The New Years Eve in Ehime


Hello everyone! Hope you're all recovering from the new years holiday.

I had a really great time in Ehime at my parents place. So much so that it's been a struggle getting back into work-mode this week. But somehow I got through the week. I'm hoping next week will be a little bit easier because it's a four-day work week.

Anyways, here are some photos from Ehime:


Every day started and ended with these mikan in Ehime.

Ehime is known for their delicious mikan (mandarin oranges). We buy them by the boxes because we all love eating these mikan during the winter. Our family of six ate a total of two store bought 10kg boxes in a week. Not to mention the other mikan we ate from the trees growing in the yard (pictured above).

But I did manage to pry myself away from the box of mikan and get out and about for a bit. On the last day of the year, I was still making my nengajo and in the evening I made a mad dash to the town post office to make it in time for the mail pick-up. I took a detour around the local port before heading back home to watch the Kohaku show on TV with the family. 

Watching this NHK program has become kind of a tradition...my parents tell us stories and information about the older singers and my sister's keep us up-to-date on who is who in the younger generation. Since I don't have a TV in my apartment, I don't have any information to offer so I usually just sing along with all the songs that I know. All the while eating mikan, of course :)

Do you have new years eve traditions? Did you watch Kohaku this year (if you're in Japan)?

Tiny flowers growing in our yard.
I love these old wooden walls.
Not only do we eat mikan, we include them in our new years decorations, too!
Small boats just bobbin around in the water.
Notice the number four is missing.
We had amazing sunsets.
Toshi-koshi Soba and the NHK Kohaku show.
We rose extra early on new years day to see the first sunrise...isn't it pretty? :D

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