Kyoto Nishiki Ichiba Market Trip

I would like to inform Nishiki Ichiba Market Trip.

First visit is Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine.
This shrine is near Shijyou Kawaramachi.
Ge off at Kawaramachi station of Hankyu Train.
Go west 50m along Shijyo street, enter Yanagi Koji street, turn left at end of this street, you arrive at Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine.

This shrine is a small shrine in the down town.
Lots of lanterns are decorated at Torii.
This shrine is pray for study and commerce.

Nishiki Ichiba is starting from this shrine.

Nishiki Ichiba has about 400years history, along Nishiki street from teramachi to Takakura.
This market has fish, Kyoto vegetable, dry matter, pickles, Tempura, Obanzai shops.
About 130 shoppes are gathered at 4m width and 390m road.

This market has fresh Foodstuff for Kyoto cuisine.
So, high quality food materials are prepared．

Kyoto citizen call this market 'Kitchen for Kyoto'.

Tempula 'Hokyuan'
Hokyuan is a historical shop.
There are large bamboo steamer with steam rising.
In this shop, many stick Tempula, such as squid, shrimp, octopus, potatoes with butter, are selled.

Kyoto Dashimaki 'Miki egg'
Dashimaki is a egg Omelette, made by Soy sauce with dried bonito and kelp.
You can eat Dashimaki from 400yen.
At opening time, you can eat hot Dashimaki.

Kyoto pickles 「Masugo」
Pickles in the barrel, are selled.
Hana radish, Suguki pickles are famous in this shop.
Hana radish is plain taste, Suguki is sour taste.

Kyoto Nishiki 'Mochitsuki shop'
Mochi candy, ZenzaI are selled.
Mochi is a rice cake.
This shop has a event time for Mochi tsuki.

Kyoto Nishiki 'Murasaki'
This shop has a japanese-style confection and the bean cake.
Fresh roast peanut is famous.

Nishiki Ichiba is opened from 10:00 to 18:00.
After Temple closing, you can go to this market, and enjoy shopping.

End of this year, Nishiki Ichiba market is very crowded.
New year January 1 to 3 is lots of shops are closed, January 4 Nishiki Ichiba Market starts.
I hope you welcome a good New Year.

That's it.

Tarumi -Marinepia-Kobe, Maiko park, Kobe Harbor land Trip

Tarumi -Marinepia-Kobe, Maiko park, Kobe Harbor land Trip

Get off at JR Tarumi station, and go to south about 5 minutes walk, you arrive at Umi Shrine.
It is a small shrine to pray for the safety of the ocean.

This shrine is a God nautical safety and fishery prosperity, and a God of road safety.

Next go to seaside.
You can see Marinepia Kobe park.
This park is a water front of Tarumi, and start from 1998.

There are shopping outlets, yacht harbor, fish school.
Shopping outlets have many foreign brands shops, but price is not high.
Amusement facilities are also exsisting.
Many young men and families are shopping.
From this park, you can see Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

Seeing Majestic view, go to west along seaside.
You will be a fantastic feeling at a fine weather.
You are not tired even walking a long distance at this seaside.

About 1km walking, you arrive at Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.
This area has Maiko park.
There are Muto Former House, Ijyokaku house, Kinoshita Former House.

I buy a 3 Museum joint ticket 400 yen.

First visit is Muto former house, which was built by Mr. Muto.
He is a president of Kanebo, and Member of the House of Representatives.
This house is a European-style building of colonial-style, two-story wooden.floorswooden.

Reception staff explain the building kindly.
Fireplace and stained glass, and furniture, luxury goods at the time are on display in each room in the English-style. Veranda on the second floor has not been published, unfortunately.

Next is Ijyokaku house.
This house is under the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.

It is a structure two-story building and three-story building of hexagonal coalesced.
This house is Mr.Sonbun's memorial house.
Reception staff does not explain this house.
This house displays shows the honors achievements of Mr. Sonbun.
I recommend you to see the video of Mr.Sonbun history.

Next is Kinoshita former house.
From Ijyokaku, 15minures walking is necessary.

This house is wooden Sukiyaki tsukuri style house, National Registered tangible cultural property.
This house built at 1941.
This house has many Tatami room, and Tea room.
You can see a see view from Garden.

Ride JR train at Maiko station.
Get off at Kobe station, and go to Harbor Land.
At the harbor, you see a Luxury line ship, and scenery that seems to be a Kobe.

Kobe seaside weather is marine weather, has lots of fine weather, and little bitte warmer.

Please walk at Maiko park in winter.

This trip needs 5 hours.

That,s it.

Kyoto Shokokuji Temple Walking trip

Shokokuji temple is existing at Karasuma Imadegawa and north of Doshisha University.

Get off at Imadegawa Station, go north at Imadegawa street.
After Doshisha University, narrow street is seen, this is a entrance of Shokokuji
temple.
This temple has special exhibition spring and autumn.

Autumn exhibition was held till December 15.
First visit is Hodo main hall.
This temple was established by Yoshimitsu Ashikaga.
And Hideyori Toyotomi repaired this temple, and Mitsunobu Kano draw Squeal dragon.

When you tap hands under dragon drawing, you can hear dragon cry.
But the tapping sound is not enough, you can not hear the cry.

Next is Kaizan-Do.
This hall enshrine Muso-Kokushi, and has Stone garden.

Stone garden is wonderful.

Monk explaine this hall in detail. Please hear this explanation.

Next is Senmyo. This is a bath house.

This bath room was made at 1400.
Bath tub is small and deep.

I thunk only one monk enter this bath, and short time.
Shokokuji temple precinct is bigger than Doshisha university campus.

Ashikaga Shogunate is not strong, but Ashikaga Shogun establish many valuable temples.
I review Ashikaga Shogun.

Shokokuji temple is not famous, but this year 'Cherry blossoms of Yae' is a big hit.
So, Shokouji temple has many travelers.
People except student are available to use Doshisha university's restaurant.

When you visit Doshisha univ. please use this restaurant.
It's a reasonable price.

That's it.

Osaka Midosuji Street Walking Trip

I would like to inform Midosuji walking trip.
From Osaka Umeda to Nanba, about 4km trip.


Start point is JR Osaka station.
Osaka station's upper street has a illumination festival 'Twilight Fantasy' 17:00-23:00.
Go to Sky Farm, through a long Escalator.
Osaka station building has a Sky Farm at 14 floor.

Green onion, Chinese cabbage, and grapes are grown at this farm.
Go down to ground floor, I start walking at Midosuji street.

Going through Kita-Shinchi, enter Midosuji street.
Midosuji street is famous for Ginkgo trees.

Midosuji Illumination continue from December 1 to January 19, 17:00-23:00.
Midosuji illuminamtion is divided 4 ereas, Pink zone, Yellow zone, White zone, Blue zone.
At Yodoyabashi station,Osaka Central Public Hall building is coverd with 'Hikari Emaki'illumination.
This illumination is projecting illumination to Public hall building.
Please enjoy this illumination.
From December 15 to 25.

This Yodoyabashi has a Keihan railway station.
Ride a Keihan train, you can go to Kyoto main areas.

From Yodoyabashi to Honmachi is a business town, there are many coffee shops.
Please take a coffee brake.

Between Honmachi to Shinsaibahi, Nanba shrine is exixting.

This shrine main hall is made of reinforced concrete building.
This shrine, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Nintoku.
North of Shinsaibahi has a many shops of exclusive boutiques and luxury foreign car.
Some rich men are watching expensive cars.
Going forward, you find Hotel Nikko Osaka building.

At Shinsaibashi, west area is an America village, east area is an Europe village.

America and Europe village were started from 1980 period.
Takoyaki shop 'Koga ryu' is famous, usually lots of people are waiting.
This Takoyaki is cheap and good taste, I recommend you
buy Takoyaki and eat at triangle park.

Europe vllage has many expensive clothes shops.
But nowadays some discount shops are added at this village.

Going to south, you arrive at Dotonbori street and river.
This river was cleaned and beautified two yearsago.
At night river side is lighted up, walk Daikoku bridge and Ebisu river makes you good feeling.

Walk Dotonbori street west, you arrive at Minatomachi river place.
This river place has invent places, live house.

Return to Midosuji street, go south, you find Swiss hotel Nankai Osaka and Takashimaya building.

This Takashimaya building has Nanba station for Subway, Nankai, Kintetsu railway.
Nankai railway is connected to Kansay Airport, Wakayama.
Kintetsu railway is connected to Nara, Kyoto, Nagoya.

This Nanba station is the goal.
This walking trip needs 2 or 3 hours.

That's it.

Kyoto Arashiyama Hanatoro

I would like to inform Kyoto winter trip : Arashiyama Hanatoro Walking Trip.

Hanatoro: From December 14 to 23., Time: 17:00-20:30

Bamboo forest lighing up street is one way, from east to west.
Getting off at JR Saga Arashiyama, go west along railway, arrive at the end of this street, turn left and go over street, this is the starting point of bamboo lighing up.
This is the shortest roote to the starting point.
At 17:00, lots of people are gathering at starting point.
So, I walk very slow.

Traffic control personnels are controlling people.

Go to this street about 10 minutes, you can see lighing up position of bamboo forest.

This area,lighing up is only some places, go forward 10 minutes, you arrive at the full lighing up area.

Lighing up bamboo is wonderful view.
About 200m, you can see this Lighing up bamboo.

Decorated lanterns, that are both side of this street, are also beautiful.
Please see lanterns sometimes.

Stopping taking pictures are not permitted, so find the road side and take a picture.
Seeing only forward is not enough, to see the sky and wonderful bamboo leaves is best.

From starting point, about 30minutes walking, you arrive at end of this street.
Turning left is to Togets bridge, turning right is to Jyojyako temple.

Turning righ is far from Togetsu bridge.
So select left side is better.

Turning left, go through Kameyama park.
This road has only lanterns, and up down road.
And two toilets are existing, please go to toilet.
After 10minutes walk, you arrive at Katsura River.

This riverside is 300m upper side from Togetsu bridge and its backword mountains are coverd with illumination, I recommend you taking a picture.

Next is Togetsu bridge, this bridge is very crowded, please take cares to the cars.

Go through this bridge to south, then you find narrow street to Horinji temple.
Finding this narrow street is little bit difficult, please ask traffic control personnel.
Go to this road, you arrive at Horinji temple.

Horinji temple holds illumination.
Main temple and tower are coverd with 3D illumination.
Hold illumination at Temple is a unique idea.
You can see a fantastic view.
This temple's precinct has observatory.
From observatory, nice night view are seen.

Next is Nakanoshima Giant Gyoto.

Gyoto, which is a big lantern, and about 10m high, made by Saga Art University, make you a traditional feeling.
This place is also a good taking picture point.
Next is Togetsu bridge, return to bridge, and take a picture.
Bridge downstream side is a better view point.

This festival has eight Big Ikebanas:flower arrangement, make you a Kyoto traditional feeling.
Here is the end of this trip.

This trip needs 2 hours.

Winter Kyoto is very cold at night, please wear winter clothes.

That's it.