The last day in Gion was Setsubun(節分）Setsubun is a traditional Japanese event celebrated on the 3rd of February, It marks the transition from winter to spring according to the lunar calendar and is considered a time to drive away bad luck and welcome good fortune.

The most famous Setsubun custom is throwing roasted soybeans while saying:

“Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!”
(“Demons out! Good fortune in!”)

​People throw beans inside and outside their homes to symbolically chase away evil spirits and invite happiness.
Often, a family member wears an “oni” (demon) mask to make the event more fun, especially for children.

This year, I had the rare opportunity to throw beans at the Yasaka Temple in Gion. My friend from school had invited me to join her group to throw beans on stage.

Her group Imayoutabugakukai（今様謌会舞楽会)　studies and preserves Imayo through performances and cultural activities in Japan and abroad.

Imayō is a style of popular song from the Heian period. Meaning “songs of the present time,” it was enjoyed by people of all social classes.

 Imayoutabugakukai（今様謌会舞楽会)　website

Since there are no demons in the Yasaka Shrine, we only shout "Fukuwa uchi" (Good Fortune in!) 

What an experience. I hope we will enjoy good fortune this year!

While we were in Kyoto, we made a day trip to Uji, a region renowned for producing some of Japan’s finest green tea.

The Main Street is only about 5 minutes from Uji Station. On our way, we stopped for lunch at a Ramen shop, Menya Inoichi on the way. Most of the customers were tourists, but surprisingly their ramen noodles were very good and highly recommended if you are in Uji.

After the tea grinding experience, you can taste their matcha with some sweets. A bit disappointed that we didn't drink what we ground, but it the tea was good. 

They have a museum on the 2nd floor. The owner who is the 14th generation　Kanbayashi, kindly gave us a tour and explained to us of their history of making tea. They only sell in Uji as their tea is 100% from Uji, that's why I didn't know them. (Since the tea farm is limited and cannot produce mass quantities, most of the mass produced tea, which claims to be from Uji, many not be 100% from Uji)

There are several places you can experience matcha tea grinding, but most places require you to book in advance. To book an experience, please visit the following websites:
Mituboshi Kanbayashi Sannyu Tea shop
Fukujuen Uji Kobo
Nakamura Tokichi
​Chazuna (Historical Park of Tea and of Uji Town)

After a shopping spree in Mitsuboshi Kanbayashi, we stopped at Nakamura Tokichi Tea shop on the same street.

Nakamura Tokichi is a historic tea shop founded in Uji, Kyoto in 1854,  For over 170 years, the shop has preserved Uji’s tea-making traditions while offering exceptional matcha, hojicha, and tea-based sweets. Today, it is especially loved for its beautifully crafted desserts such as matcha parfaits and seasonal wagashi, Too bad we didn't have time to visit their cafe, 

After visiting the Byodoin Temple, (Which is the temple engraved in the 10 yen coin),
we headed out to visit Marukyu Koyamaen Tea shop.  It is located in the next station, Ogura,  near the Nintendo Museum, a short taxi ride from Uji (or it is about 10 min. walk from Ogura Station) They have an interesting factory tour, but it has to be booked at least 1 week in advance. Maybe next time!

Since it is a small shop, they only allow a certain number of customers at once, so you may be required to wait outside with a number card. They also restrict the qty of matcha you can buy at once.

We then took a break at the Cafe run by Morhan, which is a major tea manufacturer in Japan. They specialize not only in green tea but also, English tea and coffee..  They have a place called Tea square Morihan where you can shop and eat their sweets. Apart from the cafe there is also a take away counter where you can enjoy the sweets in a room with tables and chairs.

We ended our journey with shopping at Morhan's shop next to the cafe.

If you would like to visit the places we visited in Uji, click on the map to get more details.

Last week, I had the opportunity to accompany visitors from Jakarta, Indonesia.
As the owner of Elm’s Corner, our certified school in Indonesia, she was eager to experience as many authentic wagashi as possible during her stay in Japan. And where better to enjoy traditional Japanese sweets than in Kyoto?

Kyoto has a long and rich history of wagashi, as it served as Japan’s capital for over a thousand years before the capital was relocated to Tokyo. Many wagashi shops in Kyoto have been passed down through generations, and their craftsmanship and pride in tradition are truly remarkable.
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So, where should you go to find the best wagashi?
One of the most convenient and reliable places is the basement floor of Isetan at Kyoto Station. Here, you can find a wide selection of sweets from some of Kyoto’s most well-known and respected wagashi shops—all in one place.
Here is what we bought on our first day at Isetan:

阿闍梨餅（満月）Ajarimochi  from Mangetsu
松風（亀屋陸奥）Matsukaze from Kameyamutsu
わらび餅（かぎや政秋）Warabimochi from Kagiyamasaaki
かさね餅（かぎや政秋）Kasanemochi from Kagiyamasaaki
京観世（鶴屋吉信）Kyokanze from Tsuruya Yoshinobu
八ツ橋（聖護院）Yatuhashi from Shogoin
生八ツ橋（西尾）Namayatsuhashi from Nishio
生麩まんじゅう（五建外良屋）Namafumanjyu from Gokenuiroya
ういろう（五建外良屋）Uiro from Gokenuiroya
焼き栗（林万昌堂）Roasted Chestnuts from Hayashimanshodo
ふくみ天平（たねや）Fukumi Tenpei from Taneya
月化粧（青木松風庵）Tsukigesho from Aokimatukazean　- From Osaka

The following day, we went to Takashimaya in Shijo Station to queue for Demachi Futaba's Mamemochi Their mamemochi is said to be number one in Kyoto. So what ;makes their daifuku so special? It is the azuki beans they use and the water that is from a well in Kyoto. Since the bean paste is made with only water, beans and sugar the quality of the ingredients are crucial in making a good daifuku.

Their shop is in Demachiyanagi Station but they sell a small quantity in department stores.

After having lunch at Mametora, (Their lunch is famous for mini temari sushi), we couldn't resist eating dessert - warabimochi. Kyoto is known for warabi mochi and during this trip we ate a lot of warabimochi, but we all agreed that the Hon-warabimochi from Kagiya Masaaki was the best.  

Hon-warabimochi is the real warabi mochi as most warabimochi uses starch from lotus root, tapioca, or sweet potato starch. Hon-warabimochi uses starch from a warabi root (braken fern). Since you can only get 5% of starch from the harvested root, it is very rare and expensive. So if you want to try the real warabimochi, make sure you choose warabimochi using hon-warabi (本わらび）.

On our way to Kiyomizu Temple, we couldn't resist getting a cute looking Wagashi stick from Itoken. 

In one skewer, you can enjoy wagashi like Konashi, Kingyokukan, Dango, Joyomanjyu,  and Ukishima. 

On our way back to our hotel, we decided to take a break at a wagashi cafe Jumondo（十文堂） in Gion
This shop specializes in mini-size grilled dango. Since it's a mini size, you can enjoy many flavors.

The two other wagashi that we didn't have the chance to get was Oike-senbei (御池煎餅） from Kameya Yoshinaga （亀屋良永）and Seijokankidan（清浄歓喜団）from Kameya Kiyonaga（亀屋清永）

​Maybe next time! ​

During our stay we had great food thanks to my sister's recommendation which was 
almost identical to the recommendation by my hairdresser who is from Hakodate. So if you cover what we have eaten, you have pretty much covered the best places to eat in Hakodate!

 1. Uni Murakami ​(Sea Urchin Restaurant)
If you love sea urchins, this is definitely the place to go. They have fresh salt water sea urchins that you usually cannot get elsewhere. (Most sea urchins in the market are treated with alum to keep its shape). They have other menus too if you are not fond of sea urchins.  We tasted two kinds of sea urchins as you see in this photo.
For more details : Hokkaido Travel Net

 2. Asari Honten (Sukiyaki Restaurant)
This most famous sukiyaki restaurant in Hakodate run by a butcher. That's why you can have the best wagyu at a reasonable price, and has been the local's favorite since 100 years ago. The building is very old and traditional style. It seems like they have no intention to profit from serving alcohol, as we asked for an all you can drink option and they said that we can bring our own drinks!
For More Info: Travel Hakodate

3. Kaiju (Seafood)
This seafood restaurant was just around the corner from our Hotel. You can get very very fresh seafood, right out of the tank. The squid's legs were still moving on the plate!
For more info : Trip Advisor 

4. Restaurant Sekkatei Gotoken Honten (Curry & Western Food)
This is a long-established restaurant which opened in 1879. The building itself is a national cultural property.  They don't take booking for lunch, so expect a queue. But you won't be bored as they have a small museum by the waiting room which tells about the history of the hotel. It's famous for their curry dishes but they serve other western dishes as well.
​For More Info : Travel Hakodate
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 5. Lucky Pierrot (Hamburgers)
If you ask a local, this would probably be their most favorite restaurant. (The cab driver said so) This hamburger chain only exists in Hakodate, so I new nothing of it until my hairdresser told me about it. Voted the best local hamburger in Japan, despite its unique decor (every shop has its own theme). they serve very tasty burgers! We went to the one by our hotel, The Marina Bay Suehiro Branch which is on the waterfront and has a souvenir shop in the restaurant. 
​For more info; Travel Japan

6. Breakfast Buffet at the La Vista Bay Hakodate
Ever since we planned our trip to Hakodate, we have been trying to get a booking for this hotel, which was not easy as it is probably the most popular place to stay. It is conveniently located on the Waterfront next to the Kanamori Red Brick warehouse. But what makes it special is their breakfast buffet which has been voted as the nation's best hotel breakfast. Just be sure to go there with plenty of time as it may get crowded during early hours and you might wait half hour to be seated. (We almost missed our morning sightseeing tour)
For More Details: La Vista Bay Hakodate

Our family holiday this year took place in Hakodate, a city located in the south end of Hokkaido Island. This trip was sponsored by my parents who live in Tomakomai city which is located on the south coast about 30 minutes from Sapporo Chitose Airport. My two sisters and their hubbies were invited on this trip so we had a big family reunion. 

We took the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo stopping on the way at Hiraizumi, Iwate to visit the world heritage temples and stayed one night at Aomori. 

My sister who visited Hakodate last year knew very well on where to dine, together with the information I collected from my hairdresser, who is from Hakodate, we had the best Hakodate dining experience, which I will write about it in my blog later on.

If you are going there by air, a weekend trip is just enough to enjoy Hakodate as the tourist attractions are quite limited in the city. (There are a lot of attractions outside the city as well) ​I've written a short description and a link to details along with some travel trips. 
​​
You can plan your trip by arriving on Saturday morning. Having lunch, then having a stroll at Motomachi looking at the historic architecture, then dinner,  afterwards going up to Mt Hakodate for the night view.
Day two can start off to going to Goryokaku Tower (and Trapistine Monestry if you like) in the morning, then lunch and finish off with shopping at the Red Brick Warehouse. You might want to leave on Monday morning if you want to enjoy another night of a good meal. 
For more information on Hakodate Sightseeing please visit : Hakodate Official Travel Guide

 2. Mt. Hakodate night view
We went to the top of the mountain by ropeway - a big mistake! The waiting line to get on the returning ropeway was so long and stressful, and they packed so many people in the car as if we were cattle. If you do not want to waste an hour standing in line, I strongly recommend you to get a cab as it will cost only 4,000 - 5,000 yen round trip and well worth it if you are travelling in a group of 3 or 4 as the ropeway fare is 1280 yen round trip (as of Aug. 2017) per person. The hotel we stayed at had a car sharing tour to go up the mountain twice a day which we failed to check. By the way, the view was great.
For more info : Mt Hakodate Ropeway

We had my friend's 17 year old daughter from Germany staying with us in July, During her stay we took her around Tokyo and on a weekend we drove out of Tokyo to see Mount Fuji. On the way we stopped at the Odawara Castle.

This Castle is probably the closest Japanese Castle from Tokyo, and can easily be accessed by car and train as it is only short distance from the motorway and the train station. It's also a short distance from Hakone. 

It was renovated last year and inside the castle is a museum displaying the samurai armors and historical artifacts. I've only been to the castle in my husband's hometown, Himeji. The Himeji Castle is known to be the most beautiful castle in Japan, appearing in a couple of foreign films such as 007 and KILL BILL. Compared to the Himeji Castle, the castle ground are more compact and the castle tower not as elegant, but still it is impressive. 

Too bad there are no English subtitles in the video being played inside the museum and not much of the explanation boards are translated in other languages.
 
For more info on Odawara Castle  : 
Japan Guide.com
Odawara City

Last month, we went to Kawagoe, an old town outside of Tokyo. We went there by car, but it's only 30 minutes by train from Ikebukuro. Kawagoe prospered during the Edo-period still holds it's traditional charm and is called Ko-Edo (meaning little edo). As you stroll along the streets, you'll find  the old-fashioned merchants' shops that you can no longer find in Tokyo. We only went to one part of Kawagoe, but this city seems to have  many places to visit. So if you are wondering about places to go next weekend, Kawagoe may be an option.

It was a pure coincidence that my students that came to my class the next day were also in Kawagoe on the day we were there!

For details on on sightseeing areas, visit this useful site (Multi-Language) >>> Koedo-Kawagoe  

Happy New Year! Kids are back to school and I finally found some time to sit in front of my PC to update my blog. This year we went back to my husbands hometown, Himeji in the Hyogo Prefecture. Himeji City is known for the Himeji Castle - one the most beautiful castles in Japan. After 5 years of major restoration, it reopened last spring and we had been waiting for a chance to visit it. 

Himeji Castle is also known as the  White Heron Castle (Shirasagijo) due to its elegant, white appearance. Although we have visited the castle many times, we couldn't help taking photos from every angle. It is more a fortress than a castle as it is very stragetically laid out to prevent the enemies to come into the castle.