Last weekend in Matsudo was a cultural festival Bon Odori Festival called Last Summer Fest. I met with Arnie from France, before he got home and drew a few sketches of Tojotei historical garden and festival atmosphere.  松戸のラストサマーフェス＆盆踊りのスケッチと戸定邸・戸定が丘歴史公園のスケッチです。 I was also working as a volunteer this days, selling ice with sweet syrop.  甘いシロップとかき氷が売っていました。⬇︎  We talked about staff we use for drawing and how we draw... So good to meet! :)

Capturing people in motion at Japanese drum show held in Tokyo. It is always challenging, could be a kind of bad manner to those performers...but this is how I keep the moments otherwise the motion and memories disappear just like seeing fireworks.

Today I went to a post office and hear a strong sound of crushing concrete. That was a site cleaning. Scrap and build is a city policy in Japan, which literally mean to crash building and build anew. On average, Japanese housing lives  only around 30 years. It's interesting to learn about what is the reason for that and how such a wastefulness could be overcome.

Yesterday was heavy rain. Very cozy to stay inside the house and listen to the sounds of rain the whole day. Do your stuff little by little, and draw. I drew the sight of a place which I live, 岩瀬自治会館.

Matsudo, on my way to school. You can see a little street sign, where it is written  千葉大学園芸学部⇨

Hi! Day ago I went to see ramen shop in Matsudo, which is famous for "abura soba". It is called Tonikaku ramen. Someone told me, they are one of the best in Japan! Many tourists visit this place to eat ramen. I ate it, it was too big for me. But I liked fat noodles and oily taste.  それは松戸魅力です。兎に角ラーメンです。 ぜひ、松戸に来てください！ 笑

それぞれ仕事、勉強、観光で日本に来ていた３名といつものTokyo Sketchersでスケッチ会、プラス飲み会を恵比寿ガーデンプレイスでおこないました。この日はあまり暑くなく心地よい風が吹き、屋外でスケッチも飲み会も楽しめました。皆さんお上手。先日Manchesterで行われたSymposiumから帰ってきたばかりの私でしたが、このくらいの少人数の集まりの方がみんなと話したりそれぞれのスケッチを見て回ったりでき、ゆったりとできてホッとします。しかも影響受けまくり。 パースがすごくデタラメになってしまいました。ムードだけはなんとなく気に入ってます。 Alice, Maria, Arnaudの３名。 ArnaudとChris。

Last Saturday we had a Tokyo Sketchers meet up, initiated by request of Arnie from France and Alice from Indonesia and coordinated by Kumi Matsukawa.  Such a pleasure to draw in a company of co-thinkers! We did an architectural sketch in Ebisu Gardens and then moved to have a light dinner and talk.  先週の土曜日は東京スケッチの出会いしました。楽しい時間、いろいろな話でした。  Windy weather! Photo belong to Kumi Matsukawa Photo belong to Kumi Matsukawa  Little snack See the sketches ⬇︎

Today was very hot. On my way home I drew a house, which I spotted some time ago. Close to station there are many pachinko slots, bars and hotels. In big cities on the walls some tags and graffiti.

Here is Matsudo stories again. Today I want to show you the building of old Harada rice shop . Surrounded by high-rises, it remained by miracle in the centre of Matsudo. Inside there is an artist studio, bicycle shop, volunteers and guide centre. These kind of buildings made the atmosphere of shopping street. Your eye pleasingly invites you to stop and watch the details of the facade behind the gates. Architecture sustain the identity of human world,  greenery of the garden sustain natural world. It is not included in a list of heritage of Matsudo city , however, it is actively used by citizens and managed by community design company . I like this building, it looks fantastic there, among concrete. また、松戸の話を続けます。 今日は『 古民家スタジオ 旧・原田米店 』紹介したいと思います。  MAD City というまちづくり会社を管理されています。多様な市民を余沢します。

Let me continue my Matsudo story. This is the sketch from around the place I live. You can see Seitoku University on the hill. I live down that hill in a community centre (自治会館) ,  called Iwase (岩瀬). Red post box, where I sent postcards to friends abroad, little park and notifications board, everything is familiar here to me and part of my daily life. While drawing I met local people and talk to them.

 Yesterday at the shores of Chiba Typhoon N 5, which means no entrance to water. Made a sketch of a ship in the harbour.

August started! It is so hot outside. I invite you to take a look at Matsudo city with me. I choose a spot on the asphalt in the shadow in front of the Saizeriya. Saizeriya,  I would like it if there was no smoking zone, ahahaha. Thank you for cheap drink bar and cheese doria. Matsudo has a landscape undulation. This big stairs on the picture is very long, they lead to the hill where is  Matsudo Central park located. Matsudo city is famous for it's ramen shops. One of them is just behind me. They serve tsukemen (you put noodles to the fish bouillon which goes aside from noodles) there. Next time I will draw ramen, maybe. This is Matsudo city office. They are very busy. When I moved here in April, following usual procedures I  was waiting for papers in the line, where drew this sketch. People say that Matsudo have nothing special, it's just a bed town. At first I would agree, but the more I live here, the more interesting places and  people I discover. I would

Sweet potato looks like a baobab trees.   They are growing in the cup, they want to live.  生きる力! Sketched for 15 mins in the University lab. No time to go out yet!