Samukatta!

January 20th- Imagawa no Renshu. At this time in Australia it was probably a lovely time to go swimming, but in Japan it is one of the weekends closest to the coldest days in Japan. In Japanese, this tradition is called Kangeiko. It is training that is "good for your heart" or possible encouraging a heart attack! Just kidding, it wasn't that bad. We ran from a place to near the dojo (training hall) to the shrine where the priest prayed for us and blessed us for a successful and healthy year in karate (I think), and then we ran to Imagawa, where we did some training. The water is somewhat comparable to the Victorian surf, so is not too much of a shock, although I didn't go swimming in it like the boys. After we ate a huge feast to warm us up. Oishikatta!