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EXPERIENCE

Bonsai Village, Oasis for Bonsai Lovers

After visiting Omiya Bonsai Museum why don’t you stroll around Bonsai village? The area around the museum is very calm residential area. It would be nice to see pretty garden of each house where pine trees and other flower trees are neatly well kept. In the village there are 5 Bonsai gardens where Bonsai are created by each owner, displayed and some are sold. If you find a favorite one among them, the staff will teach you how to take care. Bonsai classes are periodically held for the beginner at some gardens (reservation needed). note: closed on every Thursday. Photography and Touching Bonsai are not allowed. Seiko-en Garden Founded in […]

Asakusa

Festivals at Sensoji temple, Asakusa

Sanja Festival is well known as Sensoji temple’s festival. But Sanja Festival is not only. Don’t miss Needle Memorial Service, Flower festival and Hozuki Market. Needle Memorial Service, Awashima Hall Every year on February 8th, the Needle memorial service is held at Awashima hall. Many women visit to bring broken or used needles and place them on Tofu. They pray to the needles to give gratitude and to improve their sewing skills. They believe the needles worked hard to sew many things or to help patients at hospitals and for that reason, should rest on something soft. Flower Festival, Kanbutsue April 8th is thought to be the birthday of the […]

Art & Museum

Ukiyoe, wood block print

During Edo period under the isolation policy Ukiyoe, wood block print uniquely developed. Ukiyo means the modern and the popular subjects of those days and they were depicted in Ukiyoe.Sumo wrestler, kabuki actor and beautiful woman and scenery were representative themes. Three persons such as painter, carver, printer, were involved in making Ukiyoe. Painter designed, carver carved 7 wood panels and printer beautifully printed all the layers on the paper. It is said about 200 pieces were printed a day and popular paintings were repeatedly printed. It cost as much as a sheet of buckwheat noodle and the commoners could afford to enjoy it. Ukiyoe was first introduced overseas as […]

Tokyo

Ameya Yokocho

Established soon after World War Ⅱ. Ame is the Japanese word for candy, and also an abbreviation of American. American goods were sold here then. Now, at the end of the year this area is crowded with people for New Year’s shopping. It is a paradise for bargain hunters and souvenir hunters. Many food stands selling noodle, chicken skewer attract tourists. <Related Post>Types of Tokyo Street Food Markets-Ameya Yokocho

AREA

Yanaka

Yanaka is one of the few areas of Tokyo that survived the Great Earthquake and Big fire of 1923. Old houses, many temples and old Edo atmosphere remain here. “Ya” means valley and “naka” means middle, so Yanaka means “in the middle of valley” from where we stroll down to the Nezu area. Tenno-ji temple Tenno-ji temple, the largest in the area was established in 1274 during the Kamakura era (1185-1333) and a Buddha statue was built in 1690 modeled after Buddha in Kamakura. The lotteries that were held on the temple compounds were stopped in 1842, since then the temple regains the calmness, and is well maintained. Lotus […]

Ceremony & Event

Tea ceremony’s history & spirits

Tea ceremony grew out of the culture and customs of the old samurai class, servants of feudal lords and was strongly influenced by Buddhism. The Buddhism monk Eisai is believed to have brought the tea leaves from China to Japan as a medicine for the first time in 12th century. As it contained caffein it was used to keep the Buddhist monk awake during meditation. The habit of drinking tea spread to among Buddhist monks, the wealthy and the noble. Around 16th century Murata Juko started tea ceremony and he is said to have brought the heart and soul into the tea ceremony. The Takeno jo-o succeeded him and made […]

Ceremony & Event

How to enjoy Tea Ceremony

When you are served tea, first, place the tea bowl between you and the next guest. Then bow to the left saying “Osakini chodai itashimasu”. (Excuse me for going before you. ) 2. Bow to the host saying “Otemae chodai itashimasu.”　(Thank you for the tea. ) 3. Then take the tea bowl with your right hand, and place the bowl on the left palm. 4. Bow slightly to express thanks and then turn the bowl clockwise twice in order to avoid its front. 5. Take sips several times (2 or 3 times) to the last sip. 5. Wipe the place you drank from with thumb and index finger. Wipe […]

AREA

Nakamise, Asakusa picture scroll of shutter

Why not take an evening stroll down the quiet Nakamise street of Sensoji temple? When the shops start to close, the beautiful Emaki (picture scrolls) appear on shutters instead. In 1992, some artists gathered under the direction of a famous Japanese artist named Ikuo Hirayama and painted on the shutters of Nakamise shops. Various artworks include the Sanja festival, senko hanabi sparklers, cherry blossoms, and other beautiful scenery that embody the Edo atmosphere. Nakamise is one of the oldest shopping streets around. It stretches roughly 250 meters from Thunder gate to the second gate, Hozomon. The street is lined with about 89 stores selling Japanese traditional souvenirs. Here you can […]

EXPERIENCE

SUGITAMA

A round ball hung down may look like a big honeycomb but it is actually Sugitama a traditional symbol of a sake brewery, also called Sakebayashi. The brewers used to gather branches of sacred cedar and made a ball by combining and trimming and hung it under the eaves to notify that a new sake was produced. Sugitama originated from Miwa Shinto shrine in Nara. Mt. Miwa and cedar trees there were worshiped as the god of sake. Soft cedar has long been used for making buckets, barrels and measuring containers called masu for sake. The fresh green color of the ball when sake was newly made gradually changes into […]