Hi
To continue the holiday mood a bit longer here are some pictures of our New Year here in Fukushima.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek3xFynzrhtkqCsaPS1K1vbRt4kIzBJ5IYKbjSndWIIplvUuRlHFnrBiwugHTh8pOAxQ7shtWhu-7BUYmp4c6PEKTXVWHeWk_ARC5nLLGzsA7DYCBf0Ko_YQ1poPiUiH5U2ed3Mowc6-0/s320/011.JPG) |
In December took a little trip out of town to the farmhouse where they make traditional papier-mache dolls (Takashiba Deko Yashiki). These are little dragons for the Year of the Dragon. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb53hUbkhbELn5U2j6O1tMeOwz1P7yHJB71BGdd1BknasfDG_Vc8ZgWQZExmQMsjC3I8JDxEug3HvSOwq9ut-OCuzQYXLA0zQrTbVXGPlK-A9zKz00viZHyvhHXZ_ZFWWPSatAmSezWs5/s320/IMG_3450.jpg) |
On December 28th invited to watch people making 'mochi', sticky rice cakes for the NewYear. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqp5H5fy4kVnA3jjOPxTQelgIg2ciWiFsoWDaHhqJTx3C6vTJdP86yBZuGUI_sVWFDWJnCIRa_A3EhaoTjwCmJnTskoLihmJD525vPXsRJcldbkJVBFI2Y_WAodqwkxTwDQpGmyzMg3HV/s320/IMG_3398.JPG) |
The rice is soaked in water for 36 hours, then drained, and steamed in these cookers. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofWpQHu98JbzKpvw3BQ7QU-cnqsKIGg5JQb8SU2a1Ub9OtNaPrOZdrWvoJH64_1V0Tj_RO-RmarsclA4M_Gb7FpKTIWzHHUHDxVLpESUaMOvl4fWmKtQvQxW8Q_VrOx23pABIevmb4zNJ/s320/IMG_3412.JPG) |
The cooked rice. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9V21AjcjlzJxd-HkHknfg2R2N4fALgkn-0LXNebVHQw1YrmzLsAL5TONDmA0YFyU9u7HzGLimYktpf1JvWjGPykzesJOUdgUCs3h6WVZq9p8fjg3tpRvTvM92wuFzPpD7gZVlokSgn-2s/s320/IMG_3408.jpg) |
First, the rice is mixed and kneaded gently. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8eTFskaML25Mg6aKkAoFbGpUmXVQwS1eiMfGEOZPVHeHMCnI3XsVjZKtEixNRab465pjL0afv6U2QgU1PBFLbm0OXJqe7hYXanON1a4mQT6DkpfbokFMzMPhiPo0Oowx4E3DxZDrg7Ze/s320/IMG_3463.jpg) |
Then the fun begins. Two people beat the rice in rythm moving clockwise round the mortar.
More difficult than it looks. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieCGLF7bMRVbcFDAtMvtwue36VM4SLf0o_wWmG7Oxvq6QLS5ks86zxDuhVa4o5ZaBdrXMgwwBLS8jFh8SMuCjWyPj_aTDf_vDPGdboaYTrXhKx4TZeCItE_nRlswQHXV0gHwIjZgMPgQGk/s320/IMG_3456.jpg) |
And someone has the dangerous job of turning the rice from time to time. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsUZD5mqF6TwomeacWDs0Ens2y22nXUCMDTM6Rq4wmjgpc-rBbjeoATtgnDBU4DvQGqNr4BwPdOM7P_ZBRNsD5GMXLjRRgrhFqunA8mfStX0fuGjPSDRNRK9ufm7tDKbtJS87HvL94oTf/s320/IMG_3478.JPG) |
At our host's insistence Reiko and I, very gingerly, have a go. (If you miss the rice and hit the mortar you can damage the hammer and get splinters in the rice. Determined not to fail!) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyksNnAJHfZiwBsy2gP5Sm65UAl2d3rtLaKooX_jIsD-w1XpoP2w1lwKZWjxQyaK_LIK7zfd_V0ogM3JJN1iTfJRcRQQ_3PUpz_dCWEQN4CaXRsogbU7xtM5OxNmY8JcqabFPBptFrmFpI/s320/IMG_3551.jpg) |
Our New Year food to go with the ricecakes (bought in not home-made I'm afraid). If Christmas Dinner is the ultimate Sunday lunch, then this 'o-setchi' New Year food must be the ultimate bento box. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhogGy7NdNZgjHHRR_14biuydDGLFd3Iu8RzULaxKxCZJbmGftFqPA1JCEh2xoL1k5357HgX8y1nHaKGafLUrkHaN7MGHQt-Z2wSAMp3ChQryrlj5dCGh1EfcRj95-kpfhUbtQKHNqjxmeN/s320/IMG_1966.jpg) |
We drove out to the mountains on the 30th. There was a white-out on the expressway and the flatlands off Lake Inawashiro - scary. But we were rewarded the next day with sunshine and fresh powder. The silver birch look like they've been dusted with icing sugar - magical. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIETUYLtzUOKvISSH_0dmRXD0moGrIoIhEPjm_HnUMj9m_owZq9r1bMawH8mlCuQHcwnEOFvChxcY_2M0qB7rWQ6Lmu33jZKXLSVFeySqlvdGsIYdUfVjFzqpdNTzRTAEYr_B-bB7AUFy/s320/IMG_1961.JPG) |
On December 31st we skiied at Nekoma in Ura Bandai. Bowl shaped area with a variety of slopes. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8f5VADz-CI7D7Sx7zCD_M-qA4piNF1iz-OGTHw27zAgEH-6a8P-zZc3pUGRGPdZ8Bp2UnwXJz7LjWUeQUxEb9ruq_P5EVNHqC8kH4AFPaTER68PBZykL_9a5X3WqVtxKozXyMKEWy5Nv/s320/IMG_1986.JPG) |
Next day, New Year's Day, went higher up to Gran Deco ski resort. Great views, better (warmer) lifts, easier runs. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTacaJ5Aksh06huhOj4V5gYhsBS7WDPjIE4XN1KOe80mhTREHrDsfZ2ynj4Pm1jYejCb4KnxUvcmzXErzEEUSUvkTwniEWQwhXJvjCu7DbUL3jo0xgHKrUC2bo_JUemaQhvj9ODe5cHKAx/s320/062.JPG) |
Then on our last day, 2nd January, we managed to walk the Five Ponds trail (Goshiki Numa). |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4I3RON0UtqRBC8DfOQztjJudONQotL-gDisjBzml4T-lx6B9vFyNZf9j4BMPH3xwBofw-mdbE739JmYPvFFVtddlHqdgNk7IrPdQfyNOJdXxaSKPj9v8oA1jVtU3IqTf0JheXrvqyc7r7/s320/070.JPG) |
The main lake, Rashomon, was frozen at the start of the walk but further on we could see the characteristic blue. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsi5TO6Ubedceu-VpzbdqjBXjbBp47q3izPsChSKVLch6x1gMaMFGss6q5WuI5xXX0PvPaaNjhJ8cHnCNUTtBfzMbjNdJ15JBT1D5clbA5vrf5ts8-AmN6Msmu7LRR1BcSNU2lP-P88cN/s320/IMG_3564.jpg) |
Someone else has been here ... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6WpC-UJcmaN7qKVLMqquZOeHR1Qtnb52xt4PAO8hZUt7SkMFOxhcLS2ELKmrN9w1ZKbDytjys7JWD9qIEMSUsCjVMH63T6FtNIFlSqZ1KOGByEuAlNy-Hw1eoUHiX4NIQHQIlTP8WkmV0/s320/079.JPG) |
Back in Koriyama on the afternoon of the 2nd. People queueing up to pay their respects at the Hachiman Shrine. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb334u5CIMUl6HJFmRHRfMLWolruCqkZqTsaJuvmRB8n2i-jLSgJBAkYu7vY5b6wVqDpBP4LEvJjGK5_GsfoG2giT0SM__gdYIG1Mxlo3paATomAqLAgAJFi_kjR31LVzIbENV98rkrLu/s320/IMG_2015.jpg) |
My daughter's fortune - suekichi 末吉, 'the last of the good fortune'. Good luck, but not that good.
Ah well, just mediocre good fortune sounds okay to me after the trauma of last year! |
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