Kochi, Here I Am! いざ高知へ！

On January 3rd, my parents and I took a day trip to Kochi.
Kochi is where I was born and raised, so without paying a visit to Kochi, I cannot quite say that I came home. Ehime is where my parents currently live, and Kochi is located next to Ehime, and you can get there in about 2 hours. There is a highway now, but I personally like to use the local mountain road. The view is nicer.

1月3日に両親と３人で高知へ日帰りで行ってきました。
高知は私が生まれ育った場所なので、行かずして日本に帰ってきたとは言えないのでアール。（愛媛は今両親が住んでいるところ。）高知へは車で2時間ほど。高速もありますが、私は「下の道」と呼ぶ山道を走る方が眺めが良くて好きです。

The Pacific Ocean

太平洋

When we stopped at a rest area called Furari in Nangoku-city, Kochi to use a bathroom, I stuck my face in this panel. There was a famous leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period in Japan, and his name was Ryoma Sakamoto. He was from Kochi. He married to Oryo, a very strong and wise woman. This panel's faces were Ryoma and Oryo's. Oryo's ryo means dragon, and this is a year of dragon, so I thought it might bring a good omen :)

南国の道の駅、風良里（ふらり）にトイレ休憩で寄った際に、母を待っている間、坂本龍馬の妻、お龍（りょう）さんに顔を入れてみた。父撮影。今年は辰年だし、お龍さんの龍つながりで、ちょっと縁起が良いような気がしてね。フフフ・・・。

The latest design of 1000 yen bill. Before 2004, there was Natsume Soseki, a famous writer. Now, there is a picture of a man named Dr. Hideyo Noguchi who dedicated his life to discover a cure for diseases and worked in Africa and died in Africa. He was from Fukushima. I didn't know he can be seen inside the oval.

野口英世さんが、真ん中の楕円の中にもいたのね！

The backside of the 1000 yen bill
裏

This is a 2000 yen bill. There is a picture of Shreimon from Okinawa.

守礼門の印刷された二千円紙幣

The back of the 2000 yen bill. There is a poet and writer Murasaki Shikibu, and a portion of her novel "Genji Monogatari" printed. I like how artists are chosen to be printed on bills.

裏には紫式部。日本は紙幣に政治家の代わりに作家や芸術家を起用するところが、好きです。

The famous Nora Dokei (Clock Tower) in Aki-city

安芸市の野良時計　初めて見た。

From left: My dad, my mom, Kaori's youngest girl, Kaori's boy, Kaori, and me
左から：私の父、母、かおりの第三子、第二子、かおり、私

We went to Aki-city to see my friend Kaori and her family. We met when we were in high school (although we went to different high schools). My parents have been also seeing Kaori and her family for the past some years, so it is a fun visit for my whole family to see Kaori's whole family. Kaori and her family built this new house. It has so many cool details. Kaori and her husband Akkun even painted each pillar. Don't they look nice? Kaori has three children, but the oldest one wasn't there when we visited, but we could see two younger ones. It is wonderful to see a friend's children growing.

安芸市に新居を構えた高校生の頃に知り合った（高校は違ったのだけど）友人、かおりと彼女のご家族に会いに行ってきました。うちの両親も含めて仲良くして頂いています。家の隅々までこだわりが見られた、それはそれはすてきな家でした。かおりと旦那さんのあっくんが、柱なども一生懸命塗ったそうです。いい色が出てるでしょう？かおり達には子どもさん３人。そしてかおりのお母さんと安芸市で元気に暮らしています。でも一番上のお姉ちゃんはこの日いなかったのですが、下の二人に会えて嬉しかったです。友達の子どもが大きくなっていくのを見るのは嬉しいことです。

From Left: Akkun (Kaori's husband), my mom, Kaori's boy, Kaori, Kaori's youngest girl, and me
左から：あっくん、私の母、かおりの第二子、かおり、かおりの第三子、私

Kaori began a group for young parents in Aki-city. She has an ability to take actions and make things happen. If you are interested, please contact her. The contact info is here.

かおりは安芸市で子育てサークルを始めた、行動力のあるしっかりママ。安芸市で子育てにがんばっているお母さんお父さん、このかおりさんに連絡取ってみてください。詳細はこちら。

From left to right: Kayo, me, Kanako, Sachie, Yuka, Eriko (Ekko)
左から：加誉、私、芳奈子、幸恵、由佳、絵里子（えっこ）

In the evening, I saw my best friends from high school!
It always amazes me how natural to see them even if we didn't seen each other for a year. We always feel like we just saw each other yesterday. There is no gap. I think it is because we spent everyday and cried and laughed together during the high school years. Of course many things can happen in a year, and we experience different things during the year, but one's core essence does not seem to change, and our love for one another does not change, so we can trust in these facts, and hence time does not matter.  Everyone is shining in her own field of work! I am so proud of them and grateful to have such kind hearted friends. It is truly treasure to have friends like them because when I see them, I feel like I can do anything :) They give me so much power.

夜には高校のときの友達と会いました。
いつもすごいなと思うのが、一年振りに会ったとしてもまるで昨日会ったように感じること。時間のギャップが無いのです。それはきっと、高校時代に一緒に泣いたり笑ったりと濃密な時間を共に過ごしてきたからだと思います。もちろん一年の間にお互い沢山のことがあって、色々なことを経験してきたのだけど、でもみんなの本質は変わっていなくて、お互いを思いやる気持ちも全く変わっていなくて、だからそれらの事実を信頼しきっていると、時間というものは関係ないのだなと思います。みんな、それぞれの分野で活躍しています。すごいなぁと思います。そんなみんなのことを誇らしく思うと共に、温かい心を持った友達がいて有り難いなと思います。みんなに会うと、何でも出来るような気がするほどのパワーをもらいます。

Kanako was in kimono. She’s been studying traditional Japanese musical instruments called shamisen and otsutsumi. She came from a new year's day party with her shamisen teacher. That's why she was wearing kimono. She put it on all by herself. For a kimono lover like me, it was great to see it!! She is acting in a Kabuki theatre group in Kochi; her theatre group manipulates traditional dolls, and the dolls act as if humans. There is a video below.

お着物姿の芳奈子さん。彼女は三味線やつつみ太鼓を習っています。この日はその先生との新年会の後だったそうで、それで着物姿だったらしい。自分で着付けたとのこと。着物好きの私としてはたまりませんでしたな。彼女は春野の西畑（さいばた）人形というお人形が歌舞伎を演じる劇団で活躍中。是非こちらとこちらを見てみてね。