You can feel Japanese culture and enjoy the famous festival in Kyoto
Do you know Fushimiinari shrine, which is one of the most famous places in Japan? This shrine is also famous for this festival called “Motomiya-sai”. This festival is for showing an appreciation to gods. There are more than thousands of lanterns. It’s really fantastic, and it’s like being in a different world. In 2016, This festival is held on 23th to 24th July. Let’s check the detail of the festival!
<Detail>
Yoimiya-sai / Motomiya-sai
Venue : Fushimiinari Shrine
Date : Yoimiya-sai 23th July (Sat), Motomiya-sai 24th July (Sun)
Time : Yoimiya-sai 18:00~, Motomiya-sai 9:00~
Admission Fee : Free
Official Site : http://inari.jp/rite/?month=7%E6%9C%88#367
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This festival is a really good opportunity to feel Japanese culture. And I’m sure you can enjoy it a lot. This event is coming soon, so let’s invite your friends and enjoy Japanese culture through the famous festival!
Don’t forget to appreciate everything around you. That’s the purpose of this festival!
Thanks for reading!
Most Japanese would say that “ It is difficult to move using public transportation in Japan.” This story might sound silly for travelers but public transportation networks in Japan are very complex.
Kyoto is famous for temples, shrines, and being the birthplace of Japanese culture. Most travelers would want to go to many famous places and know the culture, if possible. But one big barrier in doing so is traffic.
Moving by Bus
We can use a lot of buses in Kyoto. They are a common means of transportation for residents in Kyoto and travelers. That’s why bus stops cover Kyoto-city.
There is one major difficulty : There are 5 bus companies in Kyoto.
Kyoto municipal bus
The Kyoto municipal bus is the largest bus network in Kyoto city. If you can take this bus, you can go to almost all places where you want to go.
However, the number of bus routes are too many — over 100. When you go to ‘Gion’ — it is famous for Maiko, Geisha and the beautiful scenery. — from Kyoto station, you can take the bus №4, 5, 17, 100, 104, 106, 110, 205, and 206. Furthermore, those buses launch at different spot around the same bus stops. Lots of buses may be good for going to places but this complicates things, making customers feel uneasy with so many choices. For first-time travelers in Japan, this situation leads to confusion.
Important points :
Check the correct bus number to your destination.
Check the launch-spot around the bus stop.
Link : English Map for Kyoto municipal Bus
↓ useful website for knowing where to find the correct launch spot at the bus stop
http://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/kotsu/busdia/busstop/bus_stop.htm (picture maps)
<Information : Kyoto municipal Bus>
FARE: 230 yen
FREE PASS:
500 yen (per-day) *only used by Kyoto municipal Bus and Kyoto Bus
Other bus companies – Kyoto Bus, Keihan Bus, Hankyu Bus, JR Bus
Kyoto Bus
The Kyoto Bus is the 2nd major bus company in Kyoto city. Although the Kyoto municipal
bus can take us to most shrines and temples in Kyoto city, it isn’t useful for
doing to Arashiyama. By taking the Kyoto Bus, it is easy to go to the Arashiyama
area. Moreover, you can also go to the
Kihune-shrine — a hidden
attraction in Kyoto and famous for its stairs to the shrine made by rocks and the
clear stream around the shrine.
Fortunately,
1-day free pass for Kyoto municipal bus can be also used for Kyoto Bus.
The name of
both buses — Kyoto municipal Bus and Kyoto Bus — is similar. Be careful not to
take the wrong bus. In this case, there is no problem if you have a free pass.
<Information : Kyoto Bus>
FARE: 230
yen
FREE PASS:
500 yen (per-day) *only used by Kyoto municipal Bus and Kyoto Bus
Link: Japanese map for Kyoto Bus
Keihan Bus, Hankyu Bus and JR Bus
They are operated by railway companies. Their main use if in conglomeration with the railway. That’s why their buses do not have many customers and are not useful for us. These buses operation don’t cover famous places. It is recommended that you don’t take these.
However, the shape of the 5 buses are similar and the number of people taking the wrong bus is continually increasing. If you have a free pass for the Kyoto municipal Bus and the Kyoto Bus, you can’t use it on either of the Keihan Bus, Hankyu Bus and JR Bus and you have to pay additional fare if you take these buses accidentally. (230 yen).
At last, a point in common with the 5 buses is that the time of the last bus is earlier than that of both Tokyo and Osaka, and maybe throughout the world. In Kyoto, most of these buses finish around 10 o’clock pm. Any time after 10pm is probably pushing it a little as buses later in night are crowded and they come less frequently.
Recommend buses in Kyoto : Taking Kyoto municipal bus basically, Buying 1 day free pass, Taking Kyoto Bus secondary if you want not-famous places, Going back to Hotel before 22 o'clock.
Writer has the plan to write next : #1–2 Kyoto by train
The combination of the bus and the train is also effective if you want to visit Kyoto.
Japanese culture, since centuries, has been much adored and seen with intriguingly curious mindsets when it comes to the West. The East always has and probably will continue to fascinate the people on the other side of the world, through its customs, societal norms, arts and the way of life of the populace.
It is said that the Japanese have elevated the act of preparing, serving and drinking tea into an artwork in its own right, however the tea ceremony is not just about enjoying th taste of the tea, there is a strong philosophical element to it as well. The most important aspect is the spirit in which the host welcomes the guest, elaborate preparations take place from the layout of the tea garden to the tea room itself, also the choice of the tea complements the decorative hanging scroll, the flower arrangement even th food and the sweets that are served with the tea.
The Japanese tea ceremony – as the world knows it, has been more than a symbol of portraying Japanese culture to the outside world. The ceremony which involves the presention and preparation of powdered green tea (matcha – 抹茶),in an eloquent and alluring manner has been at the center of Japan’s sphere of cultural symbolism since many centuries. In each of these many aspects form and etiquette have been further refined over time, each becoming a mini art form in itself, although as part of the tea ceremony.
MATCHA 抹茶 ー. matcha is made from the sprouting buds of the tea plant which are then dried and ground into fine powder, to serve the tea, hot water is poured onto the powder and is whisked until it becomes frothy – in the Urasenke(裏千家) school of tea ceremony, which has the most students in Japan.
In Japanese the ceremony is called as chadou (茶道) or chyanoyuu (茶の湯) and the performance is called as otemae (お点前/お手前), while the tea gatherings are usually classified into formal (茶事) and informal (茶会) where the former can last upto nearly five hours where it includes a full course meal – Kaiseki 懐石. Before the tea is prepared, sweet confections are served to the guests, tasting this morsel of sweetness before drinking the tea helps accentuate the bitterness of the tea itself. Finally, the host prepares the tea and it is served to the guests.
There are a variety of different tea ceremonies that are held at different times of the year, the tea ceremony gatherings are held to mark the change of seasons. Usually at th start of the year – Hatsugama 初釜. is held to celebrate the beginning of the new year. In early spring, especially in the city of Kyoto, as a part of the tea gathering the tea is served to the local people by Geisha. This well known tea ceremony event is a much loved spring tradition in Kyoto. In Autumn, event known as Nodate is held in Tokyo – an outdoor tea gathering.
Then, there is the spiritual element of the tea ceremony which strongly inspired from Zen Buddhist philosophy, there is this idealized concept of how participants at a tea ceremony are supposed to deport themselves, which expressed in the Japanese phrase as – wake sei jyaku わけ静寂, implementing certain different attitudes and principles towards life – harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. During the tea ceremony, the guests as well as the hosts bear these aspects in mind the whole time. It is these intangible elements, apart form the tangible ones, that revive the soul of every tea gathering and ceremony marking both simplicity as well as profundity of the Japanese culture.
Maid cafe in Japan is now very popular. It’s sometimes seemed that this culture is for “Otaku” (geek), but it’s not only for them, but also very popular for foreigners. Why maid cafe is so popular in Japan? I guess it’s because each maid cafe has a wide variety of concept and Japanese “Omotenashi” spirit. It became one of the most trending Japanese culture, so if you visit Japan, especially Tokyo, I strongly recommend to go to maid cafe for making a great memory of trip to Japan. let’s see the unique and interesting maid cafes in Tokyo.
1.@ほぉ〜むカフェ (@home cafe)
The word “萌え (Moe)” is from this maid cafe. This is the most famous maid cafe in Akihabara where is called a holy place of Japanese subculture. @home cafe is easy to enjoy for beginners of maid cafe, that’s why this place is so popular for even foreigners. This maid cafe is focusing on the entertainment, so menu and food are very cute. You can relieve your stress here.
【Adress】4–3–3 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
【TEL】03–3254–7878
【Opening Time】
Weekday : 11:30〜22:00
Holiday : 10:30〜22:00
【Regular Holiday】No Holiday
【Official Site】 http://www.cafe-athome.com/en/
2.European Style Guild Restaurant – The Granvania –
The concept of this maid cafe is the world of RPG. You can enjoy not only maid cafe but also cosplay and concept of RPG. The decoration in cafe and food are also very elaborate. This cafe is regularly holding a seasonal event. I think you will be into this made cafe!
【Adress】1–14–3 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
【TEL】03–3251–5359
【Opening Time】12:00〜23:00
Fri, Sat : 12:00〜 05:00
【Regular Holiday】No Holiday
【Official Site】http://the-granvania.ciao.jp/
3.私設図書館カフェ キャッツキステ (Schatzkiste)
Schatzkiste is a maid cafe but it’s also a library cafe. The atmosphere in the cafe is really calm and classic, so you can relax so much. And also you can experience Akihabara culture. It’s one of my recommendations of maid cafe in Japan. Don’t miss to check this out!
【Adress】6–5–11 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
【Opening Time】12:00〜22:00 (last order : 21:30)
【Regular Holiday】First Tuesday
【Official Site】http://schatz-kiste.net/index.html
4.Akihabara Dearstage
Do you like Japanese idol or Japanese anime? If you so, you should go to this maid cafe. Because maids in this cafe sing and dance on the stage! でんぱ組. inc (Denpa-gumi. inc) who is a famous Japanese idol group is also from this maid cafe. You can enjoy their performance and they cheer you up!
【Adress】3–10–9 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
【TEL】03–5207–9181
【Opening Time】
Weekday : 18:00~22:50
Sat, Sun, Holiday : 17:00~22:50
【Regular Holiday】No Holiday
【Official Site】http://dearstage.com/
5.めいどカフェ&バー はいすくーる アキバ組 (Maid cafe&bar High school Akiba-gumi)
The concept of this maid cafe is a school. Maids in this cafe work for your happy school life. The menu is also school style. So I think you can experience Japanese school life in this maid cafe! Even adult can enjoy this maid cafe!
【Adress】3–10–12 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo
【TEL】03–6206–0218
【Opening Time】
Weekday : 12:00~22:00
【Regular Holiday】No Holiday
【Official Site】http://www.cafebar-highschool.com/
My Opinion to Maid cafe in Japan
As I wrote at the beginning of this article, Maid cafe and this kind of culture was seemed only for otaku in the past. But I am feeling that the image of maid cafe is recently changing very much. One of the reasons why people change the image of maid cafe is because of the effect of movie. 電車男 (Densha otoko) is one of the movies which changed a people’s prejudice to “Otaku” and “Maid cafe”. As you can see, Otaku and Maid cafe are one of the most trending cultures in Japan now. It’s also really popular for foreigners. Why do not you go to maid cafe to feel Japanese culture if you are interested in it? It is just my opinion (I am a Japanese). So I would like to hear lots of opinions from readers. Please comment here, and if you like this article, please give me your “recommend” and “share”!
Thanks for reading!
Hokkaido is the northernmost prefecture of Japan, and the average temperature on August is 22°C. Why don’t you spend your summer vacation in cool Hokkaido.
1. Enjoy seeing beautiful view
Hokkaido is rich in nature. This picture is a blue pond in biei. We can see the clear blue water in sunny days. I recommend you to go to rural areas and find amazing flower gardens, the sea or mountains.
2. Eat delicious food
Hokkaido is famous for agriculture. You can eat fresh vegetables, meat and seafoods. Especially, people live in Hokkaido love grilled mutton dish (we call it “jingisukan”). Enjoy original tastes of ingredients!
3. Experience activities
How about trying outdoor activity in this summer? Horse riding, rafting and trekking are typical activities what you can do in Hokkaido. Such extraordinary experience will make you relax.