3)Saturday, February 3, 2007 Weather: Fine Koganie Park & Une flowers

• This winter has been very warm. There were lots of warm days in January.
• Since the newspaper reported that the Ume flowers were already in full bloom in some park, I decided to visit the Ume trees of the Koganei Park.
• It was fine and the sky was pure blue. It was severely cold in the morning, but it was getting warm after the sunrise and the wind was not blowing.
• I arrived in the park by jogging approx. 8 km. The visitors were not so many in the morning, but I could see many joggers.
• Finally I reached the Ume trees field, but contrary to my expectation, I saw only a several Ume trees with flowers.
• I expected that Ume flowers were in full blossoms owing to warm winter. But I could see only the early white flowerings.
• However, I could enjoy the contrast between white flowers and pure blue sky.
• I could also enjoy the beauty of the flowers, smelling the floral fragrance.
  
  
  Ume flowers Ume flowers
  
  
  
• I stopped running only 16 km since I was still tired from the full marathon race of last weekend.

2)Sunday, January 7, 2007 Weather: Sunny Running 40 km & Jindaiji Temple

• Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy from the morning on the first day of three consecutive holidays. It rained heavily daytime and the rain continued to the night. Under such condition, I could not feel like running as some one thought.
• Today, it was fine in the morning and thus I decided to run 40 km after a long interval. The destination was the bank of Tamagawa River. I planned to drop in Jindaiji Temple on the way.
• I left home at 7:00 AM. It was not so cold as expected. The weatherman said strong wind would start, but the wind was not so strong in the morning.
• I ran the Koganei Highroad southward and passed alongside the Tama Cemetery, and arrived in the Inagi Bridge of Tamagawa River. Strong wind was blowing on the bank of Tamagawa River. I could see Mt. Fuji covered with cloud far away.
• I ran to the Tama Kawara Bridge and went northward alongside Musashi-sakai Street and finally reached Jindaiji Temple. A lot of year's first worshippers were there.
• I worshipped the main temple, Taishido temple and Buddhist temple.
• I could worship the image of Shakyamuni Tathagata at the Buddhist temple through the glass, which is one of national important cultural properties. The image was made in the 7th century. The image seems to be young and handsome visage.
• After visiting Jindaiji Temple, I returned to the Musashisakai Street and continued to run.
  
  
  Mt. Fiji Main Temple Taishi-do
  
  
  Buddhist temple
  
  
  
• I finally returned to my home via Tanashi. As planned, I could run 40 km, but it took more than4 hours.
• I was a little bit tired.

1)Wednesday, January 3, 2007 Weather: Cloudy occasinally sunny New year's visit to a Kitain Shrine in Kawagoe City

• I spent at Okayama, my home country, from December 30, 2006 to January 2, 2007 as usual.
• Contrary to the weather forecast, it was sunny and warm on New Year's Day. I ran to Saijo Inari as year's first worshipping. (The distance was approx. 10 km.)
• I came back to Tokyo on January 2, 2007. The weatherman said it would be cloudy on January 3, 2007. So far, I had planned to visit Kitain Shrine by running as year's first worshipping. However, I had never carried out. Therefore, I finally decided to do this year.
  
  
  Stela of Kawagoe High Road Kitain Shrine crowded with worshippers
  
  
  Dharma Doll Market
  
  
  
• I ran alongside Ochiai/Kurome Rivers and passed the Heirinji Temple and reached Kawagoe High Road.
• I continued to run the walkway of Kawagoe High Road to Kawagoe City. The traffic was very heavy on Kawagoe High Road and thus I was forced to run in the emission gas.
• Anyway, it was cloudy, but the sun appeared sometimes. When the sun appeared, it was warm and I sweated a little bit.
• No one except me was running on the high road. I continued to run doggedly.
• Before entering into Kawagoe City, I caught up with one foreign runner.
• I talked to him and ask him where to go. He said he would run to Kawagoe Station from Nerima. Hw also said he would join the Tokyo Marathon Race in February and thus he was training. Therefore, we ran together for a while.
• After entering into Kawagoe City, I departed with him and head for Kitain Shrine.
• When approaching to Kitain Shrine, I met a lot of worshippers. The road was crowded with worshippers and I could not run any more. I finally reached Kitain Shrine. The distance from my home was 29 km. It took almost 3 hours.
• I visited here several years ago by train. The worshippers formed a procession before the shrine gate to the shrine.
• The procession was so long and it took more than 20 minutes to reach the shrine. In the precinct, Dharma Doll Market was held and a lot of Dharma Dolls were sold.
• I finally finished the worshipping, but I had no more energy to run back to my home. I decided to go home by train from Honkawagoe Station of Seibu Line.
• The road to Honkawagoe Station was filled with worshippers.