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April 30th. The abandoned Japanese National Railways Shinonoi Line promenade.My wife and I visited the abandoned Japanese National Railways Shinonoi Line promenade in Azumino City.
The old Japanese National Railways Shinonoi Line linked the north and south of Nagano Prefecture, and was completed in 1902（Meiji35). It ended its 86-year service with the completion of a new line in 1988（Shouwa63).
The abandoned section from JR Akeshina Station to the former Second Shirasaka Tunnel has been developed into a promenade.
Several remain, the brick-built Urushikubo Tunnel from the Meiji era, the brick-built bridges, railroad crossings, and traffic lights from that time. There are also sights such as a forest of planted zelkova trees and Higasitaira which offers a great view.
I parked at Zelkova Forest Park almost in the middle of the section, and went and return to both side. I also briefly touched on the ancient road to visit Zenkoji Temple. I also saw Dousoshin.The mountain cherry blossoms and fresh green leaves were beautiful.
It was a lot of fun, but the only soba restaurant along the route was sold out. We were saved by some Kasutera（castella cake) and Gyunyu-Pan(milk bread) we bought at the supermarket where we stopped to use the toilet in the morning.
We returned to Ueda around 5 o'clock. My wife made fried burdock chicken for our evening meal.
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April 29th. Shinano Kokubunji Temple.I got up early and went to Ueda Castle Park. There were many people walking and running. I took a few photos.
My wife made our breakfast.
We had curry rice for our lunch.
In the afternoon, my wife and I walked about 5km to Shinano Kokubunji Temple. It is a large and impressive temple with a three-story pagoda. I thought many people visit regularly. There were more people than usual. Because today is the start of the "Gokaicho" period, when the principal image of the temple is open to the public, which is held once every 12 years. It was very festive.
We ate soba at the soba restaurant "Chikumagawa" in the station building for our evening meal. This was our second visit. It was delicious so we went back. It seems a bit more expensive than Katanaya.
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April 28th. Breads from WazawazaMy wife made our breakfast. I'm happy.
My wife and I went to "Tou". They have created a space with the theme of "unusual" in their shop, which mainly features coffee shops, books, a gallery, and clothes. It is located in the Art Village Park in Tomi City, next to Ueda City. We walked around the park for about 3km before having lunch.
"Tou" means to ask a question in Japanese. Is it something you really need? Is it worth the price? The theme of the shop is their questions, and the name of the shop seems to be derived from them.
Then, We went to Waza Mart to buy some breads from Wazawaza.
Wazawaza is my wife's favorite bakery in Tomi city. It is located on a plateau, customers have to go up a hill to buy bread. The name of the store seems to come from the fact that they aimed to be a bakery that people would take the trouble to come and buy bread from.
"Wazawaza" means to do so on purpose in Japanese. Wazawaza is currently under renovation, so my wife buy bread at Waza Mart.
Waza Mart is a convenience store-like store that stocks, including groceries, daily necessities, alcohol, beverages, and frozen foods. They stock quality products from all over Japan. It's also like a select shop.
Next, we went to a cafe "& Espresso" in Tanaka, Tomi City. There are two espresso machines. The aroma of coffee filled the entire store.
My wife made pork curry rice for our lunch. It was a delicious day.
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April 27th. Kanatsuna-san Jisso-in TempleMy wife made our breakfast. I'm happy. I also had Chikara-mochi that I bought yesterday.
My cat spends its time in my FJ. She seems to be much the same as usual. But I'm really hard to get my cat to take her medicine, especially the small pill, because if I drop it, it's hard to get it back. I've already lost one.
My wife and I went to Kanatsuna-san Jisso-in Temple. There is a Kake-dukuri Kannon Hall. Kake-dukuri is an architectural style similar to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.
At my son's request, we decided to go to Kobutaya, a tonkatsu restaurant in Ueda City for dinner. It was delicious. If you want to eat pork cutlet in Ueda, Kobutaya is the place to go.
Yesterday's walk was all downhill. I had muscle pain in the place I've never experienced.
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April 26th. the Usui Pass Abandoned Railway Walk.My wife and I participated in the Usui Pass Abandoned Railway Walk. Trek along the section of the line that was abandoned in 1997, from Karuizawa Station to Yokokawa Station. Traverse the Shinetsu Main Line (upbound) Walk from Tunnel 11 to Tunnel 1. This tour of the abandoned railway line which cost 8,500 yen per person, with entry permitted only at the event.
You can see the scenery of Usui Pass that was only visible to train drivers at the time.You also can see the railway remains from the Meiji period.
More than 70% of the walking distance went through the tunnel. The scenery after the tunnel feels special. The fresh greenery was beautiful. Probably, the autumn leaves must be especially beautiful.
The participation fee of 8,500 yen includes insurance and the lunch of Oginoya's Touge no Kamameshi, but I felt it was a little expensive. If you're a Tetsu Otaku(train enthusiast), I think it's within the acceptable range. I'd like to go again If it is around 5,000 yen.
I bought a pack of Chikara Mochi at Tamaya near the end point of the tour.
玉屋：群馬県安中市松井田町坂本1011-1
I walked about 3km from the end of the tour to Yokokawa Station. I saw Maruyama substation on the way. I could also see the suspension bridge on the Joshinetsu Expressway.
My wife and I arrived at Ueda Station at 7:00. We had soba noodles at the soba restaurant Chikumagawa in the station building. This was my first experience. The texture and freaver are similar to Togakushi soba.
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April 25th. I arrived in Ueda.The cat was given food and medicine, but my meals took a back seat.
I overslept a little, so I fed my cat and gave her medicine, but I put off eating. I participated in the Photo Kano Club until 11:30.
If I didn't have to receive the co-op delivery at home, I would have gone directly from Chikusei City to Ueda, but I accidentally forgot to cancel it.
I left Iwai around 2:30 pm. I arrived in Ueda around 6:00 pm. I forgot to bring cat food for my cat's kidney care, so I bought it at a pet shop in Ueda.
My wife made a fried spring rolls for our evening meal.
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April 24th. I cleaned the house all day today.I made two servings of Sauce Yakisoba, one for my breakfast and one for my lunch.
I cleaned the house all day today.
Tomorrow, I'm going to Chikusei City to attend the Photo Kano Club. After that, I'll go back home to pick up my co-op delivery and then go to Ueda.
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April 23rd. 4 hard drives are unreliable.I made Motsu nikomi. it is stewed radish, green onions, and pork offal. I made stewed offal. It was originally a ready-made product I bought at the co-op, but it's high in salt, so I usually add some vegetables and double the amount.
I had a anko sandwich I made yesterday for my lunch.
I had leftovers for my evening meal.
After testing over the past few days, we have found that 4 hard drives are unreliable. They will be discarded. However, some of the parts will be stockpiled and reused for lens modifications and other things.
I
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April 22nd. "Malathion."My wife boiled and stored in the refrigerator the bamboo shoots we dug up on the 19th at same day. I used the bamboo shoots she had stored in the refrigerator to make Takenokogohann(bamboo shoot rice). I also made a stew of pork, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
I made a hot sandwich with anko and cream cheese for my snack.
I made a Charumera for my lunch.
In the afternoon, we sprayed the roses with the insecticide "Malathion." It is a type of organophosphorus and organosulfur insecticide.
My younger brother gave me a lot of Negi. So I made a lot of Negi soup for evening meal. I also had takenoko gohan,
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April 21st. I baked graham bread.My wife made our breakfast. I was happy.
My wife returned to Ueda. I took her to Shimizu Park Station.
I baked graham bread using my electric bread maker.
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April 20th. Sakura pictures.My wife made our breakfast. I was happy.
My wife was going to visit her best friend who lives in Moriya, so we went together in my car. The three of us had lunch at her best friend's favorite restaurant.
After that, they went to her friend's house, and I went to the Joyfull Honda Moriya store. I looked around for materials and tools used in modifying lenses thoroughly.
I made Charumera for our evening meal. It had the same amount of vegetables as noodles.
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April 19th. a reaction to "Hirosaki."My wife made our breakfast. I was happy.
My wife bought me five Fuji Ice Cream's Jiman-yakis. I ate one for breakfast.
My wife went to her favorite hair salon in Iwai.
My younger brother gave me a daikon. I made Ebi-Daikon. I peeled radish and the edges chamfered. I also made Kinpira with the skin of the daikon.
My wife and I dug bamboo shoots in the bamboo grove at her parents' house.
I went shopping at Torisen with my wife. We saw some large clams so we bought two packs. They also sold Hirosaki draft cider. My wife and I both have a reaction to "Hirosaki." We also bought some cider.
For dinner, I made spaghetti with clams and chrysanthemum.
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April 18th. "Minamoto's Masu Sushi".I made grilled atsuage, sliced tomatoes, coleslaw salad, ham and eggs, granola yogurt , and cafe au lait for my breakfast.
I went to Akihabara. I bought 2nd-hand hard disks. There used to be many stores selling 2nd-hand PC parts, but they are becoming much less common now. Did they move from physical store to online stores? Are only reliable stores left? Have consumers stopped buying 2nd-hand PC parts? I was looking forward to seeing, touching, smelling, selecting and buying 2nd-hand PC parts, so it's a shame. Next time I'll buy 2nd-hand PC parts from online stores.
My wife came back from Ueda City. On the way, she bought some "Minamoto's Masu(trout) Sushi" at Omiya Station. We met at Shimizu Park station and came home together.
We had "Minamoto's Masu Sushi" with her father at his house for our evening meal.
Masu Sushi is a Toyama specialty. 45 years ago, when I was a university student, a classmate from Toyama bought me this, saying it is the best Masu sushi in the world. That was my first encounter with "Minamoto's Masu Sushi". It is my faverit.
源ますのすし本舗 https://www.minamoto.co.jp/about
The photo in the center is the package. There is pressure from rubber bands until it is opened.
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April 17th. Two types of anko sandwich.I made a soup with vegetable, chicken meatball, and mochi for my breakfast. I also had granola yogurt and cafe au lait.
I made a hot sandwich with anko and butter for my lunch. I also made a hot sandwich with anko and cleam chees.
I checked and backed up my PCs.
I had tofu, vegetable soup, lettuce, tomato and cafe au lait for my evening meal.
Miya-O chan was probably tired she slept all day today. I cleaned almost a day.
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April 16th. Cat was lost.I woke up this morning and realized that Miya-O wasn't in any of the rooms. Last night around 9pm I went outside to put my FJ in my garage. I thought she probably went outside at the same time. I coud not think of any other reason. I went to bed without realizing it. Anyway, she wasn't inside, so I searched outside for a while. There were no signs of an accident on nearby roads. But she wasn't anywhere around my hause. So I left the front door opend about 10cm.
I made celery soup with a mochi for my breakfast.
She came back around 8：30 and ate her food vigorously.
Got a call from 813211822857. Suspicious.
I made celery chicken meatball soba for my evening meal.
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April 15th. Free English Class.I had fried egg, lettas, coleslaw salad, sliced tomatoes, cooked konnyaku, nikuman, and cafe au lait.
I saw my doctor. There was no change in me and he prescribed me a 56 day course of medication for hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
I had kashiwa mochi and vegetable salad for my lunch.
When I went to Mt. Houkyou on April 8th, I met a young foreign woman on the trail and talked to her for a bit. She came from the United States and apparently lives in Moriya. She volunteers as a teacher in a free English class. I remembered that she gave me a leaflet about it. I checked the web of it. It seems to be run by some Christian denomination. Beginner classes are free, but advanced classes require a fee. The closest class is on Thursday at 7pm in Tsukuba, so it might be difficult to attend for me.
If the wires are too long inside the narrow PC case, they get in the way. So I adjusted them to the appropriate length. This involved cutting or extending the cables, then soldering and insulating them.
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April 14th. coriander.I had grilled Ganmodoki, fried egg, coleslaw salad, sliced tomatoes, cooked konnyaku, and granola yogurt.
I let my cat play outside for a few minutes. I weeded the garden in the morning.
My neighbor gave me some coriander. For my lunch, I made soba noodles with coriander. I also add with raw eggs and chicken meatballs.
In the afternoon, I mowed the lawn with a karibaraiki.
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April 13th. Kakiage soba.I made a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and grilled chicken for my breakfast. I also had granola yogurt, and cafe au lait.
I had the same thing for my lunch. It got really cold in the afternoon.
For my evening meal, I made Kakiage soba. I made soba soup with lots of vegetables. And I topped with Kakiage. Kakiage is a kind of tempura made of small shrimps and vegetables. It's too much hassle to make it myself, so I bought a pre-made one at Torisen.
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April 12th. Zeiss Ikon "NETTAR-Anastigmat" 1:4.5 f=11cm.I had a vegetable soup including mochi and cafe au lait for my breakfast.
On July 4, 2022, I purchased the Zeiss Ikon "NETTAR-Anastigmat" 1:4.5 f=11cm on Yahoo! Auctions for a cost of 5,000 yen. At the time, I thought I had failed the auction and it was too expensive. After that, I converted it to a Canon FL mount and used it with my digital camera, and it wasn't bad. I think It is worth 5,000 yen.
I went to Tsukuba city for three reasons.
To eat Tensei-ro at my favorite soba restaurant Kimura.
To check and to ventilate the vacant apartment. My Tsukuba apartment is not in use, but I check on it once a month and ventilate.
To fill up gas my FJ at Costco. My FJ holds 70 liters of gasoline, so it's cheaper by over 10 yen per liter at Costco. Even if I go to Tsukuba, it's cheaper to buy it at Costco.
I had the leftover half of hot sandwich from yesterday for my evening meal. I also had grilled atsuage, coleslaw salad, granola yogurt, and yakisoba.
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April 11th. a hot sandwich.I made a hot sandwich with ham, cheese, carrot, cabbage, and onion for my breakfast. I also had grilled atsuage, lettuce salad, coleslaw salad, granola yogurt, and cafe au lait.
I made vegetable soup for my evening meal. I also had coleslaw salad, and some piece of apple.
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April 10th. Voigtländer-Braunschweig Nｒ.1003755 Anastigmat Vcigtar 1:4.5
F=11cm.Yesterday, my younger brother brought me two lettuces. Do, for my breakfast, I had a lot of lettuce salad, coleslaw salad, grilled tofu, fried egg, sliced apple, granola yogurt, and cafe au lait.
On April 7, 2025, I bought the Voigtländer-Braunschweig Nｒ.1003755 Anastigmat Vcigtar 1:4.5 F=11cm on Yahoo! Auctions for 2,250 yen (winning bid 1,500 yen + shipping 750 yen). It arrived today.
The fossil lens mounted on a Voigtländer-Bessa. With helicoid. With compur shutter. Shutter driven, but B, T modes disabled, oil film mold. 10 aperture blades, working. Focusing ring movable. I thought the camera is in such bad condition that I will not restore it. I will only use the lens.
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April 9th. Sakura pictures.I had coleslaw salad, stewed konjac green onions and pork, some sliced apple, granola yogurt, and cafe au lait for my breakfast. My lunch menu was almost the same.
I made a hood for the Zeiss Icon "NETTAR-Anastigmat" 1:4.5 f=11cm. With modern lenses, I rarely feel the need for a hood while shooting. However, when I'm using a fossil lens, I often feel the need for a hood. So I made my own hood for NETTAR. I painted it matt black and baked it in a gas oven at 250 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. Once that was completed, I went to Yasaka Park for a field test. I took some Sakura pictures.
I warmed up some pre-made pork stew I bought at the co-op in the microwave. I had it, coleslaw salad, sliced tomato, fried egg, and sliced apple for my evening meal.
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April 8th. Mt.Hokyo .I made a stew with konjac, carrots and pork. I also made fried eggs, celery salad, sliced tomato, natto, and granola yogurt for my breakfast.
I let Miya-O out for a bit while I was out taking out the trash.
The passenger side power window on my FJ stopped working all of a sudden. I panicked a little, but after a while it seemed like I had unintentionally pressed the power window lock botten. Only the passenger side window was locked.
I arrived at Municipal Oda Parking Lot of Mt.Hokyo at 10:30. From there, I walked along the newly constructed hiking trail, "Hokuto no Michi," to the Oda Rest Area. I had forgotten my tripod on the way. I backed to Fujimidai. Although this was a short trip, there was a lot to see. Then I attached to top through Gokurakuji course as usual. I reached the summit at 12:30. I had a monaka at there. This time I didn't have lunch box
I went down the mountain quickly. Today I went up and down faster than usual, so my legs were strained. When I got to the parking lot, I cramped up both of my legs. Ah, so I couldn't move for about 30 minutes after that. I actually wanted to go to the soba restaurant Kimura, but I didn't make it in time 2:30. So I bought and had a Hotdog and Pepsi for 180 Yen at Costco at 3:00.
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April 7th. I smelled something like oil. When I woke up this morning, I smelled something like oil. A little bit of oil was leaking from this oil fan heater. It seems that it was rusted and perforated somewhere. I thought briefly repairing it, by soldering the perforated hole, but I gave up on that idea because it would be a safety risk. It's time to throw it away. Yes, this has worked for me for over 15 years.
The weather was so nice today. I cold smell spring. Myao-chan also wanted to go outside.
I sprayed two types of herbicides, glyphosate type and MCPP, in the right places. I added a tiny bit of surfactant to each solution, made 5L each, and sprayed them. I was careful of solution exposure while working and took a shower after work.
I made the very thick miso soup with vegetables (mainly Negi) and tofu, stewed in miso for my evening meal. I also had a carrots bar, the leftover fried sardines.
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April 6th. It was crispy and delicious.I woke up early so I tried frying something.
I bought frozen sardines with the heads and guts removed at the co-op.
After thawing, I sprinkled herbs and salt on it, coated it with flour, and fried it. I don't like deep frying, but I do it sometimes. Cleaning up afterwards is a pain.
It was a success, so I took a photo to record it. It was crispy and delicious, even the bones could be eaten. This was my breakfast.
My younger brother brought me a lot of Negi. So for my evening meal, I made and had vegetable soup with lots of Negi.
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April 5th. The live house A.C.B.I waked up earlier in this morning than usual. I made spaghetti with plenty of vegetables and clams. It sacsesed well. So I took a picture. I usually take pictures with my iPhone, but sometimes I take pictures with a high-resolution digital camera.
I walked to Yasaka Park to see the cherry blossoms and take some photos. It's about 60% in bloom and will be in full bloom around next Monday or Tuesday.
I pulled weeds from the garden and flower beds.
I made Nissin Chicken Ramen with lots of vegetables, aburaage and eggs. I also made a hot tofu and celery salad for my lunch.
I went to the live house A.C.B.(Ashibe) in Sakai machi at 5pm. My purpose was to take a live performance by Tokunou, a club mate at Photo Kano Club. I had took a few time photos of live performance before, but I wasn't very confident. He was in a bit of a pinch so I decided to do it. I was shooting continuously for almost 20 minutes while he was playing so I might have been able to get some good photos that he would like.
A.C.B. (Ashibe) is a live music venue where amateur musicians pay a performance fee. Of course, the audience also has to pay an admission fee. It costs 1,500 yen per performance (including one drink).
There were 10 musicians performing tonight. The performers later in the sequence are more experienced. Tokunou is the sixth. I thought the performers after him had the skill to provide the entertainment worth the 1500 yen I paid.
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April 4th. It was very foggy this morning.I made two servings of Sauce Yakisoba with a lot of vegetables. One was packed in my lunch box and the other was my breakfast. I also had some sliced apple, grilled atsuage, granola yogurt, and cafe au lait.
It was very foggy this morning. It was gotten so warm today. I don't think I'll need a kerosene heater anymore. I've drained all the fuel from the Aladdin Blue Flame. I'm going to put it away.
I put out Sauce Yakisoba from my lunch box and the microwaved. I also made fried egg, salad, sliced apple, and mugicha for my lunch.
I bought a package of nigiri sushi at Torisen for my evening meal. I also had a hot tofu, celery and tomato salad, and cold green tea. Hot tofu is tofu that has been heated in a microwave.
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April 3rd. I remodeled my PC power unit. I made a celery coleslaw salad for my breakfast. I'll be cooking celery for a few days.
My cats meow and throw out the anything is on the table to a floor. This is the sign she want to refill food. I gave her enough in the morning, however she did this sign strongly. I gave in and gave her another serving bit of food. I did this three times until she stopped meowing.
I remodeled my PC power unit. But the fan was too big and didn't fit in properly, so I replaced it with a smaller fan.
The power supply unit is a HEC 525VD-T with an output of 450W. It used to be a reliable product, but now it's a bit underpowered. I'm going to modify it as an auxiliary power supply, and together with the 450W main power supply I'll get 900W. In other words, instead of a 900W power supply that costs several tens of thousands of yen, I'm going to use two cheap second-hand power supplies that cost just a few hundred yen each.
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April 2nd. Grilled chicken tasted like smoked squid.I made a hot sandwich with cream cheese and Anko. I had it for my breakfast and lmy unch.
I grilled chicken that I had marinated in a mixture of yogurt, mixed nuts paste, and miso three days prior for my evening meal. It smelled and tasted like smoked squid, which is a popular snack. Not bad.
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April 1st. Vietnamese pho. I had some leftover celery and tofu soup from yesterday for my breakfast. I also had grilled atsuage, coleslaw salad, sliced tomatoes, a boiled egg, and cafe au lait.
I made oshiruko for my lunch.
Vietnamese pho is a combination of flat noodles made from rice flour and soup.
I made pho with lots of celery for my wvwning meal. It was instant, so all I had to do was boil the noodles and dissolve the soup. I also served it with boiled eggs and sausages.
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