June, 2007 Issue（No3）
RIFA　Top Koryu　Top Japanese 　Miyuko, 3rd daughter of Hiromi Miyagi San who is member of RIFA is studying aboard in Sweden from last August with plan to stay for one year. 　Following are first reports highlighting Miyagi San' visit to Sweden with his wife before Miyuko will return to Japan.

We arrived at Schiphol Airport in Holland after air flight for 12 hours with 7 hours difference in time, and after passing through the airport gate, met Suzan with her smiling face and warm Holland at 25 degree C. Temperature was down to 5-7 degree C at night. Note that Suzan home-stayed at our house, Joined in RIFA International Understanding Class and being highlighted in Koryu. 　We rode on the Japanese car Suzan liked very much and headed straight for her house through the straightly extended highway. From the car window, I enjoyed the view of hose, sheep and cow in the pasture belt which I have not seen until now. It seemed for me to see the picture postcard. Also, I felt that a residential street of what had houses in the park.　The road consisted of sidewalk, bicycle track and driveway. That was a typical road in Holland !! 　On the next day ,it was started by chirping a small bird and a breakfast was taken in a good interior design of sense. Under guidance by Suzan and her mother, we went to the windmill network at Kinderdijk which was famous world heritage, and town of cheese, Gouda which occupied 60% of cheese production in Holland. It was first for me to see the windmill which was actually moving. Until now I had seen the windmill only with picture. Moving world heritage was rare !!!　 　I felt that they were greatly forcible and truly powerful when went to a side.

Met our daughter in Sweden where there were many forests and lakes, and midnight sun could be seen 　Our next destination was Sweden where our daughter was waiting. When we arrived at Stockholm Airport, she said firstly , "dad , did you become small?" We were very surprised that there were many large built persons in Sweden as same as In Holland. Sweden was beautiful country having numerous forests and lakes, and the sky, bright up to 10 p.m. was so clear at day time and night time. 　There was a big difference in temperature between 15 degree C at day time and　5 degree C at night time. However, we were staying under comfortable condition　in house where the　thermometers were equipped at many places and the room　temperature was being kept at around 20 degree C. People liked candle light and there were many indirect lighting systems in the rooms. I felt that the room was relatively dim . Shortly, I became very comfortable when getting used to that condition, and felt that a time was passing away slowly.

Visited to Anders's home in Karlskrona, town with naval part 　As a first, using super express train X2000, we were going to the home of Andus who was home-staying in our house,. His home was located in Karlskrona with the naval port. The town was registered as world heritage and thereby so beautiful. 　On that day, April 30 was a day of Valborg. Festival at which people celebrated the advent of spring. 　The national flags were raised in everywhere, the fireworks were held at night, the trees were collected and burned, and people gathered and sung on the street. 　Next, we went to Stockholm to which our daughter also sometimes visited. Being shaken in the bus for 3 hours, we went around the gourd shift at Drottningholms Royal Palace, the hall for Nobel Prize Award, Vasamseet Museum, souvenir shop , favorite shop and etc. We passed one day happily under the blue sky by guidance of our daughter. Then, we went Norrkoping where our daughter was studying and visited her school , the glass workshop in the specific local industry, famous IKEA and etc. 　We passed every days pleasantly in Sweden. 　Note that IKEA is a specialty store which deals with Sweden furniture and interior products.

June, 2007 Issue（No3）

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Transｌated by Hiroshi Horiike