Night Walking in Kyoto

If you feel like walking around Kyoto at night time,we recommend to   start walking from Kyoto station,

and going along Kamo river towards Chion shrine.

It will be 40mins walk,and you will get to Chion shrine.

It will be lights up at night time,It looks so beautiful.

If you were still energetic,Heian shrine is 10mins walk from the place.

on the way to those places ,you must be feeling like

you did timetravel for 16th century.

You can't find that kinds of places anywhere else in Japan !!

NINJA Restaurant!

Do you like NINJA?

In the center of Kyoto, there is the Ninja Restaurant!
You can enjoy a live Ninja show with Ninja themed food.

The show combines sword battle, dance, acrobatics... and it is fantastic!

For more details, please check their website below.
Enjoy the Ninja world!



-Dining Theater NINJA (NINJA KYOTO)-
http://ninja-kyoto.co.jp/en/diningtheater/index.php

chill with 100yen

You must be very thirsty while you are in Kyoto.

I know, The summer in Kyoto is fatal !!!

I love living in Kyoto but I dislike to be here in summer.

Well, Here is a tip to feel much better only with 100yen !!!

You can find ICED COFFEE either in 7-Eleven, Family Mart and Lawson. It means almost averywhere in Japan! 

Starbucks is too expensive! 

Just grab some convenience store's iced coffee and keep going !!!

Let's go see Daimonji Fires together!

16 August 

We are going to see Daimonji Ritual Fires together!!!

The Daimonji Gozan Okuri-bi is one of the four major traditional seasonal events in Kyoto. The fires are set on five mountains in the city and each represents Buddhist symbol, which is used as a way of guiding the spirits of the dead back to the Buddhist Pure Land; Daimonji fire setting starts at 8pm.

We meet at J-Hoppers Lobby and leave at 7pm! 

JOIN US!

Fee: 100Yen (Daimonji postcard included)

Gion Matsuri Festival 2015

 

If you are visiting Kyoto in summer, You don't miss the Gion Matsuri Festival!
It's one of the largest and most historical festivals in Japan.
Why don't you wear a Yukata (= kimono for summer. It's not expensive, easy to wear and washable!!) and hang out in the Festival!?



Gion Matsuri Festival Event Calendar



JULY 10-14
Hoko and Yama Tate (float construction): On these five days, the festival's 32 floats are assembled. No nails are used.

10
Omukae Chochin (welcoming lanterns): At around 16:30, men wearing formal kimono and carrying long bamboo poles from which lanterns are suspended, depart from Yasaka Shrine, heading west along Shijo to Kawaramachi.

10
Mikoshi Arai (mikoshi purification): During the festival, the deities of Yasaka Shrine reside in a temporary shrine called the Otabisho. Before moving the deities on the mikoshi portable shrines, the mikoshi are purified with water from Kamogawa River. The mikoshi depart from Yasaka Shrine at 19:00 and arrive at the bridge at 20:00, then come back to the shrine at 21:00.

12-14
Hoko Hikihajime & Yama Kakizome (trial pulling): On these days, the people of each respective float neighbourhood try pulling the newly constructed floats.

14-16
Yoiyama (eve of the grand parade): On the three nights before the grand parade, the festive atmosphere reaches its peak. The streets are crowded with people, many in traditional dress, Gion bayashi music fills the air, and many stalls are set up along the main streets.

15
Traditional Entertainment Performance: On this day, at Yasaka Shrine, from 15:00 to 18:00, traditional Japanese entertainment (kabuki, biwa lute, harp, kyogen, dance, etc.) will be performed.

16
Iwami Kagura (ancient court dance): From 19:00 at Yasaka Shrine, ancient court dance will be performed to the music of flute and bells.

17
Yamaboko Junko (grand parade): At 9:00, the main Naginata-boko starts moving. When it reaches Fuyacho, the chigo sacred child on the float cuts the sacred rope and the parade begins.

24
Hanagasa Junko (flower umbrella procession): At 10:00, about ten large umbrella floats attended by nearly 1,000 people depart from Yasaka Shrine. Various dances will be performed.

25
Kyogen Performance: At 13:00, the Shigeyama Family will perform special kyogen (comical theatre) plays at Yasaka Shrine.

28
Mikoshi Arai (mikoshi purification): As on the 10th, the mikoshi are again purified on Shijo Bridge at 20:00 before the deities are carried back to Yasaka Shrine from their temporary home, the Otabisho.

Coffee break

For those who love coffee or who want to take a rest while exploring Higashiyama area, 「％Arabica Kyoto」 is recommend.

They are particular about the beans and machines.
And the manager has won "Coffee Fest Latte Art World Championship" last year so you may have a tasty coffee with beautiful latte art.

Their coffee booth is opened temporarily in front of Fujiidaimaru department store facing Shijo Street until June 30th.





％Arabica Kyoto
Place: close to Yasaka Pagoda in Higashiyama area
Open hours: 8:00-18:00

Yasui Konpiragu

While raining days are continuing, we went to Yasui Kompiragu. 

This shrine in Gion district is a famous place among couples. 

In the middle of the shrine there is an “enkiri/enmusubi stone.” People believe that the stone has power to make good relationships stronger and sever bad ones. On a special paper you write your wish, stick it with glue to the stone and crawl through the tunnel in the stone from front to back. If you want to end a relationship, you crawl through from back to front. 

Actually, I found it very helpful to realize what exactly you want to leave in past and what you want to preserve in life!