Love Nagasaki Series; view, culture, castle, where to date, drink and shop

May 15, 2007 - 4:22 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

Nagasaki is geographically very unique .
(Nagasaki means long cape. Naga=long, Saki=cape.)

1. It’s surrounded by sea and mountains.
2. It has very small land (I mean, it’s short of flat area.)

So many people live on mountains, which means there’re many houses (and glaves!) on there.

We can easily imagine that their lifestyle is far from being convinient.
I’d say, [...]

Shinto Festivals

May 12, 2007 - 3:34 pm by kiokitok in Culture  

Quite a few Japanese have their own religions. Others make use of religious events throughout their life. In New Year, many of them visit shrines and pray. Christianity is a popular religion for wedding. When they die, they cry under the name of Buddha. The Japanese enjoy these rituals.

Matsuri is [...]

Kyoto cheap restaurant DARUMAYA

May 8, 2007 - 6:08 pm by mickey in Food, Travel  

Restaurant since 1953
DARUMAYA serves set meal(teisyoku), noodles(udon and soba), rice bowl dishes(donburi), a la carte and coffee.

DARUMAYA is near Ryoanji, Myosinji, Ninnaji, Tojiin temple and Ritsumeikan, Hanazono university.

http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~darumaya-syokudo/en/

Cha-Batake, Panorama view Tea Field　@Yame

May 6, 2007 - 5:43 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

Yame is a agricultural district, country side of Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu,
and is famous for growing Cha, Japanese Green Tea.

This is where Cha is grown and picked up.

Spring is the season for its harvest, and we can taste Shin-Cha, the years’ fresh tea.

This is the Cha factory, where Cha turns to product.
Its neighbourhood is full [...]

Children’s Day

May 5, 2007 - 4:16 pm by kiokitok in Culture  

The Japanese celebrates Children’s Day on May 5. That particular day has been celebrated as Tango no Sekku. It was the day they pray for their children’s health and prosperity. This celebration was said to be imported from China although the Koreans claimed and was now recognized that it was born in [...]

Golden Week

April 28, 2007 - 10:54 pm by kiokitok in Culture  

In the end of April, there is about a week of holidays called Golden Week. A lot of Japanese go for a trip. Every tourist site is filled with people both in and outside of Japan. As soon as the days are over, everyone goes back to the business.

Salarymen (white-collar employees) rarely [...]

Dream Ryoma @ Kanko-maru, Nagasaki Hansen Festival

April 27, 2007 - 9:04 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

Nagasaki Hansen Festival is being held at Nagasaki Port (Apr.26-30).

Out of seven big sailig ships on this show, I especially would like to focus on Kanko-maru, which is the simbol of Ryoma Sakamoto’s hope !

This is the replica of the sailing ship that Ryoma actually boarded.

What’s wonderful about this festival is that you can [...]

Greet Ryoma @ Kazagashira Park, Nagasaki

April 26, 2007 - 6:32 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

About 20 minutes by bus from Nagasaki Station, Ryoma Sakamoto is standing on the hill of Kazagashira Park, overviewing Nagasaki Port (*).

It was actually the most dramatic moment of his life.

This is a statue of `Ryoma ga Yuku (Here Ryoma goes)’, a popular novel written by Ryotaro Shiba.

Here’s what is written;

When the ship [...]

Romantic Nagasaki, Meet `Madame Butterfly’ @ Glover Garden

April 23, 2007 - 5:32 pm by akko@hakata in Travel  

Nagasaki is the stage of Romance.

The story of the famous Opera `Madame Butterfly’ was created in Nagasaki, based on the romance between a US Navy and a Japanese woman.

Puccini (left) loved the performance of Tamaki Miura (right) so much, and he commented that she’s the best Madame Butterfly ever.

There’re two heart stones in Glover [...]

The Hippies are coming! The Hippies are coming!

April 21, 2007 - 6:05 pm by mrmook in Travel  

Dude! Where’s my Decade?

I accidentally stumbled into the 60’s last weekend when the wife and I took a leisurely shopping stroll on a lovely, sunny, Sunday in Kyoto.

Our ultimate destination was the Bike (as in bicycle) Shop to purchase some new wheels but along the way we got caught [...]