熱材 and had nothing こたつ. Although out was cold, people enjoy drinking cold bear or eating icecream in their very warm house looking at cold outside. The winter in Sapporo was so great. Unfortunately, While I was in Sapporo, I coudn't play ski in that powder snow. I want to go again and to live again someday.

VT

•  VT
• 2009年4月10日 20:14

Hi David, Kikyoko, Lily, Maki, Appoh, eeko,
Thanks for your warm messages. I'm very happy. Yesterday, I said to my student "Today is my birthday." Then, she said "Really!? I wish I were you!" I said "Why?" She said "Because today is ヤマピー's birthday!" Do you know ヤマピー? ヤマピー is Japanese idol. (His name is 山下智久.) She said "I wanted to be born on that day!" She is funny, isn't it?

Hi yuu
Welcome to this blog! Let's enjoy learning English!

I will write another comment later.

Amica

•  Amica
• 2009年4月10日 23:26

Hi everyone
Nice to meet you too.
I'm very glad to be commented to my poor English.
Thank you so much for your friendness.

By the way, thanks god it's a Friday.
What are you going to do tomorrow?
I'll go outdoor like a park to go to O-hanami.
It may be the last chance to see it this year.

Coming back to where to live, I recommend Miyagi for David. It is warmer than Hokkaido in winter and cooler than South regions.
Furthermore, as everyone say, there are a lot of funs in Sendai city, the biggest city in Tohoku region. We can not only enjoy shoping but also enjoy seeing beautiful spots, joining many festivals, 仙台七夕まつり and 光のページェント, and much nature (Sendai is called as 杜の都　because it is full of nature).

Have you ever been there?

•  yuu
• 2009年4月11日 00:41

Hi everyone

It’s been a long time since I posted last time.
I’ve been busy this week. I had to submit a report to my boss.
I am not good at writing, so it takes me a lot of time. Anyway I submitted it this morning, so I am happy now.

Hi Kiyoko and Amica.

Happy belated birthday to both of you!!!
I am glad that you had a nice day.

Hi David

Thank you for updating photos.
I like them all. All of us were with happy faces.
Speaking of the topic, I have no idea. Because as I mentioned before, I grew up in Okinawa and I live in Tokyo now.
I don’t know much about other prefectures.

Hi Kazu and Anne

Thank you for sending photos to David.
I regret that I did not bring my camera with me at the event.
Thanks to you, I could see the nice photos.

Hi Yuu

Welcome the blog!!
I have never been to Miyagi. But I have a friend from Miyagi.
After reading your comment, I want to go there.

Hi Appoh

You really like your home town, right?
As I mentioned above, I really want to visit Miyagi (Sendai).

Have a nice weekend

•  amo
• 2009年4月11日 01:29

Hi folks,

It is very difficult to decide the best place to live in Japan becasue every place has good points and bad points.

Besides, peope can't live in many places and enjoy the lives there.

However, I've heard an interesting opinion.

The people who live in Yokohama and Kobe won't move to anothe place.

I'm not sure the reason, but I reckon I can understant the opinion.

Thnks.

•  Gussan
• 2009年4月11日 20:56

Hi David,
I found an article about you in the latest ALC magazine. I hope the readers are interested in this blog and will join us.;-)

Hi Tomo,
24 degrees?! No doubt about it. It's like the midsummer here!

Hi amo,
Hope you're having a relaxing time after your busy days.

Hi Gussan,
The both of them have harbors and are near big cities...Is there anything in common? Anyway, the opinion is interesting.

Have a lovely weekend!
Maki

P.S.
PCからは「不正アクセス」で何度やってもコメントできず…携帯からです(泣)

•  Maki
• 2009年4月11日 23:14

Hi Appoh,

Thank you for you send me the fancy gifts. It would be the silent love words, your passionate mind make me happy. So I'm feeling something fantastic atmosphere.

Hi David,

It was my eternal challenge thing, but exactly I've changed my living place one time in the same prefecture for the convenient life. This area is not so cold in winter and too hot to live in summer.

As Japan has four seasons, there are full flowers in the nearby fields, so I love my home town. However, if I want to skiing I have to go to the snowy country.
If I were a rich I wish I could have like a cottage in my favorite places.

Last Monday was my birthday, and I've got many kind love massages from David and blog members, so I'm going to New York by myself tomorrow. I got this news on April fool. Then I was wondering so much, but I determined to give me as birthday present. This trip is very short stay, three nights in there, so I have any special schedules. My perfect free day is two and half days.
Anyway, it was noticed incidentally by e-mail, so I was very busy last week to contact everythings by e-mail or Internet. As you know, I'm not good at PC, and I had many times with PC troubles during accessing. It was an exiting experience for me.

Hi everyone,
See you again, coming Sunday!

Kiyoko

•  Kiyoko
• 2009年4月12日 10:56

Sorry, I had four mistakes.

1. massages---messages

2 too hot to live in summer---too hot in summer to live

3 exiting experience---exciting experience

4 I have any special---I have not any special

•  Kiyoko
• 2009年4月12日 11:38

Hi eeko,

Thank you for your birthday words. I'm glad to know that you are always enjoying my comment, and also I've re-found the worth of commenting.

Kiyoko

•  匿名
• 2009年4月12日 12:00

Hi Kiyoko,
Are you going to NY tomorrow?! Wow! A wonderful present for your birthday!! But I'm just wondering if you got a prize? Or something??
Anyway, enjoy everything and have a good time!
By the way, is it the first time to go to NY?

Maki

•  Maki
• 2009年4月12日 12:18

Hi Kiyoko,

Wow! Are you going to New York?
What a wonderful birthday present you got!
Hope you have a great time there and looking forward to your story!

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年4月12日 12:48

Hi Kiyoko,
Wow, that's great! Hope you have a wonderful time in New York! Have a lot of fun!!

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月12日 14:17

Hi Maki

Thank you for your comment, but if I consider your situation (moving house, new work place), I was not so busy.

Hi everyone

Did you have a good weekend?
I was supposed to go to the eye doctor yesterday, but I got the days mixed up.
I thought today was my appointment, which means I did not go yesterday.
Have you ever done such a mistake?

Hi Kiyoko

Are you going to New York tomorrow?
Wow! It is really good for you. I hope you have a great time in there.

•  amo
• 2009年4月12日 19:46

Hi Kiyoko,

I hope you have a nice trip!

Amica

•  Amica
• 2009年4月12日 20:56

Hi Kiyoko,

Belatedly, I hope you have a nice trip!

Kazu

•  Kazu
• 2009年4月13日 04:54

Hi David and everyone,

How was your weekend? I did a lot of housework, and am a bit tired now but feel good!
Hearing other members opinions is fun, and Gussan's story" The people who live in Yokohama and Kobe won't move to another place." reminds me of a news that a lot of people move to Okinawa to live there; there must be a secret to let people decide to do so... foods, sea, warm-hearted people..something,right,amo?

>Maki,
Did you find out the article about David? That's a good news!

Have a lovely day,

Anne

•  匿名
• 2009年4月13日 07:37

Hi David and everyone,

Did you have a nice weekend? It's interesting to read everyone's opinion and suggestion. Personally, I'm interested in VT's comment, especially this part, “eating icecream in their very warm house looking at cold outside.” If it was a nice log house with a fireplace, it would be perfect!

Anyway, here's my translation of the entry.

『Amica、誕生日おめでとう！　今月と来月は誕生日の人がたくさんいるから、もし誰か忘れちゃったらごめんね。
今日のトピックは最近ずっと考えていることなんだけど、私は北海道に住んだことがあって、今は中部地方に住んでるでしょ。　北海道の夏はすごくいいんだけど短すぎるし、冬はおもしろいけど、寒すぎるし、雪も多い。
瀬戸の冬はいいんだけど、もう少し雪が降ってもいいかなという気がするし、夏はすごく蒸し暑くて最悪。

そう、最近ずっと考えているのは、日本は基本的に南北にまたがる国だから、どこか瀬戸と北海道の間にちょうどいい場所があるんじゃないかなぁ・・と思って。　もしあったら知りたいんだよね。　誰か知ってる？

偶然なんだけど、この間おもしろい意見を聞いたんだ。　イギリス人男性が、「日本人はいつも日本には四季があるって言うけど、日本には四季なんてない。　すっごく暑いか、すっごく寒いかの2つしかない」って文句を言ってたんだ。　それを聞いて、日本に住むのに一番いい場所を探し始めたんだよね。

とにかく、みんなの意見、または誰の故郷が一番いいかの議論！(笑)を楽しみにしてるよ。』

See you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月13日 09:58

Hi Anne,
I'm glad you know "青葉城恋歌". The singer is still popular in Sendai and he hosts a regular TV program from Monday to Friday. But he wasn't born in Miyagi but Gifu. Of course it doesn't matter he loves Sendai.
The place I'd recommend is Jozenji-street in May and Dcember. This street runs in the center of the city and it's along with zelkova trees.
In May, you probably catch your breath to see the beauty of fresh green. In December, the zelkova trees are decorated with lots and lots of fairly lights. This event began 20 years ago and it's become really popular.
In fact, whenever you come, you can find your own excitements.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年4月13日 21:29

Hi Anne,
I'm glad you know "青葉城恋歌". The singer is still popular in Sendai and he hosts a regular TV program from Monday to Friday. But he wasn't born in Miyagi but Gifu. Of course it doesn't matter he loves Sendai.
The place I'd recommend is Jozenji-street in May and Dcember. This street runs in the center of the city and it's along with zelkova trees.
In May, you probably catch your breath to see the beauty of fresh green. In December, the zelkova trees are decorated with lots and lots of fairly lights. This event began 20 years ago and it's become really popular.
In fact, whenever you come, you can find your own excitements.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年4月13日 21:34

Hi again Anne,
We have four professional sport teams in Sendai as I introduced. They're soccer, baseball, basketball and professional wrestling. Do you remember the fine-pitching by Iwakuma in the WBC's final ? He is a member in the beseball team in Sendai.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年4月13日 21:37

Hi Tomo,
As you may know, Sendai was established by Date Masamune about 400 years ago. He constructed the Sendai-castle on the top of the mountain and valuable buildings.
However, some of them burnt down due to that air raid by the US. The fine-crafted mausoleum was also lost. Fortunately, one shrine and temple remain,Osaki-Hachiman shireine and Zuigan-ji. They are national treasures. They have Momoyama architectural style and they are really rare now. It's because that Hideyoshi supported the Momoyama style but in Edo-era his rival Ieyasu killed Toyotomi-family and destroyed Hideyosi's things. The Momoyama-style was also targeted to be removed.
About the food, you may enjoy raw fish, vegetables, rice, sake... Of course, we have special foods such as grilled beef tongue, sushi, chilled noodle... But the thing I emphasize most is that even the food you eat every day is all delicious. You won't have any complainments even if you eat rice with natto and miso soup every day.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年4月13日 22:09

Hi everyone,
I live in Ishikawa. I think this city is good place to live. It has sea and mountains, so if you live here, you can eat various 海の幸と山の幸. Yesterday I got わらび and ぜんまい from my father's friend. Today, I got some fresh fishes from a neighbor. He went fishing early this morning, and caught lots of fishes, so he gave me some of them. In summer, you can swim in the sea (The sea is very beautiful.), in winter, you can ski at the mountain. But there is one thing I don't like. In winter, this city has many bad weather...

Amica

•  Amica
• 2009年4月13日 22:39

Hi Amica,
Wow! You've already eaten わらび and　ぜんまい?! いいな～♪　I love them! We haven't had them yet in Hokkaido. And you have a lot of good foods in Ishikawa which are different from what we have here, I guess.;-)

By for now,

Maki

•  Maki
• 2009年4月13日 23:36

Hi Appoh,

Thank you for answering my questions.
Yes, I remember well Iwakuwa did a very good job at WBC. I didn't notice baseball team "Rakuten" is in Sendai^^;)

Hi Amica,
You have already enjoy the taste of "わらび"、and " ぜんまい”　?　いいな～！I ate " ふき”（butterbur) last night, and I like these bitter taste in Spring.
You feel each season when you taste these vegetables,right?

It is cloudy today around here,

Speak to you soon,

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年4月14日 08:17

少し訂正；
have already enjoy→have already enjoyed

Anne

•  Anne
• 2009年4月14日 08:20

Hi Appoh,
Thank you for the wonderful explanation! I didn't know that Sendai was established by Date Masamune about 400 years ago. I should have studied about it before I asked you, sorry. I said I liked history, but it doesn't mean I'm good at it, ha ha.. I just like seeing old buildings and wondering what kind of people there were a long time ago.
“the food you eat every day is all delicious”←This is a very good point to live there, isn't it?
Anyway, thanks again for answering my questions. It seems like there are lots of places I should visit in Sendai!

Hi Amica,
Your hometown also sounds good! And you have a very nice neighbor;-) By the way, my 10 year-old niece is a big fan of Yamapi, so I guess she would say the same thing as your student.

See you soon,

Tomo

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月14日 10:12

Hi Amica
I love Echizen crabs. Please send me some, then happiness will step up to greet you!

Hi Amo,
Yes, I'm proud of my hometown. If you have a chance to come, I'll guide you around.
In fact, I like Kyoto,Morioka,Yokohama and now Tokyo. These are where I've lived. But Sendai is the best place I believe.

Hi Kiyoko,
How about NY? I look forward to your nice story from NY.

Hi Yuu,
You're great enough to know how wonderful Sendai is. Rather, you're from Sendai as me, may I ask?
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you a short story if you're a newcomer.

This is what I heard from my wife and she also heard it from her friend.

Trimming eyebrows has been common for a decade in Japan. Almost all women and young guys seem to be working hard on making their eyebrows look cool.
But be careful if you're a man and you're in the USA.
My wife's friend was taking care of a high school boy from the USA as an exchange student.
One day he returned from school and he said 'It's scary. Almost all Japanese school boys are gays! Why?'
Do you understand? As long as I've heard, straights won't care about their eyebrows in the USA.

Appoh

•  Appoh
• 2009年4月14日 20:03

Hi David,

I found an interesting comment on one of the previous entries(4/1 Flickr Problems). It seems like the commenter called Kobenekotaro was in the elevator in Singapore when you said “yasai.”(What a coincidence!)

Anyway, here's his(or her) comment, so please have a look at it.

『何て始めたらいいのか・・・今日、三宮のジュンク堂で真っ赤な色と太っちょ猫の表紙が目を引き、開いたページに「形容の順番」が載ってて、いつもごっちゃになっちゃうから、もう一度整理してみようと、レジに直行。

家に帰って読み始め、「うーん、すごくよくわかる。著者はどんな人かな？」って思って著者紹介を見ると、「デビッド・バーカー」

え?　あれ?!　もしかして、あのデビッドさん!?!

本屋さんの語学コーナーに行くのも英語の本を買うのも、本当に久しぶりのこと。まして「英語じょうずになる事典」を選んだのは全くの偶然。

シンガポールのエレベーターの中で、「やさいズボン」を楽しませていただいた一人かもしれません（ごめんなさい）。でも、あのころからデビッドさんは教室の中でも外でも、チャンスを目いっぱい使って（笑）、日本語習得に励んでいましたね。デビッドさんの先生のふさえさんが、デビッドさんは教え甲斐があるって褒めていたのを思い出します。

英語教師として、そして日本語習得者として、すばらしいご活躍、心から「おめでとう」を言わせてください。

Nama saya tsuneko

神戸ネコタロー 』

•  Tomo
• 2009年4月15日 10:13