STARBUCKS SAKURA LATTE with Strawberry

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

Today I'd like to introduce a drink that seems springlike.

This is the drink,STARBUCKS SAKURA LATTE with Strawberry.
It is mainly sold at convenience stores.

It is a kind of Latte which the espresso with the fragrance of the cherry.
When I drink it, the fragrance of the cherry spreads in my mouth.

It is the drink that seems springlike!!

early-blooming cherry tree

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

Today I discovered a cherry tree of the early blooming, when I walked Murasaki riverside of Kitakyushu-city.

Wow!! So pretty !!

I don't know the variety of this cherry tree.
This cherry tree comes into blossom early every year.

When I see this cherry blossoms, I feel that the spring has come.
After this cherry blossoms are scattered, other cherry trees bloom in downtown.

I cannot wait for spring to come.

My mother's home cooking "Chirasizushi"

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

Today I'd like to introduce my mother's home cooking,"Chirasizushi".

Chirasizushi is a kind of sushi.
It is a Japanese dish which vinegared rice with various ingredients.
The ingredients of Chirasizushi my mother cooked are shiitake mushroom, burdock, carrot,broccoli.
If we cook it more luxuriously, we add raw items.

We eat Chirasizushi during family celebrations and special occasions.
My mother cooked Chirasizushi on the day of the Girl's Festival.
It was so good !!

The Ume trees are blossoming in our garden

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

The Ume trees are blossoming in our garden.

Ume means Japanese plum.
Plum blossoms come out from the end of February to the beginning of March.

When the flower of the plum blooms, we feel coming of spring.

Spring will come soon !!

the day of the Dolls' Festival

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

Today,March 3 is the day of the Dolls' Festival.
We call "Hina-matsuri" in Japanese.
It is an annual event of the seasonal festival to pray for the healthy growth of girls.

These dolls are traditional Hina dolls which we call "Hina-Ningyo".
We display Hina dolls till March 3 and we must put away on March 4.
Because there is a legend of placing hina dolls over a prolonged period may lead to a late marriage.

It is the result that I cannot marry...

Nagasaki trip (the Lantern Festival 2013) : 4

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

I went on a day trip to Nagasaki alone to watch lantern Festival in February of the last year.

It was getting dark.
Many people gathered in the main place of the Lantern Festival.

Lanterns turned on.

It was the lantern of horses.
It was very beautiful.

It was the lantern of snakes.
It was very powerful.

Many lanterns were displayed along the river.

Downtown of Nagasaki was colored with many lanterns.
It was very beautiful and wonderful. 

I want to go to the Nagasaki lantern Festival again.

Nagasaki trip (the Lantern Festival 2013) : 3

Hello.
This is May in Japan.

I went on a day trip to Nagasaki alone to watch lantern Festival in February of the last year.

I enjoyed shopping and watching lanterns at the main place of Lantern Festival, till it became dark.

It was the lantern of horses.
It was displayed in the main place, because the horse was the sexagenary cycle of 2013,

Many lanterns were displayed in the main place.

This was the lantern of lions.

This was the lantern to pray for happiness.
I enjoyed watching  lanterns, but I bought a snack in the Chinatown.

It was a kind of Chinese-style buns, Ma lai gao.
The flavor of the egg was strong, but it was slightly sweet, it was so delicious.

To be continued...