6)Saturday June 30, 2001 Ochiai & Kurome Rivers (Cloudy occasionally rainy)

• Owing to continuous humid and hot nights, I had not been able to sleep well. I could neither sleep last night and got up around 4:30 AM.
• I left home at 4:45 AM for Tamako-Lake Cycling Road. It was humid and hot in the early morning.
• After all, I went to Higashi-murayama Central Park. (Total running distance: 21 km.) It started to rain before I arrived in home.
• The rain continued to 2:00 PM. It rained after a long interval.
• Before 3:00 PM. I again started to run. I got an E-mail from Mr. F in Higashi-kurume city for the first time who accessed to my website and promised him to run alongside Ochiai/Kurome Rivers together.
• As promised, we met around 3:00 PM at the approach of the bridge of Ochiai River. He is in early forties and 180 cm tall. I was surprised to learn that he monthly runs more than 300 km although he has three young children. Thus he can finish full marathon race in 3 hours 15 minutes!
• We ran approx. 10 km and were drenched in sweat. Finally we arrived in Higashi-kurume station to look for Pub restaurant.
• However, unfortunately, it was too early (4:00 PM) and no pubs were open as yet. Usually they open after 5:00 PM.
• We decided to enter the family restaurant with sweated clothes!
• The cold beer after running was very delicious! We drank beer in big swallows!
• First we drank beer, then cold Japanese sake while chattering. It's nice to talk with a guy who has the same interest.
• Before I new it, it was past 5:30 PM.
• Dear Mr. F, let's run and drink again. However, the starting time should be after 4:00 PM next time!

5)Saturday June 16, 2001 Karabori River & Yanase River (Cloudy)

• The rain continued on Thursday and Friday this week. The rain stopped finally on Saturday! It was cool in the morning, but it's good for running.
• After a long interval, I jogged alongside Karabori/Yanase Rivers.
• It drizzeled in the early morning, thus I started to run from around 8:00 AM after the rain stopped.
• As usual, I ran on the Tamako-Lake Cycling Road to the Higashimurayama Filtration Plant (approx. 11 km). Then I started to run alongside Karabori River.
• The volume of water in the river increased owing to continued rain.
• The volume of water increased more where Yanase River merged.
• The walkway alongside Yanase River was improved and thus I could run comfortably. (Last time, I could not go through since it was under construction.)
  
  Improved walkway alongside Yanase River
  
  
• There is always few runners in this course. Maybe, it is not so well-known to runners.
• Before crossing JR Musashino-Line, I left the River and ran toward Kiyose Station of Seibu-Line.
• I arrived in my home past noon. Total running distance was 30 km.

4)Sunday June 3, 2001 Nogawa River & Jindaiji-Temple (Fine)

• Yesterday, I could jog only 20 km. Therfore, I decided to jog to Jindaiji-Temple today.(Expected total distance: 30 km)
• I left home at 4:45 AM. It was fine. It was cool, too.
• As I did last week, I ran Koganei Highroad southwards and passed JR Musashi Koganei station. (Distance: 8 km) Shortly I arrived at Nogawa River cycling road.
• It was almost 6:00 AM. A lot of people were already walking there. I ran downstream alongside Nogawa River.
• Soon you can see Musashino Park in the right. Nogawa River Park in the left. There are so many green trees.
• Bird Watching Seminar is held in Nogawa River Park at the weekend.
  
  Nogawa River Cycling Road
  
  
  Musashino Park Notice of Bird Watching Seminar
  
  
• The water of Nogawa River is not so clear. After passing Nogawa River Park, I heard bullfrogs singing. What a pieceful scene it is!
  
  Stone plate of Jindaiji-Temple Courtyard
  
  Soba Noodle Restaurants Map of Jindaiji-Temple
  
  
• Just before crossing the Chuo Expressway, I entered the road to Jindaiji-Temple from the cycling road.
• I finally arrived in Jindaiji-Temple at 6:30 AM. (The distance is approx. 15 km.) The Noodle Shops (very famous!) in front of the Temple were not open as yet. However, in the Temple, a lot of people were walking around.
• The roof of the main building of Jindaiji-Temple is being repaired. I was strolling in the Temple for a while.
• One old man was leisurely drawing a picture. What a graceful life it is !
• Since I could not have noodles, I decided to return.
• Today's running distance was approx. 30 km. I reached home at 8:20 AM. I could use holiday time effectively if I started very early in the morning regardless of running distance.
• Nogawa River cycling road is very good for running. However, it is a little bit far for me. The cycling road extends to Tamagawa River. I have a plan to jog to Tamagawa River on this cycling road in the near future.
• Today, somehow, I did not meet so many joggers.

3)Saturday May 26, 2001 Tamagawa Irrigation Ditch (Cloudy)

• I had been thinking to jog the different course and looked through the map. As a result, I decided to run alongside the Tamagawa Irrigation Ditch.
• I left home at 4:45 AM with day-pack on the back. I ran Koganei Highroad southward until I came across the Itsukaichi Highroad. The distance was almost 7 km. The Tamagawa Irrigation Ditch flows parallel to Itukaitch Highroad. Then I started to run toward Tachikawa-City. It's good to run there since there is a lot of green trees.
  
  Sidewalk alongside Tamagawa Irrigation Ditch Unpaved road
  
  
• It was good to run for a while since the road was paved. However, soon, I found the road ahead was not paved. It is slippery and rough and thus it is not good for running. It may be no problem for walking. The road is narrow in some areas. Anyway, it was early in the morning, but I met several joggers while I was running.
• When I entered into Tachikawa-City (When passing Ogawa Bridge), the road became broad and I was relieved. There were many fields there. Shortly, I arrived in Tamagawa-Josui Station of Seibu-Haijima-Line. I finally decided to run to Haijima Station, the terminal of Seibu Line.
• The sidewalk is almost straight alongside Irrigation Ditch. I continued to run to reach Haijima Station. I could enjoy calm jogging since there was a few walkers and little traffic since it was early in the morning.
  
  Haijima Station
  
  
• At last, I arrived in Haijima Station. The running distance was almost 25 km. The running time was 2 hours 30 minutes. I bought a tomato juice (not beer!) at the convenience store in front of the station. It was very delicious!
• I did not want to run back to my house anymore. I decided to go back to the Hanakoganei Station by train. The platform of Haijima Station around 7:30 AM was crowded with Senior Highschool gals. It was so noisy! I took on the train at 7:36 AM. After taking off at Hanakoganei Station (It took 25 minutes.), I re-started to run to my home. I arrived in my house around 8:30 AM. The total running distance was 30 km!
• As I mentioned above, the sidewalk alongside Tamagawa Irrigation Ditch is good for walking, but not good for jogging. It might be a superior jogging course if the road is paved and properly maintained.

2)Saturday May 12, 2001 My photographs taken for Mitsubishi Group's PR Magazine "MONTHLY MITSUBISHI" (Fine)

• The weather of this year's golden week was not so good. However, it was "May fine weather" today!
• In the morning, I jogged alongside Ochiai/Kurome Rivers for 10 km after a long interval. The azalea flowers have already gone and thus the attractive flowers are rare now. However, green leaves are noticeable.
  
  A kind of red rose Green trees alongside Kurome River
  
  
• An article on my devotion to the marathon and website will be published on the Mitsubishi Group's PR Magazine "MONTHLY MITSUBISHI". This afternoon, my running scene alonside the Kurome River was photographed by a professional cameraman. The number of magazines to be issued is approx. 330,000. Publication will be made in August 2001. I look forward to it.
• After shooting, I again jogged alongside Kurome/Ochiai Rivers. The total running distance of today is 20km!

1)Saturday April 28, 2001Azalea & Digital Camera (Fine)

Green leaves in Sayama Park


• From April 15 to April 21, 2001, I had been away from Japan due to business trip to Singapore and South Africa. It was almost ten years ago when I went abroad previous time.
• When I came back to Japan after only one week stay in abroad, I was surprised that the scenery in Japan was covered with fresh green leaves!
• Then, so-called, Golden-week in Japan has just started.
• I additionally purchased a digital camera for running & my website. The model is PETIT SHOT by TAKARA. The size is 71 x 55 x 25mm, smaller than a palm. The weight is only 70g. Close-up shooting is possible. It is good for flower shooting.
• I put PETIT SHOT in the pocket of my T-shirt and started jogging at 5:00 AM to Tamako-Lake.
• It was fine and chilly in the morning. The sun was just rising when I left home.
  
  Pink Azalea in full bloom
  
  
• Azaleas are in full bloom now. Several different color of Azaleas can be seen alongside the Tamako-Lake Cycling Road. Thus I could shoot many Azaleas.
• I could see full of fresh green leaves in Sayama Park just below the Tamako-Lake. I could hear Japanese nightingales singing.
• These images were taken by new digital camera. Although the size is small, the quality of image is the same as that of previous one.
• I jogged 27km today. However, it took almost 3 hours since I sometimes took the photos of flowers.