Tying the sheet of paper omikujo that has ones fortune written in it for the upcoming year at the shrine ground... usually people who doesn't like what it says in it will tie them here
The route up to the peak
This is how much it'll cost you to donate a torii
Yummy snacks.. Rice crackers and Yatsuhashi.. I prefer the raw ones than the bake Yatsuhashi especially the black sesame / sweet potato / matcha flavoured ones
Kinda a must eat in Japan especially when Uji (where matcha is famous for) is near Kyoto - Matcha ice cream with red bean and balls of mochi
Japanese traditional clothes
Different kind of Combs
On the way to Kiyomizu dera temple
And you can probably traced its history as far as 1200yrs back
Kyoto tower afar
There is also a match-making shrine within the temple compound.
The god who is in charge of love with her rabbit messenger
If you can walk from this stone to the other stone opposite, you'll find true love
Otowa waterfall - it is said that your wish will come true if you drink the water here
Monks performing rituals for business owners
Bicycle parking - neat
Plenty of pharmacies like this where you will find all sorts of medicines etc
There is no casino but lots of these slot machines places in Japan though I was told nowadays it is not as popular as before and many are closing down
Kamogawa river
Nishiki Market
Chance upon a place to enjoy some Issen-yoshoku, a kind of okonomiyaki
Checking out its wall decorations
Dig in!
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Gion Quarter - a place where you'll find Geisha (traditional Japanese female entertainers), if you are lucky.... of course not in the day
She came out from a door in an alley, wonder if she is a geisha when night falls
Ichiriki Teahouse - the most famous, high end Geisha teahouse
I went back to Gion quarter in the night, hoping to bump into Geisha
And I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of not only maiko (apprentice) but a few geisha too
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Street vendors near Gion quarter
Rituals performed on these branches for good fortune
Pay and get one
Lots of different types of talismans to purchase for studies, success, safety, love, ward off evil spirits etc
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A corner of Nijo castle...
Closed for visitors on the day I was there
Sento Imperial palace - entry is only permitted if you book onto their free guided tour
Kyoto Imperial palace
Carriage house
Cypress wood roof
A close up view of a section of the roof
Look how they are held together... No nails.... they need to be replaced every 30yrs...and to replace the whole palace takes at least 25yrs.. so by the time they finished, they'll have to start again eh
Emperor enters through this gate
Photos of the interior of the main hall
Shishinden, where enthronement ceremonies take place
Shunko-den - a copper roof house where a sacred mirror is kept.
The place where the Emperor ''work''...
The place where they play traditional ball game called Kemari
Paintings on the panels of the sliding wooden door
As north east direction is considered unlucky for them, far on the mountain in the north east direction, they'll built a shrine there
Again because north east is an unlucky direction, the corner at the northeast side of the palace is built inwards with a guardian monkey placed under the roof here
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Traditional pulled rickshaw for tourists
Arashiyama bamboo grove
Overlooking Katsura river
Rice with Yuba (tofu skin) + dishes cooked with whatever thats in season
Only ONE left and I'm seeing ''buy me'', ''buy me'' stamping all over the bottle
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Snowing on the other side
Lake Biwa - largest lake in Japan
Think I'm expecting snow today
Holly cow... snow storm
Getting deeper each second
Path completely covered in snow
Unknowingly.... I was carrying lots of snow on my bike.. I went from trying to ride on the snow to getting off to push my bike
And it carried on snowing heavily for the next 2 days
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In time for sunrise
Happy that the snow is clearing up
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Nagoya
Stealing a glimpse of Nagoya castle
Cute...
''I have a pen, I have an apple.... pineapple'' blah blah.....
Have you heard of his song? I find it annoying
Taiyaki - fish shaped cakes with fillings
This is stuff with mashed sweet potato.... so delicious
Nagoya is famous for its Uiro - made of rice flour and sugar and this is red bean flavour
Kishimen - a kind of thick flat noodle in soy sauce/miso broth cooked in clay pot
Hitsumabushi (eel dish) - you have to eat this in 3 separate ways. First, as it is..then you add the spices and lastly, you pour the soup over.
Tebasaki (chicken wing) on the left and Tenmusu on the right (shrimp tempura wrap in rice)
are another Nagoya staples... it was... so-so
My favourite part in a supermarket cos everything with yellow stickers are at discounted price..
food ain't cheap here so I'm always on a hunt for yellow stickers
That snowstorm looks cold!
ReplyDeleteYou gonna try it someday :)
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