Oboko Ikezu Jizo(おぼこいけず地蔵）

When i was walking a shopping mall in Oike(御池）, I found two cute stone statue of Jizo(お地蔵さん）.
It's called "Oboko Ikezu Jizo（おぼこいけず地蔵）".

Oboko Ikezu Jizo??

I think everyone doesn't know this meaning.
Oboko（おぼこ）is cute and intelligent children, Ikezu（いけず）is ill-natured in Kansai dialect(関西弁）.

If you touch these Jizo from right Jizo(Ikezu Jizo) to left Jizo(Oboko Jizo), you will get wiser and your ersonality will be better.

Of course it is a superstition.
But If you believe, it's going to be true.

Actually, i touched them more than 5 times. So i must be getting wiser. hahaha.............

If you would like to be like me, touch them!!
But don't make a mistake about the order (right Jizo to left Jizo)
Otherwise you will be.................

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

The sunrise of Kyoto before a big typhoon

Tomorrow a big typhoon will come to Kansai area. And It will pass the sky above our heads in Kyoto. You may not know about a typhoon. Sometimes it make a car upside down by the strong wind, and it rains very hardly. If you live in a sea side, you have to be careful as possible as you can. That strongly stirs the sea.

This isn't a sunset, but a sunrise before the big typhoon of tomorrow. I'm not sure that it's caused by a typhoon. But, if so, that typhoon affects the sky of Kyoto from 1000 km(500 mile) away.

Well, anyway we have to prepare for the typhoon.

Where is my rain suit? Right, we can't use an umbrella because of strong winds.
If I use it, I will get blown with an umbrella! X(

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Tenjin-san(天神さん, てんじんさん) flea market late at night

I wrote about Tenjin-san flea market of Kitano-tenman-gu shrine in a post of 26th of September. On that day I was really relaxed with the beautiful objects like a gateway, buildings, stone-paved streets and lanterns, which were illuminated. So I didn't realize that the night was getting deeper and deeper. Oh, oh, it's almost 21:00 PM. I have to go home :P

But, that illumination was getting unreal. I was fascinated by them more and more. In the shrine I heard some of chatting voices, and sounds, maybe, foot steps, but, so quiet.  

I didn't know this statue was in back of the second gateway. It was so bizarre.

Here is the explanation about the statue.

"Michibiki-yama(導山, みちびきやま)"

According to this board, it means a great guider in Japanese. That special guider's name is Sarutahiko(猿田彦, さるたひこ). It's one of gods of Shinto, which  can guide anybody by lighting the ground and also sky. These days it calls a god for protection somebody from evils and for safe drivings. If it guides you, you don't cause a traffic accident! 

A stall sells cat dolls. Yes, they are strange, and still cute, though.

A stall for Shooting games is still open. If you hit the targets, which are prizes, you can get it.

A boy is trying to aim the center of a target. Toys and snacks is on those shelves. I hope he will get a good prize!

A shrine at night is sometimes so bizarre, and you may feel something scared, yet fascinating.

Yeah, I love it! If you can't sleep, and a shrine is open, please go there!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Welcome back to A-yado!!

One of our guests came back to A-yado.
It's been 2 years since he came here last time.
We are so glad to see him again!!
And we remembered his previous stay at A-yado like yesterday.

The drink he had in the picture is vegetable juice you can get necessary vegetables a day.
He's been drinking a couple of this juice everyday since he arrived in Japan.
Now this drink is getting his favorite.
We think he will be Popeye until he checks out.
Um.............No, he already looks like Popeye!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Kitano-tenman-gu shrine(北野天満宮, きたのてんまんぐう) with illumination for Tenjin-san flea market(天神さん, てんじんさん)

It's a normal stone gateway of a shrine, but Kitano-tenman-gu shrine become something special for the day of a flea market. On 25th of every month it's lit up at night to welcome people on the end of one of the biggest flea markest of Kyoto, called Tenjin-san(天神さん, てんじんさん).

This photo is nice because of the colors like white and gray on the stone gateway, black shadows of trees behind, and the sky about to get the night gradually. Wow! It's something special from the view of Japanese.

It's also beautiful for the colors, which is gold reflecting the lights from many angle.

The stone-paved street is wrapped in the silence. But, the building on the end of the street has some people. Some were praying, some were sitting and relaxing.

I love them! It looks definitely golden, and I forget those colors in the day time.

A lot of things have different colors at that night. If I have a chance to go there again, hopefully in the day time, I will check the real colors of them. And after the next I will go at night!

Yes, there are so many ways to enjoy it! I love it!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

The oldest Zen(禅, ぜん) temple in Japan

A Buddhist monk walks on the stone paved street, peacefully, with his thoughtful face. The photo was taken in Kennin-ji temple(建仁時, けんにんじ).

The kanji said "最初禅窟". That means "the first zen place".

It's said that Kennin-ji temple is the first Zen(禅, ぜん) temple in old Japan. Zen is a kind of meditation. That thought is very interesting and humble. A great Buddhist monk, Eisai(栄西, えいさい), who directed to build that oldest Zen temple, said "Your heart should be large, It should be higher than the sky. Although it can't, your heart should be able to contain and look down at the sky. If your heart bother yourself by trifle things, that's a tiny heart. It can't be called your heart."

That words have a lot of meaning. I don't understand the whole of the meaning.

But, I can feel the atmosphere in the temple. Yes, it was really comfortable!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Karaoke（カラオケ） with Kimono(着物）

Do you like Karaoke（カラオケ）?

Our guest love it!!
The girl of the picture was trying to wear Kimono（着物） to go to Karaoke.

Karaoke with Kimono??

I think everyone has the same question.
But, there are Enka（演歌) singers who wear Kimono in Japan.
Enka is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically.
If you want to listen it, check the youtube.
I think you'll love it!!
Nowadays, some foreign singers sing a Enka as well.

When you come to Japan, let's try to go to Karaoke with Kimono like her.
You might find your new Karaoke style!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Sanjusangen-do temple(三十三間堂, さんじゅうさんげんどう)

This building is in Sanjusangen-do temple(三十三間堂, さんじゅうさんげんどう) around Kyoto Sta. If you are not familiar to see temples, every building looks similar. It's also for me. When I look at the specific part of temples I can tell it from others, but if not, I can't.

It's one of the characteristic part of the temple. In the photo there is a long porch. In old Japan samurai warriors, who had special techniques to shoot an arrow to a target, joined in a contest of Japanese archery. They aimed to the center of a target 60meters away.

It was one special event. And also, inside the building you can watch 1001 Buddhism sculptures.
They have their own faces. Every face is different. Buddhist monks said according to a tradition you will find a similar face of a person you want to meet in the 1001 sculptures.

That temple is worth seeing! When you go there, please look for one sculpture, which is nice for you!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Deer in Nara(奈良, なら)

In this blog I wrote a post before about deer in Nara Park(奈良公園, ならこうえん). Yeah, I saw a lot of deer, when I go to Nara. But, if you don't know what it's like, you may not be interested about deer, because of the vagueness of details. If I say "so many", someone will return "how many?". Then I came back to Nara to take a picture of deer to show you.

Yeah, deer. Could you count it? 11 deer, at first. Don't miss behind 2 deer, especially, one with the  horn. You fill find just the horn. They are relaxing.

Yeah, deer. They wanted to eat deer biscuits and gathered around people who may have them.
You saw 5 deer. Don't miss behind one again. It shows just its back.

Sleeping deer. So cute! :) it was like thinking something.. It has the facial expression somehow. Anyway cute!

Deer ignoring me, because I don't have a biscuit. it has a good sense of smelling biscuit.

No deer. Yeah, it should be with deer. I miss you, deer.

Writing this blog, watching the photos, I wanted to come back to Nara. It's really good for one day trip from Kyoto! O.K. I definitely will! Of course, to meet deer!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Telepathy

Our guest gave me "sushi" for dinner.
I was just talking to other guests about sushi before i received them.
And i was thinking that i wanted to eat sushi for dinner.
So i was really glad and surprised when i received them.
Because it wasn't expected about that.

I think i may use telepathy. hahaha.......
Because there was the same situation before. It's the second time for me.

Everyone, if you pray something strongly, you might use telepathy like me.

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Mt. Wakakusa (若草山, わかくさやま) in Nara

Before the sunset the sky goes on forever, above the city's lights burned redly and hospitably for all travelers to welcome them. On the top of Mt. Wakakusa in Nara, I felt something lonely, yet quite warm-hearted, looking down those lamps in a city. I though that I wanted to go home, and I wanted eat warm stew on a dish, which was cooked by my beloved wife, and I wanted say thank you and I love you.

Yeah, it was just my imagination. I imagined that, looking at the scenery from Mt. Yakakusa.

Our guest gave us that photo on the wooden shelf. I took the picture of the photo by my camera. I was just kidding.

But, at the same time the feeling is from my honest heart. If I climb up Mt. Wakakusa (若草山), I will feel it! I've never been there. I have come to want to climb up that mountain!!

Thank you for good present!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Sunset from 3rd floor of the building we are in

It's a scenery of Kyoto looked down from 3rd floor of the building our hostel in. And it's the sky with clouds colored gradationally by red, orange and gray looked up at. The buildings were like just the shade of something. Clouds looked a little angry.

Well, but it's still a beautiful city. The sky has so many faces, and this city reflects them. That's, probably, the same as your city. If you have the time to look up at it, please do sometimes.

And when you come to this city, please remember that.
Yeah, It might be similar or might be really different. That makes your travel more fun!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Is a fortune cat(招き猫） the symbol of Japan?

One of our guest showed me his tattoo.

He always have a tattoo when he travels.
All his tattoo is the symbol of the country he travels.

I asked him "What kind of tattoo would you like to have in Japan?" and he answered me "A fortune cat(招き猫）".

A fortune cat??

I'm not sure if a fortune cat is the symbol of Japan.
But we believe that a fortune cat brings you happiness in Japan.
So i think a tattoo of a fortune cat will be a new symbol of Japan if you believe a fortune.

I hope that he will be more happy after having a tattoo of a fortune cat.

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Kennin-ji temple(建仁寺, けんにんじ) in the end of summer

The photo is Kennin-ji temple in Gion area of Higashiyama ward. On that day I wanted to take a nice photo of a temple or shrine. 

Well, not so bad. But taking a photo is quite deep. Try again!

Yeah, this angle is better than the first one. This temple is very good object for taking a photo.

Kennin-ji temple(建仁寺, けんにんじ) is, however, one of the important temples, not to just take a photo, but exploring the Japanese history. It's set up about 800 years ago, which is Kamakura Period(鎌倉時代, かまくらじだい). A famous Buddhist monk direct to set it up by getting financial help from a general. But, about 200 years later, it was suffered from fire by a war. The whole of buildings was burned by fires in about 400 years after of build. 

It has the history. And everybody has kind of passion to rebuild it. That's why it still is. And I can take a photo of the temple! 

Please feel the atmosphere when you go there!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Our guest taught us English!

We are Japanese, and our mother language is not English. We speak Japanese. Yeah, it's normal.

BUT, we are sometimes really confused with the grammar, pronunciation, and also word usage of English! X( Help us!!

They taught us English! They are native speakers of the language. Plus, their smile is so nice :)

We have so many guests from all over the world. A lot of people speak good English, and sometimes they speak more than seven languages. It's so special from the view or us.

Talking with them, taking good lessons, we feel that "wow, what an importance of leaning foreign languages".

If we need help from you, can we ask?
And of course, if you need help for learning Japanese, we definitely will!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Cool bicycle just in Gion(祇園, ぎおん), Kyoto

I go out by bicycle. It's very convenient to go everywhere. In Kyoto there are good bus lines by which you can access to a famous places and the center to a main station. Well, but I like cool breezes when I get on a bicycle!

Yeah, bicycle. It's not mine. That bicycle is used by a delivery company. The company make staffs use it just in Gion(祇園, ぎおん), a historical are of Kyoto. Because they have to go along very small street and sometimes go inside temples or shrines to deliver something.

Take a look at the kanji and a circle on the box in the rear of the blue bicycle.
"飛" is kanji, which means "Fly".

Yes, they can deliver so many things everywhere like they look like flying!!

If you find it in Gion, you are lucky. Because they are not so many.
O.K. Look for that bicycle, getting on a bicycle, making you looks like flying!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Chion-in temple(知恩院, ちおんいん)

That temple is within walking distance for 10 minutes from our hostel. So I can go there anytime after or before my work. Sometimes I go, and I don't think about the importance of that temple. 

A big tree and stone marker is in the photo. The famous Buddhist monk's name is etched on a stone marker. The name is Shinran(親鸞, しんらん). He said that we are very greedy and delusive so we never gain enlightenment by ourselves. He encouraged to rely on Buddha, and save ourselves from suffering.  

Well, that story is a little bit complicating. Because Buddhism has many canons. And every canon has their own special meaning. Shinran said one of the important thing, by reading and interpreting a canon.

Oh, oh, the second photo is the building of Chion-in temple. In front of it, there are stairs. Walking it up, by looking up that big building, I felt that "wow, it's not a religious thing, but a honest emotion to the Japanese culture!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Okonomi-yaki(お好み焼き, おこのみやき) in Issen-Yoshoku(一銭洋食, いっせんようしょく) restaurant

The Japanese pancake is very tasty for me. It's called Okonomiyaki(お好み焼き, おこのみやき). The ingredient is normaly vegetables, pork and flour. Oh, oh don't forget seaweed souse, and mayonnaise on the top!

That statue is a little strange... A boy in Japanese clothes bitten by a dog. He is so bothered, and a dog looks angry somehow.

Yeah, it's a Japanese pancake restaurant. The English menu is available. But you don't have to take a look at the menu. Because they have just one food. When you open a menu book, you will see only a page with Japanese pancake's picture.

That wooden board says "you can take it out". And the statues doesn't say anything.  The lantern in the upper left in the photo is, somehow, upside down.

It's something bizarre... But that pancake's taste is fantastic!! You will find strange things also in the restaurant.

When you come to Kyoto, try that restaurant!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Deam(夢）T-shirt

Do you have any dream?

I think everyone has a dream.
I also have so many dreams. But I think I have dreams too much. hahaha.......

The picture of our guest is wearing "Dream（夢） T-shirt".
I asked him "What's your dream?" and he answered "My dream was to come  to Japan. But my dream came true.  so my next dream is to have a good time in Nepal where I'll visit after Japan".

What a peaceful dream!!
I think his dream will come true if  he wears "Dream T-shirt" in Nepal.

So everyone, if you want to make your dream come true, let's wear"Dream（夢） T-shirt" like him.

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Sea of Clouds

If there's another place after this world. It must be like this! Sea of clouds covers everything.

Actually, I took the photo on Mt. Fuji. It's surely in this world. Sometimes people feel that they are in another world, but not the real world, maybe, for somebody who is in another world, if it exists.

Well, anyway we are in this world to enjoy our daily lives and travel!

I enjoy and love them, I hope that you enjoy and love them too!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Sunset and a river in Kyoto

Sitting on a bank of Kamo River(鴨川, かもがわ), I was reading a book, spending about a hour. When I looked around, the sun was about to set in the west. It was getting dark, but I could still look at the river stream and people on the bank. Some people were sitting like me, and some people are playing, running, and shouting sometimes.

It was a good sunset. I sort of love this city, Kyoto. Night comes soon.
Going to our hostel, I wanted to see our guests. Yeah, I want to talk to them and listen to their stories. Where did you go today? How was it like? And what did you feel?

That must be nice!! Let's talk!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Uji tea(宇治茶, うじちゃ) in a vending machine

In Japan there are a lot of vending machines for soft drinks on streets. Sometimes you will find more than 10 vending machines, when you walk less than 100 meters. It's too many? Yeah, something like that. Japanese like buying drinks by vending machines. 

Wow!! This vending machine has only one kind. All bottles are for Uji tea(宇治茶, うじちゃ), which is a famous tea of Kyoto. Without buying a juice, coke, neither coffee, you can enjoy the taste of Uji tea. Only one option, which means that they have confidence on the taste of Uji tea.

Yeah, I like it too. You can find this vending machine somewhere in Kyoto. I found it and took a photo around Kiyomizu-dera temple(清水寺, きよみずでら). It's within walking distance from our hostel.

If you go to that temple, please ask me where it is! I will definitely tell that to you!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Heian-jingu shrine(平安神宮, へいあんじんぐう), the 24 meters gateway

When you come to Kyoto, Japan, you will find many types of gateways of Shinto. Normally they have vivid red or orange color. The size is about 3 meters. But, one of them is just 30 cm or sometimes 10 cm. You can't go through that gateway to go into a shrine :(  Yeah, actually no shrine across a very small gateway, it's just hanged on a wall. 

It's one of the biggest gateway. Sometimes I get the feeling that it's too big, and who built it? In old Japan people believed that a gateway is a border between this real world and a sacred world. And bigger one was kind of a symbol to appreciate that sacred world to save people from pain in this world.

Different direction here. Well, too big. If you familiar with it, after you go through it 100 times, you may feel it's not too big. Yeah, in the first photo, everybody was walking without big emotional expression. And also cars went though. That unreal one is in our daily life.

Well, if you come to Kyoto, please try to visit that big gateway and 1000s of gateways in Fushimi-inari shrine. If you get familiar with them, you understand the sense of Japanese in old era.

Now, I don't X(  I will try it!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji(永観堂 禅林寺, えいかんどう ぜんりんじ)

These photos were taken in Eikan-do temple(永観堂, えいかんどう). The temple is famous for beautiful colored leaves in autumn.  I went there in summer. But it was still beautiful. 

This is the road to go inside the garden, after getting in the gateway.  That cable stones were nice to walk. I found just one tree turning red. The leaves is in the right side of the above photo. I'm sure that this season was not beginning of autumn. It may be caused by bugs or disease. Umm, I hope it will come back to the health.

On a bridge I took this photo. There is another bridge across the lake. In the lake there is many carp and also a turtle. They enjoyed the good swimming :)

A beautiful small garden is in the photo. It's a totally Japanese style. If you like Japanese garden, you will be satisfied with it. I'm sure if you take a photo, it will be good even if without some techniques. Actually I don't  have that!

You will enjoy a lot of statues and drawings on walls inside the building. But it's prohibited to take a photo X(

So, please go there and enjoy them directly!!

The following URL is their website in English. If you want to learn more, please visit it.
http://www.eikando.or.jp/English/index_eng.htm

I enjoyed it in summer. Hopefully I can go there next time in autumn!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Nishiki food market

If you want to experience the traditional Japanese market, you should go to Nishiki food market.

Nishiki food market is located on a road one block north and parallel to Shijo street.
There are about 126 shops and stalls, selling traditional Japanese food, ingredients.
It's known as "Kyoto's kitchen".
Especially many kinds of pickles, Japanese sweets, dried food, and fresh seafood will be nice!!
Also some of shops freely give out samples, so you can try them before you buy.

Ummm.......when i was writting about Nishiki food market, i've been hungry.

Ohhh.....it's time to buy something for lunch now. What shall i buy?

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net

Sweet watermelons

Summer in this year will be finished within one month. It's already September, but the temperature is still hot like 30 degrees centigrade as the high in a day. I like summer because that season has so many sweet fruits!

In front of an old vegetable and fruit shop like a small stall, I found them.

Peaches, grapes, Japanese pears. And the big round ones striped green and black colors are watermelons.

Have you every eaten it? The inside is red with black seeds. And the taste is very sweet!!

Yeah, it also will be finished a few weeks late. I want to eat them as many as I can!!

---

The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in its historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains. The center of Kyoto.
Please contact us, if you want to book our hostel.

info@ayado.net