★My favorites 2★

Hello everyone-! It's toooo hot and humid in Kyoto! I am dying everyday with this heat but there is one thing which keeps me cool! Here they are... These are my COOL co-leagues who make me feel soooo cool! Some of them work at Kyoto Hana Hostel, some of them work at J-Stay, and some of them work at J-Hoppers Kyoto. Some of other staff are not even in this picture. Each of them has totally different background, humor, personality, and thoughts. That is way, we will never get bored to each other and to work together! They are AWESOME!! What I love to work at this fantastic place is not only meeting new people everyday and encountering new interesting events, but also working with these tremendous co-workers! Please visit Kyoto Hana Hostel/ J-Hoppers Kyoto if you ever come to Kyoto! You will be enchanted by these cool staff!

SUMIKO ＆ SEIYA

Hello everyone! It is a rainy season in Japan! How are you surviving? I would like to introduce our fantastic volunteer staff who help to hold a dinner party at Kyoto Hana Hostel every week! Now, let me introduce our charming lovely SUMIKO!! SUMIKO looks good with a black T-shirts! The girl who wears dark green is our night duty staff, TSUBASA!! She also helps a party! Temakizushi was the dinner on that day~! They look delightful! Here is a Takoyaki party night! Pretty girls light up the night! Here is our IKEMEN (good looking guy in Japaneses slang)!! SEIYA~!!!! He is a sweet guy! Not only girls love him, but also guys love him as a great friend!! Please join us and have a great time with them at Kyoto Hana Hostel! You can check our party schedule on our website as below. http://hanahostel.com/e_eventcalendar.html#event

DOMO ARIGATOU

Hello, it's Kumi from Hiroshima Hana Hostel.

I'm going to quit at the end of this month.
It's been 2 and a half years since I started working here.
Wow, time went by so quick!!
That's because I had so much fun here and
I meet thousands of people here.
Every single encounter was very precious to me.

I really hope that everyone had a memorable stay
in Hiroshima and at Hana Hostel :)

I want to thank all the staffs at J-Hoppers and Hana Hostel,
and everyone who stayed here at
Hiroshima Hana Hostel, and also to
the people who are planning to stay here.



Domo Arigatou!!!

Night viewing of illuminated trees in Hiroshima Botanical garden.

Hi there. Are you enjoying spring?

The cherry blossoms season is almost finished in Hiroshima.
I have been enjoying eating outside under the cherry blossom trees.
The weather is warm and sun is out....♪

Have you ever been to the night viewing of illuminated cherry trees? We call it "Yozakura". There are a lot of parks in town and they put lanternｓ for viewing cherry blossoms in the night.
I went to the Hiroshima Botanical garden in the evening a couple weeks ago.
Look at these beautiful cherry blossoms!!


I love these different colors.
Many kinds of flowers were in full bloom.


And we listened to Koto (Japanese harp）live music.
It sounded so beautiful in the quiet of night with lovely cherry blossoms.

It is lovely season to see all the beautiful flowers at the Hiroshima botanical garden too.
Why don't you visit there for a day!


Hiroshima Botanical garden Website →　Click here!
It takes about 1 hour to the botanical garden from Hiroshima Hana Hostel by bus.

The Thousand Paper Cranes Project

As Hiroshima Hana Hostel staff Kumi posted a blog about A Thousand Paper Cranes before. Kyoto Hana Hostel had started The Thousand Paper Cranes Project for those affected by The Tohoku Pacific Earthquake.

Please make some paper cranes when you stay. It's not difficult at all. We have "how to make" guide, too.

We have made more than a hundred for these 4 days!

Shame on me! I wasn't able to make a paper crane before.... now I am an expert.

Cruise Ship Artemis in Hiroshima

It's getting warm these days. However I was in bed for a few days with flu in early February.
I felt so important to wash hands and risen out. I had to take a　few days off from work. I have a fever of 39.3 degrees Celsius.


anyway I went to Hiroshima port to see a luxury liner "Artemis" on 13th of February which is cruising 98 days around the world from Southampton, UK.
Maximum passengers 1200,
500 crews,
and length 240 meters. I was born and raised in the city surrounded by mountains, so I was so excited to see the ship.






On that day, Oyster market was open in the park close to the port, so there were lots of passengers from the ship and ppl coming to ear oysters. In that market, for example you buy 1kg of raw oyster and charcoal for your own grill and you cook on your own. It seemed really yummy.

At 6pm on that day, she left for Korea for next destination.

I wish I could travel around the world with that huge cruise ship someday in the future.

Flower Journal

Hi it's Kumi.

Yesterday Satoko brought us some beautiful flowers.
We used to work together and she flew to Spain to
learn Spanish and came back a few month ago.

She is learning a flower arrangement.

Here are the flowers she arranged for us.



Tulip




Narcissus



Flowering quince


It is so nice to have beautiful flowers in the lobby.
Thank you Satoko!!




Please don't forget that Hana Hostel's "Hana" means
"Flower" in Japanese :)

Ratatouille

When i work late until the reception is closed(10:00pm), we sometimes have free dinner from the guests is very lucky!!

One day, we had the guests Bruice and Emiline were really cheerful and fun couple from France.

They offered the French food “Ratatouille” It is made with slices of onion, eggplant, zucchini and Tomato.

The food is said that it is originally food for poor people in country-side in ancient times, they develop this food because those ingredients were cheap to get. But here in Japan, they are very expensive so it is not “the food for poor people”. It was incredibly delicious!! They served it with a glass of wine, but unfortunately I was not able to have wine with Ratatouille must be great.

Well, thank you so much for sharing dinner and wonderful time, Bruice and Emiline. I hope you have a great and safe trip around the world! I hope to you them next time again.

Ski in Hiroshima Geihoku area!

Hiroshima has been very cold and we have had a lot of snow this year.

I have been thinking about going skiing since the end of last year and I finally hit the slopes this week!!
The weather was good and the snows condition was perfect in the morning.
It became heavy towards the afternoon.

I was quite surprised that there wasn't any snow on the roads to get to the ski field.
The snow blowers had cleared all the snow from the roads. Even in the country side.

The high snow walls along the roads edges felt very comfortable at times. And the houses looked like big puddings with all the snow on the roofs.


It must be so hard to live in this area in the winter if they get this much snow every year.
I been skiing every year since I was 7 years old, and I cannot remember the scenery looking as beautiful as it dose right now. All the rice paddies, houses, farms and vegetation have a crisp, white blanket over them. Its a polar bears playground.

If you would like to go skiing, there are lots of buses going to the ski fields from Hiroshima station shinkansen side. The price is about 6000yen including one day chair lift ticket.
From Hiroshima Hana hostel to Hiroshima station shinkansen side, it is only 5 minutes on foot.

Sunrise 2011

★Happy New Year Everyone!!★


On the way to work, I always see a sunrise in front of me.

This is the first sunrise of the year.




Not a good pic but a valuable pic :)

Some Japanese people worship the new year's first sunrise.
Many people climb mountains before dawn on New Year's Day
to see the first sunrise from the mountains.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful year!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMOKO





Today is our wonderful manager, Tomoko's birthday!!
We had a surprise cake for her 3 days ago.
This cake is made by J-Hoppers Hiroshima staff, Chika.
She's a great cook!

We hope Tomoko will have a wonderful day today!


We love you!!

My buddy

Fall is over and it's getting colder and colder in Hiroshima.
I cannot work without a warm tea.

Today I'd like to introduce you my buddy who
always sits next to me while I'm working.

This is him.





He keeps my tea always warm and clean.





I got this from my friend I meet in Toronto.

This always reminds me of her :)
And I miss the snow in Toronto!!

Hiroshima Mitaki Temple

I went to Mitaki temple for seeing great Momiji(Maple) trees the other day.

The colored leaves are so gorgeous at Mitaki Temple in Hiroshima city.
It is a bit hidden place for visitors from overseas.
But it is actually very easy to get there by JR train from Hana Hostel!

So I really want to introduce you Mitaki temple today.

The red two-story pagoda is in the red momiji trees.

You will be so impressed when you look up as you walk on the nice stone steps. The pagoda is just located the best place to be tone in well with the colored leaves.




There is a cafe.
The cafe looks like a traditional old house.
It is always good to have a break in the comfortable atmosphere.
Especially this time of the year, you can warm your hands up with a cup of green tea.



There are three water falls around Mitaki temple and this one is called　"Bon-on no taki".

There is a beautiful Japanese garden in front of the water fall.
And sometimes a tea ceremony would be held at the tea house in the garden.

I am sure that all the greenery's are very fresh and brilliant in the spring. I will visit Mitaki temple again for more walking and refreshment!



HOW TO GET "Mitaki Temple" FROM Hana Hostel

Take JR Kabe line from Hiroshima sta. and get off at "Mitaki sta." (8 min.) Walk to Mitaki temple From Mitaki sta. takes about 15min.

Exploring around Hiroshima station

I was ashamed of myself that I didn't know about this temple...

It's just about 15 min. walk from the station(north exit).
So this means it's about 20 min. from Hana Hostel.

There is a temple behind the station...

and behind this temple...


















there were tons of red Torii Gates!!!



















I thought that I could only see these gates in Kyoto.



















We are always exploring and learning more and more about Hiroshima
so that our guests can enjoy Hiroshima more,
besides Miyajima Island and the Peace Memorial Park.


We will keep on exploring!!

Engage Ring@Hana Hostel

It's getting cold these days in Hiroshima. I would prefer warm and dry environment like California.

One happiness story from Hana Hostel Hiroshima.

One day Tom proposed to one of our staff members Yuko-san. Then he gave her a ring made of cosmos.

Now he got a real ring!

He showed up at Hana when she is at work, and he put a ring on her wedding finger.

It was a sudden unexpected event.

Have a happy life together!

Hana Hostel video

Now we have a short video to introduce Hiroshia Hana Hostel.
Please check it out!

3 bed Cat Only Dormitory

Excuse me!!! Hello!!! Good morning!!! This is reception!!! Check-out time is 11am. Please check out ASAP!! or we have to charge for extra night...



didnt help...

***This is cat only dormitory, so if you wish to book that beds please contact "cat dormitory reservation division" directly(just walk-in booking accepted). Unfortunately, they do not have email or phone. Something like mewing or purring may help to book.

Anyway, I am sure you saw how Hiroshima is peaceful and comfortable place not just for ppl, but even for cats.

Why dont you visit Hiroshima ?? definitely one of the most peaceful cities in the world.

Hana Hostel Hiroshima
Reception(Hayateru)

Blog; incessant utterance

Ephemeral breath shall contain the sweetest illusions of song

Depersonalize! The lacunae still thrones, predetermined sky now reign

Thus my threnody speaks to efface the cumulus visions

Who could ever proclaim

The posterities' questions has been addressed

Humdrum and convoluted explanations will only notify that nobody has a clue.

Fata morgana . . . could I ever approach

Hiroshima's proud tree

In 1945, an Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima city.
At that time, people were saying that there is no way all the greenery would grow back, in Hiroshima, for at least 75 years.

There is a true story about The Chinese Bottle Tree.
The tree was 1300m away from the epicenter, and seared by the blasts of hot air at the time of the explosion. It had terrible damage so people thought that the tree would never recover.
But the following year, to everyone's surprise, the tree brought forth many leaves, and as green as always.

And I am growing two of the Chinese Bottle Tree seeds in my garden now.
One lady stayed at Hiroshima Hana Hostel the other day and gave me 5 seeds in a lovely package. She is involved in the project to hand Chinese bottle tree seeds to people from all over the world.

I am so proud and excited to grow these seeds!!

They are 2 months old now.















The leaves look HEART shaped :) So pretty!
I would like to hand these tree down through generations with the story of The Chinese Bottle Tree in 1945.
I am really hoping that they will thrive in my garden.

The Chinese Bottle tree is producing offspring and continue telling its story to people who visit the peace memorial park.

There is one more plant which has heart shaped leaves!
















The Olive trees!
It has come to fruit, which surprised me as its such a small tree.
It has 7 olives at the moment. I can not wait to harvest them in autumn.

Ｉｔ is so much fun growing plants and see them every day!

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