Yuriko.Net in English

National Foundation Day of Japan

Posted by: Yuriko on: February 11, 2010

February 11st is National Foundation Day of Japan. Correctly, This must be called “The Commemoration of the Founding of Japan”

That is because this acutual establish date is not known. Foundation of Japan in very old days and Japan is established in some stages, not build in a day. The notation of Japan — “Nihon”, “Nippon”, or “日本” (in Kanji) are used since about 8th centry. Japan is very old country in the world.

By the way, February 11st is the new year day of the old luna calendar. The actual foundation of Japan is not known. January 1st, BC660 is defined as the foundation in a convenience. This date is too old than actual history. Most people in Japan does not believe this is the real foundation day.

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Ktai Style 2.0.0-beta3 — Mobile plugin with pictogram

Posted by: Yuriko on: February 8, 2010

Image:Theme selecting panel

You can select a mobile theme from screenshots.


I released version 2.0.0-beta3 of Ktai Style. This is a plugin to provide lightweight view and simple admin feature for mobile phones, especially for Japanese phones. Enhancement from beta2 is below.

  • You can select a mobile theme by list of screenshots.
  • Enabled viewing mobile pages with logging-in if you use cookie available phones.
  • You can post comments with logging-in.
  • Show an “edit” link if you have the privilege to change a post/page/comment.

DOWNLOAD: ktai-style.2.0.0-beta3.zip

In this release, use cookie to keep login session. It is possible to view weblog while logged-in.

(日本語の案内文)

Seasonal watershed

Posted by: Yuriko on: February 3, 2010

Feburary 3rd is the day of seasonal watershed. In Japan, people throws soy beans to reel fortune and keep away demons while shouting “Fortune in and demons out.”

Eat cylinder sushi facing to lucky diretion
In kansai area of Japan, people eat thick cylinder sushi called “Futo-maki” facing to the lucky direction and speak nothing while eating. This tradition come out all over in Japan nowadays.

The lucky direction of 2010 is East-South-East. I turned to 244-degree by compass of iPhone.
(Strictly, the right direction is 255-degree. Because, lucky direction is “Kanoe” position)

I wish this year will happy!

Ktai Style 2.0.0-beta2 — Mobile plugin with pictogram

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 24, 2010

Configuration panel of Ktai Style.

Having an individual menu


I released version 2.0.0-beta2 of Ktai Style. This is a plugin to provide lightweight view and simple admin feature for mobile phones, especially for Japanese phones. Enhancement from beta1 is below.

  • Put the archive to the official WordPress plugin directory.
  • Move settings menu to an individual item at the admin panel.

DOWNLOAD: ktai-style.2.0.0-beta2.zipbeta3 is available.

You can use P2 theme with mobile phone!
There is a demo site for mobile P2 theme. You can login and send message from mobile phone like PC version of P2 theme.

(日本語の案内文)

Quintet 2 commuter pass

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 23, 2010

Pass valid through 22.2.22

A commuter pass valid through February 22nd, 2010


I bought a commuter pass of East Japan Railway yesterday. The expiration date is “22.2.22″ — quintet 2 — which means “Heisei 22nd year”, Feburary, 22nd. In Japan, the order of the date is usually year, month, date. And month is generally number, not letters. “Heisei 22nd year” means the 22nd year from the current emperor enthronemented at 1998. “Heisei” is one of the names of a Japanese era.

After the year 2000, the use of Japanese era is decreased, and the Christian era became major. But, government offices and some railway company continue to use Japanese era. Japan Railway companies are one of them.

I planed that the expiration date have quintet same number “2″. There are three choice, (1) buy six months pass at August 23rd, 2009, (2) buy three months pass at December 23rd, 2009, (3) buy one month pass at February 23rd, 2010. I selected last one.

A new commuter pass are available to buy seven day before the start date. “22.2.22″ pass will start at February 23rd, 2010, therefore, I can buy at January 16th. But, I bought at yesterday.

This pass is a plastic card and has magnetic records. I can use automatic ticket gate with it. The section of the pass is between Noborito and Musashi-Kosugi. Both are a town of Kawasaki city, Japan. Noborito is my homested, Musashi-Kosugi is near my office.

(Japanese prompt report)

Wave dash characters ("〜") in Japanese

Wave dash characters (〜) in Japanese


I released version 1.0.0 of Force Wave Dash. This plugin fixed the problem with some characters in UTF-8 in Japanese: “WAVE DASH Problem”, “FULLWIDTH HYPHEN Problem” Please refer the wikipedia article “Wave Dash“.

DOWNLOAD: force-wave-dash.1.0.0.zip

This plugin is useful to handle Japanese in UTF-8, not needed if you contain no Japanese characters in your blog.

(日本語の案内文)

Fifteen years from Hanshin-Awaji quake

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 17, 2010

Gate of Light

© Valerio Festi/1&F Inc./Kobe Luminarie O.C.

January 17th has arrived again. Today is memorized as the date of Hanshin-Awaji quake of 1995 in Japan. The earthquake killed 6,434 people and broke about 250,000 houses. This was the biggest disaster after WWII, and second large quake to hit megalopolis in Japan.

In Kobe, An illumination art called “Kobe Luminarie” is held every December. This is to repose the soul of the victim, to give courage and hope for Kobe citizens. The picture right is a gate of light.

Focus to all over the world, same or larger scale of earthquake has been happened. Some day ago, Tahiti quake was occurred. I could not see that Haichi is not unrelated disaster.

Ktai Style 2.0.0-beta1 — Mobile plugin with pictogram

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 12, 2010

You can use P2 theme with mobile phone!
I released version 2.0.0-beta1 of Ktai Style (Link is a Japanese site).Beta 2 is available. This is a plugin to provide lightweight view and simple admin feature for mobile phones, especially for Japanese phones. This release provides to view weblogs with logged-in. Features of Ktai Style from before versions:

  • Provide lightweight content of the weblog.
  • Provide simple admin feature (create and edit post/pages, moderate comments etc)
  • Split each page to fit the limit of the cache/memory size of the phone.
  • Use pictograms for in some spots (numbers, arrows, clock, face, pencil, etc)
  • Shrink large images to fit the phone.
  • Show a relay page when you click links to external sites in case that the external site does not have mobile view.
  • Having many mobile themes.

Above image is a sample of P2 theme for mobile (Demo Site). P2 is a theme to collaborate each other in a project. The mobile P2 theme is useful to the object.

I will release formal version of Ktai Style 2.0.0 at the official WordPress plugin directory. Don’t miss it!

(日本語の案内文)

Kudzu cake of Kawasaki

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 10, 2010

I went to Heikenji temple (a.k.a. Kawasaki Daishi temple) yesterday. This temple is established by Sonken Shonin and celebrates Kobo Daishi. I bought Kudzu cake as a souvenir of the temple. Kudzu is a vine plant, but kudzu cake in Kawasaki is NOT made from kudzu powder, is made from corn starch. Therefore, It is written as “久寿餅” in chinese characters, which means forever-congratulations-cake. The cake with real kuzdu powder is written as “葛餅” with character means kudzu. “葛餅” is made at west area of Japan.

To eat kudzu cake (both, “久寿餅” and “葛餅”), cut small pieces, sprinkle soybean flour and black honey. It has chewy and a little sweet. Green tea is very suitable with the cake.

Rice cake soup in Osaka, Japan

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 8, 2010

In Japan, celebrating new year continues in three days. This is called “Sanga-Nichi” (means “The three days”). Many people returns to their homestead and make greetings. The foods at Sanga-Nichi is called “Osechi” (means “Food for changing period”). Especially, a rice cake soup called “Ozouni” or “Zouni” is served at the breakfast of each three day.

Zouni with rice cakes, vegetables, and white soybeans paste soup

Zouni with rice cakes, vegetables, and white soybeans paste soup (Day 1)

Zouni is very different between areas of Japan. In many area, Zouni has grilled rice cakes “Mochi” and vegetables in bonito based transparent soup “Sumashi-Jiru”. Another area, soybean paste soup “Miso-Shiru” is used instead of “Sumashi-Jiru”. In my homestead — Osaka Area– uses white soybean paste “Shiro-Miso” and vegetables as white radish (Daikon), red carrot (Kintoki-Ninjin), arrowhead (Kuwai), tied kelp (Musubi-Kobu), and rice cakes which is NOT grilled.

Zouni with grilled rice cakes and a potherb mustard in transparent bonito based soup

Zouni with grilled rice cakes and a potherb mustard in transparent bonito based soup (Day 2)

In Osaka, white soybean paste Zouni is only served at 1st day of new year. At the second day, the style of Zouni is changed: potherb mustard (Mizuna) and grilled rice cakes are in bonito based transparent soup. In other area, the content of Zouni is same through the three-day of new year.

Nonce! Please 1.1.2 — Spam declining plugin

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 7, 2010

I released version 1.1.2 of Nonce! Please. This plugin declines spam by add and check a nonce (random string) to the comment/trackback posting URL. There is no configuration. You just activate the plugin.

Nonce! Please adds a random string to the trackback URL.

A random string is added to the trackback URL.

Download: nonce-please.1.1.2.zip

If your weblog uses a standard permalink (like ?p=1234), you should upgrade to this version. The syntax error at trackback URL will repaired.

(日本語の案内文)

Weather Journal 1.3.0 — weather recording plugin

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 6, 2010

I released version 1.3.0 of Weather Journal. This is a weather recoding plugin for WordPress. You need to choose weather manually, therefore you can select the exact weather and record weather in past days.

Download: weather-journal.1.3.0.zip

This is the first release at the official WordPress plugin directory. Older versions of Weather Journal are released at WordPress Plugins/JSeries — alternative plugin repository in Japan.

(日本語の案内文)

English blog started

Posted by: Yuriko on: January 5, 2010


I started a new blog in English. This is for writing releases and providing support of my plugins.

Sometimes, I write my travel summary with pictures in Japan.

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