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Ghibli Museum
Park gate near the Ghibli Museum
Fans of My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and other Studio Ghibli movies will enjoy the chance to visit this charming museum dedicated to animated films. It combines hundreds of tiny details into a fantastical gallery. The central atrium is especia
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Inokashira Park and Zoo
Inokashira Park boats
A beautiful lake surrounded by a forest was given by the Imperial family to the people of Tokyo, and in 1918 opened as Inokashira Onshi Park (井の頭恩賜公園). The cherry trees in the spring and the changing colors of autumn attract large crowds, but throughout the year, it is
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Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri (Yoi
Kikusui Boko (菊水鉾)
The highlight of Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri is the procession of floats on July 17. However, there are many fun events in association with the festival that occur throughout the month of July. One of the most exciting is Yoi-Yama,or the three days leading up to the main event.
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Hotel Kintetsu Station Kyoto
The Kyoto Station – Japan
Conveniently located in the Kyoto Station building, the Hotel Kintetsu Station branch has the same high standards as all the hotels in the Miyako Hotel chain. Rooms are small by western standards, but new and very clean with understated décor and many
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July 16 – Exploring Kyoto and the YoiYama and Byobu Festival
It felt good to change out of my business suit and into casual clothes again. The meetings with my client had gone smoothly, and now I was free to explore Kyoto for a few days on my own. I was in Japan last winter when it was freezing cold and clear, so the oppressive humidity an
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Yasaka Jinja in Gion, Kyoto
Yasaka Jinja, Gion, Kyoto
In the heart of Gion is a shrine visited by geisha and maiko called Yasaka Jinja. It is popular year-round among locals seeking protection against disease and prosperity in business. Along with the main shrine dedicated to Gozu Tenno, the god of disease
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Gion Matsuri Festival in Kyoto
The Littlest Samurai, Gion Matsuri
In 869 a plague was killing the citizens of Kyoto, so a priest named Enjo from Yasaka Jinja led a procession through the streets of the city, welcoming the god who prevents disease. This was the beginning of the Gion Matsuri, which has become one of the thr
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Gion Matsuri Parade (Yamaboko Junko)
Kanko Boko (函谷鉾) Gion Matsuri Parade
The highlight of the Gion Matsuri is the procession of elaborate floats that takes place every year of July 17. This originally began in 869 when a priest from Yasaka Jinja led a procession through the streets of Kyoto to try to rid the city o
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Myoren
妙蓮寺
Myoren-ji, the head temple of the Daihonzan sect of Nichiren Buddhism, is a beautiful, small temple in a quiet neighborhood of Kyoto. It welcomes visitors interested in learning about Buddhism to stay in the guest quarters. Rooms are Spartan, with tatami floors and futon be
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July 17
Traditional Japanese breakfast
In the morning I packed and left my things at the desk, then had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel buffet. The place was quite nice, but I was going to move in the evening to a new location, a temple that a friend had recommended that I s
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Yamamoto Honke Sake Brewery in Fushima
Yamamoto Honke Sake Traditional
Founded in 1667, the Yamamoto Honke sake brewery is still operational, though the brewing season is only in the winter months because cold is an essential part of the process. The traditional old company will provide tours, and guests can even parti
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Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Over 6,000 sake brewing tools which have been designated important folk craft cultural assets are housed in the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum. The traditional old building is set in the heart of the Fushimi sake brewing district, an area long noted for i
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Shinsei Shuzo Torisei Honten Restaurant in Fushima
Shinsei Shuzo Torisei Honten Restaurant in Fushima (photo credit blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tomorinn1024)
There is a popular restaurant called the Shinsei Shuzo Torisei Honten (京都・伏見神聖酒蔵 鳥せい 本店) within the Yamamoto Honkei Brewery in Fushimi. It has a great atmosphere and highly recommended
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Kizakura Kappa Sake Brewery in Fushimi ward of Kyoto
English: Kizakura Kappa Country in Fushimi, Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan 日本語: キザクラカッパカントリー, 京都府京都市伏見区 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Visitors are allowed to take a self-guided tour through this functional brewery which has shaded gardens and a restaurant attached. At the back of the restaurant
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Choken
Choken-ji Temple in Kyoto
Choken-ji temple has a beautiful gate, with red-earthen walls surrounding the complex and inside is a beautiful serene garden overflowing with ginko leaves. There are two large containers on both sides of the Chinese-style tiled roof which are sake casks, said to
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July 18 – my day in Fushimi, Kyoto, for Sake Brewery Tours!
Taiko Drums at the wall of sake
I woke early to sunlight filtering through the rice paper covering my window, then dressed and headed to the main temple building for morning prayers. Myoren-ji looked very much like other Buddhist temples, with an altar bedecked with gold and br
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Tenjin Matsuri Festival (Osaka July 25)
御網代車 Tenjin Matsuri
Considered one of the three great festivals in Japan, the Tenjin Matsuri festival in Osaka is a colorful and memorable event. Started in 951, it has a rich history that blends with that of the city itself. It is the main celebration of the Shinto Tenman Sh
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Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori Aug 2
Float in Nebuta Matsuri @ Aomori
There are many Nebuta festivals throughout the country, but the largest is held in Aomori in the Tōhoku Region from August 2 through 7th.
Nebuta are floats made from rice paper stretched and pasted over a wo
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Neburinagashi
Neburinagashi-kan Kanto Museum @ Akita
Even if you can not see the Kanto Festival in person, you can learn about the history and see many examples in the Kanto Museum, only a 10-minute walk west of the JR Akita Station. There are films from the festival, and from April 18 to
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Kanto Matsuri Festival 秋田の竿灯(Akita Aug 3
Akita / Kanto matsuri
The athletic performance of the Kanto Matsuri (秋田の竿灯) in the Tōhoku region in Akita is something that needs to be seen to be believed. The festival is held every year from August 3 to 6, with various activities throughout the day. The highlight
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