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I took a walk around Takinomiya park after a rainy day. As I was leaving, I noticed this water trench. I tried to go for an artsy picture and lined up everything. This picture reminded me of the trench run from the movie Star Wars. I like the reflection of the water and how one side is concrete and the other is nature.  

DAY AND NIGHT

The idiom "day and night" or "night and day" means something happens all the time, without stopping



EXAMPLES

"They worked day and night to finish the project".

"The noise is awful – you can hear the traffic day and night".



HISTORY

The idiom "day and night" means continually, without stopping, or all the time. Its origin is rooted in the literal meaning of the two periods of time, but it's now used figuratively to emphasize the constant nature of an action or situation.
  

This colorful temple absolutely blew my mind! The paper lanterns here were gorgeous. I can’t wait to go back.   

I recently went to Ritsurin Garden to see the cherry blossoms and they were gorgeous!
  

Cheese fondue is one of those things that I never have had very often, but it is so delicious! I had a fondue night with some friends and it was so fun!
  

Kuroshio-kun is the official mascot of Kochi Prefecture. The character was designed by a woman from Aichi Prefecture, and made its début in 2002 for the Yosakoi Festival held annually during the summer in Kochi. It then became known as the official mascot of the prefecture.

The character was so popular that on the day it was introduced it sold around 3,000 stuffed toys designed as Kuroshio-kun. The Kuroshio toys sold out on the morning of the first day of the festival!

Kuroshio-kun’s motif is the sea of the Kuroshio current which flows off Tosa Bay, but the character is often mistaken for a whale. Nonetheless, the Kochi mascot was and is a very popular figure within the prefecture!!
  

Another popular board game for American children is the board game Trouble. It's very much like the board game Sorry, where if you land on someone else's piece, their piece has to go back to the start. But the best part of the game is the bubble in the middle of the board. There's a dice in the middle of the bubble, and when you press the bubble down, it pops back up and makes the dice roll.



When I was a kid, I thought the gameplay for Trouble was boring, but played it anyway because I really liked pushing the bubble!  

Oh wow, I can hardly believe my eyes! A pack of Skittles! Have you ever tried this candy? It's sweet, fruity and chewy. I found them in Family Mart. I will try them soon and I hope they'll taste the way I remember.
There are more than one variety of Skittles in America. Wild berry is really good, and occasionally I ate the sour ones.   

I had the chance to have a nice lunch with an awesome person. We talked a lot had delicious food at a nice 回転寿司(conveyor belt sushi) restaurant.



  

Hello everyone, Benson here. I can’t believe it’s already the middle of April! How is everyone? Has anyone enjoyed the April showers and the spring bloom? I think one of the most underrated things about April is being able to consistently air out your home!

After months of keeping the cold air out, there’s something freeing about finally opening the windows in April. The fresh breeze carries the scent of new leaves and flowers, filling the house with the unmistakable energy of spring. It’s a simple pleasure—hearing the distant sounds of birds and feeling the soft air drift through the room. Every time I open a window in April, it feels like I’m letting spring inside. Until next time, take care everyone.


  

My family has gone home, and I already miss them! It's nice to be back from traveling though, I'm so tired from all the trains and buses, and especially the walking! The Nintendo Museum was the coolest thing I've ever seen, and I can't wait to go back! I couldn't take a lot of pictures there, but the few I was allowed to take made me really happy! We also went to Toji Temple, and saw some amazing Buddhist statues there. Again, I couldn't take pictures there, but they were amazing to see! The cherry blossoms again were gorgeous, I think I got some of the best pictures this year! I hope my family can come back an visit again soon!





  

Lately I’ve been watching the neighborhood cats and I’m starting to suspect they’re not just regular cats—they’re reincarnated beings with unfinished business.
The big orange tabby that sits on the shrine wall all day? Definitely a retired sumo wrestler turned spiritual guru. He doesn’t move. He just radiates presence.
That tiny calico who yells at nothing from under the vending machines? Former opera diva. Still demanding standing ovations from ghosts and snack wrappers.
There’s one jet-black cat that only comes out when it rains and stares directly at streetlights. Clearly an ex-spy. Probably knows my secrets.
And the fluffy white one that lounges in front of the bakery like he owns it? Reincarnated pastry chef. I swear he’s judging the croissants.
I walk among legends. Nine lives were just a starting point.  

From time to time I draw in one of the sketchbooks I have laying around in my apartment. Usually sketchbooks have a certain media type attached to them, such as a sketchbook being suitable for markers, or even paint. I didn't have a marker sketchbook but I wanted to see if I could use markers on my pencil sketchbook anyway. Unfortunately it didn't work very well. As soon as I started coloring with my markers I could tell the paper was started to buckle (wrinkle up). Looks like I'll have to buy a marker specific sketch book. It was a nice try.

  

Back when the cherry blossom trees were blooming, I went to Bujo Park with Kayla and Alison sensei. It was my first time visiting this park. The view was incredible and I had a lot fun with some friends! It was such a cold day though! That's okay because the food there was delicious and the cherry blossoms were pretty! I want to visit more cool parks.  

Saijo has some of my favorite cherry blossom spots of all time. I feel so lucky to live around here and have such beautiful places to return to every spring!

The most classic place for cherry blossom viewing in Saijo is Bujo Park, along the Kamogawa. Spring is not complete without a trip or two to enjoy the cherry blossoms by the riverside. During this season, the path is decorated with lanterns and food stalls are set up so you can grab a snack if you forget to pack a lunch. I went this spring with some people you might recognize!



Ishizuchi shrine is another amazing place to go for cherry blossoms! They also have a sakura matsuri every year- last year people were kind enough to give me and my friends some amazing bento which really made the day special!



Close to Saijo is the Komatsu Central Park. I went there this year and was surprised by all the beautiful trees. This park also has an amazing camellia garden- go check it out!



I went to the archaeology museum by Shimin no Mori at sunset and was able to see the entire city in the beautiful evening light. It was almost magical!



The park by the public library in Saijo is also very peaceful and pretty.



Last is this secret spot- do you know where this is? I`m not telling!

  

DEAD END

The idiom "dead end" signifies a situation, plan, or job that offers no hope of progress or advancement, essentially a point where further development or success is impossible



EXAMPLES

"This line of investigation could prove to be a complete dead end"

"The negotiations have reached a dead end"


HISTORY

The idiom is believed to have originated in the United States in the late 19th century.
Originally, "dead end" referred to a street or road that has no exit or outlet.
It's now used metaphorically to describe situations, jobs, or courses of action where there's no way forward, or where further efforts are unlikely to be successful.  

I love ice cream, especially this strawberry and vanilla swirl from the Kanonji coin museum shop!  

[Photo:1] Spring is here! I'm so happy to see the flowers start blooming!   

I recently was really craving some pretzels and so I decided to make some. They turned out delicious and I was so happy!
  

Ehime Prefecture's official mascot is called Mican. The combination of a mandarin orange and a puppy creates the cute and lovable character. The name mikan is a play on words in the Japanese language, where the sound of mi (from mikan) and kyan (the sound a dog makes when it barks).

This character design helps to promote the prefecture and its local specialties. Mikan oranges are a local specialty of Ehime, and the character symbolizes the abundance of mandarin-type oranges grown in the prefecture. They taste great too!