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)