Tanabata Party at Kyoto Hana Hostel

Hello everyone!!

How have you been this rainy days??

Today, I want to inform everybody that...


We are having a Japanese Star Festival Party at Kyoto Hana Hostel on the 7th of July.

Tanabata is a Japanese Star Festival.
There is a legend that every 7th of July, Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair) can meet each other if it is not raining on that day.
So Tanabata is a day of celebration of their meeting.
On that day,we ,Japanese people, write our wish on the piece of paper and hung it on a bamboo tree.

We are planning to make some Japanese rice cakes.
Please join us!!

Here are some of our stuff who are going to brighten up the party at Kyoto Hana Hostel.

Here is our boss UEP-----!!



This is our coolest guy YUYA!! I love his glasses!!



He is the funniest monk in Kyoto, SAWANAKA SAN (right), Coolest beauty Ms.HARADA (middle), Me (left)




The cutest girl as a night stuff, Naomi(right), Him again, (right)


We have more stuff to welcome you in Here, Kyoto Hana Hostel.
Please check it out on the 7th of July!!

An awesome night, cormorant fishing!

I went to Kintaikyo (Kintai bridge) in Iwakuni with my family on farther's day last week.
It was the first time I saw cormorant fishing up close.

Before the cormorant fishing, we went to a famous Japanese restaurant "Sanzoku".
It is about an hour drive from Hiroshima and only 10-15 minuets drive from Kintaikyo.

The restaurant was decorated in traditional Tanabata flags. They are so beautiful!!

After a lovely dinner, we were ready for the great night.

But when we arrived at Kintaikyo, the staff at the reception asked us to buy an Obentou (lunch box) for dinner. We have already eaten, which was a shame because it looked really good!!
We didn't have Obentou but I reccommend you to buy an Obentou there or you have the option of bringing your own obentou, but will have to take your rubbish away with you after.

On the tour we stopped in front of Kintaikyo for around 30 minuets. Perfect to have some food and a few beers on the boat if you bring them.
The young man who was punting the boat along looked very new and we thought he had not earned his traditional outfit, because of the bright colorful shorts he was wearing. We hope he keeps his job and passes on their ancient tradition to the next generation.

When right fell the fishing began. The boat was led by fire light and 8 birds were working busily to catch anything that moved.
You could see the birds swimming underwater.

It really was a wonderful sight. And a terrific evening!

After the tour finished and we were back on dry land, the birds line up on the gunwale of the boat and dry their wings. Perfect for a few pictures.

Well done guys!!

Thank you for your work!!

Day to Day food life of Kyoto

Kyoto is rich in food culture.All the various foods from all over the world gathers here in Kyoto.
Pizza , Arabic , Indian, Chinese, Korean, Czech style cafe, Nepali,,etc.My food adventure goes on , life taste like what you flavor the food you have .
It's a rainy season, flowers are shinning , the sound of rain bring you the best moment to read the book , gazing the misty forest over the window.
Please let me introduce some of my beloved places with good food, good people, and great atmosphere.



Here it is , Cafe millet, is one of my favorite place up in north east .
You can take bus from Demachiyanagi station 45min ride.When you start to see a forest and rice paddy, you are almost there.
home made Tofu, bread,organic fresh veg meal
While you are waiting, you can take a walk in the beautiful field.

















Mumokuteki organic vegan cafe and restaurant in Down town.Stylish Western style cafe with great Japanese and western style meals







Naya, the best chef in Kyoto.
You don't know the menu until you come to the place.He serve only organic, seasonal food.
There is no air conditioning in this place. The wind blow from the wooden opened entrance to the tiny moss garden.

Today's farm cake with tofu sauce





Kyoto Nama chocolat near the Heian-shrine.
This cozy Japanese old house serve you the best organic chocolate.
You can enjoy the song of birds comes down to a nice back yard

mochikibi berry cake with maccha sauce






Whether it's right or wrong.
Our life is no longer completely Japanese in ancient style.
Japanese cultured developed with accepting new things blending into the tradition.
So does the food.
Food culture changes, but the soul should remain.
Let's cherish them.

Chinowa kuguri *Wish for the next half year*

The huge CHINOWA ring appears to every shrines in Kyoto for this special period of the year.
People walk through inside of this huge ring and write the age, name and wishes on a paper doll.

It's absolutely one of the best time to visit shrines and temples for the fresh shinny green maple leaves.
In the young and lively air, we let our foulness and wish good fortune for the coming half year.

June 25th to 30th
Jonangu shrine Kitanotenmangu shrine Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrine
Umemiya shrine Kibune shrine Shiramine shrine Jishu shrine Yoshida shrine
and almost all the shrines in Kyoto.(Bus and JR trains covers most of the shrines )
Most of the special ceremonies are held on the 30th June.

SAKE tasting event at Hiroshima Hana hostel♪

Hi there ! The rainy season , known as "Tsuyu "in Japan ,has begun.
I have been feeling a little down,but this year's rainy season will endearlier than normal.

Summer is just around the corner. Today,I would like to introduce to you our'SAKE tasting event' which we organize every Sunday night.
Have you ever heard of Saijo? (It is the name of place in Hiroshima)

Sake has been brewed in Saijo, a basin surrounded by 300 to 500meter-high mountains, since about 1650, but the region began to flourishas a brewing center about a century ago. Saijo has also benefited from premium brewing techniques developed locally. We would like you to enjoy tasty Hiroshima local Saijo saketogether,because of that thought,we started to have this sake tasting.


On this day, many guests joined this event and I met two nice guests whoare from Netherlands 'Manuel' and 'Marineke'.

They are both artists.
Manuel is a painter and Marineke is a ceramics artists.







They liked Saijo sake very much. At first,
they said that they drink onlya cup of Sake but at the end they said that they will have some more,with red-faces. hahaha:)



Hiroshima has 2 notable sites which are Peace park and MiyajimaIsland.
but there are another great place where i would like you to visit.
Saijo ,Onomich,Tomonoura,etc... I will introduce you to them next time!

Moving in Japan

I left my apartment I and my wife had spent for 3 years and a half on the other day. It was for the first time for us to ask a moving company. Comparing three moving companies, Kyoto born, the biggest transport industry and a specialty moving service, we chose the last one.

You have to finish packing before the moving date (except for furniture and electric appliances)

Our apartment was 2DK, two bedrooms and dining room with a kitchen. It costs 32000 yen which is rather cheaper than ordinary 2DK 's moving because we have few pieces of furniture, and already gave away a washing machine and a fridge.

In Japan, there is the law concerning the recycling of household appliances, disposal of washing machines, fridges, air-conditioners and TVs are charged about 4000 yen. I put ads on the message board of Kyoto International Community House and luckily two peoples came to pick them up.

I know only one moving service for foreigners in Kyoto. MOVE IT!

Soccer Game, Beer, Sake, and Ramen

When there's a soccer game on TV. . .

Dozen, Ken, Nicholas, Steven and I commenced to imbibe in front of the TV.
TV fries one's brain.
But my eyes were gazing the patterns in the ivy.
The distance between the TV and I; in vain.

Unpasteurized sake is dank, especially when consumed fairly cold.
Dozen spilled the beer. . . Nicholas spilled a cup of sake. . got a little tipsy.
Grins on their faces, their eyes has enlightened.
Encountering the winged denizens of the past in the air; the gypsy

Unfinished story utters its price to pay
Frenzied one being oneself, fazed on its own way

Aomomiji

Hello everyone!!

It's Shizuka working at Kyoto Hana Hostel.
This is my first blog for Hana Journal.

I had been thinking what to write for my first blog...and...

Here is a question!

What are these plant called??



These are 'AOMOMIJI' (Green Maple leaves).
You can see a lot of these in many places in Kyoto around this time.

Recently, we had a guest from oversea who has seen this AOMOMIJI at front desk and said 'Why there is Marijuana?!'.
I was surprised by unexpected question.
But then, I started to think that there are thousands things that you have never seen in the world.

After that, I have been captured by AOMOMIJI. I got very interested in that, and started to look for them!!


Now...How many places do you know?

Do you know where is this??



This is in SANJUSANGENDO.
It is close to Kyoto station, you can even walk to here from Kyoto station.



How about this?





These are in Kiyomizu Temple!!
It was cloudy, but still very beautiful.

Meantime, I checked my luck.



It seems something good is going to happen to me soon!!


Well, I got the talking out of the way,
Now we get back to...








This is at Ryoanji temple as known as for garden arranged in the kare-sansui(dry-landscape) style.
It was raining, but these leaves looks happy and vivid green stood out against the cloudy sky.

Now, making a short trip to...




This is Byodoin temple which is famous for 10 yen coin.
It is printed on the Japanese 10 yen coin.
You can reach to Uji where the temple locates 17 minutes by JR rapid train.
Uji is also famous for green tea. You can enjoy green tea, green tea ice cream, and green tea soba (Japanese needle).



Here is my best recommended place!!





This is Genkoan which locates a little bit north of Golden pavilion (Kinkakuji temple).
There is no convenient access to the place so that there were not a lot of visiters.
It was very very nice and quiet. Their garden was beautiful.
It takes about 5minutes from Golden pavilion by taxi.
This place is smaller than Golden pavilion and Kiyomizu temple, however because of small, all the things are neat, clean, and nice.
I definitely recommend here!!

I still have a lot of spots for Aomomiji in kyoto to visit.
Hope to be able to visit and find out nicer places soon.

If you have any chance to visit Kyoto, why don't you visit these places to enjoy green colored maple leaves.
I am sure you will explore Kyoto more!!

Hiroshima Airport♪♪

Hi it's Kumi.
I heard that there's a big park next to the Hiroshima airport where
you can go near the runway.
So, the other day I went there!


On the way to the airport on the expressway,
there's my favorite rest area.



















They have a nice restaurant, a cafe, and a bakery named ANDERSEN.
This bakery is famous in Hiroshima, and you can find this bakery all
over in the city.

After that, we finally reached to the airport.
When I saw the airplane taking off, it made me so excited that I forgot
to take a picture! I only took a video. I thought I could take some
pictures next, but unfortunately, there are only few flights from
Hiroshima airport everyday.




















So we decided to go to the airport to get a special sandwich which
you can only get it at Hiroshima airport.

This is it.




















This sandwich is actually made from Sushi!
It's a sushi sandwich with Hiroshima beef cutlet inside.
It was OKAY.


There's another thing to see near the airport.
It's a Japanese garden named SANKEI-EN.




































They had so many carps!!




















If you have a chance to use Hiroshima airport, please visit these
places and try the sushi sandwich!