Webmaster visited a Japanese garden Okayama Korakuen two weeks ago. It was late autumn already. http://www.okayama-korakuen.jp/english/ Access: Shin-osaka (shinkansen 0:51) Okayama (walk 0:05) Okayama-ekimae (tram 0:05) Shiroshita (walk 0:10) @ Admission:￥400 for adult. Okayama Korakuen is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. The construction of the garden started in 1687 by the order of a feudal… Read more →
Webmaster visited Okayama Castle last week. http://www.okayama-kanko.net/ujo/english/index.html Access: Shin-osaka (shinkansen 0:51) Okayama (walk 0:05) Okayama-ekimae (tram 0:05) Shiroshita (walk 0:10) @ Admission:￥300 for adult. The donjon of the Castle. Original donjon which was designated as National Treasure was burnt by bombing in 1945 during World War II. The present donjon which reproduces its original appearance was re-constructed in… Read more →
Webmaster visited Adachi Museum of Art last week. This museum is famous for a fine collection of Japanese-style painting, and also for its excellent gardens. Access: Shin-osaka (shinkansen 0:51) Okayama (express train 2:25) Yasugi (shuttle bus 0:20) @ The entrance of the museum. It was cloudy. It is prohibited to take photos of the art exhibition… Read more →
Tottori Hanakairo is a prefectural flower park opened in 1999. The area is 50ha with a huge greenhouse called Flower Dome. http://www.tottorihanakairou.or.jp/en/ Access: Shin-osaka (shinkansen 0:51) Okayama (express train 2:15) Yonago (shuttle bus 0:25) @ Admission:￥700 – 1,000 for adult depending on seasons. Closed on some Tuesday (be confirmed). Webmaster visited there at night as the park has… Read more →
Manju is one of Japanese traditional sweets which is a bun stuffed with sweetened bean paste. (Source: Wikipedia) Inaba-no-shirousagi of Tottori Prefecture is a kind of such manju but having a shape of a rabbit. Access: Shin-osaka (shinkansen 0:30) Himeji (express train 1:40) Tottori @ “Inaba-no-shirousagi” means the white rabbit of Inaba, the old name for the… Read more →
Webmaster visited Eihei-ji Temple last week. Eihei-ji Temple, one of the famous zen temples in Japan, was founded by Master Dogen in 1244. Even today, more than one hundred monks are in training. (It is prohibited to take any photo of such monks.) Access: Osaka (express train 2:00) Fukui (bus 0:35) Eiheiji @ Before visiting the temple, Webmaster… Read more →
Katsudon is a bowl of rice topped with a pork cutlet, one of popular Japanese food. Normally, the cutlet is wrapped with a beaten egg with soya-based sauce. (“Common” katsudon (Source; Wikipedia)) However, in Fukui Prefecture katsudon is not like this. The cutlet is simply dipped in Worcester sauce. (It is called sauce-katsudon by visitors from outside, but local… Read more →
Webmaster visited Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Most of the Japanese land is geologically new, and the distribution of the geology of Mesozoic is very limited. Fukui Prefecture is one of such rare areas and the fossils of dinosaurs are dug up. Access: Osaka (express train 2: 00) Fukui (local train 0:50) Katsuyama (bus 0:15) @ The monuments of… Read more →
Webmaster visited Yokokan Japanese Garden this week. Access: Osaka (express train 2:00) Fukui (walk 0:15) @ Yokokan is a stroll-type landscape garden designated as Place of Scenic Beauty. It was a former residence of the feudal lord Matsudaira. Please let me share some beautiful scenes of the garden. … Read more →
Webmaster visited Fukuyama Castle last week. Access: Shin-osaka (shinkansen 1:10) Fukuyama (walk 0:03) @ The castle is next to the railway station of Fukuyama. The stone walls and turrets of the castle A castke gate and stone walls A maple tree with autumn leaves The donjon. It was reconstructed and inside is… Read more →