Omikuji tells everything 2009/08/19

I never miss to visit Fushimi Inari shrine when I go to Japan. I don’t know why.

It is loacted in southern part of Kyoto. The nearest station to the shrine is just 2 stations awasy from Kyoto.

JR Fushimi Inari station, shrine looks.

Fushimi Inari shrine is famous for benefit to business.

Believe or not, Omikuji (sacred lottery) always surprises by telling my personal situation. When I feel good and business is going on well, omikuji tells it is ‘blessing’. Feeling depressed, it never tells me by blessing but curse.

Please refer to the Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omikuji

This omikuji shows best above the best. This is the first time for me to get dai-dai-kichi. I have never ever seen that there is better blessing than dai-kichi.

By Taicho

Alaskan Cafe 2009/08/17

Continuing from my last blog.

In Hita, Ooita, I have a friend who met in Vancouver few years ago.

He just opened his own café called “ Alaskan Café” in Mameda-cho area.

It’s a great location and really nice café.

I met him when he was in Vancouver just after coming back from kayaking from Alaska.

He told me that it took about 60days for all by himself.

One more great thing about him is that he is the best ORIGAMI master I have ever met!!

Thus, there are so many cool ORIGAMI inside the café.

At the last, I had delicious home made pizza.

5-door Train 2009/08/12

A couple weeks ago, I wrote an article of 6-door train in Tokyo.

When I was waiting for a train in Kyoto, 5 door-car train appeared suddenly in my view.

:        5 door-car was popular 40 years ago. Its debut at the Keihan Company was in 1970. During morning rush hour, the company needed to discharge the passengers quickly at the terminus station.

During off-peak hours, a bench seat section comes down from the ceiling and 5 door-car turns into 3 door-car.

photo at:

http://www.keihan.co.jp/syaryo/shoukai/index.html

Although Keihan is famous for ‘TV-car’, which is used for the express between Osaka and Kyoto, I hope 5-door car won’t be forgotten.

By Taicho

Vending machine???!!! 2009/08/10

I went to visit my friend in Hita, Ooita.

It takes about less than two hours by bus from Fukuoka to Ooita.

There is a place called “Mameda-cho” in Hita, where

whole the buildings are kept exactly the same since Edo-jidai (century).

very very neat looking and I enjoyed a lot.

while I was walking around the Mameda-cho,

I found really unique vending machine!!

Yeah! It’s LAMUNE SODA Vending machine!!! (Japanese lemon soda)

By Hibon

The market in Kyoto 2009/08/05

Nishiki-kohji Market is described as ‘Kyoto’s kitchen’.

One block north of Shijyo Avenue between Karasuma and Kawaramachi.

Market starts at Shinkyogoku shopping arcade.

There are shops along the street in both sides. Width of the street is 7ft(2m).

Pickles shop.

Dried food shop.

Tea shop.

Craft shop.

You certainly will find something Kyoto here.

By Taicho

Art+Bar 2009/08/04

Hi all.

right now i’m in summer break thus back in my hometown FUKUOKA, Kyushu.

it is soooooo nice to be back though.

i’ll probably talk a lot about FUKUOKA cause it’s such a nice city and i want more and more people to know about this city.

Today, i wanna talk about my favorite bar.

two years from now, friend of mine took over the bar called “After the Rain” (ATR as abbreviation) which is located in Tenjin(downtown).

ATR is pretty interesting place to visit .

they serve yummy food and so many kinds of highball that most of them are original.

also the owner used to be  musician so he has few guitars and ukulele in the bar and he’ll play it for us when he feels like it!

as a writer himself, he located a bookshelf with full of books for customers to read in there or take it with them.

And for now, they are doing an event with an organization called ” Koubou Maru” (Koubou=studio for artists).

the theme of Koubou Maru is to help disabled people in art direction.

Their creativity is extraordinarily that i just love their dynamic artistic work.

Thus they are selling some of their works such as paintings, ceramics, and T-shirts and so on at ATR.

Also it was very cool cause paintings were hanging inside the bar as well as outside.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR FUN, GO ATR!

by Hidon

Cool walk in Kyoto 2009/07/29

My recommendation today is ‘ Cool walk in Kyoto’.

Kyoto is hot in summer. It is surrounded by mountains in 3 directions. Only the south is open but it is far from the sea.

You may find some cool area which Kyoto people enjoy, however usually they are far from tourist spots. Followings are closer to some tourist spots. Enjoy !

First, I recommend Kiyamachi-dori along Takasegawa-river.

Area is closer to ‘Sanjyusangendo-temple’ and ‘Gion’.

Second, Gion-Shirakawa.

That is closer to Yasaka-shrine and located in the north of Shijyo-avenue.

Shirakawa-river area is  nice to walk in Kyoto.

Finally, in Arashiyama area, which tourists like most, how about a cool walk in bamboo grove ?

You may find easily this path when you start walking from Togetsukyo-bridge to Nonomiya-shrine or Ohkochi-sanso.

By Taicho