Crabs and Bridge to heaven

To start year 2012, T and I decided to join an eat-all-you-can crab tour organized by Club Tourism.  I have never been a fan for organized tour, I like to discover things on my own BUT looking at the price it was worth a try. It was worth it.

The main part of the tour was the 90 minutes eat-all-you-can crab at Amanohashidate(天橋立) and 2 hours at Kinosaki Onsen, fee for the onsen(hot spring) is separate.

We did have not enough time to view Amanohashidate from the nearby hill/mountain but it was a great and relaxing day.

 

The rotating bridge.

At certain time of the day when a boat arrives or leaves the port , this bridge rotates to let the boat pass.

eating time

Kinosaki Onsen

 

Kono-yu

The first bath house in Kinosaki Onsen.

 

Lantern Festival

3 day weekend again, the only one for the month of October. Festival are still going on. As always you can find more events and festival listed in Kansai Scene( October ).

A friend found this event in Uji , Kyoto. It looks very interesting . The site is in Japanese though.

The festival is form October 8 -10, 2011. 

Schedule, Access and Actual Event Location.

 

River Lunch

Kansai, specially Kyoto is very very humid during summer.  So they decided to create a place to eat where you could be one with nature and still feel refresh.. on top of the river

Restaurant on top of river in Kifune, Kyoto

 

 

They literally created a platform on top of the river, connecting both river banks and customer can just relax a nice meal while communing with nature.

 

From Kifune Station, you can take the bus or just take a leisurely walk following the river up to the temple. Restaurant are pricey but the one nearer to the temple are a bit reasonable , starting from 2500yen up.

 

Nagashi Soumen

 

 

Some restaurants near the river in Kifune Kyoto have Nagashi Soumen. Prices usually starts around 1500 Yen.

 

New Year in Kansai

After our trip in Izu, T and I decided to spend our first New Year together here in Tokyo but N, my friend in Kobe kept on inviting us to spend the New Year with them. I know they were interested to meet T.  But we were also planning to invite C , T’s friend who is spending his New Year alone in Mito, so I negotiated with N if its possible to bring C along with us. I know I am asking too much of my friend, but they were still very gracious to accommodate us all and it was a memorable New Year.

We used the Seishun 18 Kippu and left for Kansai very early on December 31, 2011. We arrived in Kyoto station around 2 in the afternoon. When we get there, it was snowing… T and C suddenly turn into two little boys playing in the snow.

Just outside JR Kyoto Station on the way to a nearby Temple

Covered in Snow

 

Kyoto Tower

Boys making snow man

The Mutilated Snow Man

Before heading out to N’s in-laws house, we decide to visit Gion Temple.

 

Gion Temple Gate

The Sakura Tree

I did not have my camera stand, and my camera is not that good with night shot so this one is a blurry.

Afterward, we head out to N’s in-law in Nara. It C first Japanese traditional New Year.   They were very hospitable and of course the food was sooo good.  After dinner , N’s father in-law took us to a nearby temple to rang the bell and pay our respect. It was my first time to do that, so I was really excited. The local resident were very excited having two foreign white guy with them and we felt so welcomed by them. They taught us how to clap our hands, how to bow our head.

Ringing the Temple Bell

The Bell

Before the New Year Eve we head back to the house and ate Soba ( Buckwheat Noodles ) . It was a long day but it felt good.

Gold and Snow

Kinkakuji ( Golden Pavillion ) -> Kyoto

Photo Scavenger Hunt: Old Fashioned

this week theme is Old fashioned

last spring (2007 ) when we went to kamigamo Shrine we found this very old fashioned  girl, i think this is a japanese traditional clothes during heian period.

WW(wed): Fields of Red

a field of red tulips @ Kyoto Botanical Garden

Torii .. Gates

A Torii ( 鳥居） is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found in Shinto Shrine. It has two upright support and two crossbars on top and is frequently painted vermilion.  Torii marked the entrance to a sacred place in Japan.  Here are some famous torii :

Fushimi Inari Taishi Kyoto

If you remember watching Sayuri/Memoir of the Geisha , this is the place.

 

The torii of Itsukushima Shrine or famously known as Miyajima.  If you can see people carrying blue plastic shopping ba, that is us at the base of the torii.

(Photo Courtesy of Ruban)

 

 One of the largest Torii in Japan @ Heian Shrine in Kyoto

 

These are just some of the gates you can fin as you go temple hopping in Japan.

Tetsugaku Michi

哲学の道 or Philosopher’s Path is a cherry blossom line 2Km path located in Kyoto Japan.  The name was derived since the Philosopher Kitaro Nishida loves to walk along this path.

 

 

The Sakura ( Cherry Blossom) lined along the way.