新年明けましておめでとうございます。Happy New Year!

新年明けましておめでとうございます。

新春の寿ぎを申し上げます。

ご訪問頂きまして誠にありがとうございます。

皆さま小まめに立ち寄って下さり深謝申し上げます。

本年も何とぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。

This year I've made 2 versions of the New Year greeting card.
One was taken earlier in the year at Kodaiji.
Then, in November our friends Connie and Francis came from Hong Kong
and helped us take this picture on the right at Tofukuji.
Thanks to Francis that we fulfilled this year end's task in the last minute.

The Year of Tiger nengajyou was taken at the bench at Miho Museum,
by granny, and had won a small prize from the Japan Post Office.
The Year of Ox nengajyou was a picture that we acted as models for Monica
Studio near Kiyomizu Temple. Every year we had needed help in taking
family pic!! Thanks for helping.

During the year end we had joined X'mas parties with Colette, Fushida sensei, Kyojo and Chris. Then in New Year I'm lucky to be able to join Urasenke's Hatsugama again. And for the family we are spending New Year in Gifu --where H's parents are. We'll also go to (the warmer) Shizuoka for a family trip --although I had suggested Shirakawa-go. Two years ago I had suggested Koya-san and then the family ended up going to Fujikyu Highland. May be except foreigners, no Japanese would be interested to "suffer" in old Japanese style. Well.

I'm also looking forward to spending Chinese New Year (again) with Koun in Hong Kong during the beginning of February, then teaching an architectural studio in University of St. Joseph in Macau. It'll be my first time being able to stay in Macau for an extended time, and I am looking forward to it!

And I just got a car, besides H's Toyota Alphard. Excited about it. In terms of car, we always prefer sliding door and an easy to operate trunk space. The small size would fit Kyoto's narrow neighborhood better as well.