Hiraoka Festival Oct.14th&15th

Largest class autumn festival with 20 taiko drum stands entering the shrine and 3 floats parading.

Every year approx. 150,000 worshippers and numerous stalls fill the shrine premises during the two-day festival.

This is a MUST!!

Date : October 14th and 15th
Time : 15:30 - 23:00
Admission : Free
Place : Hiraoka Shrine (072-981-4177)
* The nearest station is Kintetsu Hiraoka station.

New Year in Osaka (2009 update !)

I'm almost late for the update of the last year article (here and there) about new year events, quick !!

* At Taiyuji Temple, you can strike the bell and receive talisman (only for the 108 first ones). On the 31st at 0:00, it's free and it's here.

* At Minamimido Temple, avoid bad luck for next year by ringing the bell of the temple from 23:30 (only for the 108 first ones, but groups can ring the bell all together at once). The first 200 persons will also receive free soba noodles. It's free and it's here.

* At Aizendo Temple, avoid bad luck for next year by ringing the bell of the temple from 23:30 (only for the 108 first ones) and receive the Ema (sacred painting on a wooden tablet) of this temple. It's free and it's here.

* At Kanshinji Temple, receive a lucky charm made of Kaya to protect you all next year (only for the 600 first ones), and a sacred rice scoop (only for the 108 first ones). On the 31st, it's free and it's here.

* At Kitamido Temple, a count down with fireworks and music will start around 23:00. It's free and it's here.

* At Sky Building, big count down with light, sound, fireworks and ... 10.000 spectators expected !! From around 23:15. The 40th floor will be open too for few happy ones. It's free (except for the 40th floor, 700Y) and it's here.

* At Shitennoji Temple, avoid bad luck for next year by ringing the bell of the temple from 23:30 (only for the 108 first ones) and drink Amazake (sweet sake, only for first 1.000 ones). It's free and it's here.

* At Dainenbutsuji Temple, avoid bad luck for next year by ringing the bell of the temple from 23:30 (only for the 108 first ones) and eat Zenzai and Mochi (sweet red beans soup and sticky ball of rice, only for the first 500 ones) . It's free and it's here.

* At Nozakikannon Temple, ring the bell from 23:00 (only for the 108 first ones) and eat orange and sweat sake, or receive charms. It's free and it's here.

* At Kongoji temple in Koyasan, receive a sacred rice scoop on the 31st and 1st.

* At Tenmangu Temple, drink the Gods' Sake from 0:00. It's free and it's here.

* On board of the Santa Maria sailboat, countdown and party. Departure at 23:45 for 45mn cruise, 2500 yen. More info here (in japanese)

* At Universal Studio Japan, enjoy a very special party from 19:00 to 2:00 with a count down of course and huge fireworks. The pass for this event cost 8.900 yen. Universal Studio official website -> here.

* At Mount Kongo, climb to the summit to see the first sunrise of the year. The ropeway will be exceptionnally open from 5:00 (1300 yen). Free Sake will be offer to the first 200 ones, and free Zenzai to the first 1.000 ones. To go there : From Abenobashi st. to Shakudo St. and then to Gose st. by Kintetsu train (around 40mn, departure from Abenobashi st. at 3:36 arrival at Gose at 4:39), then 3km to the ropeway by foot, then 6mn by Ropeway (departure at 5:40), and finally 30mn of hiking to the top. The sun rises at around 7:05. As I went there last year I recommend you to read this article.

* All the most famous clubs and bars of Osaka will hold their own Countdown party of course, refer to the Kansai Scene Website for more details about clubs and lives.

Inside Osaka, be aware that everything will be crowded. If you hope to ring the bell or receive some of the free foods, go there early and with enough patience to stay in the queue for few hours in the chilly night ! To ring the bell you usually need to get a ticket which are distributed few hours before the start of the ringing. Buy tickets to events as soon as possible !

And remember that :

* The Aquarium of Osaka stay opened.
* The Castle is closed from the 28th to the 2nd.
* Universal Studio Japan stay opened.
* Tennoji zoo is closed from the 29th to the 1st.
* The Tourist Information Centers stay opened.
* The Umeda Sky Building is exceptionnaly opened from 5:00 in the morning on the first if you want to see the first sunrise of the year.
* Namba Parks is closed on the 1st.
* National Museum of Art is closed from the 14th of December to the 15th of January
* Municipal Museum of Art is closed from the 29th to the 3th
* The Tsutenkaku Tower stays opened.
* Most of the restaurants are closed. It's better going to chains like (near J-Hoppers Osaka) Machikadouya, Yoshinoya, Cocoichiban, ... (Traditionnally Japanese eat at home a dish called Osechi, cooked or ordered in advance)
* Convenient stores stay opened.
* Department stores around Osaka Station : HEP Five is closed from the 31st to the 1st, Hankyu Dept Store is closed on the 1st, Hanshin Dept Store is closed on the 1st, Yodobashi Camera stay opened, ...
* Transportations keep running, but with lower frequency.

All the J-Hoppers Osaka staff wish the best ever New Year Day !!!

Shinno Matsuri

On the 22nd and 23rd of November, from 9am, will be held a very important festival in Osaka : the Shinno Matsuri. The small Sukunahikona shrine (少彦名神社) will be crowded with people coming to celebrate the free distribution of medicines during a plague of cholera in 1822. This shrine is also known as Shrine of the Health and Medicine Gods. Don't forget to buy the little paper tiger, as a charm to protect you from diseases !

To go there : Get off at the Kitahama subway station and walk down the avenue for few minutes toward south (google map).

Let's go to Ise !

I went recently to Ise city (伊勢市）(google location) in Mie Prefecture with my girlfriend. Have you ever heard about it ? This is a very small city but a very important one in japanese history. There is the Ise Grand Shrine where Amaterasu Omikami is worshipped. Amaterasu is the God of Sun, bornt from the left eye of Izanagi, the male God who created Japan Islands with his heavenly spear (read all about this here). From Amaterasu all the Japanese people are descendants. No need to say that's the most sacred shrine of all Japan !

View from the train of rural scene

There is actually two main shrines : the inner one and the outer one. To them are attached 123 others minor ones. The two main shrines are accessible only to the Imperial family and you won't be able to approach nearer than the fourth wooden fence. Minor shrines are accessible though, and the woods around them are gorgeous.

The main shrines are completely rebuilt every 20 years, to symbolize nature cycle and keep this sacred place in perfect state. The next one will be held in 2013. It should be something huge to see ! Until then, leading up events also occur, as collecting huge wooden logs which are used for the reconstruction.

Roof of the inner shrine

In the woods of the outer shrine

Shrine of the God of Wind within the precincts of the outer shrine

Priest at the outer shrine

The queue to pray at the outer shrine

Near the Inner shrine a old shopping street offers full of restaurants to eat the local specialties : the Ise shrimp, and the Ise udon. I tried the second one, it was very good ! I also taste several seafoods directly fished in the vicinity. Mmmmmhh !! But there is not only restaurants. Of course a lot of souvenir shops, and more interesting : very very old buildings.

Fried squid shop

Fishes drying at the sun

Ise udon

Sacred decoration at the entrance of a shop

Old traditional building

Old wooden statue

We also went there to see the Aquarium of Toba (鳥羽市). By bus you can reach Toba in 15 min. from Ise. There is a one day pass (1000 yen) and a two day pass (1600 yen) bringing you to every interesting places of the area. Don't forget to buy it at the tourist information center of Ise (in front of the outer shrine), it will give you reduction on others attractions. The aquarium is mid-sized with several rooms in a range. Each one has a main big aquarium on one side and smaller ones on the two other sides. Windows are quite big, and dugongs and manatees are some of the rare species you can observe here (I LOVE the leafy seadragon). There is also several performances with animals : the classic sea-lions, or more unusually walrus ! Several "view from below" are also available, and always impressive. A small restaurant allow you to take a break if you spend long time there. Also on the lower floor a shell museum, with a large collection of splendid shells from all over the world, is not to be missed, as unfortunately do lot of people due to the "out of the regular course" location.

Leafy seadragon

Performance with a walrus

Finless porpoises

Not yet fried squid ;-)

sharks

scorpion fish

Coral

Another recommendable place in Toba is the Pearl Town on a island in front of the city. You can learn here everything about production of pearls, and of course buy jewelry. You can also see the women diving to collect them. Unfortunately for us we haven't see anything of this as the weather was very bad and we preferred to stay all the day in the aquarium.

Between these two cities another attraction is the Meotoiwa rocks. That's two rocks in the sea linked by a sacred rope. They are symbolizing husband and wife, and their union. Around them few others smaller rocks excited the imagination of local people who tried to find in their shapes some animals or whatever. As one of them is supposed to look like a bullfrog, little statue of this animal started to appear on the seaside, and now it's a real crowd of bullfrog looking at the sea ! Even the fountain to wash your hands before praying at the shrine is shaped like a giant bullfrog.

the meotoiwa rocks

At Ise, we stayed in a traditional ryokan : the Hoshidekan (星出館, staff can speak very few words of english then if you don't speak japanese I recommend to book online). I've already stayed once in a ryokan but it was a 'modern' one. The Hoshidekan exists since years ago, and it is absolutely gorgeous. All made of wood, tatami, sliding paper doors. In the middle, a little garden with greeneries, rocks, a well and a pine (this kind of garden is called a tsuboniwa). Running around it, on the second floor, an alley, one third closed by windows, one third opened on the garden, and one third as a little bridge over the garden linking rooms to a bathroom. Bathrooms are large stalls with ceramics. Tooth brush and tooth paste are provided for free, as well as yukata and linen in the room, and towels in the bathroom. Toilets are half old style and half modern style. The room was perfect : 7.5 tatami sized, with a balcony, an alcove enhanced by ink painting and flower arrangement, two thick futons, tv, phone, tea, cookies, shogi board (I would have preferred Igo though ;-) ). Everything is old but perfectly clean. Before going to bed we also could enjoyed a japanese traditional bath (shared but used privately).

the inner garden

little patio

entrance

in our room

You can have a meal at the ryokan but we preferred to eat outside. It has been a very bad idea ! At 17:00 everything close and the city look like it's dead ! We walked so long to try to find something open ... The only restaurants we found, on a saturday night, was an italian one, which was full, and two cafe with light meal menu. We ended up with a lunch box in our room ! Gladly, for the next morning we had ordered the breakfast. It's given in a large room on the first floor. Fish, Sea weeds, eggs, vegetable and of course rice and tea. Cooked by two very busy grand'ma in the kitchen just behind, it's very very good.

Before coming back home we wanted to buy some omiyage of course. We almost never could ... Everything was already closed in the 'downtown' of Ise. Under the rain it somehow looked like a ghost city ! I also run out of money and couldn't find anywhere to withdraw. A bank ATM who was accessible and accepted one of the card of my girlfriend finally saved us. And we could buy some foods in the *only* one shop opened in the main street. At least, wandering made us discovered several others ryokan in the city, all more beautiful and older than the other. Next time I go to Ise, I want to try the Yamadakan (山田舘). From the outside it's out of words. Probably run by Chihiro herself ;-)

old house in Ise city

From Osaka you can go to Ise with the Kintetsu Ltd Express, from Tsuruhashi station on the loop line to Ise main station. There is two trains per hour (timetable). It takes 1h40mn and costs 3030 yen. So you can even think about doing it as a one day trip from J-Hoppers Osaka.