Utsunomiya

Utsunomiya city is about 100 km north from Tokyo, it takes about one hour by bullet train,it takes 2 and half hours by local train, and (though depends on where you go to and where you come from, and if you are not caught by traffic jam) it takes about 2 and half hours by car.

Since Yuki and I came here, more than 30 years have passed. (At that time bullet trains didn't run.)

Is Utsumoniya city is a city or a country side?

It's not a big city and it's not a country side. it's between of them. It's a provincial city which has the prefectural office. ( Does it make sense?)

For a long time my eyes were alwase watching Tokyo. So I often said "compared with Tokyo", now I sometimes hear another phrase "compared with America". It's not a bad thing to compare with some things. However if it leads you to a negative attitude, it's not so good.

Now I'm interesting, sometimes my younger daughter says "compared with Utsunomiya" -- for her to nurse kids seems to easy here than Tokyo ( Of course it includes another meaning, because here I can help here, but in Tokyo she has to do most of things by herself.)
And now I also say "compared with Utsumoniya".

The reason is  --- anyway in Tokyo I have to walk, walk, walk a lot and "climb up and down " lots of stairs in  stations.

So I found people in Tokyo are slender, and people in Utunomiya are healthy (I don't use the word **t).

I took Jan to an art museum near the Tokyo station -- of course by bullet train. And I asked her "do you know which women or ladies lives in Tokyo and who comes from another area?"
She asked "what does it mean?"

I answered ---
"Check their shoes. If (young) women wear low heals, most of them live in Tokyo, and if (young) women wear high heals to show them good, they come from another area."

Of course it doesn't suit to all young women.