Random pictures

 This is the latest fad in our home. Green peas are placed in water and allowed to root. After they start growing and reach a couple of inches in length, we cut them and use them as a vegetable, usually adding them to something else. These are just about ready to use. They have a very strong flavor and an even stronger smell. It is possible to let them grow again after cutting them so we actually get more food out of the peas than we would if we just ate them.

 This is a one room factory for making tatami mats. These straw mats are used as flooring in many homes, especially those where the people sit on the floor. Apartments often have one tatami mat room so, even though there is much less business than before, companies like this can stay in business. My condo has one tatami mat room, which we use as the TV. However, we do not sit on the floor, we have a large sofa and an easy chair.

 This is at Izumi Chuo and in the distance you can see a work crew beginning to repair some of the earthquake damage. This damage was not structural but it does mar the looks of the open area.

 This is the entrance to the Izumi Chuo Starbucks and the other stores in the building. The sign on the left is an ad for Starbucks' latest drink. The red sign on the right is the interesting one. It says that all the stores in the building are currently practicing methods to save power. This sort of effort is one reason that taking all the nuclear reactors off line has not created power shortages, although, the government is worried about next summer when air conditioners will be used.

This is a running track in Nanakita Koen, the park that is about a kilometer from my condo. The little white dots are hail. Just as I got into the park, a hailstorm started the biggest of the hail stones were about the size of the nail on my little toe.

Here is another view of the hailstones. They almost covered the ground. The storm lasted about 15 minutes and then it became bright and sunny again, very quickly melting the hail.