Chako chan Sensei`s Tsurezure Diary

Monday, January 14, 2008

On the other side of the ocean. Hillary Clinton, with tears slightly in her eyes, talks about her own weakness, then suddenly the votes flow to her side.

Seems like any country has a weakness for a woman`s tears.

A strong woman`s tears have power and it works.
The unexpected deployment pulls people together.

In all ages and countries a wise woman have done this.
A woman who can convert weakness to strength pull people`s minds.

Ms. Hillary Clinton is sharp and beautiful, and she seems to have lived from the top by looking down at people rather than looking straight forward, and the tears of this kind of woman seems to work.

At the time of the Okinawa summit, Chako chan Sensei was sponsoring the “Okami-san Summit”, and it was decided there to present furisode kimonos to the First Ladies who came to Japan with designs featuring each of their country.

By reading various books, and with Mr. Akira Takizawa, a Yuzen writer of Tokamachi, we made designs by employing the features such as the Eiffel Tower for France and the double decker bus for Britain, and we gave them to the wives through each of their ambassador.

Only Hillary Clinton sent us a letter of thanks.

A same letter of thanks in attention of the writer Mr. Takizawa was also sent to me and so I sent it to him. He was very pleased.

I respected her for her care to the sponsor as well as to the craftsman.

Probably her staff is also good. In those days I thought of her as an understanding person, but it seems that she is somehow getting impatient recently.

Moreover, seemingly the United States is a country where a person of power “behind the scene” is undertaken in many places no matter who becomes the President. In that case then Hillary Clinton may be user-friendly to these people.

The world may become an easier place to live by using her tears effectively and by weakening these people with power behind the scene.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

By carrying out a prayer to the rain god last night, a cold rain is pouring since this morning.

I feel relieved for the plants in the balcony. The plants look happy by extending the leaves up to the heavens.

Today I went to a farewell service for a close brotherly person who was a writer for Tokyo Tegaki-yuzen. He passed away on the first day of January.

It is nice to see the people, some who were heavily drunk at the new year`s party for the Tokyo Tegaki-yuzen association held last night, all dressed in black clothes today and all listening silently to the sutra recitation.

Chako chan Sensei also undergoes a complete change from yesterday, and wears an Edo-komon with 16 stripes and a black haori and sat quietly.

Although I made the rain coat 30 years ago for the mourning occasion with the solid color of doro-Oshima, there were no mourning occasions with rain, and it is the first time to wear today. Although this is a sad occasion, wearing it for the first time is a little glad somewhere in myself.

Well, the ceremony finishes and immediately I`m on my way to the exhibition hall of Shionoya in the Isetan department store.

Although I can hear my mother Sumie-chan`s voice saying,
"Visiting other houses after returning from a funeral service is not a good thing to do."
I say back to her,
“I`m using the occasion because I`m out already.”
And I purify myself with the salt received at the ceremony and I got in the car.

“What a nice coat.”
"It`s really chic!”
“A black and glossy coat is very nice.”

Yes, I have been waiting for this praise.
“I will buy this for your nice words.”
I purchased a haramaki stomach band made of silk by the silkworm bred in Ayabe.

We talked for about 2 hours, and since I wanted to show off my coat, I made a phone call to a friend to visit, but was gone out and I was dumped.

Usually I ride on a vehicle immediately, but I walked wearing the coat for the first time in a rain. Oh, I`m tired.

Friday, January 11, 2008

“Are you wearing a fur to visit a temple?”
“It`s cold.”

“Are you doing your laundry at night?”
“Are you going to keep your laundry hanged for drying until after three o`clock?”
“I`m using my time effectively.”

“Are you attaching beads on your kimono?”
“It`s fun.”

“Washing dishes with the water running?”
“Oh, okay.”

“Are you washing your tabi in a washing machine?”
“Sometimes.”

“Konbu and shitake mushrooms used for broth are good to make tsukudani.”
“It is troublesome, and we already have plenty of delicious tsukudani.”

"Soak the used tableware in water for a while, then it washes off better. If you do so, it is unnecessary to use detergent."
"I forget that I have it soaked. It`s better to wash immediately."

“You must not move away from the fire.”
“I know, it`s on my mind.”

“After you wash the han-eri, you won`t need to iron it if you strike it with your hands and by shade drying.”
“Well, yes.”

“Ironing is unnecessary for a tabi if you stretch it properly.”
“That`s right.”

“You will not use a new item after the sunsets, will you?"
“I`ll obey.”

“Red nails to a wake ceremony?”
“It is not good. I will take them off.”

and so on・・・

I am doing something that disobey the instructions of my mother, and thus I have a bitter smile on myself everyday.

I still can hear her voice in my ears, and I admire the power called Mother.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

“Hatsumoude”, the first visit of the year to the Katori Jingu shrine. Kimono shows uncanny power.
Many people come for hatsumoude, or moude, to this shrine, and so 50 or more people become a group when receiving “oharai”, a Shinto ceremony for exorcism. As we walk into the shrine by following our group of people, I see an open space at the “aka mousen” red carpet area, so I proceeded gracefully toward that space. Then suddenly people make room for me to walk through. The movement of the people making room is very natural. Sachiko-san followed behind saying,
“The power of a kimono is uncanny.”
And she sits shrewdly in the front row.

And when taking my “zouri” sandals,
“It is in the second shelf from the bottom.”
By saying so, again the crowd moves over and my sandals are arranged.
Thanks to kimono.

Oyasama of Konohana no Sakuyahime, Hanazono-jinja, and Suwa Taisha also comes, and so I feel somewhat relieved by visiting Katori-sama.

The buckwheat noodles "soba" of the noodle shop "Eikian" located at the front gate of the shrine are better than anything. Since my body got cold this time, I ordered “kamonan soba”-- a warm soba with duckmeat. It is very nicer than the last time.
"Water became better."
Says the pretty waka okami-san who works briskly.
I think thoroughly that water is life.

Well, arrangements with Sachiko Kawabe since I am planning to publish a book about “Feng shui makeup” this year.

"Let`s do arrangements of work pleasantly.”
And we decided to visit Disneyland on our way back. Funny thing is, we became cheerful just as we decided.

We got a table at an Italian restaurant at the Hotel Mira Costa, here we have a whole view of Tokyo Disney Sea.

The moment I took my glass filled with wine and said,
"First, let`s have New Year wine."
“Oops”
I spilt it.
I went to the restroom immediately to beat out the wine on the kimono with water. And when I returned to the seat, the garcon of the store said,
"A stain will disappear by using carbonated water"
And he carefully took the stain off by careful strikes. Luckily the kimono was black material, and the spot was not conspicuous, but the spot of the wine adhering to the white obi was able to be taken off perfectly.

“Thank you very much for all your help.”
I bowed to everybody. Carbonated water does have great power.

Sachiko-san who knows much about clothes,
"Carbonated water is effective for silk dresses and blouse, but I was worried about kimono because the material is dense. But I`m so relieved.”

Seemingly it is common sense in the world of haute couture clothes.
And truly the reception and follow of Disney employees to a guest is perfect.

The gas lamps are lighted outside, and raindrops on the water surface unawares. It seemed like doing our arrangements in a foriegn cafe.

In various meanings, this was a Day of the Kimono.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Ah ha ha, a ballet classroom after a long time, Chako chan Sensei changed her wear from this year.
A short sleeved one length cotton suit and a short　fluttering　skirt, all black.
I arrived at the class along with a V neck silk sweater purchased before, this is an off-white Hermes! Ta-da!

So far so good. Truly a brand sweater makes influence and not bad. Then I sweated and took the sweater off. Sniff, sniff.

Belly lug. Same body thickness as seen from the front and from the side. And stomach popping out.
What showed on the mirror was like the girl drawn in a manga by Mr. Ichiro Tominaga called “Chinkoro ne-chan”, with a big belly and short legs. Wow, brilliant!

Then if I`m good then it should be okay. Since the senior classmates are kind, they tell me,
“Cute”.

What I need is a wear that covers my hip. Or, become better at ballet.

Today is “ShouKan” which is the time when winter deepens from here for a month. And after the “DaiKan” the coldest time passes, spring will come again.

Saturday, January 5, 2008


I am using a block calendar starting this year. When removing the past day from the calendar, I can say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart. I wish to spend a fruitful day from the bottom of my heart. I found out that there is such an effect in a block calendar.

I learned something good from Mr. Yuji Fujimura who teaches sexagenary-cycle study. For those who have their family grave in a distant place and cannot easily visit, the person should extract and remove the death day of the person who passed away from the block calendar, write the posthumous Buddhist name or the real name to the paper in India ink, and always keep it with the person. It is said that the effect of a visit to the grave will show.

Chako chan Sensei decided at once to remove the death days of her parents, write the posthumous Buddhist names on each of the paper, and to put in between a notebook when wearing clothes and in between the obi when wearing a kimono.

And I found out this time that they both passed away on days related to the number 8. Since they passed away in the same year in spring and autumn, I may say that they were very close to each other, and that they were “child filial piety”.

And so to say, using the block calendar is rather good.

There is an address of instructions every day, and it was written today,
“Health excels wealth”.
Correspondence had stopped for a while with a person, and I did not receive a new year`s greeting card,
so I though, “maybe something happened?”, and made a phone call to her. She had a cancer operation and she is fine now, after all.

I suddenly got worried about this person last night.
“I was not able to go to sleep.”
“I`m sorry, let`s go to a hot spring together.”
I was relieved by hearing her glossy voice.

When I started the “Okami-san summit” 16 years ago, she was one of the okami-san who gave me advices. And considering our friendship from before, she is the okami-san whom I want to associate with care.

She loves excitement, but seemingly, she had undergone an operation and left the hospital quietly on her own because she is a person who does not want to bother others about her personal matters.

“Hisako-san, you`re really energetic.”
“I`m impressed myself, hahaha!”
“It`s true that health excels wealth.”

Wait a minute, this is the address of instructions that I read on the block calendar this morning. But I also want wealth.

Friday, January 4, 2008


Yesterday, I thought about watching television for the whole day after Waseda was passed by again at the 19th station of the Ekiden, but still I went out to see a concert. It`s a foppish new year concert, but I could obtain only one ticket this time, and so I thought about not going. But since Waseda is, well, they tried their best.

Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall is a walking distance, so I walked working off a meal.

Corso Wien. Orchestra from Vienna. Of course, Mozart and Johann Strauss. Sound of a new year, naturally.

I was a little bit late, and so I greeted the lady sitting next to my seat, but she had a very scary look on her face. Although the concert had not yet started, she gave me a sharp glance as if she was saying
“You`re late!”.
First of all, Chako chan Sensei feels that it is impolite to turn the buttock in front of a person`s face when passing by a seated person, so Chako chan Sensei passes by a person by looking towards the seated person, but it seems that she did not like the way I got seated.

When the performance started, the lady waved her head by the rhythm to the extent that she might have a whiplash.
The conductor was playful, and when the trombone made a mistake in starting, he looked back at the audience and urged the audience to applause. The way he did it was cute and funny, and so I laughed with my mouth wide open.
That moment, Chako chan Sensei breathed the wind from the air conditioner!

Oh my God! My coughing will not stop. Not to make sound, I held my mouth with the scarf around my neck, but kept on coughing, coughing, coughing.

Then that lady next to me made a really fearful face and stared, and took out a mouth mask from her handbag.

Fortunately the intermission soon followed, and my cough settled down with a warm cup of tea.

Now the second act, and again I returned after she was seated and she stared at me again, and immediately she put on her mouth mask.

So sarcastic, I thought, but watching her enjoying the music with her head waving,
“This lady might be a nurse, and she might be thinking that it will cause problems to others if she catches a cold, and that this concert is a momentary break for her.”
When I thought it this way as I was listening to the waltz, the fearful lady became a lovable person within me.

I did not cough anymore thanks to the tea, and the concert ended nicely after clapping hands to the polka.
“Please excuse me.”,
and I bowed to her, but she had the looks as if she is saying,
“You sure did cause problems.”

I left the scary situation in a hurry and when I went to the cloak to receive my coat, I can`t find my bag with the receipt in it!

Hastily I returned to the seat, and found the lady holding Chako chan Sensei`s bag with a confused face.
“I`m sorry, I forgot that.”
“I was just about to hand it to the attendant here.”
“Again and again please excuse me.”
“No problem.”
“By the way, my coughing is not by a cold. The wind from the air conditioner went into my organs when I laughed with my mouth wide open.”
“Really. I have a sick person at home, and my manner was exaggerated. I apologize for my manner.”

Thanks to the bag, we both left the concert hall with a nice smile to each other.

All`s well that ends well.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008


Happy New Year, and a lucky start for a new year!

Waseda University won the first half of the Hakone Ekiden for the first time in 12 years!
“I will do what I can do as the captain of the team.”
“I will do what I can do as the ace runner of the team.”
Team Waseda did not do what they can do every year, but they did it this year.
My defeated natured cheerleading till last year of
“At least get the seed for the next year”
had immediately changed to a strong cheerleading of
“I knew that they were a distinguished school!”

This is a good start for the year of the rat.

The year of the rat is the starting year within the twelve earthly branches, and so this is the year for beginning what you expect in your heart.

The year of the rat is also the year which changes from Yin to Yang, and so I believe that much more changes should occur this year.

The earthly branches were important to old politicians.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Shigesaburou Maeo wrote in his book titled Jyunishi-koh,
“The rat year is in the first place of the twelve earthly branches, and the year to change from Yin to Yang and to make a fresh start from the starting point. The rat year is the year to newly grow again with vitality.”

Waseda was able to win the first half because they had returned and restarted from the starting point with harmony as a team, and by the power of each of their runner.

By the way, why politicians publish nearly 2,000 pages of research documents about earthly branches is that perhaps they find old Japanese wisdoms there.

This year is a year for the whole nation to revive the soul of the Japanese "harmony", attach vitality to it, and make the country to prosper. Sounds like a Premier`s New Year speech, but stake all, say something similar to this!

Chako-chan Sensei is a little bit motivated by the year of the rat.