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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Japanese New Year's Wreaths
So as I browsed around different malls and shops around the end of December, I noticed a large population of these types of straw/bamboo wreaths! At first I didn't know what they were for, but thought, "Hey, they are everywhere, they must be important!", So I bought one for my family and sent it on it's way! I later asked a friend at work what they were for (lol) and she explained they were New Year's wreaths! Families place them on their doors on New Year's day and leave them up until the 10th when they are promptly removed! (apparently it is bad luck to leave them up any longer than the 11th!!!) - so take this as an extra reminder mom...! I just thought I would post some pictures of a few I noticed on local businesses on New Year's day...
Osaka and New Year's in Kyoto
So... last week was my first experience traveling in Japan!!!
I had a week off for New Year's and decided to take advantage of one of my three weeks of vacation time! (having only three weeks vacation time, while fairly typical for many, is quite a change for me. I have been lucky to have flexible jobs that allowed me to take vacations whenever I choose...) Well those days are over, so I really wanted to make this week count! and I did...
I decided I wanted to travel to Kyoto for New Years because it is known for it's many shrines and Temples! In Japan, New Year's is more of a family holiday and is normally spent at home enjoying family, however some families will also visit shrines and Temples on New Year's day. So keeping with tradition, I thought it would be the perfect place to go to celebrate a traditional Japanese New Year's! After looking at my handy map of Japan, I saw that Osaka was very near Kyoto and figured it would be a great pair for my adventure! After having decided on my trip, I contacted a girlfriend I met while training in Nagoya. (you have seen pictures of her from my Nagoya pictures) Melissa was excited as well about our vacation, and was on board for the trip!
From there we booked hostels in Osaka and Kyoto, bought train tickets and we were ready to go!
I left on Monday December 28th at 8:46 am traveling on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kakegawa to Hamamatsu and then from Hamamatsu to Osaka! I was a little nervous having to change trains in Hamamatsu, but was savvy enough to find my way...! (my skills with the public transportation are getting better everyday:)
Once I arrived in Osaka, I had to take the subway to arrive at the station our hostel recommended... (another opportunity for me to get lost) However, I found the subway line, and made it to the hostel no problem! The Hostel was a very cute, quaint place and the attendants were really helpful and friendly!
- this was my first experience with a hostel, and I have to say, as a single traveler, I don't think there is any other way to travel... you meet a lot of people doing the same thing you are doing and it makes it fun, never knowing who you will meet or what you will do!
So after Melissa arrived at the hostel, we ventured out to explore the Dotombori and Shin Sai Bashi areas of Osaka.
Dotombori is Osaka's liveliest nightlife area! There is a strip of restaurants and theatres with all kinds of fun signs and flashy art!
Shin Sai Bashi is a covered shopping street that is also host to many bars and night clubs!
(Overall, Osaka is known for it's food and nightlife)
While in Osaka, I contacted a friend I was introduced to through another friend, and he was nice enough to meet up with us and show us around! Our first night we went to a foreign bar where the drinks were cheap and the music was bumpin' haha! But it was a good night, met some fun new friends and great contacts!
The nest day, we got up early with a full day ahead of us...
We started with the Osaka Aquarium which was set along side the port of Osaka. (It was great to see the bay... every time I see a body of water it reminds me of home, and I get a nice sense of security or familiarity or something...anyways, it's nice)
Then we were off to the Osaka Castle, which was closed that day, so we were unable to go inside the Castle. However, the courtyard around the Castle was open, and fun to walk around and enjoy the view of the beautiful castle!
After the Castle, we traveled to the Umeda area to see the Umeda Sky Building. It really was an amazing sight! It is a building comprised of two towers connected by an arch at the top... There are observation galleries at the top which offer an amazing view of the Osaka skyline. This was also another "Lovers Sanctuary" where couples go to enjoy the romantic view of sunset...!!! ahhhh... sooo cute!!!
Okay, enough of that! So that night we met up with our new friends at an English pub in the Korean district of Osaka... lol! It was fun, drinks were a bit more pricey but the company was great! We didn't stay out too late because we wanted to get an early start with our journey to Kyoto!
Okay, big breath...! If you need to rest your eyes for a minute I won't take offense!lol... so on to Kyoto!
We successfully made our way from Osaka to Kyoto with no problems! However, our hostel was a bit further away from the station than we expected, so it was a work out lugging our stuff around. But we found the hostel and checked in no problem! Unlike our hostel in Osaka, we were in a larger room with about 8-12 beds... all were bunk-beds and had curtains for privacy...
After dropping our stuff off, we were off to explore Gion and find our Geisha and Maiko Costume Salon. Melissa had mentioned she wanted to do this, and it sounded fun to me as well so I contacted a salon we found online that did Maiko (apprentice Geisha's) and Geisha makeovers for tourists!
After we made our way to Gion, we found Kyoto to be a little more challenging to navigate around. The streets are all named the same thing, and the maps we had were not very helpful. After about an hour of wandering around, we spotted some tourists dressed in Kimonos and inquired where they had gotten them. They were nice enough to take us to the salon ... although this place wasn't really meant for tourists... It was more of a Kimono rental place where Japanese women would come to rent Kimonos for special occasions. However, they did have photo options and makeover packages so we went for it! As it turned out, we were made up to the max; hair, makeup, Kimono, photos, the whole nine yards! Although I'm sure we looked a little silly to the other Japanese women, getting ready for an actually night out, we had fun with it!
After that extravaganza we walked around the streets of Gion, the whole time re-living my imagined image of Gion while reading Memoirs of a Geisha. It really is an amazing area of Kyoto. The streets are mainly alleys with small restaurants and tea houses, very old Japan!
The next day was New Year's Eve and we were off to see some shrines and temples. First we went to Kinkakuji Temple or "The Golden Temple"! It was really beautiful! surrounded by a pond and small trees, I could imagine it is even more beautiful during Cherry Blossom season!
After that we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine which is most popularly known from its amazing number of Torii (Shrine gates) that are bright orange and line the mountain on which the temple is placed. There are hundreds of Torii, one after the other, creating a beautiful trail up the mountain! It makes for a great photo opportunity!
At this point in he day, it was freezing- no joke- it began to snow, so we decided to take our frozen butts back to our hostel to warm up and rest up before heading out for the New Year's Eve extravaganza!(at this point we had no plans... lol)
When we arrived back at the hostel, we ran into a friend we made the day before and he invited us out with him and some friends to dinner in Gion, and then out to a shrine to ring in the New Year! So up to our bunk-beds to take a quick power nap before heading out to Gion!
Dinner was at a cool Korean BBQ restaurant were you cook your own food! Although I normally would have passed on the meat options, I felt it was a "When in Rome" moment and embraced the carnivore inside me! And it was amazing! (however I definitely paid for it the next day :(
Anyways after dinner we walked down to Yasaka-Jinja. Yasaka-Jinja is a very colourful shrine set right outside Gion. It is said to be the guardian shrine of Gion and is sometimes referred to as "Gion-san" It is most popular as a spot of hatsu-mode (the first shrine visit of the new year).
We just so happened to get lucky and made it inside the temple for the New Year's countdown! There were people lined up the street, and we just happened to be in the right spot at the right time:)
Inside the shrine there were food vendors, and gift vendors set up and at the stroke of midnight, a large bell was rung, BONG...BONG...BONG!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It truly was a New Years to remember!
After we made our way out of the shrine, we went to a bar/club where we danced 2009 away and boogied on into 2010!!! It was a great night!!!
The next morning, however, was not as much fun...
I awoke early, as I normally do, and was ready to get home! Melissa left a little earlier than I did, so I took the bus to the Kyoto station and bought a ticket on the next shinkansen to Shizuoka (the prefecture -like a state- in which I live)and I was off! I slept most of the train, however I was able to catch some amazing views of snow covered trees and mountains!!! It was beautiful!
So that was my trip in a nutshell... hahahaha ya right! Sorry this was so long, but I hope you enjoyed my long tale of my little journey!
Hoping this will be the first of many journeys!
Until next time...
I had a week off for New Year's and decided to take advantage of one of my three weeks of vacation time! (having only three weeks vacation time, while fairly typical for many, is quite a change for me. I have been lucky to have flexible jobs that allowed me to take vacations whenever I choose...) Well those days are over, so I really wanted to make this week count! and I did...
I decided I wanted to travel to Kyoto for New Years because it is known for it's many shrines and Temples! In Japan, New Year's is more of a family holiday and is normally spent at home enjoying family, however some families will also visit shrines and Temples on New Year's day. So keeping with tradition, I thought it would be the perfect place to go to celebrate a traditional Japanese New Year's! After looking at my handy map of Japan, I saw that Osaka was very near Kyoto and figured it would be a great pair for my adventure! After having decided on my trip, I contacted a girlfriend I met while training in Nagoya. (you have seen pictures of her from my Nagoya pictures) Melissa was excited as well about our vacation, and was on board for the trip!
From there we booked hostels in Osaka and Kyoto, bought train tickets and we were ready to go!
I left on Monday December 28th at 8:46 am traveling on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kakegawa to Hamamatsu and then from Hamamatsu to Osaka! I was a little nervous having to change trains in Hamamatsu, but was savvy enough to find my way...! (my skills with the public transportation are getting better everyday:)
Once I arrived in Osaka, I had to take the subway to arrive at the station our hostel recommended... (another opportunity for me to get lost) However, I found the subway line, and made it to the hostel no problem! The Hostel was a very cute, quaint place and the attendants were really helpful and friendly!
- this was my first experience with a hostel, and I have to say, as a single traveler, I don't think there is any other way to travel... you meet a lot of people doing the same thing you are doing and it makes it fun, never knowing who you will meet or what you will do!
So after Melissa arrived at the hostel, we ventured out to explore the Dotombori and Shin Sai Bashi areas of Osaka.
Dotombori is Osaka's liveliest nightlife area! There is a strip of restaurants and theatres with all kinds of fun signs and flashy art!
Shin Sai Bashi is a covered shopping street that is also host to many bars and night clubs!
(Overall, Osaka is known for it's food and nightlife)
While in Osaka, I contacted a friend I was introduced to through another friend, and he was nice enough to meet up with us and show us around! Our first night we went to a foreign bar where the drinks were cheap and the music was bumpin' haha! But it was a good night, met some fun new friends and great contacts!
The nest day, we got up early with a full day ahead of us...
We started with the Osaka Aquarium which was set along side the port of Osaka. (It was great to see the bay... every time I see a body of water it reminds me of home, and I get a nice sense of security or familiarity or something...anyways, it's nice)
Then we were off to the Osaka Castle, which was closed that day, so we were unable to go inside the Castle. However, the courtyard around the Castle was open, and fun to walk around and enjoy the view of the beautiful castle!
After the Castle, we traveled to the Umeda area to see the Umeda Sky Building. It really was an amazing sight! It is a building comprised of two towers connected by an arch at the top... There are observation galleries at the top which offer an amazing view of the Osaka skyline. This was also another "Lovers Sanctuary" where couples go to enjoy the romantic view of sunset...!!! ahhhh... sooo cute!!!
Okay, enough of that! So that night we met up with our new friends at an English pub in the Korean district of Osaka... lol! It was fun, drinks were a bit more pricey but the company was great! We didn't stay out too late because we wanted to get an early start with our journey to Kyoto!
Okay, big breath...! If you need to rest your eyes for a minute I won't take offense!lol... so on to Kyoto!
We successfully made our way from Osaka to Kyoto with no problems! However, our hostel was a bit further away from the station than we expected, so it was a work out lugging our stuff around. But we found the hostel and checked in no problem! Unlike our hostel in Osaka, we were in a larger room with about 8-12 beds... all were bunk-beds and had curtains for privacy...
After dropping our stuff off, we were off to explore Gion and find our Geisha and Maiko Costume Salon. Melissa had mentioned she wanted to do this, and it sounded fun to me as well so I contacted a salon we found online that did Maiko (apprentice Geisha's) and Geisha makeovers for tourists!
After we made our way to Gion, we found Kyoto to be a little more challenging to navigate around. The streets are all named the same thing, and the maps we had were not very helpful. After about an hour of wandering around, we spotted some tourists dressed in Kimonos and inquired where they had gotten them. They were nice enough to take us to the salon ... although this place wasn't really meant for tourists... It was more of a Kimono rental place where Japanese women would come to rent Kimonos for special occasions. However, they did have photo options and makeover packages so we went for it! As it turned out, we were made up to the max; hair, makeup, Kimono, photos, the whole nine yards! Although I'm sure we looked a little silly to the other Japanese women, getting ready for an actually night out, we had fun with it!
After that extravaganza we walked around the streets of Gion, the whole time re-living my imagined image of Gion while reading Memoirs of a Geisha. It really is an amazing area of Kyoto. The streets are mainly alleys with small restaurants and tea houses, very old Japan!
The next day was New Year's Eve and we were off to see some shrines and temples. First we went to Kinkakuji Temple or "The Golden Temple"! It was really beautiful! surrounded by a pond and small trees, I could imagine it is even more beautiful during Cherry Blossom season!
After that we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine which is most popularly known from its amazing number of Torii (Shrine gates) that are bright orange and line the mountain on which the temple is placed. There are hundreds of Torii, one after the other, creating a beautiful trail up the mountain! It makes for a great photo opportunity!
At this point in he day, it was freezing- no joke- it began to snow, so we decided to take our frozen butts back to our hostel to warm up and rest up before heading out for the New Year's Eve extravaganza!(at this point we had no plans... lol)
When we arrived back at the hostel, we ran into a friend we made the day before and he invited us out with him and some friends to dinner in Gion, and then out to a shrine to ring in the New Year! So up to our bunk-beds to take a quick power nap before heading out to Gion!
Dinner was at a cool Korean BBQ restaurant were you cook your own food! Although I normally would have passed on the meat options, I felt it was a "When in Rome" moment and embraced the carnivore inside me! And it was amazing! (however I definitely paid for it the next day :(
Anyways after dinner we walked down to Yasaka-Jinja. Yasaka-Jinja is a very colourful shrine set right outside Gion. It is said to be the guardian shrine of Gion and is sometimes referred to as "Gion-san" It is most popular as a spot of hatsu-mode (the first shrine visit of the new year).
We just so happened to get lucky and made it inside the temple for the New Year's countdown! There were people lined up the street, and we just happened to be in the right spot at the right time:)
Inside the shrine there were food vendors, and gift vendors set up and at the stroke of midnight, a large bell was rung, BONG...BONG...BONG!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It truly was a New Years to remember!
After we made our way out of the shrine, we went to a bar/club where we danced 2009 away and boogied on into 2010!!! It was a great night!!!
The next morning, however, was not as much fun...
I awoke early, as I normally do, and was ready to get home! Melissa left a little earlier than I did, so I took the bus to the Kyoto station and bought a ticket on the next shinkansen to Shizuoka (the prefecture -like a state- in which I live)and I was off! I slept most of the train, however I was able to catch some amazing views of snow covered trees and mountains!!! It was beautiful!
So that was my trip in a nutshell... hahahaha ya right! Sorry this was so long, but I hope you enjoyed my long tale of my little journey!
Hoping this will be the first of many journeys!
Until next time...
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