Saitama City Cup,2006!!

URAWA REDS established a partnership with FC BAYERN MUNCHEN,
a prestige soccer team of German first league.

And on 31 July, the friendly match was held
in Urawa Reds' 2nd home, Saitama Stadium 2002
built for the FIFA WC 2002 Korea/Japan.
(This Stadium is Japan's biggest specialisted
football ground with a capacity of 63,700!)

I got this game of ticket from my friend who planed the game.
Thank you priority seat^o^.
We were able to enjoy the game of Reds vs Bayern!

The result is...[Urawa 1 Bayern 0] Reds won 1-0^_^
Both teams couldn't make a goal easily, and the game continued in 0-0...
But just before game ends, 89th minute into the latter half of game,
Okano scored a winning goal!!!
Oh~~~~-^o^ The whole stadium burst into cheers!

The Bayern had began to control the game midway through the half
and created the many opportunities!
But, is it effect of long flight and jet-lag??
The Bayern players couldn't convert one of half-a-dozen decent chances.

Regrettably, we couldn't watch the briliant goal scene
which the powerful team makes>_<. Though I could watch the famous members' good plays!
(Oliver Kahn,Ono, Santos, Tsuboi,Okano....)
We had a good time.
The sports watching is exciting after all!

Lunch in TSUKIJI

I went to TSUKIJI market to have a lunch
with the superiors in company!

The big bowl of rice topped with
the plenty more fresh sashimi is very delicious!

The hearty lunch satisfy me! I'm full up^^

Oval

Oval is egg shape.
The clear yellow of the sunflowers feels summer!!

Souvenirs

A souvenir from Italy is a "FLAVOURED SALT"!!
The many colors are all natural colors of salt.
It's wonderful^o^, isn't it!?
Italian salt has the reputation of being delicious.
But.. Such a colorful salt is too beautiful, to use it^^;

Another souvenir from Brazil is ...
a beach sandal of "Havaianas"!!
Havaianas, Brazil birthplace is the most famous
beach sandal maker and has a high popularity
in the world.

The colorful and good design of sandal is very cute^^
Besides it's an comfortable sandal. I like it very much!

Mont St. Clair

Mont St.Clair is the shop of France sweets
in JIYUGAOKA TOKYO.
http://www.ms-clair.co.jp/

The famous chef Hironobu Tsugiguchi is the patissier
of the world win the many International conpetitions.

After the shop is introduced on the TV,it's very crowded.
http://www.fujitv.co.jp/vvv6/ranking/ranking.html
It took an hour or over until I ordered the cake>_<.

But it was worth I waited long time,
the cakes are all so delicious!!!
The fresh cream,sponge,cheese...
are any rich but not too sweet and very good^o^.

LOHOTOI

"LOHOTOI" opened as a branch of the famous chinese restaurant
"LONG-FU-FONG" whose reservation can't be taken
about 3 months ahead! ! http://www.long-fu-fong.com/lohotoi/lohotoi.html
It is the casual chinese restaurant in the shopping arcade in HIROO.

There is the course of 5000 or 7000 yen. but,
if you tell something that want to eat from the a la carte menu,
it's added in the course.
And you can tell the taste and way in food. So...
the special course is arranged in compliance with your wishes^o^

(3 kinds of relish, original soup, stir-fry of fish&shellfish
and chicken and vegetables tossed in miso of shrimps,
noode soup, desert)
Every food is very good! tasty!!

The additional order,
tenshin and peking duck were also delisious !

Recently the restaurant appeared in a magazine.
I hear it is full every day....
I fear it also become to be difficult to take the reservation><.

July 3, 2006

July 3 is my sister's B.D.
On this year's her B.D, 2 unexpected big occurrences happened.
One is.....Just at the morning, my grandfather died of old age.
Two is....My favorite soccer player, NAKATA announced his retirement.

Dear grandpapa, thanks a lot!!!
I pray for the souls of his dead. Please rest&relax forever.


And NAKATA's retirement...
It's very sad that I can't see his activity
in the soccer game from now on.



I was greatly touched by his retirement message.
"To live is to journey, and to journey is to live."
I thought his way of life of comparing life to journey
is just like NAKATA.

He wanted to treasure "his true passion for soccer",
therefore he often pretended not to have his emossion
and he acted like expressionless.

When I read this part, I really felt his strong affection and passion
for soccer from whom.
But the moment he has finished his last game,
even he couldn't control his emotion.
He was crying.....
While he lied at full length, many kinds of memories
or feelings for soccer life would pass before his eyes,
in the field which he has been running his best for 20 years.

Though I fell shocking to his retirement,
I respect NAKATA of great determination.
Because it may be easier to go on playing soccer
than he decide his retirement at this point in time.

I think he never look back to the past journey,
even if he makes the past experience food for the mind.
He already starts for a new journey of life.
A man can accomplish one purpose thoroughly
will be able to acheive anything.
NAKATA opens up a new vista of the future.
Of course "soccer" is close to his heart forever....
For the time being,
he seems to set out 2 around the world trip.
"Journey" is epilogue of one life & prologue of another life for him.
I have known him since I am a high school student.
Thank you NAKATA for many exciting game and good play!!

Finally, my favorite passage is as follows.
[While I won't be returning to the pitch as a player,
I will not give up football.
I have no doubt that along the way I will be kicking a ball around
with someone on a patch of grass or on a small football field,
not as a profession but as a form of communication,
with the same passion I had back
in my early childhood.]