Thawing

The snow which was piling up has been melting a lot in good weather for the last few days, and the snow plow of the sidewalk also advanced in the center of Fukui city.

And, to my surprise, I found two red flowers of camellia blooming under thick snow in the side of the road, walking on that sidewalk.

Did they bloom under the snow?

Come to think of it, they may already have been in bloom before the heavy snow since the 5th of this month.

However, even so, what a strong plant it is.

T.S

The current state of the road in the center of Fukui city

Heavy Snow in Fukui on February 6th, 2018

In every January and February, it usually gets cold and we have so much snow in Fukui Prefecture.

In the video above, you can see how much snow we had in Fukui City on February 6th, 2018. On that day, by 2 o’clock in the afternoon, we had 136 cm (4.46 feet) of snow. The city had its heaviest snowfall since 1981!!

 

It had been snowing heavily on and off since the middle of January. It was snowing so much that it covered the whole city, and blocked our view. It kept piling up.

 

Until around 2 O'clock, there were foods and drinks sold as usual in the stores in the city. However, shortly after that, many stores ran out of stock because the traffic was paralyzed by the heavy snow. For the next few days, many of the stores in the city didn't have products delivered in, so we saw empty shelves in many stores.

 

Fukui City became isolated for a few days since February 6th.

 

It's still snowing in Fukui City and we see so much snow piled up. We cannot wait to go back to our normal lives.

 

T.F.

Heavy snow in Fukui City for the first time in 37 years

Last week, Fukui City had recorded 147 cm of snow, which was the first time to exceed 130 cm since 1981. I am sure that many of you have known about many cars got stuck in the snow and public transportation was halted as reported by news.

Although today’s society values AI and robot technology etc., I was filled with a feeling of helplessness watching the snow falling. However, seeing members of the Self-Defense Forces removing snow hard and cooperative neighbors, I thought people’s power is amazing. 

And, I will write down how I felt about the heavy snow this time as follows. 

1. People in Fukui try to drive cars in the snow because they are used to it.

So the prefecture’s government should officially instruct not to drive cars.    

2. The prefecture, companies and individuals always have to prepare, just in case. 

3. “ Heavy snow warning” should be conveyed more quickly, broadly and certainly. 

4．The hot line for SOS should be increased because there are life-threatening 　　 　　situations.

5.  In winter, people should keep gasoline, heating oil and food. 

6.  Developing melting-equipment which works even in heavy snow. 

7.  Promoting underground transportation system, underpasses, underground              mall and underground parking lots.  

８. Promoting remote work (work from home) 

Applying lessons from this heavy snow, I wish Fukui Prefecture will be able to deal

with heavy snow. 

 The backyard last week. There also was drift of snow, so I felt it was more than

 147 cm. 

After heavy snow, Fukui Shrine under the blue sky.

Fukui Shrine around 8:30 this morning.
The picture of the same place I took on January 31 looks just monochrome, but today the shrine is vivid under the blue sky.
As I wrote last time, this shrine has no permanent chief priest currently resident.
However, despite the record snow in past few days, the approach in the precincts was properly snow-removed.
TS

Recommendation of coffee shop in Fukui City “cafe notes”

After the New Year’s party which I wrote on our blog the other day, we usually

go to a coffee shop next door. In fact, it is a famous one among coffee-loving people in Fukui City.

Inside the shop, it has a relaxed and quiet atmosphere.

So you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee with the aromatic smell.

In this shop, you can choose the type of coffee beans for coffee you ordered and also the type of drip. For example, if you order Brazilian coffee, you can choose coffee beans among Bourbon, Yellow Bourbon and Natural etc. and among Old Karita, Chemex and AeroPress for drip. In Fukui, there aren’t many coffee shops which offer such customized service.

                    I ordered “Coffee of the day”.

                    It served with Belgian Lotus Biscuit “Biscoff”. (H.S) 

”cafe notes" Facebook page 

Fukui Shrine in the snowy morning

This snowy morning, I just walked into Fukui Shrine in the Fukui castle ruins.

Beside the hurrying crowd,
I could enjoy a quiet air and felt even more divineness
in the precincts that is beautifuly covered with snow.

The buildings are modern style of bare concrete.
Though it was totaly made of cypress originally,
after being burned down in the WW2,
it was rebuilt as a new architectural style shrine for the coming era.

Looking at the torii of a form that I had never seen before,
I was interested in that it is not only a reproduction of the past,
but designed towards the future.
It also reminded me of the churches that Le Corbusier or Tadao Ando designed.

However, It has unfortunately no permanent chief priest.
The other day a shrine man said to me,
"Of course they have been trying to manage it,
this shrine belongs to the highest rank among the many shrines in Fukui prefecture,
and ordinary priests can't play the role."
TS

Besides the shrine there is the moat of Fukui castle ruins.

  

The monument shows the shrine is the highest rank.

People commute outside the precincts.

New Year’s party

I went to an annual New Year’s party with friends. We always hold the party at a Japanese restaurant where a friend used to help there.

             
                                                   The entrance
                           

Shochu bottles are lined up on the counter.  

                              We usually reserve an inner Japanese room.

         I saw Daruma on a hanging scroll, which made me motivated this year, too. 

    

   The sake “junmai daiginjo” is made in Yoshida Sake Brewery in Eiheiji Town, 

    Fukui Prefecture.  

                                          Some of what we had. 

   We also celebrated a friend’s birthday in January, so a friend brought a hand 

   decorated cake. This is actually a macrobiotic cake, which made with tofu,

   soy milk, canola oil, flour, orange and almond slices. The cake was moist and 　     so good. (H.S)