KYOTO COLUMN

BLOGWalking

2019.06.23

Refresh your body and soul with the summer purification rite "Nagoshi no Harae"

To stay safe and sound for the rest of the year, the summer purification rite "Nagoshi no Harae", a kind of Shinto ritual, is hold on June 30th: day seen as the turning point of the year.The bad spirits are here being casted away from someone when this passes through a huge cogon grass ring.Every shrine is going to hold this ritual, so it'd be a good choice to visit the closest one from your place.Different shrines have different agendas, so please check their schedules first.Click here Kyoto travel note Know about "Minazuki" with an early summer trip to Kyoto

BLOGWalking

2019.06.19

Held on the 25th of every month! A day out at the Tenjin Flea Market

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is well-known for helping people struggling with study.The "Tenjin Flea Market", also called "Tenjin-san Flea Market", is hold on the 25th of every month to remember the death of the enshrined deity Sugawara no Michizane.The stalls in the Tenjin Flea Market sell a wide range of items, like cute ones, antiques, retro clothes and many others.You will feel how the atmosphere changes when this Market is on, so you will have the chance to enjoy both ways, traditional and chaotic!Click here Kyoto travel note The first journey looking for treasures at Toji Temple • Kobo Flea MarketKitano Tenmangu ShrineKamigyo-ku, Bakuro-choA short walk from Kyoto city bus stop "Kitano Tenmangu"

BLOGWalking

2019.06.15

Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ④Relax in the "Uharu" teahouse while listening to the rain

The teahouse "Uharu" is located at the end of the Nishijin Alley.It is a quiet place where you can enjoy tea and sweets made from only natural and deeply selected ingredients.This renovated 100-year-long history holding teahouse still looks amazing.Its interiors have an antique design, with old books lined up in a row and the good smell of tea floating in the air... .My recommendation is to try their afternoon tea set, including three or four kinds of homemade sweets.The lunch menu is available as well, so you can consider this place to have proper meals as well.Click here for more information about Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ① and Enjoying the rainy season in the beautiful Kyoto's "Flower Temple"Click here for more information about Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ② and Enjoy at home the traditional sweets of MatsuyaClick here for more information about Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ③ and A daily trip to enjoy the art in Okazaki areaTeahouse UharuKyoto-shi, Kamigyo-ku, Omiya street, Sasaya-cho Sagaru, Ishiyakushicho 689-135 minutes walk from the bus stop of "Omiya-Imadegawa"

BLOGTips

2019.06.13

Wondering around ⑤If you meet a Maiko

Maikos are elegant girls dressed up in gorgeous kimonos walking around the Gion area.When you see one, no doubt you will think: "Yeah!, THIS is Kyoto!".But remember that it's rude to abruptly call out to them or make a circle to take their picture.They're probably busy to like getting to the next working place, and if they are walking in the alleys, it means their working day is particularly busy.Keep them in your memory by remembering their movement and beauty, and please forget the pictures.Click here"Wandering around ①What are agaru (上ル ), sagaru (下ル ) and iru (入ル)?"Click here"Wandering around ②Let's move around using Kyoto buses"Click here"Wandering around ③Observe the manners and fully visit the temples"Click here"Wandering around ④How to properly worship in temples and shrines

BLOGWalking

2019.06.10

Let's go a little farther to be able to join the "Hydrangea Festival" in Yanagiya Kannon Yokokuji Temple.

Yanagiya Kannon Yokokuji, a Temple 10 minutes away from Kyoto station by train, will hold the "Hydrangea Festival" on June 23rd in Nagaoka-kyo City.Besides the fantastic view of 5 thousand hydrangeas blooming, there are so many things that you can enjoy, such as the special openings of temples' treasures, the monks' live performances, the snacks sold in stalls and so on.A Temple flower stamp only awarded on the 17th of every month, can be obtained here!It's a little far from the station, but it is still a great place to visit.Yanagiya Kannon Yokokuji TempleNagaokakyo-shi, Jododanido-no-tani 240 minutes walk from JR Nagaokakyo Station ※On the 17th of every month and the day that the "Hydrangea Festival " starts, the shuttle bus will be available between the JR Nagaokakyo Station and Hankyu Nishiyama Tennozan Station.

BLOGWalking

2019.06.07

Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ③A daily trip to enjoy the art in Okazaki area

"I wanna go outside, but if I get wet it'll ruin the fun".If that's the case, I would like to recommend you to take a walk in the Okazaki area.Dotted by stylish cafes and varieties of museums, it is full of cultural facilities.Above all places, the Hosomi Museum, displaying interesting and unique exhibitions and the the National Museum of Modern Art of Kyoto, having about 10,000 modern art items, are the best places I would love to recommend you.You'll also find the Kyoto City Zoo, Heian-jingu Shrine and other parks, so it's a good area to enjoy during sunny days as well.Click here for more information about Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ① and Enjoying the rainy season in the beautiful Kyoto's "Flower Temple"Click here for more information about Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ② and Enjoy at home the traditional sweets of Matsuya

BLOGWalking

2019.06.03

Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ②Enjoy at home the traditional sweets of Matsuya

"It's raining outside... I'd prefer staying home".At that moment, wouldn't you like to relax with a cup of tea with some seasonal Japanese sweets?Matsuya, the Japanese confectionery founded in 1888, is the place I would like to recommend you.It's known by making cute seasonal sweets."The goldfish" swimming in the plum liquor flavored agar is especially popular! It looks cool and a must to try during hot seasons.Click here for more information about Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ① and Enjoying the rainy season in the beautiful Kyoto's "Flower Temple"MatsuyaKyoto-shi, Nakagyo-ku, ShinKarasuma street, Nijo Agaru, Tachibanayanagi-cho, 161-2 3 minutes walk from the Kyoto Subway "Shiyakusho-mae" Station

BLOGWalking

2019.06.01

Enjoying the rainy Kyoto in June ①Enjoying the rainy season in the beautiful Kyoto's "Flower Temple"

Mimuroto Temple was built in 770 (the first year of the Hoki Era) and enshrines the Senju Kannon Bosatsu (Thousand-Armed Kannon Bodhisattva, a Buddhist Goddess of Mercy) as its main deity.It is also known as the "Hana Temple" (flower temple).This is because a grand number of plants is in the temple area, including 10,000 hydrangeas, 2,000 azaleas, about 250 lotuses and so on.Blooming flowers are visible during every season.Hydrangea garden is opened from June 1st, and light-up events will be carried out from June 8th.Please take a look at this garden: a 16500㎡ area filled with 50 varieties of hydrangea plants.Mimuroto TempleKyoto-fu, Uji-shi, Todo Shigatani 2115 minutes walk from Keihan "Mimuroto" Station