Garbage? No! That's a Waste!

If you come to Japan, maybe you will find these kind of electrical appliances as garbage. Yes, they are supposed to collect as garbage by a garbage collection car. But, not always, it's still usable, even if they are a bit dirty or have some scuff marks. 

Actually, I tried to turn on the lap top in the photo, and I find it's not broken. 

Yeah, Japan is such a strange country with garbage and the word "Mottai-nai" which means "What's a waste!".

We are somewhere in between X(

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Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
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A fateful encounter

A nice couple stayed at A-yado.
The guy is from Sweden and the girl is from Mexico.
When they were high school student, they came to Morioka(盛岡）city which is the north of Japan to study at the same time and then they have started going together.
It is a fateful encounter, isn't it?
If they came to Japan at different time, they wouldn't meet and come to A-yado together.
I think they have something special or they were destined to meet each other.
Also they worked a miracle at A-yado.
They were reunited with a couple from France who were staying the same hostel in Tokyo.

Suprisingly, they met at "Nakano"ward in Tokyo and they were reunited in "Nakano"town which A-yado is located in Kyoto.
I think it may have been inevitable rather than a miracle.

Where are they going to meet again? "Nakano"building?
I really look forward what is going to happen to them.
I hope they will work a miracle!!

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

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Weird Scluptures in Mimuroto-ji Temple

When you come to Kyoto and if you want to look at something weird, please visit Mimuroto-ji temple(みむろとじ, 三室戸寺). In the garden there're a lot of sculptures, which are so weird.

It's a rabbit. It's siting on a stone and holding a stone ball. The ball has two halls, of which sizes are just for your hands to get into them. And inside the ball you can touch something and if you're very good at handling the something, you can make it stand. That's for the health of your west and legs.

This ox is opening its mouth. It's said if you stroke it, you will get lucky. When I go there, it was raining. So the ox was whole wet and smooth, I felt nice, touching it.

I know what you are thinking. When I saw it, I was so impressed. And I thought it was one of the best weird sculptures. Does it look evil from your view? Yeah, me too. At first I guessed it was something evil.

But, it's a sort of gods named Uga-jin(宇賀神). It's said this has also the magic power to make you happy, if you stroke it.

Yeah, of course you can stop it, if the sculpture looks very creepy from your view. If I'm with you in front it, I would say "G, g, g, go ahead!".

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

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With a Guitar...

Several days ago when I entered the lounge at our hostel, I heard good music being played.
The music was played by this guy.

He is our guest from Chile.
He was playing the guitar well.
At A-yado there is a common guitar in the lounge.


I said to him, "Do you play the guitar often?"
Surprisingly he answered, "No, usually I don't play the guitar."


He told me that he was a contrabassist.
He was playing the guitar instead of contrabass in order not to make his playing skill rusty.


Though guitar has six strings and contrabass has four, he said, "It is interesting that they have some things in common."
Actually I do not know well about musical instruments, so I have no idea how different they are.
Anyway it is great that he played the guitar well.
I admired  his musical talent.


We welcome traveling musicians although the guitar is the only instrument we have.

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

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An airport limousine(リムジンバス）

How do you come to Kyoto from kansai International Airport(関西空港）?

You might think about that.
There are several way to come to Kyoto.
Some people take a train, some people take a taxi.
But there is a good option to come to Kyoto.
It is an airport limousine.

The limousine runs every 30mins and takes 85-100mins to get to Kyoto station.

Once i got to this limousine, it was so comfortable.
I think it is much more comfortable than a normal express.
Because seats are wide and you can stretch your legs.
Also you don't have to change the train. It arrives directly to Kyoto station.

I really recommend you to take an airport limousine from Kansai International Airport.
It costs only 2500yen.

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

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Uji ~Two Shrines~

This time I am introducing two shrines which are close to each other in Uji.
They are Uji-janja Shrine and Ujigami-jinja Shrine.


This is the first one, Uji-jinja shrine.

This is the central gate of Uji-jinja Shrine.
Uji-jinja shrine is adjacent to Ujigami-jinja Shrine.


This is the second one, Ujigami-jinja Shrine.

This is the entrance of Ujigami-jinja Shrine.
Up to 1868, Ujigami-jinja Shrine was a part of Uji-jinja Shrine where there were two main sanctuaries, one known as the Rikyu-Kami Shrine and the other as the Rikyu-Shimo Shrine
This shrine was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto".


Unfortunately the inner shrine is under repair.
However you can visit the shrine.

In Uji there are lots of historical places to visit.

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The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

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After another Staff Going to Uji(宇治)

It was raining. And the big river, Uji river was swollen and something spectacular. The stream was really animated. 

I went to Uji, because I was fascinated the posts of my colleague in this blog:

http://hostelkyoto.blogspot.jp/2013/06/uji-place-of-tale-of-genji.html

http://hostelkyoto.blogspot.jp/2013/06/uji-river.html

I wanted take the photo of her. Yeah, famous intelligent lady in Japan. She is still reading a scroll. Maybe, in the scroll there're so many imaginary stories she have written.

Uji is such a great place for her siting and reading.

I love the city too!!

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Link to Our Website
The backpackers hostel in Kyoto is located in a historical district, Gion.
Good access by buses and trains to everywhere. 
Please contact us by the form, if you'd like to book our hostel.

Contact