If I’m not mistaken, black tableware is not so popular in the West as in the East.  In Japan, it is very common since it makes food look colorful and tasty.  The great tea master Sen no Rikyu really loved black, too.  He thought that green tea in a black tea-cup is a perfect color combination.  After all, he was disliked by a ruler at that time who loved gaudy and was ordered to do ritual suicide ‘seppuku’ or ‘harakiri’.

miso soup bowls

Black colored cups and dishes look elegant and get along with most ingredients.  Why don’t you try?

Tokyo kappabashi Dougu Street has a lot of tableware and kitchen utensil shops.   It is a recommendable spot not only for shopping but strolling around.

In Hiyoshi great shrine

 It’s June!  Japanese usually think that summer starts this month.  As students’ uniforms and businessmen’s suits usually change from the dark winter version to the bright summer version on June 1, the streets are filled with a summer mood.

By the way, shrines make an oasis in summer.  Since the spirits of Shinto gods are believed to live in natural objects, shrines are often surrounded by forests.   So the grounds are often cooler than the outside.   Also, the purification spot there offers another refreshment.  Rinsing your hands with the cool water feels wonderful.  But it’s also an important ceremony.  The visitors need to clean their hands and mouth before seeing the Shinto gods.  Although many Japanese don’t know the right way of doing this, there is the formal way of purification.

1. You take a ladle in your hand and draw water.

2. You rinse your both hands.

3. You put a little water on your palm.

4. You put your mouth closer to the palm and imitate to rinse your mouth.  (Here, you don’t put your lips on the ladle directly!)

5. Finally, you return the ladle back to the position.

Visiting a shrine in summer is cool!!

The gate of the shrine has a unique style.  The style is said to represent the mixture of Shinto and Buddhism.

Monkeys are thought to be the messengers of the god at the shrine.  So it keeps monkeys there.  The roof of the building is supported by a monkey figure like the picture above.

They are  fortune monkeys.  The inside of the doll has a slip of paper telling your fortune.  Cute!

There are shrine bells.  Visitors ring a bell before making a prayer.  Shinto gods are summoned by ringing a bell to have them listen to your prayer.

This is one of the main halls.  It is a national treasure.   This shrine is close to a world heritage site ‘Hieizan Enryakuji temple’.  Even if your main destination is the world heritage site, Hiyoshi shrine is a must visit.

★★★

]]> http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/gotemba-premium-outlets/ Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:17:53 +0000 Yuki http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/gotemba-premium-outlets/

Gotemba premium outlets are placed in Gotemba city, Shizuoka.  Gotemba is very close to a famous hot spring resort, Hakone.  Because of easy access from Tokyo and the views of Mt. Fuji, this is one of the most popular outlet malls in Japan.  These days, many groups of Chinese tourists come here for shopping.  The huge mall has more than 200 shops including high-class brands.  In Japan, the word ‘outlets’ means the shops selling products for discount prices.

Although it was a freezing cold day, the mall was so crowded with people carrying shopping bags.  Apparently, this place has nothing to do with Japan’s loooong recession.

The entrance of the street

playful emblems

animal caps

a costume shop

This may be the safest busy street in the world.  I rarely have heard about pickpockets here.  I always want to take pictures of unique-fashioned people.  But I chicken out…

★★★　Please come and see by yourselves!

With the height of 333 meters, Tokyo tower was once the tallest tower in the world.  It was  built in 1958 modeled on Eiffel tower.  Since then it has been working both as a broadcasting tower and a symbol of Tokyo.

But many other taller buildings have mushroomed and made this tower less outstanding.  Moreover, the new world’s highest broadcasting tower ‘Tokyo sky tree’ will open this May.  Then, what will happen to Tokyo tower??

Don’t worry.  Tokyoites still love it.  According to a survey, many people think they can pay about 9000 yen more as a monthly rent to live in a house with a view of Tokyo tower, while about 7000 yen more for Tokyo sky tree.  The survey says many Tokyoites answered that they are proud of Tokyo sky tree but love Tokyo tower still more.

I do not know how the poll will be after the new tower opens to the public this spring.  But I want to vote for Tokyo tower next year, too!  Because of this charming mismatch below.

★★★　personally, accessing from Daimon station is recommendable

Personally, this department store’s biggest attractions are its basement floors, the 8th floor and 9th floor.

The basement floors are a big food market.  It is fun to gape at Kobe beef (that an NBA star player was named after) priced for 10000 yen per 100 grams, strawberries wrapped like jewels, beautiful sweets like art objects and so on.

The 8th floor has a small gallery, the live performance of a Japanese master craftsman and both Japanese-style and Western-style interior decor products.  Each product is charming.  Now many Japanese decorations to celebrate New Year are on sale.

And my favorite 9th floor.  This floor has a cafe, restaurant, spacious free area and terrace.  The free area is very bright with big windows.  As there are many benches, shoppers can enjoy the food they bring from the basement floor.

I chose an organic box lunch from a wide selection.  Very yummy!

You can get out to the terrace.  It has a very traditional statue of Bodhisattva (here is my old post about it http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/zizo-boddhisattva2-for-success/ ) which has been regarded as the steward of Ginza and a small shrine for the store’s prosperity.  I guess this is where you can feel closest to the sky of  the very busy Ginza district.

This picture was taken before Mikimoto Pearl which is in front of Mitsukoshi across the street.

★★　a nice spot for strolling and shopping

]]> http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/miho-pine-grove-the-scenic-spot-that-was-depicted-by-hiroshige/ Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:33:53 +0000 Yuki http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/miho-pine-grove-the-scenic-spot-that-was-depicted-by-hiroshige/ Miho pine grove is regarded as one of the 3 new most beautiful scenic locations in Japan.  Miho means Miho peninsula located in Shizuoka prefecture.  This is very famous for the great harmony of the view of Mt. Fuji, a beach and a pine grove.

You walk through this pine grove…

and you can see beautiful sea (the Pacific ocean) and…

stunning Mt.Fuji!  A famous ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige depicted this scene about 200 years ago.  

The picture below was found in Wikipedia.  It was taken from above.

This is one of the main attractions in the tour of the Imperial palace, Double bridge.  Many tourists always take pictures here.  Why is this called ‘Double bridge’?  Because there is another bridge over there.

Across the bridge is the main gate to the Imperial palace.  The gate is open to the public twice a year.  One is January 2, the other is the emperor’s birthday on Dec 23rd.  The Imperial family appears on the balcony and exchanges greeting with the public then.

Imperial palace was originally the residence of Tokugawa shogun family until the last shogun stepped down by himself in 1868.  The residence almost burned down to ashes because of fires, earthquakes and air strikes during World War 2.  But you can still feel Japanese traditions, both the Imperial family and Tokugawa shogun here.

The Imperial palace is pretty close to Tokyo station.  It is about 10 minutes away on foot.  Also, it is placed right next to Marunouchi business district (the biggest business center in Japan) as you can see in the picture below.

Precisely, visitors can’t enter the Imperial palace but its plaza.  But this plaza is spacious and dotted with some relics including a beautiful Japanese-style garden.  It is nice to walk around.

 I hope you would enjoy very interesting combination of this historical site and the modern Marunouchi district.

★★★ a must visit!!

]]> http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/shiogos-suspension-bridge-and-a-steam-locomotive/ Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:25:07 +0000 Yuki http://yukikote3.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/shiogos-suspension-bridge-and-a-steam-locomotive/ This bridge is located in Shizuoka prefecture.  It is the longest suspension bridge (the length: 220m) across Oi river.  It is famous because you can see an SL running below.

It swung so much when people were walking on that a family before us gave up.

A steam locomotive suddenly appeared over there.  I found my location was not so great to take good shots of the train.  But I was too scared to run on the bridge.  That’s why a chic SL looks small in these pictures below:(

Maybe this is the first time for me to see a running steam locomotive directly.  Though I am not a railway geek (there are many in Japan.), I was excited.  This area has not only this but also hot spring spas and natural beauty.

★　If you have a chance to come to Shizuoka, it is a good spot!

Tsumago-juku town suddenly appears deep in the mountains.

The townscape is just like what we can see in TV period dramas and historical movies.    It seems as if Samurai could look down from a window.

This area also has some nice hiking courses (1 hour, 1.5 hour, and 3 hour courses).  Visitors can enjoy both history and beautiful nature.

★★★　It is a little hard to get here, but it is worth visiting.

Chikubu-shima is regarded as one of the three divine islands in Japan where a Buddhist goddess ‘benzaiten’ lives. Unlike two other islands, Chikubu-shima is a lake island.  The lake is named Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan.  Lake Biwa is located in Shiga prefecture next to Kyoto.  Although this island is not as famous as two other islands. (Eno-shima is a very popular tourist spot in Tokyo area.  Miya-jima is a world heritage site.), personally I felt the most divinity here.

This island has both a temple and shrine.  You can see a typical sample of the harmony of Buddhism and Shinto.  A temple is named ‘Hoganji’.  It was established in the 8th century.  Here a Buddhist goddess that is believed to bring you fortune is worshipped.

A very interesting thing here is a corridor which connects between Hogonji temple and Tukubushima shrine.  This corridor was made of a ship relocated.  The ship was originally used by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a warlord who ruled Japan in the last 16th century.

ship corridor (with many stickers by visitors to mark their visit) 

In Tukubushima shrine, I tried ‘throwing in unglazed small tiles’.  It is believed that if you can make the tiles pass through Torii gate, your wish will be fulfilled.  Although it was difficult because of the strong wind, I made it!  I was really happy.

Thanks to the fact that it is less famous, this island still has a serene atmosphere and attracts earnest worshippers.  That’s why I might feel it more sacred.

★★　it is worth visiting, while you are staying in Kyoto

Engakuji temple is regarded as the second prestigious Zen Buddhist temple in Kamakura.  It was established in 1282 by Hojo Tokimune the ruler at the time.  He wanted to spread Zen Buddhism and console the souls of victims who tried to block the invasion of Mongolian empire.

It is lush and green on the big temple grounds.  There are many attractions.  Anyway I found an interesting thing here.  That’s a shinto shrine gate.  The gate is the mouth of the long stairs to get to a big temple bell (which was designated as a national treasure). Is a shrine gate on the temple compound? This may sound strange.  Of course they are different religions.  But this is Japan.  Shrines and temples have lived in harmony here.  These two are even complementary!

It is worthwhile bothering to walk up over 100 stairs after this gate.  Because you can see a huge temple bell and more!  That is Mt.Fuji ! (if you get lucky)

I hope you can see the dim but beautiful outline of Mt. Fuji in the picture above.

★★★　very close to JR Kitakamakura station

Nagatoro is about 2 hours’ train ride from Tokyo.  This town was introduced by Michelin green guide Japon for the first time this year.

One of the main attractions here is river rafting.  Small boats zip through Arakawa river.  Customers can enjoy it seeing natural beauty, especially big rocks designated as a natural monument.

When I rode the boat, unluckily the water level of the river was very low.  So it was not so thrilling or scary (I wanted it).  But It was fun and cool to catch summer breezes on the boat.

This is the big Torii gate of Hodosan shrine which was refurbished recently.  The main building still smells of Japanese cypress which was used for the building. It’s so fragrant and refreshing.  The inside of the gate was quiet and  sacred.  I could forget the hustle and bustle of Tokyo for a moment.

I came across a wild pheasant near Hodosan shrine like a picture above.

★★ If you have time and want a short trip to nature from Tokyo

Zojoji temple is located close to Tokyo tower like the picture above.  I love this landscape.  By the way, Zojoji was one of the main temples of the Tokugawa family and has the graves of 6 shogun and their wives.  Especially this year it is attracting many visitors.  Because Ogo-no-kata, the wife of the second shogun Hidetada is sleeping here and her life story is being featured on Taiga drama, very popular NHK drama series.

kazunomiya

Also, this temple has the graves of a nice couple, the 14th shogun Iemochi and his wife Kazunomiya.  Kazunomiya was the sister of the Emperor Komei.  She married Iemochi for the political reason.  At the time the Tokugawa goverment was losing its absolute power because of its poor handling of foreign pressure.  So it needed to keep good relations with the Imperial court that didn’t have any political power but kept a special status and respect from the public.  This was the first case that an Imperial princess became the wife of Shogun.  She hated to marry at first, but she and Iemochi finally hit it off.  Unluckly her husband died from sickness soon, but she worked to save the Tokugawa family and asked her brother not to put down it.  According to her last word, she was buried next to her husband.  Their marriage life was only 4 years…

I went to 報国寺 ‘Hokokuji’ temple.  This is a Zen temple established about 700 years ago.  This temple is famous for its big bamboo garden.   The bamboo forest-like garden was filled with a fresh air.  There were many visitors, and they seemed to share the pleasant atmosphere together.  In the corner of the garden, tables and benches are set up.  Visiters can enjoy ‘maccha’ tea there while hearing the bamboos waving.

The picture under the bowls of tea is one drawn by the former head priest of the temple.  Zen buddhist monks once led the Japanese art including the tea ceremony, landscape gardening, and India ink painting.  They were not only monks but also highly cultivated people.  This drawing reminded me of that thing.

★★★　a nice place to visit in Kamakura