Wild Hooded Cranes Contaminated with Avian Flu

The city of Izumi announced on December 27 that three wild hooded cranes were confirmed to be contaminated with highly-pathogenic avian flu. They were found dead on December 21 in the Izumi Plains, Kagoshima Prefecture and got a thorough examination at laboratory tests. The Izumi Plains are designated as a special protected-area by the nation. About ten thousand cranes come flying every year to stay over the winter from October to March. (Sankei News)

"CLEANING THE BODY" at Horyuji-temple to Clean One Year's Dust

An annual event of cleaning images of Buddha was held on December 8 at Horyuji-temple that has the oldest wooden building in the world. The event has been staged since it was designated as the World Heritage in 1994. Priests wearing masks dusted statues of a national treasure carefully to prepare for the coming New Year. (Sankei News)

Gathering Fallen Leaves

About 150 local middle school students, shop owners and residents gathered at the tinted oak-tree avenue of Suginami, Tokyo to sweep fallen leaves on December 4. Due to the strong wind on the day, they gathered together leaves as much as 100 70-liter garbage bags. Collected leaves are to be turned into humus soil. (Sankei News)

The Nippon-maru Unfurls 36 Sales at Nagoya

Sailboat Nippon-maru (2,570 tons) conducted a drill to unfurl all the sales at the port of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The boat is one of the largest sailboats in the world. It is a training ship of the National Institute for Sea Training. Ninety-one trainees took part in the drill. They climbed up the four masts, the tallest one 50 meters, and unrolled 36 sales in an hour. (Sankei Shimbun)

Singing and Dancing 'Peko-chan" at Ginza, Tokyo

Fujiya Confectionary Company celebrates its 100th foundation along with its popular mascot Peko-chan's 60th birthday. Peko-chan displayed at the busy street of Ginza, Tokyo can sing and dance. She is about 110 centimeters tall and able to speak 357 phrases. (Mainichi Shimbun)

Hot-air Balloons aginst Blue Sky

"The 2010 Saga International Balloon Festa" started on the riverside of Saga-shi, Saga Prefecture in Kyushu on November 3. Balloons flew up into the clear blue sky one after another. It was a beautiful day for ballooning. One hundred and six balloons from fourteen countries competed to reach given points as closely as possible. (Sankei Shimbun)

A Raccoon Dog Captured at an Office Building in the Central District of Tokyo

Around 7 o'clock on the evening of November 4, the Metropolitan Police Department received a call, which said that they captured something like a "tanuki" (raccoon dog) at their office building in the business section of Tokyo. The tanuki walked through an automatic door to enter the basement. It was about 60 centimeters long covered with brownish fur. A few hours later, it was released near the Imperial Palace where there is a lot of greenery. (Sankei Shimbun)

Giant Carpet Painted with Flower Petals

"Harumi Flower Carpet 2010" is open at Harumi in the center of Tokyo. It is a huge picture painted with rose petals. The 10th event displays eight flower pictures as large as 5.5 m X 4 m until November 3.

Tinted Leaves at Their Best in Japan's Northern Alps

Many mountaineers in rain gear climbed to the Karawawa Cirque against a rainy day on December 9. According to the owner of the Karasawa mountain hut, they had good weather during summertime and bushes are beautifully colored in red and yellow. He said, "This is the best to enjoy tinted leaves in recent years." (Sankei Shimbun)

Providing for Wet Snow

Providing for Wet Snow

Gardeners have begun to work on "yuki-tsuri" (Pulling up against snow) at Kenroku-en Gardens in Kanagawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. They will pull up boughs of a hundred pine trees and azaleas until the middle of December. The work is done to prevent branches from breaking down by wet snow. Eleven workers put up a 6-meter-tall pillar along the trunk and attach ropes in a cone. (Yomiuri Shimbun)