Godai-Rikison-Ninno-e ( A Contest of Strength )

Godai-Rikison-Ninno-e ( A Contest of Strength )
FEB.23
Daigo Temple

People hold two enormous rice cakes to compete their strength, and who can hold the for the longest time will be the winner.
From 12:00PM.

* [ Daigo Temple ]
* Tel : 075-571-0002
Access : City Subway Tozai-line "Daigo Station"

Plum Blossom Viewing Festival

BAIKA-SAI@KItano Shrine

Baika-sai is plum blossom viewing festival.

Outdoor tea ceremony performed by Geiko and Maiko
girls is the highlight of the festival.(*Fee:1,500yen)

Date: Feb. 25th
Time: 10am - 15pm

☆Monthly Flea Market is also held on this day.☆

Access:City bus #50"Kitanotenmangu-mae"

SPECIAL OPEN @ Tofuku-ji

Tofuku-ji Temple is the head temple of the Tofuku-ji Temple branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism and number three of the Five Mountains of Rinzai Zen in Kyoto. The mountain name of Tofuku-ji Temple is "Enichi-zan"

Tofuku-ji Temple is noted for its many excellent landscape gardens arranged with a fine blend of moss and stones. Among the outstanding Buddhist architecture on the grounds is the twenty-two meter high Sanmon (gate), built in 1425, the oldest Zen main gate in Japan.

On this time you, can enter the Gate, and you can see many of national treasure.

DATE :2012/1/14(sat)～2/29(水) 10:00～16:00(reception close)
access from J-Hoppers :Walk about 20min
fee of charge :600yen

a train cafe

We are not talking about a cafe on the trains. There is a cafe with trains in Kyoto.

open (they call it 'the first train'): 12:00 weekday
10:00 weekend
close ('the last train): 23:30 weekday & saturday
19:30 sunday

They serve 'Special curry rice'(680yen) and several other foods. The price is set slightly higher than other restaurants. But other restaurants don't have trains in their place. So it is reasonable, maybe.

Of cause the staffs serve you in uniform. This is cool.

They are located in the downtown in the city, Shijo area.
Once you arrive at Keihan 'Gion Shijo' sta. please head to Hanami-koji street.Then please turn right when you come cross the street 'Shin monzen' street. You'll see a train model in front of the building. That is a train cafe!

The first shoot an arrow in the year

A Happy New Year !
We hope all of you have such a wonderful year.

As you see the picture above, there is a Coming-of-Age Day in Jan. (1st Monday of Jan)
It is for the people who is 20years-old both boys and girls celebration.
They wear a special Kimono or Hakama on that day.

Regarding the special event,there is a special shoot an arrow coming on the 15th Jan. at Sanju Sangen do Temple.

DATE: 15th Jan. 9:00 AM-3:30 PM

★The first shoot an arrow in the year
The shrine has a long corridor which is about 60 meter.
The people who play Japanese archery come from all over Japan.
They stand at an end of the corridor, and then they shoot the spot at another end.
It is called “the shooting through of the Sanjusangendo Temple.”

This event is lasting for about 500 years.

Free to observe!

Access: From J-Hoppers Kyoto Guest House City Bus #208"Hakubutsukan Sanjyu Sangen do"

the watch‐night bell

Dec 31st is called 'Ohmisoka' among Japanese people. We stay up till midnight hearing 'Jyoya no kane'(the watch-night bell).

This bell sound is coming not from far mountains but from the temples nearby.
And you can even ring the bell to visit temples.

'Tofuku ji temple' is one of our closest choices for ringing bell.
We ring the bell only 108 times for some Buddhism reason, so usually we make a queue to get a a numbered ticket indicating the order.

Tofuku-ji Temple
・23:00 gate open and ticket will be served
・23:00 start to ring the bell
No reservation
Free to join
Access: 15 minuets walk from J-Hoppers Kyoto Guesthouse

Kakure Nenbutsu at Rokuharamitsuji Temple

DEC.13 - DEC.30
Rokuharamitsuji Temple

Unique style of Nenbutsu, prayer to the Buddha, started by the holy priest Kuya in 951 to help the people in Kyoto from epidemics.
Priests chant/dance the prayer wishing people to expiate the sins of the past year and to have a happy new year. ( daily around 4:00PM)

* [ Rokuharamitsuji Temple ]
* Tel : 075-561-6980
Access : City Bus No.206 "Kiyomizu-michi"