Hungry J

Have you ever felt so hungry you could eat a horse?




















OK Mum, a car is an acceptable alternative
(July 17)

Puppy stickers

My TV looks much better doesn't it?















Oh, the stickers were supposed to go in the sticker book?
(July 15)

O-Bon-O-Dori dance festival

Tonight I went to an O-Bon O-Dori Japanese dance festival, with my girlfriend Reiko chan, although we spent more time fishing than dancing.















And you can catch a goldfish
In a plastic bag for free;
But the bag has got a hole in
And the bowls are 50p.




















Pam Ayres was right.
(July 13)

I enjoyed the festival so much that I went three days in a row;




















On Tuesday with Haruya san, who was also better at fishing than O-bon dori dancing




















Note from Mum: from these pics you can see that J is a little bit small for his age; Haruya chan is in the same hoikuen class and Reiko chan is six months younger. But what Little J lacks in stature he makes up for in personality!
(July 14)

An afternoon singing karaoke songs with Momo-chan

OK, I did most of the singing, but Momo-chan is a really good listener















This would probably be better as a video with surround sound
(July 11)

Art appreciation

Visiting Sato san's amateur art club summer exhibition in Ginza















I should have brought my hand-painted hat to exibit.
(July 9)

Hoikuen friends

Came back to my house to play. I shared my toys and train set, but the top of the sofa is mine, all mine!




















(July 8)

I made this hat myself

Maybe you guessed?




















(July 6)

Samurai J

Today mummy and I joined a CWAJ kimono-wearing class
There were lots of cute girls so Playboy-J had a great afternoon















I ate watermelon with the girls ... then checked out the Japanese garden ...




















Ran trains along the tatami mats ... and posed with the teacher





















What am I thinking? Answers on a postcard please




















(July 5)

保育園 Hoikuen Summer Festival

Today was the hoikuen kindergarten Summer Festival. There were lots of games and activities; one of my favourites was fishing. What did I catch?
I caught ..... Harumi chan! (Pink dress)
Wow! Much better than the crayfish I catch in the park!




















(More pictures to follow from friends' cameras. Mummy was too busy reading books for the 'Storytime' corner to take a lot of pics. I need to employ a professional photographer
(July 3)

Before - After ビフォーアフター

Japanese readers may realize that Little J is posing in front of the famous house that was featured in the 'Before-After' TV programme this evening.

























Actually this house is opposite our apartment building so we've been watching the renovation work for months and were really curious to see inside
(June 28)

Yakuza bike boy

Mummy said I can't get any more tattoos (homemade or otherwise) until I'm at least 18




















While I was cruising around the balcony I picked ALL the tomatoes, although most of them looked more like peas (but didn't taste as good as peas or tomatoes)















(June 27)

What has Auntie Liz sent me?

Can you see MY name on the envelope? That means everything inside is for ME, right




















Thomas-the-Tank-Engine comics; cool!













Chocolate raisins; yummy! (scoff scoff)













And a new shirt; yahoo!













(June 23)

Dinner at Jonny and Kokoro's house

With Velcro the dog and his ball















And Kokoro's grandma
















(June 20)

Second flower-arranging lesson

I take it very seriously and pay great attention to detail





















Wow! How good does that look?





















(June 18)

What makes you think I like Tellytubbies?

(June 16)

Bubble-blowing practice

There is nothing better than blowing bubbles on the balcony at sunrise




















Mum: yes, sunrise.

(June 15)

Another church charity bazaar

Another day slaving away on a book stall.
My reward?
A tricycle! Yeehaa!




















I was really helpful, wasn't I mum? I'm sorry I threw up my breakfast all over you and now you smell like sour milk; but otherwise, I was a good boy wasn't I? I can still keep the tricycle, right?
Reiko chan and her mum came to give a helping hand (hands?)




















So did Megaru-chan. I was surprised she can walk. If you can read too, Megaru-chan, lets meet again soon and I'll teach you how to run




















When we got home it was my turn to push

















(June 14)

Little J's first ikebana flower-arranging lesson

I chose the flowers myself. The lady at the flower shop gave me an extra gerberra in case one 'met with an accident' on the way home




















Ah, you're right mum. It is easier to put them in one at a time




















And here is the finished result. All arranged with my own fair hand




















The flower shop lady was also right. But I bet she never expected her gerberra would be run over by a 700 series shinkansen bullet train, en route from water-spill-lagoon to clear-up-tea-towel ridge
(June 11)

Destined to become a fashion mogul?

This evening I helped Mummy sort out her fish tanks. Shame we're giving them away, because I'm sure train-fish racing would be more fun than train-rubber duck racing in the bath. Maybe Mummy had the same thought ...















Can we keep this filter sponge? I think it would make a great hat
















(June 7)

Plum picking

After church I met my puddle-stomping mate Gen - pronounced with a soft 'G' like Richard Gere rather than a hard 'G' like in genuflect. (That dictionary I ate for breakfast is paying off already)



















First we checked out the pond (no crayfish) so on to the highlight of the day:















PLUM PICKING! (The highlight of Gen's dad's month!)
Gen and I were really good at picking up fallen plums




















In fact, I'd even go so far as to say it was almost as much fun as puddle-stomping.
'Wow, that good?' I hear you say















(Regular viewers will remember that plum-picking was cancelled last week because of rain)
(June 7)

Building blocks

Today there was a special event at hoikuen playing with 15 wooden building blocks. I mean, 15 BOXES of wooden building blocks.




















We built an igloo, several Leaning Towers of Pisa and a meandering Hadrian's Wall



















Here I am in the igloo with mummy, and with the head mistress
(No, I hadn't been naughty. Well, maybe just a little, but it wasn't a doghouse)




















Then we posed for a photo in the middle of the wall ... Uh oh ...













Someone's in trouble










It wasn't me honest. My hands never moved










(June 6)

Hey, where did the igloo go?

Does my hair look cool?

Today I had my hair cut. It was soooo much better than when mummy tries to cut it - grabbing clumps of hair in the bath, swinging hedge trimmers and wondering why I cry. No cool car chair, no shinkansen bullet train DVD, no cute babe ...














Oh, I love having my head massaged!




















Finishing touch with gel, for the super cool look.
Wonder if Reiko chan is free for a date tonight ...




















(June 4)

Swapping places with Myu-chan

This afternoon I rode home from hoikuen in Myu-chan's bicycle seat complete with a cool helmet and she rode in my baby-car pushchair. Feel free to make a fuss anytime Myu-chan and use my ride. I'll suffer, I suppose, and ride home in your bicycle seat. (Yeehaa!)













But we have to swap back mummies when we get home
(Mum: note the prevailing shoe fashion. Matching shoes aren't worth a tantrum.)
(June 1)

Raining cats and dogs

Today was supposed to be plum-picking, but it was postponed because of rain - torrential rain - so Gen-chan and I took it in turns to find the deepest puddles which was more fun than plum-picking.
Hopefully it will be raining again next Sunday ...
(May 31)

Making pizza

I did it properly, with home-grown and hand-picked tomatoes and basil










And strict quality control of the other ingredients













As you can see, I take pizza-making very seriously













Now I definately know what I want to be when I grow up:
an internationally-acclaimed, award-winning pizza chef!
Maybe I could take over from the Naked Chef when he gets old and wrinkly?













I wonder if there's room for a pizza oven in a bullet train cockpit?
Then I could be a Shinakansen driver and make pizzas between stations
(May 30)

Table tennis pro

I love playing table tennis




















I've a feeling this might be the winning shot




















Are you ready Max teddy?




















Did you notice the train net?
(May 29)

Auditing my train collection

Is it dinner time yet?
Sumie-san brought us clam and salmon bento lunch boxes
It was so good that I ate mine AND mummy's too





















Better scoff it quick before she notices ...




















I don't want to be 'Little' J forever
(May 27)

Reiko-chan's mum's clam chowder was also yummy!
(Is that sentence grammatically correct?)




















So is it ok to say 'Reiko chan's mum's clam chowder's taste is really good'?
(May 25)

Talking of Reiko-chan

Is that love in your eyes? And a pic of Little J in your hands?




















Cool glasses. Can I try them on?
Here's looking at you babe




















(May 25)

And how did Little J spend his Sunday?

We went Azari short-necked-clam picking.
When I say 'we' I mean Noriko, Koharu-chan, Mummy, me and ...

















... half of Tokyo!






































Mummy was pretty good at finding clams, but I prefer crayfish fishing; less scavaging around in mud and jostling for beach space. I hope mummy shares them, or I'll be eating clams all week





















I heard that half of British beaches are unfit for bathing, so I guess British readers won't be clamouring for shellfish bus tours (hee hee hee!)

Koharu-chan and I are purely platonic. We only share sweets. There's really no need for you to tell Reiko-chan





















(May 24)

How did Little J spend his Saturday?

First I took an early morning trip on the high seas















What's this boat called? The Mari Celeste?
















The I donned a 'Happi jacket' (and cap) to go to a local Matsuri festival with some friends















I was in charge of O-Mikoshi portable shrine manoeuvres (that's British spelling, not a typo). It's a responsible job you know (managing, not spelling). Are you ready men?




















I think you need to move a little more to the right




















Then I gave a hand pulling the O-Mikoshi; luckily Reiko-chan came along to help. (Mummy says that every successful man has the support of a good woman!)















Phew! O-Mikoshi supervising is thirsty work. Time for a play break





















(May 23)

At sumo

Watching Harumafuji (formerly Ama, aka Mama) ...















... lose















Luckily he finally won the tournament, yahooooo!
That means I can celebrate by having ice-cream for tea, right Mum?
(May 22)

Playground tour # 5,388,991

When it is nice weather (like today) we play in the hoikuen roof-top garden















All my class members have to wear a pink hat whenever we leave our classroom
(May 21)

I love bubbles!

Is there such a job as a professional bubble blower?
If so, that's what I want to be when I grow up




















If it's well paid, of course (May 20)

Gardening

Helping mummy to water the plants ... and the balcony and my shoes ...




















(May 19)

Reiko chan's birthday

Today my girlfriend was two years old, so I went to her house for birthday tea















To help open presents















To sing the happy birthday song
No Reiko chan! You don't put out birthday candles with a spoon!
















You blow them out, like this















And to play, of course











(May 17)

Fashion victim

Recently, I learned to dress myself.
Yes, I know my shoes are different colours; it's called 'trend setting'




















My shoes are on the wrong feet? I need to change my fashion advisor
(May 14)

Water

Playing in the pool at the university. (Well, the sign said 'No playing on the water')
















Who wants to fish for crayfish? Oh me! Me! Please let me!
















Have you got any dried squid in your purse mum?
(May 10)

Oh Good!

Soba for dinner (again). No, I didn't catch any crayfish at the university. Partly because mummy didn't have any bait, but also because there weren't any crayfish (or indeed, any wildlife) in the pond; except me!

Table tennis practice

I'm waiting mum ... Let me show you; this is how you serve




















Hey, I got it. I'm winning! I'm winning!
Maybe I'll be an Olympic table tennis player when I grow up




















Of course, hiding mummy's bat before we started playing did give me the upper hand.
It'll be a couple of days before she finds it behind the sofa.
(Mum: yes, it was!)
(May 10)

Animal book

My girlfriend, Reiko-chan, lent me her animal book with sound buttons which are fun to imitate. (Reiko-chan didn't like the loud animal noises but I hope she still likes me now I can roar like a lion and bark like a dog.)




















(May 7)

Someone drew on the chair mum

Whoever it was they were very naughty, weren't they?





















Your dinner on the floor? Now, I might know something about that ...





















(Mum: But not the chair ???)




















***Non-Asian readers: can you sit like Little J, keeping your heels on the ground?***
(May 9)

Play park tour # 5,388,991

I enjoyed swimming at Kodomo-no-shiro so much that we went again today
Trendy armbands, eh? You weren't laughing at the hat were you?




















Afterwards we dried off in the sauna.(Slightly pornographic picture, sorry. I haven't grown into these Speedo trunks yet.)




















Then it was slide time! Yahoo!




















It was a little bit dangerous - which added to the excitement





















Did I tell you that today was another national holiday? No idea what we were celebrating today ... maybe Suberi-dai-no-hi National Slide Day? (Hee hee hee, I just made that up. Maybe you guessed)
(May 6)

Children's Day

Kodomo-no-hi (Boy's Day, but to be politically correct we should call it 'Children's Day') is another national holiday - yahoo! We went to Kodomo-no-shiro Children's Castle

I went swimming (here's Little J posing in his sexy swimming trunks in the changing room)




















Are you impressed at how well I can swim?
Maybe I'll be an Olympic swimmer when I grow up ...




















Actually, this was the footbath at the entrance!
















Afterwards I helped out the band playing lead percussion




















(May 5)

'Green Day' in the park

No, not THAT Green Day (although it would have been nice. Coincidentally, they released a new CD today)
May 4 is 'Midori-no-hi' Green Day national holiday in Japan, so we met mummy's sports club friends in the park for a bit of footie.















Actually there were more balls than players















No, I'm not resting; I'm just waiting for Noah and Joshua to find their balls in the shrubbery




















(May 3)

Baseball Fan

Little J in a Hanshin Tigers uniform




















Everyone kept calling me 'Little Tiger'; Grrrrrrr!
(May 3)

Trip to the seaside

Mummy and I at the seaside (I've been having lessons on the correct use of pronouns; apparently there are alternatives to 'me me me')















Water: that means crayfish, that means fishin..... Wow! Big wave! No, I'm not afraid, I just forgot my dried squid bait




















Close call. Look at all those piranhas (viewed from the safety of a glass-bottomed boat). Lucky I forgot my bait. Heck, Little J could have been the bait. What do you mean mum, they're not piranhas? You couldn't tell the difference between a piranha and a smoked haddock!















Riding home in the style to which I intend to become accustomed, with a banana in one hand and shinkansen train in the other




















(May 2)

Japanese Constitution Day national holiday

We went to Shinjuku park (about 5 minutes from our house)















where they had an ECO Festival















First I made a stage debut















Then tested the recycled cardboard slides (with a few friends)















It's a pretty park, isn't it? But 'where's Little J?' I hear you ask
















Here I am, fishing for Crayfish
























with a stick and dried squid bait. And yes, I did catch one
Maybe I'll be a fisherman when I grow up
(April 29)

New Mr. Men story line:

Mr. Happy tries to break into the church to join the annual meeting




















(T shirt courtesy of Auntie Pat for Easter)

I love Soba noodles

Especially free soba noodles at the fish market

















And Setsuko san's potato salad and beef rolls




















And Pino ice creams (marshmallow-size choc-ices for those of you who've never tried them.) They are so yummy I could eat a whole box-full. Oh, I did.




















(May 2)

Posing with the Matsukawa boys

As we ran home from hoikuen
















And the next day detoured through the park
I already came here (many, many times!) so this slide doesn't count in my play park tour

My first ride on a Shinkansen Bullet Train

Me with mummy in front of 'our' Bullet Train















Hey look, it's a real Shinkansen driver! Shouldn't you be inside polishing the pistons or changing the battery? Or at least checking the track to mend the parts mummy stepped on???
















Relaxing in first class. OK, the car next to first class, but it felt like heaven!
















I want to be a professional Shinkansen Bullet Train passenger when I grow up.
Meanwhile, I practiced driving the supermarket trolley. (Cool trolley, eh?)

Learning how to smash an Easter Egg

No one had to teach me how to eat it!




















Followed by a banana chaser




















What's wrong with the slippers? They looked great on Kokoro san

Today I drove my truck to the library

And back




















I was 'helping' mummy with her research. Wow! This book is really heavy. It must contain lots of useful information















(April 15)

Driving my BMW

(April 13)

Easter Egg Hunt

I found it!
















The Easter Bunny left me a real Easter Egg!





















Then we listened to Sunday School stories (April 12)

Cadbury's cream egg

Katie gave me a real Cadbury's chocolate cream egg.
Now you see it ...















Now you don't.




















Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten it all at once. (April 12)

Balloon bashing

With Junko san




















Good teamwork, eh?















(April 6)

Sakura play park

A new play park opened near our house. It has a great sandpit.




















Minoru chan took his tricycle. After two hours pushing apprenticeship ...




















... it was my turn to ride it, all by myself




















(April 5)

More cherry blossoms

This time at ICU





















Sorry, wrong pic. Here's little J.
















(April 5)

Art appreciation

No handprints. No potato-cutter 'J' prints, but these pictures (by Prof. H's daughter) still look pretty good, don't they?.















I think I'd like to be an artist when I grow up.















(March 30)

Hana-mi Cherry-blossom-viewing time (again)

I'm so happy! It's Cherry-blossom-viewing time again. In Shinjuku park ...















With several thousand other people.















But wait. The cherries haven't blossomed yet.















(March 29)

Flea Market

Today I 'helped' at a flea market with my hoikuen friends


















Hey! Is that a train set ... ?




















Now THIS is why I like 'helping' at bazaars: have you ever seen such a great train layout? Bet you wish you'd helped at the bazaar too, right?















(March 22)

Today I rode in a real fire engine

With a real fireman




















Maybe I'll be a fireman when I grow up (March 22)

Playing skittles

OK, listen up men. The plan is when I throw the ball you fall over



































Good teamwork!
















Want to do it again? And again? (March 20)

Prof. H's retirement party

This month mummy's professor retires, so tonight we went to an Okinawan restaurant with the other doctoral students















Six girls and one guy. I think I want to be a doctoral student when I grow up.
(March 19)

Introducing ...

... my toy boat collection.

















Help submarine! There's been a collision in the the jug estuary and the fishing boat is sinking (March 18)

Watching Shinkansen bullet trains

Little J in the big city

Like 'High Noon' ... with a pushchair instead of a horse. And a Thomas-the-tank- engine hat instead of a stetsun. And a model train instead of a gun.




















OK, nothing like 'High Noon'. I'd rather be Clint Eastwood anyway.

After dark antics

Mummy said that when she was a little girl she used to read under the bedcovers with a torch when she was supposed to be asleep. Tonight I sneaked some trains, track AND a torch and (train) book into my bed
















And last night I got a whole truck-load of things in without mum noticing















(Right, Little J. Who do you think took the picture? March 15)

Playing Hide-and-Seek

Mummy will never find me in here




















Don't tell her where I am, will you?





















(March 15)

White Day with Reiko-chan

March 14 'White Day' is like Valentine's Day in Japan, and all the guys have to give their babes white chocolates. (Mummy says it's a commercial scam dreamed up by the confectionary industry. I hope I don't that get cynical when I'm old.)




















Luckily my girlfriend, Reiko-chan, prefers playing ball to eating chocolates. Her dad is pretty good at playing ball too, but we still managed to beat him. I think I might be a soccer player when I grow up

Why are you laughing mum?

I wanted to tidy up the bikes, but mum said it was best not to touch this one















(March 12)

Bed trampolining

First I had dinner with my hoikuen mates,















Then we invited our girlfriends back to my house to play trampolining on the bed



























Everyone enjoyed it so much it was as if they didn't do trampoline practice every morning - I find it's an effective way to wake up mummy - but I guess if you sleep on a futon there are no springs to bounce on (Saturday March 7)

Question

If you had a choice between chocolate cream gateau and fresh strawberries, or smelly natto fermented soy-beans and plain rice, which would you choose?















Hmmmm, maybe mummy is right. I am a strange kid. (March 5)

Bath toys

Auntie Liz's toy boats. I mean the boats Auntie Liz gave me.
(You have to be so careful with apostrophe S's don't you?)















And a bath-toy tidy bag. Look mum, I tidied up. Can I get out now?
(You're right; except for Rubber Ducky most of my 'toys' are shampoo bottles)
(March 4)

Presents! Presents!

Is there a Christmas in March too, mum?

I got a Bob-the-builder digger and chocolate raisins from Auntie Liz.




















Raisins fit perfectly in the shovels, see? Oops it slipped in my mouth.

And Hairy MacClarey books from Auntie Pat

Hina Matsuri - Girls' Day

Me standing next to the Hina Doll display at hoikuen. They would have been alot more interesting if they had wheels or engines (March 3)

Karaoke practice

On Sunday (March 1) we met Junko san. (Good name!) She gave me a Thomas the Tank Engine toy AND a karaoke set, with a real microphone, so now I can sing 'The Frog Song' all day. And all night. Mummy said the neighbours will be pleased.

Time for bed

Shinkansen bullet train, check. Train book, check. Yamanote train, check. Elmo, check. Oh, you meant time to sleep?

Sumie san's soup

What makes you think it was delicious? Maybe the fact I licked the bowl clean? (February 27)

Racing Myu-chan to hoikuen

I won, of course (February 26)

Watch out Evil Knievel

Here comes Little J on his tricycle!



















(Feb 22)

Cocoa pops

Auntie Pat introduced me to chocolate breakfast cereals, and the importance
of finishing every last drop.




















You're not laughing at my just-got-out-of-bed hair are you??? Are you??
Hmmm, I think you are
(Feb 17)

Dog cafe

At Toyasu there was a Dog Cafe; here is the dog menu, including a party plan and birthday cake
















When we got home I mixed natto (fermented soybeans) with corn
which looked very similar to dog food

Playground tour # 5,388,990

Toyasu playground was the best so far















I could see trains from the slide!















(Feb 8)

Train engineer

Whenever mummy says 'Lets go' I know we're going out,
and I must quickly collect together all my essential things in the pushchair
otherwise she makes me go out without them




















Today we went to a hoikuen meeting. While mummy talked I taught my
girlfriends how to make a really good train layout

















(Feb 7)

Mame-maki Festival

February 3 is the day when people throw dry soybeans to frighten away devils, and invite good luck. Mummy wasn't too keen on me throwing beans around the house, so we went to the temple to do Mame-maki
















Dry soy beans don't taste too good, so later we ate Setsuko-san's stewed beans. Much tastier!

Birthday Party - with Aki and Ryuga

Ryuga-chan has a great train collection AND his very own slide




















We had a strawberry eating competition. I thought I was the fastest strawberry-eater in the world,
but actually, Ryuga-chan was pretty quick too















We still had room for birthday cake















(Feb 1)

Making cookies

Tomorrow I'm having a (another) birthday party with my hoikuen buddies,
Akihide-kun and Ryuga-kun, who are also two this month

I love bathtime!

(Jan 2009)

January sumo tournament

Yes, again















(January 22)

Playing in the fountain

Eh? Where did all the water go?




















The fountain was full of water last time I fell in.
A lot of very cold, wet water
(Jan 2009)

Another hard day at the office

(Jan 2009)

Hoikuen 'Tanjobi kai'

Daycare birthday party
I had to stand at the front of the assembly hall while everyone sang the 'Happy Birthday Song' to me (in Japanese of course). I was really nervous

What am I doing?

Watching a train DVD, of course!

Birthday Boy!

Guess who was 2 today? (January 7, 2009) Little J of course!

I got lots of presents.
The train book and DVD from Reiko-chan was best





















And Reiko's mum made me a birthday cake! Yummy!





















Light the candle and sing the birthday song again mum. And again. And again.

Dance Time

With hoikuen friends















Mum always says:
'Work like you don't need the money;
Love like you've never been hurt and















dance like no-one is watching!
(As you know, I always do everything my mummy tells me)
(Jan 17)

Play park tour

I'm losing count. I think it's # 5,388,989