Showing posts with label Sightseeing Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sightseeing Japan. Show all posts
4.12.15
The Chichibu Night Festival
After a rushed attempt to make it to this festival a few years back, when I was living and working somewhere different to now, I finally got to properly enjoy the Chichibu Yomatsuri this year. What makes coming to this festival difficult is that it's always held on the same dates each year, whether it's a weekday or weekend, and it's a 1-2 hours train trip just to get there. So, with some lovely companions, we oohed and aahed at the fireworks and the floats as we filled our stomachs with local brews and grub.
29.11.15
Swedes & Spanish
There's a Christmas Bazaar at the Swedish Embassy! Let's go and check out the food!
There's a Spanish Fest down in Yoyogi Park, let's check that out too!
This friend and I never seem to have trouble agreeing on what to do :)
There's a Spanish Fest down in Yoyogi Park, let's check that out too!
This friend and I never seem to have trouble agreeing on what to do :)
28.11.15
Lake Stroll
At the request of my supervisor, I organised a walk for my fellow English teachers. We strolled around Lake Tama, enjoying the autumn leaves as we went, before ending up at a karaoke box to kill time before the bars open for business.
23.11.15
Kimchi, Horses & Arrows
It was a pretty grey day for an outdoor event, but that didn't stop us from heading down to Koma City in Saitama Prefecture, a city with deep Korean connections that stem from centuries back, to watch a Korea-Japan joint-friendly horseback archery competition.
We got to try our hand at the Japanese-style of short bow archery (shihan mato kyudo 四半的弓道), and the U.K. beat America with straight wins at all three matches ;) The food stalls offered some local specialities, including kimchi nabe udon (thick white noodles served in a broth), I had mine with a cup of hot amazake (a sweet fermented rice drink)... which very much hit the spot on this chilly day!
Got lost afterwards, but getting lost is all part of the fun and the adventure!
We got to try our hand at the Japanese-style of short bow archery (shihan mato kyudo 四半的弓道), and the U.K. beat America with straight wins at all three matches ;) The food stalls offered some local specialities, including kimchi nabe udon (thick white noodles served in a broth), I had mine with a cup of hot amazake (a sweet fermented rice drink)... which very much hit the spot on this chilly day!
Got lost afterwards, but getting lost is all part of the fun and the adventure!
3.11.15
20-km March
Higashimatsuyama in Saitama was host to a 3-Day March event, and so, armed with good company and favoured by lovely weather, we leisurely did the 20-km option (no-one wanted to do the 30km or 50km, no matter how much I asked), which ended with a dinner of the local speciality, yakitori (chicken grilled on sticks) and sake.
[Tonjiro, pork and miso soup.]
31.10.15
Teachers in Gunma
Once Japanese teachers let loose, they really let loose. Since it was a hotspring trip, I had thought it was going to be a relaxing trip to loosen the muscles and take a breather from work. How wrong I was. A staff trip consists of breaking out the alcohol as soon as the shuttle bus hits the road, and drinking whilst scoffing snacks and playing games, all the way to the hotel.
I had had a bad night's sleep the night before, and was hoping to catch up on sleep on the bus, but as it was, I just had to hope for an early night in. We arrived at the hotel with enough time to allow my lady colleagues a quick 15-minute dash to the baths before dinner. Dinner was a laidback affair with a game show afterwards, organised by the younger teachers for our entertainment. Japanese parties usually consist of several stages, and this evening was no different, with an hour's karaoke singing to follow until past 11pm. And because the purpose of the trip was hotsprings, we were allowed some time to make use of them, but "we must be at room # by midnight for drinks". And so I found myself sitting in room # sipping sake and nibbling fried squid and trying to make friendly conversation, all whilst trying not to nod off. By 1:30am, I had to plead tiredness, and left to finally, thankfully, crawl into my futon. An hour later, I heard my roommates, all ladies in their 50s, return tipsily to our room... before I drifted off again... to wake up to the sound of them rustling around at 5:30 in the morning to go to the baths... gosh, they have a lot of energy!
The next day was spent, sightseeing Ikaho, where we were based; played archery and watched sheep at a farm theme park; ate onsen manjuu (aka. steamed hotspring buns) and an L-size serving of Mizusawa udon; followed by a trip to a souvenir shop before heading back home. Well, not quite home yet, I had promised to attend a friend's SGI Halloween party, but after that, I was finally able to make it back home, exhausted but happy.
I had had a bad night's sleep the night before, and was hoping to catch up on sleep on the bus, but as it was, I just had to hope for an early night in. We arrived at the hotel with enough time to allow my lady colleagues a quick 15-minute dash to the baths before dinner. Dinner was a laidback affair with a game show afterwards, organised by the younger teachers for our entertainment. Japanese parties usually consist of several stages, and this evening was no different, with an hour's karaoke singing to follow until past 11pm. And because the purpose of the trip was hotsprings, we were allowed some time to make use of them, but "we must be at room # by midnight for drinks". And so I found myself sitting in room # sipping sake and nibbling fried squid and trying to make friendly conversation, all whilst trying not to nod off. By 1:30am, I had to plead tiredness, and left to finally, thankfully, crawl into my futon. An hour later, I heard my roommates, all ladies in their 50s, return tipsily to our room... before I drifted off again... to wake up to the sound of them rustling around at 5:30 in the morning to go to the baths... gosh, they have a lot of energy!
The next day was spent, sightseeing Ikaho, where we were based; played archery and watched sheep at a farm theme park; ate onsen manjuu (aka. steamed hotspring buns) and an L-size serving of Mizusawa udon; followed by a trip to a souvenir shop before heading back home. Well, not quite home yet, I had promised to attend a friend's SGI Halloween party, but after that, I was finally able to make it back home, exhausted but happy.
18.10.15
Meditation & Mountains
ひさしぶりのソロハイキングをしました！ 太陽寺から雲取山に行って鴨沢までのコースです。 昨日、太陽寺に泊まって、宿坊の体験をしました。 写経したり、読経したり、座禅したり、精進料理をたべたりして、面白かったです！
It's been a heck of a while since my last solo hike, and what perfect weather I had for it for my route from Taiyouji to Kamosawa, via Kumotoriyama. I'd stayed at Taiyouji the previous night to do a temple stay experience, where I did sutra writing and chanting, zazen meditation (which all require me to sit in leg-numbing seiza), and had some seriously beyond yummy buddhist fare.
[The view, as I descend from the peak. I wanted to see how fast I was, and at the end, I was delighted to discover that I had shaved a third off map time!!]
It's been a heck of a while since my last solo hike, and what perfect weather I had for it for my route from Taiyouji to Kamosawa, via Kumotoriyama. I'd stayed at Taiyouji the previous night to do a temple stay experience, where I did sutra writing and chanting, zazen meditation (which all require me to sit in leg-numbing seiza), and had some seriously beyond yummy buddhist fare.
[The view, as I descend from the peak. I wanted to see how fast I was, and at the end, I was delighted to discover that I had shaved a third off map time!!]23.9.15
Silver Week Adventure
During Silver Week (which occurs about once every six years, when three national holidays happen to run consecutively after each other), I'd headed off to the Kansai region for a short getaway of temple visits, pilgrimages and local food. And what lovely, sunny weather we had for it!
After alighting from the night bus, the first day was spent exploring Ise Jingu Shrine and the area around it. Expecting to see something impressive, as it is one of Japan's famous shrines, I was pretty disappointed to see new buildings making up the shrine complex. Every twenty years, the shrine is pulled down and rebuilt, in accordance with the Shinto belief that life is brief, and that there is life after death; and as it was, the shrine had just recently been rebuilt.
Over the next two days, we did a pilgrimage from Nachi to Hongu, a section of the ancient Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail, where we wild camped under a bridge in Koguchi, the midway point. The trail took us through forests along moss covered paths of stone; and Koguchi was nothing more than a small village with one tiny grocery shop. Nachi to Koguchi took us seven hours, and from Koguchi to Hongu, five. After dropping off some luggage at a campsite, we explored Hongu Shrine, and had a dunk in an onsen before turning in.
The next morning, we caught the first bus to Shingu, the last temple of the circuit. And from there, we headed to Matsuzaka, where we made a stop at a public bath, and had a dinner of Matsuzaka beef before getting the night bus back to Tokyo.
After alighting from the night bus, the first day was spent exploring Ise Jingu Shrine and the area around it. Expecting to see something impressive, as it is one of Japan's famous shrines, I was pretty disappointed to see new buildings making up the shrine complex. Every twenty years, the shrine is pulled down and rebuilt, in accordance with the Shinto belief that life is brief, and that there is life after death; and as it was, the shrine had just recently been rebuilt.
Over the next two days, we did a pilgrimage from Nachi to Hongu, a section of the ancient Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail, where we wild camped under a bridge in Koguchi, the midway point. The trail took us through forests along moss covered paths of stone; and Koguchi was nothing more than a small village with one tiny grocery shop. Nachi to Koguchi took us seven hours, and from Koguchi to Hongu, five. After dropping off some luggage at a campsite, we explored Hongu Shrine, and had a dunk in an onsen before turning in.
The next morning, we caught the first bus to Shingu, the last temple of the circuit. And from there, we headed to Matsuzaka, where we made a stop at a public bath, and had a dinner of Matsuzaka beef before getting the night bus back to Tokyo.
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