DANGO

DANGO is one of Japanese traditional wagashi, which looks simpler than other wagashis.　It is a confection made of dough, consisting mainly of rice flour. It is kneaded and shaped into small balls, which is steamed or boiled. The balls are then given any of a variety of coatings, such as sweet bean paste or soybean flour, or they are dipped in soy sauce and grilled often on bamboo skewers.
There are many different varieties of dango which are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it, such as anko DANGO (Commonly known as sweetened red bean paste, while ingredients other than azuki are used on rare occasions), cya DANGO ( Green-tea flavored DANGO), sansyoku DANGO (Dango that has three colors. One is colored by red beans, the second by eggs or white, and the third by green tea), hanami DANGO (Also has three colors, Hanami dango is traditionally made during cherry blossom-viewing season ). Millet DANGO which is famous for Japanese old fairy story "Momo-Taro" has been also popular since long ago.
DANGO has long been eaten in Japan, often on the occasion of seasonal observance, such as cherry-blossoms or moon viewing, and Buddhist rituals. A common Japanese proverb “Hana yori DANGO” ( literally, “dumplings rather than flowers” ) refers to a preference for practical things rather than aesthetics.

DAITOKU-JI

DAITOKU-JI in Kyoto is one of the main temples of Rinzai sect. It was founded in 1324. Like many other temples in Kyoto during that time, many of the temple's buildings were destroyed by fire. In 1474, which was when Kyoto was the scene of the Onin War, Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado designated Ikkyu Sojun as the head priest. With the help of merchants of the city of Sakai, Ikkyu contributed significantly to the temple's rehabilitation. In 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi buried his predecessor, Oda Nobunaga, at DAITOKU-JI. Sammon, the two-story main gate, was erected in 1589 by Sen-no Rikyu, a master of the tea ceremony. The upper story contains images of some arhats besides a statue of Rikyu made by himself. The placement of this statue here is said to be one of the reasons why Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a ruler of the feudal lords, ordered Rikyu to commit ritual suicide.
DAITOKU-JI contains complex of 22 subtemples, but some of them are open in public. Ryogen-in temple　which is famous for five gardens is one of them. It was constructed by Priest Tokei in 1502. The main garden was designed by Soami who was very popular gardener in Muromachi Period in 13th century. The garden represents us the universe, consisting the garden moss which express wide sea and some of rock islets which express mountains. Isshidan is the garden which was reconstructed by the present priest Katsudo. It is a rock garden, where the center rock represents Mt. Horai, the two rocks in the right corner Crane Island, and the moss mound Tortoise Island, the white sand showing the sea.

YUKATA

YUKATA is an informal kimono usually made of cotton. It is a long robe folded in front and fastened in back at the waistline with a sash called obi.　 People wearing YUKATA are a common sight in Japan at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events. YUKATA is also frequently worn after bathing at traditional Japanese inns.
YUKATA is especially popular now with young people. When attending summer festivals or fireworks displays, a colorful YUKATA is a popular choice for fashion conscious Japanese women.　 Like other forms of traditional Japanese clothing it is made with straight seams and wide sleeves. Unlike formal kimono, which are made of silk, YUKATA is typically made of cotton or synthetic fabrics, and are unlined. Today a wide variety of colors and designs are available. As with kimono, the general rule with YUKATA is that younger people wear brighter colors and bolder patterns than older people. A child might wear a multicolored print and a young woman, a floral print, while an older woman would confine herself to a traditional dark blue with geometric patterns. Since the late 1990s, YUKATA has experienced a revival. Some have even taken to wearing a new type of YUKATA that is across between the YUKATA robe and a miniskirt.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

TETSUJIN28GO

The Nagata area of Kobe has a new sight—TETSUJIN28GO, the giant robot. in honor of Mitsuteru Yokoyama, a cartoonist from Kobe famous for TETSUJIN 28 GO, the Shin-Nagata community erected an 18m monument of TETSUJIN28GO. This area was one of the worst hit by the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, but they have been rebuilt and are once again a very lively areas. TETSUJIN28GO helped it.
Yokoyama who was born in Kobe in 1934 is one of the originators of present day Japanese comics. While Osamu Tezuka established the technique to draw Japanese comics, it was Yokoyama who established the format of various genres of current Japanese comics and anime. Whereas many comic artists prefer their original stories not to be changed when adapted, Yokoyama was realistic and tolerant, so many of his works were made into animation. TETSUJIN28GO, (literally "Iron Man #28") is a 1956 manga written and illustrated by him.
The series centred on the adventures of a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda, who controlled a giant robot named TETSUJIN28GO, built by his late father. The manga was later adapted into four anime TV series, the first in 1963. It was the first Japanese series to feature a giant robot. The 1963 series was later released in America as Gigantor. A live action motion picture with heavy use of computer generated graphics was produced in Japan in 2005.

KOFUKU-JI

KOFUKU-JI Temple was founded in 669 and moved from Asuka in 710 when Nara became the capital. Once encompassing over a hundred buildings, today only a handful remain including a five-storied pagoda built in 1426 as an exact copy of the original.　 The origins of KOFUKU-JI date to the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Tenji (669 AD) when Kagami-no-Okimi, consort of the statesman Fujiwara-no-Kamatari, established a temple at the family estate in Yamashina Suehara(modern-day Kyoto prefecture) to pray for the recovery of Kamatari's illness.
The five storied pagoda was constructed by the Empress Komyo in 725. The current building is a restoration completed in 1426, and is the second highest pagoda in Japan, rising 50.1 meters. Inside the structure on the first level, enshrined around the central pillar are a Yakushi triad (to the east), a Shaka triad (to the south), an Amida triad (to the west), and a Miroku triad (to the north).
There are three “Golden Halls” at KOFUKU-JI, all of which take their names　according to their location in the temple complex. The original structure　was built at the behest of the Emperor Shomu in 726 to speed the recovery of the ailing Empress Gensho.　A yakushi triad ( Yakushi Sanzon ) was enshrined on the main altar. Since the construction of the original building, the Eastern Golden Hall has been destroyed by fire, and subsequently rebuilt, five times. The current structure which is a National Treasure dates to 1415. Nanendo is the No.9 of Saigoku 33 Pilgrimage

TEMPURA

TEMPURA is a typical modern Japanese dish. Fresh fish, shellfish, or vegetables dipped in a batter of flour mixed with egg and water and then deep-fried. A wide variety of foods can be used a ingredients for TEMPURA. Low-fat fish such as smelt (kisu), a kind of whitebait (shirauo), conger eel (anago), cuttlefish (ika), shrimp, and such shellfish as scallops are commonly used. Vegetables used include lotus root, mushrooms, ginkgo nuts, beafstake plant (siso), and green peppers.
Oil temperature is generally kept between 160 and 180 degrees Celsius, depending on the ingredient. In order to preserve the natural flavour and texture of the ingredients, care is taken not to overcook tempura. Cooking times range between a few seconds for delicate leaf vegetables, to several minutes for thick items or large kaki-age fritters.
TEMPURA tastes best eaten right after frying, accompanied by a side dish of special TEMPURA dipping sauce and grated radish. The sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and dashi.
In Japan, restaurants specializing in TEMPURA are called "tenpura-ya" and range from inexpensive fast food chains to very expensive five-star restaurants. Many restaurants offer TEMPURA as part of a set meal or an bento (lunch box), and it is also a popular ingredient in take-out or convenience store bento boxes. The ingredients and styles of cooking and serving TEMPURA vary greatly through the country, with importance being placed on using fresh, seasonal ingredients.
TEMPURA is also used in combination with other foods. When served over soba (buckwheat noodles), it is called "Tempura soba" or "Tensoba". TEMPURA is also served as a donburi dish where tempura shrimp and vegetables are served over steamed rice in a bowl (Tendon) and on top of udon soup (Tempura Udon).
　

GION FESTIVAL

The GION FESTIVALs are conducted throughout Japan, but the best known is that sponsored by the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. It is one of the three major festivals in Japan. It originated in 869 when, to counter an epidemic that are sweeping the city, 66 tall spears (hoko) representing the provinces of Japan were erected and prayers were offered.　 People in ancient times thought the epidemic was caused both by the god of epidemics and by vengeful ghosts, the dead who had died a tragic death in a political struggle.　 Therefore, people began to hold a festival in an effort to prevent the spread of the epidemic by soothing the god and these vengeful spirits.　　　
Discontinued in the confusion following the Onin War (1467-77 ), the festival was revived in the 16th century by an organization of merchants and reached its present form during the Edo period (1600-1868).　
The musical with a unique rhythm are called Gion Bayashi, and this elegant style music has most likely influenced other festival in Japan. Conducted through the month of July, it reaches its high point on the 17th with a parade of floats (DASHI). The original hoko (spears) have been replaced by giant wheeled floats of the same name. Topped by a tall spearlike pole, they carry groups of musician playing music known as Gion-Bayashi. The smaller floats, termed yama (mountains), bear life size figure of famous historical or mythical personages.　　

HEIAN JINGU

HEIAN JINGU (Heian Shrine) is a Shinto shrine located in Kyoto, which was built in 1895 to celebrate Kyoto's 1100th birthday. It is a two-thirds reproduction of the palace Emperor Kanmu built in 794 and in the Tang Chinese architectural style with brilliant vermilion pillars. It is quite a contrast with the subdued yet elegant imperial palaces of the later emperors. Emperor Kanmu (Kyoto's founder) and Emperor Komei (the last emperor before the capital moved to Tokyo in 1868) are enshrined here.　
The shrine's bright-orange and white halls have an unmistakably Chinese air. Two wings embrace a huge, gravelled courtyard, at the north end of which sits the main worship hall flanked by a couple of pretty two-storeyed towers representing the protective "Blue Dragon" and "White Tiger".
Behind these buildings is a large, beautiful garden that was popular during the Heian era. Its entrance is to the left of the Hall of the State. The garden has blossoms all year round but is especially popular in April when the cherry blossoms bloom. There's a wooden bench on the graceful bridge over the pond where we love to sit and feel the colorful, fat carp,
The HEIAN JINGU hosts the Jidai Matsuri, one of the three most important festivals of Kyoto. The procession of this festival begins at the old Imperial palace, and includes carrying the mikoshi (portable shrines) of Emperors Kanmu and Komei to the HEIAN JINGU.

ＨＩＭＥＪＩ ＣＡＳＴＬＥ

HIMEJI CASTLE is a hilltop (as opposed to a flatland or mountaintop) Japanese castle complex located in Himeji. It was originally built in 1346. At this time, it was called Himeyama Castle. In 1580, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took control of the badly damaged castle, and Kuroda Yoshitaka built a three-story tower. Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted HIMEJI CASTLE to Ikeda Terumasa who embarked on a nine-year expansion project that brought the castle roughly to its current form.
It represents the highest achievement in Japanese castle architecture, and was designated as a national treasure in 1931, the castle was registered as the World Cultural Heritage in 1993 as the first cultural site in Japan. The registration occurred because the castle has kept its original design at the time of construction, such as turrets, stone walls, gates, and moats, which still survive today. Because of its elegant appearance totally covered with white plaster, the castle has been compared to a white bird flying off the sky. Its famous nickname is White Heron Castle. In this season we can see the castle surrounded with about 1000 cherry trees which are in full bloom.
One of the castle's most important defensive elements, and perhaps its most famous, is the confusing maze of paths leading to the main keep. The gates, baileys, and outer walls of the complex are organized so as to cause an approaching force to travel in a spiral pattern around the castle on their way into the keep, facing many dead ends. This allowed the intruders to be watched and fired upon from the keep during their entire approach. However, Himeji was never attacked in this manner, and so the system remains untested.
Now HIMEJI CASTLE is under construction. The full-scale restoration work is intended to repair castle structures such as the plaster walls and the eaves and canopies of the upper levels that have been damaged or become soiled over a period of 46 years since the last major restoration in 1964. The restoration period will be a full five years( until 2014 ). During the restoration period, a roofed scaffold structure will be installed to fully cover the main keep.

ＫＯＢＥ ＬＡＭＰ ＭＵＳＥＵＭ

West side of Flower Road stretching south from Sannomiya Station is called Kyukyoryuch (Old Foreign Settlement). It was established at the time of the opening of the Port of Kobe in 1868. Plaques displaying addresses can be found on main buildings. We can image what the town looked like long ago as we stroll around this place.
Among the old buildings or some museums, the unique museum is KOBE LAMP MUSAEUM. This museum exhibits the history of the Lamp, from the old oil lamp to the electrical lamp. There is a "Walk of Light," a walk-through exhibit simulating a street in the Old Foreign Settlement, as well as a Reference Room with books and an electronic database. It has a fine collection of lamps used before the advent of electricity. on display are Japanese lamps, hanging lamps, Western and Japanese oil lamps and various kinds of candlesticks.　 We can feel the passage of history when we walk the Museum Promenade. Unrivaled collection of KOBE LAMP MOSEUM offers us a rare opportunity to learn about the history of lamps and lighting.　 And at the " Lighting Revolution Room ", we can see an exhibit of gaslight, electric light bulbs, and nostalgic lampshades.
My favorite is a "Light Innovation Room" which exhibit including tripod lamp stands and an ingenious mechanism that automatically supplies oil from a mouth of a model rat.

AQUALINER RIVER CRUISE

Osaka has a few canals on which we can cruise the city, taking in the sights without any strain on the legs. The low-lying, glass-topped boat cruises the Yodo River. The boat stops at Osaka Castle Pier, Tenmabashi Bridge, Yodoyabashi Bridge and OAP (Osaka Amenity Park) Pier at the Imperial Hotel.
The Osaka Suijo Bus is a ship operating company in Osaka. The company belongs to Keihan Group. Founded in 1983, the company operates water buses on Okawa River and Dotonbori Canal, an excursion cruise ship on the Port of Osaka, and a restaurant ship on Okawa River. The services include public lines listed below, as well as event cruises and chartered ships. The company once operated commuter ships as well, but the service was cancelled in 2005.　　　　　
AQUALINER RIVER CRUISE is a nice way to spend a day in the city when it is too hot for walking. There are guide tapes available to explain the sights upon request. Take the JR Osaka Loop Line to Osakajo Koen station and walk west toward the next bridge over from the station. You can see the sign to the Aqualiner Pier. It is especially popular in cherry blossom season.

ＭＡＫＩＺＵＳＨＩ

MAKIZUSI is a kind of SUSHI, which is a roll of vinegared rice with one or more of a variety of ingredients wrapped in seaweed. For MAKIZUSHI vinegared rice is spread over a sheet of lightly toasted seaweed and various types of seafood or vegetables are arranged along the center of a thin bamboo mat placed beneath the seaweed. It is rolled into a cylinder and sliced crosswise into bite-sized pieces. Futomaki is a most popular MAKIZUSHI. During the Setsubun festival, it is traditional in Kansai to eat uncut futomaki in its cylindrical form, where it is particularly called ehou-maki (lit. happy direction rolls). Futomaki is often vegetarian, but may include non-vegetarian toppings such as tiny fish roe and chopped tuna.
Hosomaki is a small cylindrical piece. A typical hosomaki has a diameter of about two centimeters. They generally contain only one filling, often tuna, cucumber, kanpyo. Tekkamaki is a kind of Hosomaki filled with raw tuna.. Temaki is a large cone-shaped piece of nori on the outside and the ingredients spilling out the wide end. A typical temaki is about ten centimeters long, and is eaten with fingers because it is too awkward to pick it up with chopsticks. For optimal taste and texture, Temaki must be eaten quickly after being made because the nori cone soon absorbs moisture from the filling and loses its crispness and becomes somewhat difficult to bite. Uramaki is a medium-sized cylindrical piece, with two or more fillings. Uramaki differs from other makimono because the rice is on the outside and the nori inside. The filling is in the center surrounded by nori, then a layer of rice, and an outer coating of some other ingredients such as roe or toasted sesame seeds
The increasing popularity of sushi in North America as well as around the world has resulted in variations of sushi typically found in the West but rarely if at all in Japan. Such creations to suit the Western palate were initially fueled by the invention of the California roll.

NINNA-JI

NINNA-JI is the head temple of the Omuro school of Shingon Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. It is part of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
NINNA-JI dates to 886 when Emperor Koko built it as a retirement villa. His successor, Emperor Uda. turned it into a temple and became its chief priest after his own retirement.　 In 1467, the temple was destroyed by fire and fighting in the Onin War. It was rebuilt roughly 150 year later, thanks to the eldest son of Emperor Go-Yozei, Kakushin Hosshinno, who enlisted the help of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The resurrection coincided with the rebuilding of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and thus received imperial funding.　 The Kon-do (Main Hall) and Mie-do (Founder's Hall) were originally the Shishinden and Seiryuden, the two principal halls of the imperial palace,given to Ninnaji at the time, for the imperialpalace was also being built.
Most of the surviving buildings date from the 17th century, and include a five-storey pagoda and a plantation of dwarf cherry trees. The temple itself features some beautifully painted screen walls, and a beautiful walled garden.
The temple's Omuro no sakura, a grove of cherry trees, is famous; the trees have short trunks and look dwarfed, and the flowers have many petals. The peak season is usually mid-April, later than traditional cherry blossoms.

MERIKEN PARK

MERIKEN PARK is a waterfront park located in the port city of Kobe. When MERIKEN PARK, at that time it is called MERIKEN HATOBA, was constructed in 1868, it was in front of the American consulate. At beginning of the Meiji period, Japanese didn't hear the "A" sound in American. The park features the Kobe Port Tower, Kobe Maritime Museum, and a memorial to victims of the Great Hanshin earthquake.
The 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake diminished much of the port city's prominence when it destroyed and halted much of the facilities and services there, causing approximately ten trillion yen or $102.5 billion in damage, 2.5% of Japan's GDP at the time. Most of the losses were uninsured, as only 3% of property in the Kobe area was covered by earthquake insurance, compared to 16% in Tokyo. Kobe was one of the world's busiest ports prior to the earthquake, but despite the repair and rebuilding, it has never regained its former status as Japan's principal shipping port. It remains Japan's fourth busiest container port.
Kobe Port Tower is a 108 metre high lattice tower in the port city of Kobe. It has an observation deck at a height of 90.28 metres. The red steel Port Tower offers a spectacular sight of the bay area and the surrounding area. The Kobe Maritime Museum has models, video films,and objects related to ships, the port and the ocean. From the water we can not help but notice the distinctive soaring glass structure of the museum.

HEIJOKYO

HEIJOKYO was the capital city of Japan during most of the time (710-740 and 745-784) of Nara period (710-794). The Palace site is a listed UNESCO World Heritage together with other places in the city of Nara (cf. Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara).　 This area flourished as the political and cultural center of the late Nara period from 710, when Empress-Regnant Gemmyo moved the capital here from the Asuka district, until Emperor Kammu moved the capital in 784 to Nagaoka-southwest of the present Kyoto.
The front gate is Suzaku Gate. Foreign envoys were received and seen off in front of the gate, and large crowds of people occasionally gathered to hold UTAGAKI ( poetry contest ).　 On New Year's Day, the emperor sometimes came out to the gate to celebrate the New Year. A low wall of 5.5 meters in height stretched out to the sides of the gate enclosing the 130-hectare imperial palace.
The Former Imperial Audience Hall sits majestically about 800 meters due north of Suzaku Gate.　 The structure is about 44 meters wide, about 20 meters deep, and about 27 meters high. Built using 44 vermillion colums, and some 97,000 roof tiles., the Hall was the largest building at Heijokyo.
Now commemorative events of the 1300th anniversary of Nara Heijokyo Capital is held. So it is a good chance to see and know Nara.