Japan Travel Centre

Japan Travel Centre blog has moved to japantravelcentre.wordpress.com !

Please visit our new blog,  new posts will be coming soon!!  

(image courtesy of Japan Weather Association)

Below is a chart for the blossoming of Cherry Blossoms across Japan (as of 29Feb12):

Kumamoto Blossomed March 25
Fukuoka Blossomed March 28
Kagoshima Blossomed March 26
Hiroshima Blossomed March 30
Kyoto Blossomed March 30
Nara Blossomed March 31
Osaka Blossomed March 30
Tokyo Blossomed March 29
Yokohama Blossomed March 30
Nagoya Blossomed March 29

Kanazawa Blossoming April 6
Matsumoto Blossoming April 8
Sendai Blossoming April 12
Kakunodate Blossoming April 23
Hirosaki Blossoming April 22

Hakodate Blossoming May 1
Sapporo Blossoming May 3 

From the date of blossoming, please allow for a further 5-8 days for the Sakura to reach its full bloom. After which we recommended viewing within a week’s time span.

For example:
Kanazawa Sakura blossoms April 6^th. Therefore, the best viewing time would be between April 11^th – 19^th. However, please do note that weather conditions can severely disrupt the speed of blossoming and length of viewing.

 

We’ve been posting historical place for a while.

So hope you enjoy different scenery today.

 

 

-Tokyo-

The Tokyo Sky Tree 

Broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower under construction in Sumida, Tokyo.

It just reached to 600m when I was in Japan, but the tower will be height of 634m this coming spring.

View from Shinjyuku-Tocho (Tokyo Metropolitan Government)

( It may a little far to see the Sky Tree from Shinjuku.)

 

 

 

  

 

Haneda International Airport

Airport itself is not big, but as it is new airport, it might be fun to looking around.

You can use these cards for Tokyo monorails.

Restaurants and shops in the Haneda airport.

 

One of the first food restaurants accepts a different type of payment included electric money.

 

   

 

 

 

If the weather is clear, we can see Mt. Fuji.

( I could see, but it was not really clear.)

 

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

The houses are built to withstand severe winter, the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in this area during winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together with Gokayama in Toyama prefecture, it is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

Local people are still living in those houses and some of the houses turned into a Minshuku, Japanese-inn.

< Access to Shirakawa-go from Tokyo>

JR Tokyo station to JR Takayama station via Nagoya by JR (approx. 4hrs) then take a bus to Shirakawa-go (approx. 50mins) .

New Year (oshougatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Business usually shut down from 1st to 3rd January and families typically gather to spend the days together and enjoy Osechi ryori.

 ‘Osechi ryori’ is a specially prepared Japanese New Year’s food packed in layers of lacquer boxes, called jubako.

 

And continue to Ozoni, a soup of mochi (rice cakes) and vegetables .

Traditionally, people prepare osechi by New Year’s Eve but nowadays, many people buy ready made osechi dishes instead of cooking them at home. It can be time-consuming to cook so many kinds of dishes. It’s even possible to order osechi packed in boxes at department stores, super market, convenience stores or online shop in Japan.

ChiChibu Night festival is one of the three great Hikiyama (=Float) Festival of Japan along with Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Takayama Matsuri in Gifu.

You can go to Chichibu from Ikebukuro with direct train. ( Seibu-line) 

It takes about 1hour 20minuts and JPY750 for one way.

 Hiraizumi (平泉) is a town located in the south-western part of Iwate Prefecture in Tohoku area.

We took a Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to the nearest JR station ‘Ichinoseki’ and I was very surprised to see so many tourists at the station!

The Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2011, so it became even more popular site to visit especially during the Koyo (autumn leaves) season.

Firstly we visited Chusonji temple,

< MAP of Chusonji >

Yakushido Hall

 

 

 

 

Main Hall

 

 

Belfry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Konjikido (Golden Hall)

 

Konjikido (Golden Hall)

 

 

 

Kyozo

 

 

 

 

 

 

<Chusonji Temple>

Access; 10mins walk from JR Ichinoseki station

Admission:  JPY800

Official site: http://www.chusonji.or.jp/en/index.html

Entsu-In Temple was built in 1646 for Date Mitsumune who died at an early age, the grandson of Date Masamune.
The temple includes a mausoleum as well as a rose garden and famous Karesansui (dry landscape garden or rock garden). The temple is also known for hidden Christian symbolism seen throughout the grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Access: 5mins walk from JR Matsushima Kaigan station, next to Zuiganji temple

Admission: 300YEN

(偕楽園) is a Japanese garden located in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan,

one of the three great gardens of Japan along with Kenroku-en and Koraku-en.

Most attractive season for Kairaku-en is during Plum(Ume) blossom season,

which usually takes place on late February and March.

Besides the Plum tree forest, where one hundred different plum tree

varieties with white, pink and red blossoms are planted.

  

Kairaku-en is also features a bamboo grove.

 

Entry fee for Adult JPY190, Child JPY100.

 

  (Now, Kairaku-en is partly closed after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UME(Plum)  is much smaller than Sakura(Cherry Blossom) and but also they are so pretty.

 

Plum will be until the middle of March and after that, It will be “Sakura” season !!

 

< I know it is a bit early to talk about Ume and Sakura. But why dont you plan to visit from now on !? > 

 

 

 

We hear quite often people say that Japan is very expensive… but is it true?

This is only a few examples I’ve found it very cheap on my recent trip to Japan.

 

Sushi at kaitenzushi restaurant, all sushi was JPY130 (about £1) each!

Drink as much as you like for one hour is only JPY1000!

Kushikatsu (deep fried meat and vegetable) is only 99yen (under £1)!

Value set! 5 pieces of Kushikatsu and half pint of beer was only JPY500!

Zaru soba (Cold buckwheat noodles) is JPY220, Mini Katsu don( Pork cutlets donburi) + Zaru soba value set is JPY500!

Free pocket tissues!

Ashiyu (foot bath) was free!!

So, what do you think?

Do you still think Japan is expensive?

The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku ji (金閣寺) is a Zen temple located in northern Kyoto . Originally constructed in 1397 as a Shogun’s villa. It is one of the most famous sights in Japan.

道頓堀：Dotonbori  is located in Minami district the best area to satisfy any demanding shopper! Cheap to expensive, High brands to discount shop… 

 It’s a single street with many shops and restaurants, running alongside the Dotonbori canal between the Dotonbori Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge.

This are is famous for so many neon and unique signs especially the follownig one of the Osaka’s landmarks, the Glico big neon sign.

 

 

Nishiki Market  is a busy shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops selling fresh seafood, vegetables, Tsukemoto(Japanese pickles), ingredients, dried food, Japanese sweets and fine hand crafted Japanese knives…

The Prices are a bit higher than the supermarket but Nishiki market offers locally produced very fresh and high quality products.

 

<Access>

 

5 minutes from Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line  or Karasuma or Kawaramachi Stations on the Hankyu Line.

  

 

Official Site: http://www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp/english/