Tomeo Hanami

Photos from his childhood

Photo 1
Back row: Uncle Okura, Mrs. Okura (Chii's younger sister), Ichi (Tomeo's eldest sister), Koto (Tomeo's 2nd elder sister). Front row: Tomeo, Shin'ichi (Tomeo's father), Chii (Tomeo's mother), Suzuko (Tomeo's 3rd elder sister).
Photo 2
Standing: Tomeo, Chii, Koto. Sitting: Kazuo (Ichi's son and father of Andy and Lisa Hanami), Yoshie (Tomeo's younger sister), Suzuko, Chiyomi.

Photo 3



Photo 3 Closeup
From left to right: Suzuko, Auntie Okura, Ichi, two children (left crying, right looking down--unidentifiable), Kazuo, Chii, Tomeo, Yoshie (foreground), Koto (background), Shin'ichi.

Photos from young adulthood

Photo 4
Tomeo in the early 1940s taken when he lived in Twin Falls, Idaho. Left is wrinkled original, right is touched up version.

Photo 5 Tomeo probably in early 1940s, with someone in Idaho?

Photos from 1955

Photos are when Tomeo returned to Japan to visit his father and to marry Yasuko.

Photos 6-8
Is it my imagination, or is there a strong resemblance to dad now?

Photo 9
I don't know if that is Grandmother Chii or not. Ask Dad.



Photos 10-11
Shinichi and son, Tomeo.





Photos 12
Tomeo with family members in the back of the house.

Photos 13
Party for Tomeo and Yasuko.






Photos 14
The mandatory group photo. Tomeo looks stiff, Yasuko looks sheepish.





Photos 15
Tomeo and Yasuko.



Photos 16
The Hanami's meet the Moriwaki's. From left: Tomeo, Tadashi Moriwaki (Yasuko's brother), Yasuko, Fumiyo Moriwaki (Yasuko's mother), Shinsei (Tomeo's brother-in-law), and--I think--Yoshie (Tomeo's younger sister) with unidentified little girl.



Photos 17
The new Hanami family, Tomeo, Yasuko and Leo.

花見家にて、ハロウィーン

Halloween at the Hanami House
アメリカのハロウィーンだ！


As everyone in the U.S knows, Halloween starts with carving a pumpkin.
ハロウィーンとは、聖なる（ハロー hallowed）イーブ（イーブニング evening=eve'n）という言葉の省略で、もともと十一月一日のオール・セインツ・デー（全聖人の日）の前の日の夜に、死んだ人の魂が帰ってくる信仰から始まった、とリオが子どもの時から聞いている。


今、アメリカでは、子供がお化けの格好して、人の家に行って、"Trick or treat" （お菓子をくれなかったら、いたずらするぞ！）と叫んで、お菓子をもらいにくる。（なんか積極的だよね。）
Ken also take a stab at making the face.

子どもが来るように、ジャコランターン （Jack-o-lantern カボチャの提灯）を飾って呼び寄せるので、まず、カボチャ（パンプキン）を切り刻んで提灯を作る。彫刻まで言わないが、一応芸術ぽく、こわい顔にする。    初めてのハロウィーンだから、みんなが一刻みを入れたい。もちろん、Chie もケンも真典も切ってみたいのだ。どんなにこわい顔になるのだろう。 Of course, Shinsuke has to take a stab as well.

ワー、やっぱり日本人だ。なんとなく、歌舞伎ぽくになったみたいね。 What's with the face? It sure looks like a Kabuki mask, doesn't it? Well, we are mostly Japanese, I guess.....

ケンもカボチャと一緒に写真を撮りたいって。まあ、しようがないか。 Ken take his turn to take a picture with the pumpkin.

この写真を見れば、カボチャのモデルは Chie に違いない、と思いませんか。眉毛から口のあたりまで。 This photo seems to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the model for the pumpkin was Chie, no?

Okay, okay, Leo confesses. While he kept a low profile, the pumpkin design was his. But it's pretty cool, don't you think? I guess Leo's classical Japanese background kicks in. . . . or something like that.

しかし、やっぱり、ハロウィーンの主賓は、お菓子をもらいにくる子どもたちだ. . . . がこんなに大きく、こんなにこわそうな格好してきたら、ムムムム．．．． Of course, the principle characters of Halloween are the kids who come to trick-or-treat.