Angie joins Sit-n-Wait game at Westie Party

Westie Sit-n-Wait game

At the party, westies play several games.

This is Sit-n-Wait game where

owners make them sit and walk away from them 

and compete how long their fur kids can wait...!

So we joined the game.

Angie goes to Dog Training School regularly 

and she is good at obedience.

So I sat her (on the right)

And my hand on the left of the photo.

She was holding it all right, then

suddenly,  ran towards me.....

Someone inadvertently touched her tail from the back.

We did not win  but you are always my best girl!

Westie Party 2012

Westie Party 2012

At last, long-awaited Westie party took place yesterday at Lake Sagami.

354 Westies from all over the country got together to meet again.

This is the group photo for which we Japanese are famous for.

Look how well behaved Japanese westies are!

Angie

Chuo Highway from Tokyo to Lake Sagami is notoriously congested

 so we left home before 7am allowing ample time for the party.

Angie looking sleepy in kilt.

354 Westies!

An impressive photo.

I could not find my husband and Angie....!

These girls on the right drove some 300 km to come to the party.

We meet every year.

Angie and I

We participated in sit-and-wait game competition.

Angie is well trained so I was confident we would win.

However she was distracted by others and ran towards me....lol
So we lost the game but her full smile made me sooo happy.

This smallish group photo is with all Angie's relatives.

Our great grandad is Moon Pilot but via US breeding lines.

We had a great day picnicing and had fun.

Everyone stay well and see you again next year! 

Angie's First Dogshow

Last year we planned to show Angie in her club's dogshow,

but the show was cancelled due to 3.11 earthquake.

After a year we decided to show her again.

Dogshow fanciers are gradually decreasing in Japan.
Dog owners are less interested in conformation
and dogshows are increasingly becoming the place for professional handlers and breeders.

Showing a breed like westie requires coat work and showing techniques
and not easy for regular owners to take on.
Competing against professional handlers is daunting and takes a bit of courage. 

So Angie's training school assisted us novice owners
with grooming tips and showing/walking techniques for two months.

This short video recorded our learning process and the dogshow on the day.

Throughout the day, we learned and discovered about our dogs, the breed,
and most of all we enjoyed our privileged bond with them in the ring.

Apologies for some of the video scenes out of focus.
But it was a memorable day for us  

and we think Angie enjoyed the show, too.

First River Swimming

Tokyo continues to be exceptionally hot with no sign of summer heat easing.
We were fed up with the city heat so
 we decided to go to the upstream of Tama River in the suburb of Tokyo for a picnic.

There Angie can try river swimming for the first time.

Tokyo city westie standing still, she is not sure what she wants to do.

She gave it a try with me.
The water was very fresh and cold.

She had enough with the first swim and....

Eagerly heading back to our tent...lol 

We had picnic lunch in the tent, 

and later Angie tried again to soak her feet.
That seemed OK, but she did not want to go further.

  

Back in the tent, relieved and dozing off....

After the picnic, we stopped by at 'Tea Room' by the same river.

The lady owner of the cafe has been working on 15-year old garden.

                                     



                                           Afternoon tea

Angie has her smiles again.
Maybe we will try the picnic again soon.

Sound of Summer

Summer evening walk to a local shrine at northern Hyogo.

We are surrounded by this overwhelming sound of cicadas.

This is the sound of summer in Japan.

Angie walking up to a shrine.

She is making sure I am following.

Angie climbing down from the shrine.

She seems to find it harder to walk down the moss-covered steps.

Old primary school at sunset.

JP summer is slowly going.....

Obon Week

August is a holiday season but it is also the time for remembrance.

6th August for Hiroshima and 9th August for Nagasaki,

where memorial services are held every year.

Then we have OBON (13-15 August), that is, 

a Buddhist commemoration of ancestors whose spirits return to the family.

So people return to their parents or hometown

to receive the spirits of the loved ones  remembering and commemorating

and send the spirits back on 15th August.

The last day of Obon also coincides with the day Japan surrendered and ended WWII.

***

But August is not only about remembrance,

We have AngieDad's birthday.

So we had this birthday cake made locally.

Yesterday we had a gathering with friends whose westies came from the same breeder.

Yukimaru retuned to Tokyo for Obon

 Yukimaru lives in Sendai and returned to Tokyo for Obon.

Friends decided to meet up and welcome back Yukimaru.
Its been a year since we saw him last.

Angie

10 two-legged and 9 four-legged gathered, and here they are:

JKC Champion Non & her daughter Hime

Non

Hime

Dharma

Abby & Eve

Abby & Eve are Lady's daughters.  

Eve received JCK International championship title this year.

 After lunch we attempted to take group photos,

but soon realized it is almost impossible to capture all 9 westies at once.

From left, 13 year old Pinky, Yukimaru, and Dharma

From left, Abby, Angie, Eve and Lady, another JKC International Champion

We had a wonderful time with 9 westies
and look forward to our next meeting!

The Summer is starting....

Tokyo is still in the rainy season, but the temperature and humidity are rising rapidly.

This is the hardest time for Tokyo westies and we are taking extra care for their health & wellbeing.

We also look forward to our summer break next month when we escape to the countryside.

The Takeda Castle is one of our favorite places near AngieDad's hometown in Hyogo in western part of Japan.

The Castle is built on top of a mountain with 15-minute climb.

It is the perfect place for a picnic or an outing.

Here are some photos of the place from last year.

     Many steps...
     Angie opting for the side walk avoiding the steps....

                             





                     More steps!
                     Now she has given up and Dad carries her

Nearly there...., at the base of the castle. 

A few more steps left! 

Voila!  

The 16th-century castle has the spectacular view. 

In winter it is surrounded by the clouds below the mountain.

This is the Machu Pichu of Japan.

We made it!

Angie feeling and sniffing medieval wind..... 

Princess Westie

When I used to live in London, I was never interested in Harrods branded products.

They were for tourists and the Japanese!

Now living in Tokyo, with a westie

I wanted this Princess Westie Towel badly

because it looks like Angie.

This one does not seem to be available from Harrods on-line shop.

so I had them sent by a friend from London.

This is the best she can do this morning.

Aren't they alike? 

She needs  a tiara next time.

Today Angie is on her way to Summer Camp in Chiba.

She will be swimming, running and playing agility games

with other friends and her trainer.

Enjoy the camp, Angie.

We will miss you...

JP Westies - Annual Gathering

I can not quite go to

NY Tartan Day or Canadian Westies walk.

But we have a big Westie party in Tokyo instead.

Westie Group Photo 2011

Every year in November, JP westies get together in the suburb of Tokyo.
Over 300 westies, young & old join forces from all across the nation.
Some travel by car for hours, others fly in to participate.

We have games, picnics, tents, and shops.
Most of all, having the day all to ourselves with so many westies.
This is Heaven.

Getting ready for Group Photo

In order to fit into the group photo above,

quite a lot of efforts go into it.

Group Photo from the rear

Never sure if each westie manage to be photographed,

however you've got to do this.

This is the day when JP westies are held high close to the sky.

Group Photo 2010

This year the westie party is taking place on 11th November.

If you are in Tokyo, do join us!