7/21 The Situation of a Vintage Hebel Haus Built in 1972

TodayJuly 21st (Tue)
marks exactly the 20th daysince that fateful fracture!

I headed to the hospital with the faint hope that "maybe the bone has started to knit together by now," but... reality is not so kind.
The bone still hadn't connected!

Fractures really aren't straightforward, depending on how they break...

The price of an immobile body, and a suspicion of false accusation!?

It's a shock that the bone hasn't connected, but another serious problem has arisen.

Yes, "weight gain."

My physical activity has plummeted due to the injury, yet I'm eating the same amount as always.

When I stepped on the scale, my usual weight of around 80kg had gone up to nearly 83kg! (Even subtracting the weight of the cast, etc., it's effectively over 1kg, a sense of crisis at the 83kg level...!)

When I let it slip to my family that "this is bad," I received a shocking confession from them as well.

Family: "Actually, we've all gained a little weight lately too..."

Family: "Hey... you increased the amount of amazake and honey in the morning, didn't you? Isn't that the culprit?"

An unexpected suspicion of false accusation was revealed.

"No way! I'm measuring it properly!" I countered, but with all three family members having gained weight, there was no room to argue. Swallowing the inner voice that said, "You've been eating out too, haven't you?", I decided to take responsibility as the breakfast cook and come up with a new menu.

The taste of youth from 30 years ago! Hearty "Diet Ojiya" (Rice Porridge)

That's when the "morning ojiya" I made today appeared!

Actually, this is a "frugal & extreme weight loss menu" I devised in my early 20s when I was working desperately during a family business crisis. The rice expands with the water, and it fills you up! Back then, I had a track record of dropping from 78kg to 65kg in one year.

This time, I finished it with plenty of umami by adding eggplant, konjac, shiitake mushrooms, egg, pork loin, and a generous sprinkle of dried shrimp on top!

As a side, I added my usual homemade yogurt in a super mini size (topped with walnuts, cacao, cinnamon, and goji berries) for the perfect formation.

~Family's reaction~

• Family: "Hmm, the ojiya tastes bland..."

• Me: "I'm keeping the salt content low! Adjust it yourself with homemade sauce or salt and pepper!"

The absurdity of buying unpopularity by being told the "flavor is bland" even though I made it with good intentions (bitter laugh).

The leg brace is stuffy and itchy, and it hurts when I lean forward, so it was a bit of a rough morning, but my blood pressure alone is keeping at a super model level of 108 / 73! Health first, here I go!

Summer O-chugen (and O-seibo) and "Regional Differences in Timing"

Well, since I can't go on a touring trip to deliver them in person due to my injury, I arranged for delicious sweets from Kamakura to be delivered individually for this year's O-chugen.

By the way, everyone, did you know that "the time to send O-chugen" varies completely depending on the region?

In my home (Kanto) sense, there is a strong image of "early July to around the 15th," but there is quite a lot of variation nationwide.

Region General O-chugen Timing Remarks
Kanto/Tohoku July 1st to July 15thIt is common to send it early.
Hokkaido/Tokai/Kansai/Chugoku/Shikoku July 15th to August 15thIt is often sent to coincide with the Obon period.
Kyushu August 1st to August 15thThe latest timing in the country.
Hokuriku/Nagano, etc. Mixed depending on region and cityDivided between Kanto style (July) and Obon style (August).