I can’t believe there are only 3 days left
in the year! I don’t know why, but I feel this year has gone
by very quickly for me. I’ve had some bad times this year, but
let’s see how 2010 will be. One more day at work tomorrow, and
then I’ll have 4-day holiday. Yay! I’m planning to visit my
grandmother on New Year’s Day, but it seems to snow in the
northen part of Kyoto… (Risa)
2009-12-28
My friend’s company chartered a cruise ship
“Asuka II” and held the ceremony marking the 30th anniversary
of the foundation in early December. About 700 employees
attended the ceremony and spent the night on the ship. They
enjoyed the dinner and shows in such elegant surroundings. The
ship left from Kobe and arrived at Nagoya next morning. My
friend said it was a great experience for her. The cruise
lines sells various destinations, so I think it might be
interesting to go on a short trip on a cruise ship while you
are in Japan. What do you think? (Risa)
2009-12-25
Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you have
a wonderful time with your family and friends.
The Kanji character for SHIN or new, was
selected as a character best representing this year in the
annual Kanji contest, and was announced on December 11th at
Kiyomizu-dera Temple The selection reflects on public interest
and expectations; the Democratic Party of Japan’s new
administration launch, the H1N1 swine flu outbreak, and Ichiro
Suzuki’s achievement of 200 hits for 9 straight seasons in
Major League Baseball. About 160,000 people voted for the
contest and 14,093 chose SHIN for the best Kanji for 2009. If
you were a voter, what Kanji (or English word) would you
choose? (Risa)
2009-12-24
The other day, my friend sent me the cute
picture above. She took it at the entrance of Kobe Chinatown,
Nankin-machi in Japanese. The Chinatown developed as the
residential area of Chinese merchants, who settled in Kobe
after the city’s port had been opened to foreign trade in
1868. At that time, Japan didn’t have a peace treaty with
China, so Chinese people lived in the designated foreigner
residential quarter. That was the beginning of Chinatown. Now
there are over 10,000 Chinese people living in Kobe, but there
are few residents in the Chinatown as it is in the commercial
area. If you get a chance to go to Kobe, don’t forget to visit
there too. There are more than 100 restaurants and shops, so
how about having lunch or dinner there? (Risa)
2009-12-24
I couldn’t post the pictures on Tuesday, but
I can now. Enjoy. (Risa)
2009-12-22
How was your weekend? My friend and I
visited [Nabana No Sato] in Mie Prefecture on Sunday. A
special exhibition featuring begonia is being held at the
moment, so we went to see it after lunch. I knew the flower,
but I was surprised to see so many kinds and colors of begonia
there. I took quite a few photos and downloaded them on my
computer, but I can’t resize and put them here…sorry about
that.. The park’s gardens are illuminated with lights in the
evenings and it’s very popular, but we had to come back to
Kyoto by then. It was a shame. Maybe next time… If you are
interested, here is their official site;
http://www.nagashima-onsen.co.jp/nabana/index.html/ (Risa)
2009-12-18
I received the above beautiful picture from
my friend, so I wanted to share it with you. She went to Kobe
Luminarie, which is a light festival held in Kobe every
December since 1995, last Saturday. The festival commemorates
the Great Hanshin earthquake happened in 1995 and it is the
15th anniversary this year. My friend arrived at the site
around 4pm and started to wait in line to see the moment when
the lights turned on at 5:30pm. Lights are kept up for about 2
weeks (from Dec. 3rd to 14th this year) and turned on for a
few hours each evening. According to their official website,
365 million people visited the festival this year. If you are
interested, how about planning to come to Japan around this
time next year? (Risa)
2009-12-17
Last Sunday, my friend and I went for a
drive to Tango Peninsula. We stopped at Amanohashidate which
is one of Japan’s three scenic views. A thin strip of land
connects two opposing sides of Miyazu Bay. This sand bar is
3.3km long and covered with about 7,000 pine trees. It can be
viewed from mountains on either side.
Also, we visited a sake brewery in Ine Town.
I was a driver, so I couldn’t try…but, my friend did and
bought a few bottles of sake. We opened one of them after we
came back home and enjoyed it with dinner. It’s a bit hard to
find the brewery, but please let me know if you are
interested. I believe you’ll love it. (Risa)
2009-12-16
My friend and I visited Fushimi Inari last
Saturday. Inari is a god of business, so merchants and
manufactures worship it for wealth. Donated torii (shrine
gate) lining footpaths are part of scenic view. The shrine
sits at the base of a mountain and includes trails up the
mountain to many small shrines. I like walking the trails very
much and I sometimes feel like going to the shrine. If you
have a few days in Kyoto, I strongly recommend you to visit
the shrine and walk the trails. (Risa)
2009-12-15
I will introduce you one of the Cologne’s
attractions this time. The building is called “Triangle” and
the elevator takes you up to the top within a minute. From
there, the view of Cologne city extends.
The photo above is the view of Cathedral and
city in the distance. It is nice to go there at daytime, but I
strongly recommend you to go there at twilight. The lights of
the city are mesmerizing. (Takashi)
2009-12-14
How was your weekend? As I promised, I’ll
write about our dinner at [Nakahigashi] on Friday night. My
impression was it was very different to a traditional Kaiseki
dinner but nice. If you’ve already had Japanese Kaiseki
before, I think it’s a good idea to make a reservation at the
restaurant. They start to take bookings for next month at
8a.m. on the 1st day of previous month, so don’t miss it.
You’ll have trouble getting through, but be patient and keep
trying. Here are the pictures of dishes we had…
I liked the second one (steamed rice with
botargo and gingko nut) or the third one (sake lees soup with
wild mushroom and vegetables) the best. The other dishes were
also delicious though. Even if you are a big eater, I believe
you’ll be satisfied with the dinner. (Risa)
2009-12-11
I can’t believe it’s already Friday. Time
goes by so quickly in December! I am going out for dinner to a
Japanese restaurant [Nakashigashi] with my uncle and aunt
tonight. It’s one of the restaurants I have wanted to go for a
long time and was awarded one star in the 2010 Michelin Guide
to Kyoto/Osaka. I’m getting excited and can’t wait. I’ll let
you know how I liked it with pictures on Monday next week!
(Risa)
2009-12-10
Last Sunday, I met a friend who just came
back from Australia. She stayed there on a working holiday
visa for a year and got back about 10 days ago. She had
financial difficulties at the beginning, but, eventually, she
fully enjoyed her life there. She was so brave and I am very
proud of her! (Risa)
2009-12-09
The most popular names for baby boys and
girls for 2009 were announced earlier this week. [Hiroto] is
for baby boys and [Rin] for baby girls. The other popular
names are Syota, Ren, Sota, and Sora…for boys and Sakura,
Hina, Yua, and Yuna… for girls. What names are popular/trendy
in your country now? (Risa)
2009-12-08
The whole city is getting christmasy day by
day. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? I’ve been
thinking of sending Christmas cards to friends living abroad,
but I have been just lazy… I think December is the busiest
time of year for most people, but keep your good health and
enjoy this Christmas season! (Risa)
2009-12-07
A huge Ema or votive pictorial offering,
depicting a tiger, the oriental zodiac sign for next year,
made an appearance at the oratory of Matsunoo Grand Shrine on
Nov. 25th. The ema is 3.2 meters high by 5.5 meters wide. The
annual event started in 1983, and this year’s original drawing
was painted by Mitei Fujiwara living in Kyoto. A tiger is
portrayed along with a calabash and a sake up, suitable for
the grand shrine which honors a god of sake. If you are
interested in the shrine, you can get more information here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsunoo-taisha (Risa)
2009-12-04
I strongly recommend you to acquire a
shampoo if you get a chance to go to Taiwan. I asked my
parents and friends for advice as they visited there before,
and everybody said shampoo is a must-try. I only half believed
before I went, but I liked it very much. We went to a hair
salon to acquire a shampoo for the second straight day! It’s
quite cheap, but you can get a massage of neck/shoulder, too.
I can say it’s definitely a must-try in Taiwan. (Risa)
2009-12-03
One of the pleasures of travel is food, I
think. We went to a dim sum restaurant [Din Tai Fung] while we
were in Taiwan. The restaurant is known internationally for
its xiaolongbao (dumplings). It was ranked as one of the
world’s top 10 restaurants in 1993 by the New York Times. We
got there avoiding the busiest time, but there was still a
long queue. We waited for about 40 minutes before we got in.
We tried a few dishes and they all were very delicious. I
thought the restaurant is worth the wait.(Risa)
2009-12-02
My friend and I went to Mengjia Longshan
Temple on the 2nd day. The temple was built in 1728 by
settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship
and gathering place for the Chinese settlers. The temple has
been destroyed either in full or in part on numerous
earthquakes and fires. The main building and the left corridor
were damaged and many artifacts and artworks were lost in the
ensuing fire during the World War II, but Taipei residents
have nevertheless consistently rebuilt and renovated it. The
temple is seen as an emblematic example of Taiwanese classical
architecture, with southern Chinese influences commonly seen
in older buildings. Like most temples in Taiwan, the temple
worships a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such
as Matsu. We visited the other sightseeing spots while we were
there, but I think I liked the temple most. If I get a chance
to go back to Taiwan in the future, I would definitely visit
there again. (Risa)
2009-12-01
Hello everyone! I’m back from my holiday. I
forgot about little things and just relaxed. It was a bit hard
to return to my everyday life yesterday, but I’m ok now. I
went to Taiwan with a friend during the holiday, so I will
write about it tomorrow. (Risa)
2009-11-30
I went to Cologne as well. This magnificent
Cathedral is one of the UNESCO World Heritages in Germany. Its
twin towers stand out in the city. 157m in height, and there
are approximately 300 stairs to the top. Unfortunately, I
could not go up to the tower, but the view must be great.
There are several museums in Cologne. Most
of those are art museums, but this is a museum of chocolate.
Once you step into the museum, the aroma of chocolate wafts to
greet you. The interesting thing is that you can see how
chocolates are produced step by step. Also there is a
chocolate fountain and you might be able to taste it.
(Takashi)
2009-11-27
Marburg is a city where the famous brothers
Grimm studied and lived from 1802 to 1805. The city is famous
for other reasons. First of all, stairs and hills are
everywhere you go.
Next, in the 13 th century, Queen Elisabeth,
who was really merciful, thought of poor people in the city
and constructed a hospital. After this, this city is known as
one of the most famous medical facilities and universities in
Germany. When the Christmas season arrives, markets are out
around Elisabethkirche. The scenery must be great!!
(Takashi)
2009-11-26
I found a long line of people standing at
Kyoto train station yesterday on the way to go home. I just
wondered what they are waiting for, so I decided to take a
quick look. Finally, I found out the reason; they wanted to
buy `Buta-man.` `Buta^man` is a steamed bun contacting pork
meat, and I believe it is originally from China. You can
easily find it in any China town near your house. However, the
store, I found at Kyoto station, called `551 HORAI` makes
special `Buta-man.` Anyways, I bought a couple of Buta-mans. I
am not crazy `Buta-man` lover, but I could easily tell that
they were very juicy and tasty!!! Yummy x 2 I checked a guide
book of Kyoto after arriving to my home, and the store was
introduced by the book. Therefore, please be aware to wait on
a long line of people if you are planning to visit any places
on guide books in Kyoto!. Be patient and good
luck!!(Akira)
11-25-2009
One of the most important things of
traveling is food, isn`t it? If you visit Kyoto, you can taste
a variety of traditional Japanese gourmet food. I recommend
you to check all restaurants by using guide books before you
arrive here, because all restaurants are always crowded! It
will be much better if you have a reservation! Enjoy real
Japanese food here in Kyoto! As you know, Kyoto is one of the
best sightseeing spot in Japan. Because of it, there are a lot
of Japanese restaurants.On the other hand, there are a lot of
foreign restaurants too, for people who are from outside of
Japan, so they don`t get sick of Japanese food. Well, today, I
like to introduce curry with nan(nan is a flat bread and it is
very common in India). I am sure you can enjoy Japanese food
three times a day, however, you sometimes want to try
different food, don`t you? I sometimes see people from India
here in Kyoto, and I just let them know that a curry with nan
is available here in Kyoto too even though it is common to eat
curry with rice in Japan. I have never been to India before,
but I hope the taste of curry similar to their home curry and
they don`t miss their home while they are in Kyoto!(Akira)
11-24-2009
Look what I found in Osaka during the last
week! This is a very popular roll cake from Osaka; it is
called `Dojima Roll.` The store is located very close to Osaka
Station, about 15 min by walk, and you will see a long line of
people standing along the building. In addition, the store is
already preparing for Christmas cakes. If you wish a special
Christmas Day, why don`t you go get a special cake for someone
special for you? Also, the store produces seasonal cakes. They
are also popular too. You must have a ticket to purchase each
special cake (please see a picture above).They are limited
items so you better hurry!! (Akira)>
2009-11-20
At 11:11am on November 11th, the carnival
started at Mainz. This carnival is one of the most popular
ones in Germany. Cologne has the biggest one though. It is
hard to see, but the square was so crowded with people in
various colour costumes. Mainz is a city where the Rhine River
and Main River meet. Also it is known as "Golden Mainz", since
it was the main hub for trading since around 8 Century.
St. Stephans church is really famous for
Marc Chagall's stained glass. Its blue colour is just
breathtaking. The church itself is about 1,000 years old, but
it was bombed during the World War II. The present building,
therefore, was built after that. Even if you are not a
christian, I believe you admire the beauty of it. (Takashi)
2009-11-19
It has been quite a while since I last
posted an article here. I was in Germany on my vacation from
November 9 th. I caught up with some friends whom I got to
know in New Zealand. My friends and I took a day trip to the
Rhine River, which is 1,320km in the full length, and on the
way from Frankfurt to St. Goar, we saw many castles like you
can see above. Nowadays some of the castles are used as hotels
or youth hostels. It may be interesting to stay at a castle
hotel once. By the way, the castle in the first photo is
“Stahleck” and the second one is “Kaub”. (Takashi)
2009-11-18
My friend and I went to Takeda Castle in
Hyogo Prefecture on November 7th. The castle was built on the
top of Koga Mountain by Sozen Yamana in 1441-1443 and ruined
in 1600, but the ruins are still there. It was a warm sunny
day, so we had lunch outside and felt so nice and refreshed.
We went there by car and it took less than 2.5 hours, so it’s
not so far. I recommend you to visit there if you have a spare
day in Kyoto/Osaka. (Risa)
2009-11-17
My friend took part in a walking event
[Rokko Zenzan Jyuso] held by Kobe City on November 8th. The
event is held twice annually and getting popular these days.
According to my friend, it took about an hour to get the
participation certificate. The participants walk a
56-kilometer course from Sumaura-koen Station to Takarazuka
Station. They must pass through a few points within the time
limit, and if not, they have to give up the challenge. My
friend left the starting line at 5:30a.m. and reached the
finish line at 10:30p.m. Wow...17-hour walk!!! It was indeed a
tough challenge, but she said she said she had a real sense of
achievement. Good on her!!! (Risa)
2009-11-16
My brother went to Maizuru City located in
the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture on business last week
and sent me a few lovely pictures of autumn colors. They were
taken at Kongo-in, which is known as the setting of the
fiction [Kinkaku-ji] written by Yukio Mishima. It is at the
height of autumn leaves there at the moment. If you are
interested, you should go now before it’s too late! (Risa)
2009-11-13
Hello everyone! Today, I like to introduce
you my home city, Yokohama. Yokohama is one of the largest
port, opened in1854, in Japan. If you like to eat Chinese
food, you should visit there because there is the largest
china town in Japan. If you like to watch Japanese baseball
game, a professional base ball team called `Yokohama Baystars`
is there. There is a professional soccer team called `Yokohama
Marinosu` too! If you love shopping, a lot of shopping malls
and department stores are waiting for you. Your favorite
Crespy Cream doughnut stores are also available too! Please
use JR pass and visit Yokohama after visiting Kyoto!
(Akira)>
2009-11-12
On November 1st, the night illumination
started at Jingo-ji Temple, celebration the 1200th anniversary
of Kobodaishi Kukai’s joining the temple. In the temple
precincts where approximately 120 lanterns are placed,
visitors enjoy strolling while viewing the illuminated the
tinted leaves. The wooden statue of Yakushi Noyorai, a
national treasure and principal image of the temple, has been
enveiled in Kondo Hall, and its vigorous figure illuminated by
light-emitting diodes. Daishido Hall in the precincts has been
opened to the public. The exhibition will continue until Nov.
30th, from 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m., so don’t miss it!!! (Risa)
2009-11-11
Are you familiar with this(please see a
picture on top)? This is a very powerful item that helps you
to discover many places in Japan. The item you are seeing is
called `JR Pass` or `Japan Rail Pass.` You will gain a power
of traveling within JR line during a period of time, which
means you can ride any JR trains as much as you want including
fast trains such as `Shinkansen`; you can go anywhere in Japan
along rails! JR pass is sold outside of Japan, and you must
not be Japanese citizen in order to purchase the item; this is
a special pass for people from other countries. Please visit
this website (http://www.japanrailpass.net/) for more details.
Visit a lot of places with this pass while you are in Japan,
and be a Japanese specialist!!!Oh, please do not forget to
visit us if you are planning come to Kyoto! (Akira)>
2009-11-10
What do you image when you think about
Japanese food? Sushi? Tempura? Of course, they are very
popular food. However, did you know that many Japanese people
are also crazy for noodles? There is a variety of noodles you
can enjoy here in Japan. Today, I like to introduce `Udon`
noodle. If you have read our news before, Risa already
introduced `Udon` to you so you might have some ideas.
Anyways, `Udon` is a wheat flour noodle, and it is thicker
than `Soba.` You can probably find `Udon` restaurants around
train stations; some restaurant are very cheap!!! Even though
some Udon restaurant provide cheap udon, they don`t disappoint
you. Instead of it, they make you smile^＿＿＿^ If you feel sick
of burgers, please try `Udon` here in Japan. (Akira)
2009-11-09
Hello everyone! It is very nice weather here
in Kyoto today; it is not too cold and too warm. If you are
making a plan to travel, it is almost time to come back to
Kyoto again because leaves are starting to turn red and
waiting for your visit. Therefore, we recommend that you
should reserve hotel or ryokan, a Japanese style hotel, as
soon as possible before it gets too late!! Millions of people
will be here very soon, so please let us know if you are still
looking for a place to stay in Kyoto during this fall
season.(Akira)
2009-11-6
Kyoto/Nara area is always packed with
tourists… If you would like to spend a quiet day during your
trip, I recommend Shiga Prefecture. Embracing Lake Biwa,
Japan’s largest lake, the Shiga had a part to play in Japan’s
history almost from the beginning. The prefecture lies along
the Nakasendo, the trunk road that wound from Edo (modern
Tokyo) west through the mountains and then south to the
ancient capital at Kyoto. A good place to begin is the
Kannonji Castle ruins
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannonji_Castle) – more of a
fortified hilltop village than a castle – and its accompanying
temple on Mt. Kanonsho, which provide a quiet forest hike and
the change to touch Japan’s past. Once you get the nearest
station, you can rent a bicycle and do your sightseeing
easily. Please feel free to ask me if you would like to know
more details about the castle. (Risa)
2009-11-5
Kyoto City has published a sightseeing map
for walking around historical places from the turbulent final
years of the Edo Period. The sites are all associated with
Ryoma Sakamoto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakamoto_Ryoma).
The map introduces five walking course, one is of the Kyoto
Imperial Palace and the remains of the official residency for
the Satsuma clan, where the peace pact for the alliance
between the Satsuma and Choshu local governments again the
then central government was concluded. Another includes the
vicinity of Takenobu Inari Shrine in the Mibu area, where
Ryoma was said to have dates with his wife Oryo. The map
provides a brief introduction of the life of Ryoma and the
history of the late Edo Period. They will be distributed from
November 2nd for free at Kyoto City Tourist Information Office
and other locations if you are interested. (Risa)
2009-11-4
It was Cultural Day
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_Day) yesterday, and our
office was also closed. I guess lots of people were planning
to go out, but it was unbelievably cold for early November.
According to the news, we had snow in many places around Japan
yesterday. I had a few plans and was out almost all day, but I
kept complaining about the cold weather… I hope it will get
warm today! (Risa)
2009-11-2
How was your weekend? A friend of mine
visited Kyoto from Tokyo for the weekend. We had dinner at a
Spanish restaurant on Friday night and stayed up late talking
until 5 a.m. We went to Nanzen-ji, Tetsugaku-no-michi
(Philosopher’s path), and Ginkaku-ji on Saturday. It was a
beautiful day in Kyoto, sunny and warm – perfect weather for a
good walk.
When we were walking back to the downtown
from Ginkaku-ji, we saw the wonderful sunset. Lots of people
stopped and saw the sun went down. We had an early dinner and
chatted until 5am again! It was good fun!!! (Risa)
2009-10-30
I’ve been thinking about my holiday plans
for next month lately. Taiwan and Okinawa… I haven’t booked
yet, but I am already looking forward to it. Hope you will
have a lovely weekend. (Risa)
2009-10-29
Walking through the district of Harajuku and
Shibuya in Tokyo, you might encounter men in skirts. Not kilts
or kimono, but skirts. The skirt-wearing men of Tokyo are
beginning to get some attention from the fashion world. More
than whether a look is manly or feminine, there are more men
now who think that, as long as it’s stylish, it’s good. Street
fashion news site Fashionsnap.com operator says, “As
disparities widen in this competitive society, there are more
non-aggressive men who prize choosing their own lifestyle over
conventional social status – a spirit that has come to be
reflected in their fashion”, she concludes. What do you thin
of this fashion trend? (Risa)
2009-10-28
A delivery service for Geisha performances
aimed at foreign tourists is gaining popularity at an event
space in Tokyo Nihonbashi district. The Omtenashi Experience
shows by performers from six geisha districts in Tokyo were
initially planned as dinner shows for guests at luxury hotels
in the city. In response to requests from the public, however,
the shows are now also held at Muromachi Fukutokujuku in the
Nihonbashi district in Chuko Ward. Shows are hosted in
English, and are held from 6pm to 7:30pm on the first and
third Saturdays of every month. The admission price is
10,000yen per person, including a meal. For inquiries, call
the event planning company Shinnichiya at +81-3-3249-3136.
(Risa)
2009-10-27
The foliage season has come! The picture
above was taken at Jisso-in (http://www.jissoin.com/)
yesterday. There are more than 200 maple trees in the garden,
and some of the leaves are starting to turn red. The leaves in
the downtown area are still green as it’s warmer down here,
but I am looking forward to it already! (Risa)
2009-10-26
A chrysanthemum exhibition started on
October 17th at Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Arrayed on either side
of the Kara-mon gate, which is designated as an Important
Cultural Property, 470-newly-blooming chrysanthemums herald
the approach of autumn. The exhibition is being held as a part
of Nijo Castle Autumn Festa 2009. Chrysanthemums which have
been carefully raised by 13 members of Kyoto chrysanthemum
association are placed on the show. A meeting to judge the
flowers will be held in early November when the blossoms are
expected to reach their peak. The exhibition will continue
until November 15th, so if you like flowers, how about
visiting the castle? (Risa)
2009-10-23
A special exhibition, which introduces
famous treasures associated with Nichiren, the founder of the
Nichiren sect of Buddism, started on October 10th at Kyoto
National Museum. This year marks the 750th year since Nichiren
dedicated his writing [Rissho Ankoku Ron] to Tokiyori Hojo in
1260, worrying about the national crisis. The exhibition
traces Nichiren’s achievements and focuses on temple treasures
of the Nichiren sect, which establish 16 temples in Kyoto and
had a deep relationship with merchant class culture. Featured
exhibits include a few national treasures, and there are 12
newly discovered items and 37 items exhibited for the first
time. This exhibition will continue until November 23rd, so
how about adding it to your list if you are interested.
(Risa)
2009-10-22
I mentioned a bit yesterday, but two
festivals will be held in Kyoto today. One is Jidai Matsuri
Festival and the other Kurama Fire Festival. I’ve seen the
parade of Jidal Matsuri, but I have never been to the Kurama
Fire Festival. It starts at 18:00, so it’s not easy to go see
there after work, but one day… (Risa)
2009-10-21
Jidai Matsuri or Festival of Ages, one of
Kyoto’s three main festivals will be held tomorrow. Prior to
it, newly-made costumes were revealed at Heian Jingu Shrine on
Oct. 6th. Since the festival’s parade was exposed to rain last
year, 120 pairs of footwear were renewed, including the shoes
(see the below picture) for the role of Ono no Komachi which
had been used for about 50 years. The shoes were renewed for
the first time since the Heian Jidan Fujin Retsu, procession
debuted in 1954.
There are 256 newly-made items in total and
the cost for the renewal and other repairs came to about 6.7
million yen (approx US$73,000)!!! Also, dry-cleaning expenses
totaled about 3 million yen (approx US$33,000), three times as
much as usual years as there were many spotted costumes and
moldy shoes due to the rain… I hope it won’t rain tomorrow!!!
(Risa)
2009-10-20
Here are the pictures of the wedding I went
on Sunday. They held the wedding ceremony at Kobe Geihinkan
Suma Rikyu Vizcaya Garden (http://www.vizcaya.jp/) and I
thought it was a really beautiful place. We had stunning
weather and it was the perfect day for a wedding. As you can
see the pictures above, the bride changed dresses three times
during the reception. She looked gorgeous in every costume,
but I especially liked the one in Japanese Kimono. Again, it
was a wonderful wedding and it made us really happy to see the
happy couple. I believe they share a long and happy life
together. (Risa)
2009-10-19
How was your weekend? I went to Kobe for my
friend’s wedding yesterday. We contact with each other once a
year or so, but we have been good friends for more than 10
years. I think it’s a bit weird relationship, but it’s
comfortable for us. I got a card from him yesterday and it
said [Thank you for coming today. I called you every time I
felt down and depressed. Thank you again]. I was so glad and
happy to read the message… I took a few pictures, so I will
upload them here tomorrow. (Risa)
2009-10-16
My friend went to see a full-size figure of
Tetsujin No. 28 (maybe you are familiar with the name,
Gigantor?) and sent me the above pictures. How big do you
think it is? Its height is 18m, waist 20m, hand 1.7m, and feet
4m. Very huge, isn’t it? If you are interested, it’s on
display at Wakamatsu Park in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Here is
the URL of the project;
http://www.kobe-tetsujin.com/index.html
This is the picture of full-side Gundam in
Odaiba, Tokyo. A student of my friend went to see it during
her summer holidays and took the picture. If you like Japanese
cartoons and animations, you know the both of them, but which
would you like to see more? Here is more information of the
Gundam; http://www.gundam30th.net/ (Risa)
2010-10-15
A memorial service was held for dolls at
Hokyoji temple in Kyoto yesterday. People bring or send their
dolls to the temple from all over Japan and the service is
held on Oct. 14th every year. The temple also keeps many dolls
and they are shown to the public every spring and autumn. If
you are interested, they will be put on public display from
Nov. 1st to 30th this autumn. Please let me know if you would
like to know more details! (Risa)
2009-10-14
The 2010 edition of the Michelin Guide to
Kyoto/Osaka will be released on October 16th. Prior to the
release, a press conference was held at Kenninji yesterday and
six restaurants in Kyoto were awarded the highest rating of
three stars. Arashiyama Kitcho, Kikunoi, Chihana, Tsuruya,
Hyotei, and Mizai – some people say it comes as no surprise or
it’s just as they expected. What do you think? Also, I heard
there were a few restaurants/ryokan that refused the award.
Tawaraya is one of them, but where else? I’m so curios about
it. If you would like to try one of the restaurants above, I
recommend you to make a reservation as far in advance as
possible. (Risa)
2009-10-13
How was your weekend? Yesterday was a public
holiday called Sports Day, so we had a three-day weekend. We
had beautiful weather during the weekend and everywhere was
packed with holidaymakers. My friend and I were invited to our
mutual friend’s place on Saturday, so we went there for
dinner. Another friend of us was also there, and they held a
birthday party for us (we both had a birthday last month). We
enjoyed the homemade dinner & cake and chatted until late
night. It was a fun night. Thank you again, Nachi and Hiromi!
(Risa)
2009-10-09
A friend of mine made sushi for me the other
night. We went shopping and bought ingredients for sushi. We
got there a bit late so there wasn’t much left, but we chose
snapper, salmon, saury, sweet shrimp, and tuna cheek meat. He
cooked them beautifully and I took a picture of them with my
mobile…but, I forgot to save it. Maybe next time (if he does
it again). (Risa)
2009-10-08
I’ll write about something personal today.
My mother caused stroke and was sent to the hospital about a
few weeks ago. I received the text on my way back from Koyasan
and went to see her soon after I got back to Kyoto. She looked
ok, but a tiny infarction in her left side of brain was found
on a MRI scan. She was at the hospital for about 10 days, and
she’s back at home now. She makes a habit of getting regular
checkups, but it happened… It’s very scary, isn’t it? Proper
diet, good sleep, and stress-free life – I feel they are very
important to keep our good health. (Risa)
2009-10-07
Look at the picture above. It looks
fantastic, don’t it? It’s Takeda Castle and located on the top
of Mt. Koga (353.7m) in Wadayama, Hyogo Prefecture. This is
also known as [Castle in the Sky] or [Japanese Machu Picchu].
My friend and I are going to visit there early next month, and
I am looking forward to it. (Risa)
2009-10-06
After we climbed down Mt. Kurama, we visited
Kibune Shrine. The shrine is known as a home of the god of
water and marriage, and we met a bridal couple in Kimono
there. It looked a bit hard to walk up the steps, but they
made it. We also went up the stairs and drew omikuji (sacred
lots) at the shrine. You usually choose a number and receive a
paper saying your fortunes, but different style there. You
choose a paper and float it on the water (look at the picture
below) and then the fortune messages appear on the paper. We
didn’t get very good results, but they were ok. If you have a
chance to go to Kurama/Kibune area, don’t miss it.
(Risa)
2009-10-05
How was your weekend? My friend and I went
to climb Mt. Kurama yesterday. It’s a mountain to the
north-west of Kyoto City, and it is the birthplace of the
Reiki practice. It is also said to be the home of sojobo, King
of the Tengu (look at the picture above), who taught
swordsmanship to Minamoto no Yoshitsune. There is Kurama
Temple on the top of the mountain, and it is now designated as
a national treasure of Japan. You can walk up to the mountain
from Kurama Station and down to Kibune side. If you want to
get refreshed during busy trip, I recommend you to go there
and have a nice walk. (Risa)
2009-10-02
A special autumn exhibition started at
Homotsukan Museum in To-ji Temple on Sep. 20th. They display
rare items, including [Ryokan Mandala-zu] which is the oidest
National Treasure in existence. It consists of two mandalas
representing Taizo-kai, or womb world, and Kongo-kai, or
diamond world. It was made in the 9th century, but the
original red, blue and green colors are still vivid. A total
of 54 items are on display, and the exhibition will continue
until Nov. 25th. The National Treasure Ryokan Mandala-zu’s
Taizo-kai will be displayed until Oct. 21st and Kongo-kai will
be dispayed from Oct. 22nd. So, that means you should visit
there twice if you are interested in the National Treasure!
Hope you have a great weekend. (Risa)
2009-10-01
A special autumn exhibition titled
[Daigoji-no Meiho] or treasures in Daigo-ji Temple is held at
the Reihokan museum of Daigo-ji now. Three important cultural
properties by Edo period artist Sotatsu Tawaraya, including
the noteworthy [Bugaku-zu] on a set of folding screens, are on
display for the first time. This year is the 1,100th
anniversary of the passing of Rigen Daishi, Shobo who founded
Daigo-ji, and the museum decided to put representative
treasures of the temple on display. There are 92 exhibits,
including nine national treasures, among which is the Rigen
Daishi Shobunjo, an administrative text for temples written by
Shobo in his late years. The exhibition is open every day
until December 6th, so you still have plenty of time. If you
are planning to come to Kyoto this autumn, how about visiting
the museum, too? (Risa)
