Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter Trip

Kurashiki Trip

This time, I would like to inform Okayam Kurashiki City trip.

Kurashiki station is different place from Shin Kurashiki for Shinkansen super express.
2stations east from Shin-Kurashiki.

After 10minutes walking, you will arrive at Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter.

New leaves of river side trees are beautiful.
First visit is Kurabo(Kurashiki Bouseki) Memorial Museum.

Kurabo was established by Mr.Takashiro Ohara.
This company was expanded at Taisho and Showa periodic.
At that time, Kurashiki City was big industry city.
Next is Ohara House.

Ohara house is not opend to travelers.
We can only sightseen from outer place.
But you can understand this house is big and has big garden.
Ohara house is Important cultural property.
Ohara museum of Art is near this Ohara house.

This museum is established Mr.Magosaburo Ohara.
For seeing this museum, we need 1 or 2hours necessary.

Next is Kurashi IVY Square.
IVY Square Hotel is existing using Kurabou factory.
Red brick wall with ivy is beautiful.

In the hotel's garden, abroad cuisine is cooking, foreign travelers are eating it.

Next, search sweets.

Kibidango is famous in Okayama prefecture.
I bought Kibidango with peach, this is deliciously.

Murasuzume is famous in Kurashiki.
I also bought this one.
Murasuzume is Pancake rolling Grain bean jam.
This is sweet and nice.

In Kurashiki river, Bride and groom are riding boat.
Wedding ceremony is starting at this Rivera.
Lots of attendants are celebrating bride and groom.

Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter is 21 hectare size and has a lots of sightseeing spots.
I recommend you half day trip in minimum is necessary.

That's it.

Tokyo cheap and valuable Hotel

I would like to recommend cheap and valuable Hotel.

It is The Canaan Hotel.
Place is near Tokyu Zoushiki station.
From station,5minutes walk.
Address is higashi-rokugo Ohtaku.

This hotel give us silent, modern, enough space.
The place is suburb erea, and residential section.
Single room charge is only 4700yen.
Bath room is enough space, bath tub is large sige as a business hotel.

When you need breakfast,the price is 600yen.

Old husband and wife are keeping this hotel.
Old wife is staying this hotel, so she knows lots of information around this area.
If you understand this hotel's value and would like to book this hotel,
please use direct reservation from this hotel's home-page.
Direct reservation is cheaper than using hotel net reservation web company.
This hotel's weak point are not convenient place for business.
From Shinagawa station,20minutes are necessary.
For silent, large space, reasonable price, this hotel is best for you.

But this hotel is center position from Yokohama, Shingawa, Haneda airport.
For Yokohama sightseeing, and Tokyo south area sightseeing, this hotel is convenient.

That's all.

Tokyo downtown walking trip Yanaka- Yazu- Sendagi

Tokyo downtown walking trip Yanaka- Yazu- Sendagi

I would like to inform Yanaka area walking trip, this area is popular for abroad travelers.

Route
Yanaka-Ginza➡Nezu shrine ➡ Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden ➡ Yushima Tenjin ➡
Shinobazu pond ➡Ueno park➡Kanei temple➡Nippori station

Start is JR Tokyo station.
For going to Yanaka, using JR Yamanote line is convenient for abroad travelers.

I recommend JR free ticket for the Inside of Tokyo wards, 700yen.
Nippori station is a 6th station.
Going out from west exit.
Walking about 10 minutes, you arrive Yuyake dandan Stairs.

Walk down this stairs, you arrive Yanaka Ginza, Friendly atmosphere shop street.
This area is a Yanaka Town.

Around Yanaka town has a lot of slopes, and narrow streets.
You can find many temples and Tokyo Shouwa period.
Walking slow and find Tokyo unique view.
Sightseeing point is a Kannon temple in Yanaka.

This temple has a mud wall. This wall is a Yanaka symbol.
Walking few minutes, you arrive Nezu shrine.
This shrine is famous for Azalea flowers.

Near this shrine, I recommend to buy Tai-Yaki,Fish-shaped pancake stuffed with bean jam. 140yen. Lots bean jams in it.

Next is Takehisa Yumeji Museum.
The museum houses collections of Yumeji's works owned by lawyer and curator Takumi Kano, and is located near the Kikuhuji Hotel, Takehisa Yumeji stayed in this hotel.
Yumeji also enjoyed meeting his lover in Hongo.
You can enjoy extensively the romance of the Taisho Era in this museum.

Next is Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden.
It is the former estate of the Iwasaki clan who were the founders of Mitsubishi, the name Kyu-Iwasaki-tei means Old Iwasaki house. The premises have three buildings: a Western-style house designed by British architect Josiah Conder, a Japanese house and a billiard house, and cover an area of about 17,000 square metres.
This house is a combined house for western style and Japanese style.
This garden has a very big lawn park and Japanese style garden.
The building is designated as the important cultural property of the country.

Next is Yushima Tenjin shrine in Hongo, is a god of Learning.
Yushima-Tenjin has deified the Michizane Sugawara public, which is Tenman-gu in Edo and Tokyo, and is known as God of learning.
There are many plum trees in this shrine, it's plum tree flower is full bloom in Feb.

Next is Shinobazuno pond. After this pond you arrive Ueno park.
Don't forget to take a picture with Takamori-Saigo statue.
Ueno park has a National Museum, this museum has many statues and historical goods.
Entrance fee is not so expensive.
When you have a time, please enter this museum.

About 10minutes walk, you find a Kan-ei Temple, which is a Tokugawa shogun family's temple.
The Kan-ei temple is the Tokugawa shogun family's temple.
Six of 15 Tokugawa Shogunate are buried in this temple.
Please go to Konpon-Chudou temple.

From this Kanei temple, 5minutes walk you arrive Nippori station.
About 5hours are necessary for this trip.

That's all.

Mt.Hiei trip

Mt.Hiei trip

I would like to inform Mt.Hiei trip, from Osaka.

Route
Yodoyabashi Osaka➡Eizan-train➡Eizan-cable➡Eizan-ropeway➡Sancho-Bus➡Eizan-Temple➡Sakamoto-cable➡Keage-Azalea➡Takaragaike➡Sanjyo Kyoto➡Yodoyabashi

Early in the morning 8:00, I start from Yodoyabashi in Osaka.
I buy 'Mt.Hiei Cross trip ticket' 3000yen, that is including all tickets for Mt.Hiei sightseeing, this ticket is convenient.
I ride Keihan train for 1 hour, I arrive Demachi-Yanagi in Yokoto.
Change train in this station, next train is Eizan-train.

By Eizan-train, arrive Yase-hieizan-guchi.
Eizan-train is running near the road, and only one car.
Around this Yase-hieizan-Guchi, there are new green maple trees and beautifully Takase river.
At Yase-hieizan-guchi, change Eizan cable train to go to Hiei.

Change Eizan Ropeway to go to Eizan-Sanchou.

Riding Eizan cable & Ropeway, you can see a wonderful view of north Kyoto & Lake Biwa.
Eizan Sancho is very clod same as winter, about 10 degree lower than plain.
I ride Sancho Bus to go to main temple of Hieizan temple.

First is to go to Yokokawa, I visit Yokokawa-Chuo-temple, Gen-SandaiShi-temple.
Next is go to West Temple.

Riding Bus, you can see a grate view of Lake Biwa at Mine-do.
Sancho Bus diagram is 30minutes span.
West temple, I visit Ninai temple, Shaka temple.
Next is to go to East temple, Big Auditorium, Konpon-chu-do temple, Bunshu-rou.
Konpon-chu-do is not available to take a photo.

It is too early for giving up to take a photo of Konpon-chu-do.
When you climb stone stairs in front of Konpon-chu-do, you can take a photo of Konpon-chu-do.

I eat Soba noodle for lunch, Sancho trip is finished about 3hours.
But I recommend 4 hours trip for visiting Eizan-Temples.

I go to Sakamoto town by Sakamoto cable.
Sakamoto cable is a longest cable in Japan.
But landscape is not so good, because lots of trees are covering this cable.
Eizan cable view is better than Sakamoto cable.


From Sakamoto, I ride Keihan train to go to Keage.
Keage Azalea is very viewtiful.
Azalea festival is opened from May 3 to 6.

Next, I go to Takaraga pond station by Eizan-train.
I visit Takaraga pond near Kyoto international conference.
Some Kyoto citizens are running and jogging around this pond.
New green maple trees and cherry trees are very beautifully same as
Shinshu mountain.

Next, to go to Sanjyo by Keihan train.
I walk around Kamo river.
There are some big stones in the Kamo river, we can walk over the river.
Kamo river has old sense and new sense, good place.
I return to Osaka by Keihan train from Kyoto Sanjyo.

Overconcentration to Tokyo and Reduction of the local destination travel

Overconcentration to Tokyo and Reduction of the local destination travel

The travel to Tokyo has been increasing in a Japanese domestic travel.
On the other hand, the travel to local areas is decreasing.
Owing to the economy concentration to Tokyo, the population of local city is decreased and JR abolish line or decreace line, buss company abolish line or decreace line, and also a shopping center is decreaced, and finaly the town will be a gohst town.
This bad circle is continued every year.
Convenience stores are decreased in rural area.
If there is a convenience store in the town, the town is prosperous.
In Tokyo, lots of building are constructing, and increase in a number of JR, station extension, and expansion of the shopping center are performed.
About 20 years ago, overconcentration to Tokyo was not carried out so much yet, and the local city was also prosperous.
Priority of profits becomes strong after the collapse of the 'Japanese bubble economy', JR company decide cut local train,and discontinued the line, and withdrawal of a store. This chain is repeated repeatedly.
We have to stop the Tokyo concentration.

Continued to this tendency, local cities turn into ruins.
Furthermore, Japan joins in TPP, and if agriculture receives a damage, local city population will be decreased sharply further.

The country as my ideal is Germany.

In Germany, about 500,000 people's city is located in each state.
Agriculture is also prosperous and is carrying out a potato, a cabbage, and wine cultivation widely.
Concirning the German population, Berline is 3,500,000, Hamburg 1,800,000, Munich 1,400,000, and Cologne 1 million, the city of a 500,000 to 600,000 people class is crowding in many big city. The infrastructure investment of each city is also equivalent.
Germany is distributing population in each state, the whole country is prosperous.

If it overconcentrates on Tokyo, a superfluous infrastructure will be supplied to Tokyo, other city can not recieve necessary infrastructures. Then other citie's population will be decreased.
The infrastructure also decreases in many local cities, train and bus are not existing, it becomes impossible to go travel to local erea except a private car.
We have to stop overconcentration to Tokyo.
I would like to plan lots of local travel for the local city to be prosperous.