The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! -Farewell and Welcome party on January 27th, 2018-

On January 27th, 2018, farewell party for Ms. Sonam Wangmo and Ms. Chedon who had studied in Fukui University for about one year, and welcome party for Mr. Ugyen Dorji who started studying in Fukui University since October, 2017 and Ms. Sonam Choki who was invited to Fukui by Genji Nosaka, the former president of Bhutan Museum Fukui.

 

 

Ms. Sonam Choki who is the image girl of Bhutan Museum Fukui.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji talked how he wants be helpful as much as possible for Bhutan Museum Fukui during his stay.

 

 

They will return to Bhutan soon.

Right: Ms. Chedon　

Left: Ms. Sonam Wangmo　

Ms. Chedon was saying that the sceneries of Fukui and Bhutan are smilar.

Ms. Sonam Wangmo likes the Japanese pancakes called "Okonomi-yaki".

 

 

We all enjoyed talking about Bhutan and Japan.

 

 

The Bhutanese people seemed quiet but they spoke confidently in front of everyone. They talked about how they were surprised that there is Bhutan Museum Fukui in Fukui. They all said that they were grateful to be in Fukui and they liked the scenery in Fukui which is like Bhutan’s and kindness that people have.

 

I started being interested in Bhutan more and more, so I hope to learn about the country and its culture.

 

T.F

 

 

Enjoy our previous blog!

A Girl from Bhutan -Miraculous Reunion-

The girl in the Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! -January 22nd, 2018-

The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! -Visiting NHK in Fukui on January 23rd, 2018-

The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui’s poster visited Fukui! -Visiting Fukui TV on January 26th, 2018-

 

At Bhutan Museum Fukui, you can see many interesting things from Bhutan!

Official Website of Bhutan Museum Fukui

What has changed recently in the center of Fukui city

I noticed that the name of this tram stop had changed, walking in the center of Fukui city this afternoon.

It has been renamed to "Fukui-joshi Daimyo-machi"(Daimyo-machi town of Fukui castle ruins) on 24th March from that was "Shiyakusho-mae"(Fukui City Hall) for many years.

On the same day, the "Yamazatoguchi-gomon gate" which was under restoration at the Fukui Castle ruins was completed, and you can now take a walk from the "Orokabashi bridge" to inside of the castle ruins through "Yamazatoguchi-gomon gate".

It is a few minutes on foot from the "Fukui-joshi Daimyo-machi" stop to here. Even if walking from Fukui station, it takes at most about 10 minutes.

Looking into the moat at the corner of the "Orokabashi bridge", the big carp were swimming slowly.

Today it was announced that cherry blossoms in Fukui city are in full bloom from meteorological observatory. The picture above is of the "Sakura-dori street" which is close to our office and also close to Fukui castle ruins. Fukui is now full of cherry blossoms.
T.S

Spring-time special exhibition at Fukui City History Museum “Edo, Kyoto, Osaka and a castle town Fukui”

I went to see the spring-time special exhibition at Fukui City History Museum “Edo, Kyoto, Osaka and a castle town Fukui”, which began on March 24th.

Major exhibits of this exhibition are a commanding view of the castle town Fukui, a landscape of Edo and a panoramic screen painting of Kyoto and Osaka etc.
Of course, there was no aerial photography at that time but the purveying painters to the government drew such detailed pictures. I have respect for their remarkable ability.

From the Edo bird’s eye view screen painting, I noticed that Edo developed around rivers. Actually, there was “Nihonbashi Bridge” for real. If Tokyo had been developed utilizing more these canals, part of the city might have been a tourism district like Amsterdam or Venice. It’s fun to imagine like that. (H.S)

*Some exhibits are replaced in the middle of the exhibition.

This year marks the 150 year since the era changed from Edo to Meiji. In Fukui, many events are coming up with the title of late Edo and Meiji Fukui 150 year Expo.

The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui’s poster visited Fukui! -Visiting Fukui TV on January 26th, 2018-

In our previous blog, we have introduced that Ms. Sonam Choki who is the image girl of Bhutan Museum Fukui and she appears in its poster came to Fukui from Bhutan. She stayed in Fukui City from January 20th, 2018 for about one month.

 

She was only 14 years old when the photograph that has been used for Bhutan Museum Fukui poster was taken. She is now 23 years old.

 

On January 26th, 2018, Genji Nosaka, the former president of Bhutan Museum Fukui and visited Fukui TV, we learned about Fukui TV and their TV programs.

 

We talked in front of the cameras about Bhutan, how Ms. Sonam Choki was found in Bhutan after several years of searching her, education system in Bhutan and so on. It was broadcasted on one of their TV programs. I was very excited and graceful to see it because it can help more people to know about how great Bhutan is, and Fukui has such a great relationship with Bhutan.

Ms. Sonam Choki spoke softly and confidently in front of cameras and staff at Fukui TV. I was worried that she had many questions from them, but she was answering each question nicely with smile. The way she spoke calmly, nicely with grace and dignity made everyone around her comfortable. We all enjoyed talking to each other.

 

 

 

The former president of Bhutan Museum Fukui, Genji Nosaka and Ms. Sonam Choki took a photograph with “ear-ear chan” the official mascot character for Fukui TV. I asked Ms. Sonam Choki if she was nervous taking in front of the staff at Fukui TV. She said that she was not nervous, she enjoyed learning about the TV company.

 

T.F

 

 

Enjoy our previous blog!

A Girl from Bhutan -Miraculous Reunion-

The girl in the Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! -January 22nd, 2018-

The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! -Visiting NHK in Fukui on January 23rd, 2018-

 

At Bhutan Museum Fukui, you can see many interesting things from Bhutan!

Official Website of Bhutan Museum Fukui

Sakura-dori street, a band of cherry blossoms that runs through Fukui city

On the street in front of our office in the center of Fukui city, the buds of cherry trees look begining to bloom.
This street crosses Fukui City from east to west, and is called "Sakura-dori street",
because all the trees planted along the road from end to end which is about 8.2 km are cherry trees.
The trees are still small at the end of the road, but around the center of the city they are big and will be quite gorgeous as they bloom.
Though you can't open your lunchboxes under them because it is an ordinary road, you can enjoy cherry-blossom viewing while you are in the car or while walking.
Further, you can find a band of cherry blossoms that runs through the city,
seeing from Mt.Asuwa-yama which is known for cherry blossoms too and not so far from here.
T.S

Picture of a ghost in Awara City, Fukui Prefecture

A photo which I have seen before was in the Fukui newspaper dated March 5th.
It was a picture of a ghost stored in Gansenji Temple in Awara City, Fukui Prefecture.

　　　　　　　　（From the Fukui newspaper dated March 5th）

GEN shares videos from the internet broadcasting station “Net de Awara” in Awara City, Fukui Prefecture with permission. In one of the videos, they visited the Gansenji Temple and interviewed with the wife of its chief priest about the ghost.

Who was the ghost?
A long time ago, an old woman came to the Gansenji Temple and asked the chief priest to chant a Buddhist sutra. But while he was chanting, she was gone before he knew it. Then, someone came to the temple and said “My grandmother died just now.” There were burnt two footmarks at the spot where the old woman was.

The picture of a ghost was painted based on the story and donated to the temple. Also, a Christian lantern remains in the yard of the temple. During the Edo Period, when Christian oppression got severe under the shogunate, it is said that hidden Christians carved a cross or the Blessed Virgin Mary on a lantern and prayed in secret. This lantern is also considered to have been made during that time. The lord of Maruoka, Arima came from Kyushu. Probably his retainers and other people followed him and came to Maruoka. In Kyushu, where there were many Chrisitians, so they may have built this. The Gansenji Temple is Shin sect’s one but in fact their family name is also Arima. 　

The Gansenji Temple has rare things such as the picture of the ghost and the Christian lantern. If you want to see the picture, they will show you. Maybe the hot summer is perfect to visit the temple :) (H.S)

＊Here is the video of the Gansenji Temple by Awara City.

 

The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! - Dinosaurs and planetarium on January 25th, 2018 -

On January 25th, 2018, I saw some snow on the street and it was very cold. Even the weather was not great, Ms. Sonam had smiles on her face and enjoyed her day.

 

The Sun came out from between the clouds occasionally and the sunlight was hitting the snow.

 

 

She was excited to see replicas of real dinosaurs, and she was also surprised to hear its howling.

 

 

 

 

After watching the replicas of dinosaurs, we went to see a planetarium show in a building called Happiring near Fukui station. It was the first time to see the planetarium show and she was amazed to see it. She said that it was so much fun and beautiful.

 

She said that since she arrived in Japan, it had brought her endless surprises.

 

Stay tuned for our next blog about Ms. Sonam’s stay in Fukui.

 

T.F

 

Enjoy our previous blog!

A Girl from Bhutan -Miraculous Reunion-

The girl in Bhutan Museum Fukui's poster visited Fukui!! -January 22nd, 2018-

 

At Bhutan Museum Fukui, you can see many interesting things from Bhutan!

Official Website of Bhutan Museum Fukui