100,000 Hydrangeas in full bloom, Tenjoyama Park, Yamanashi, Japan

Looking for a place to cool yourself down, but don't want to travel too far from Tokyo?

Well then, the most conveninent place to go from Tokyo would be the Kawaguchiko area of Yamanashi prefecture.

I think many of you know that I didn't like going to crowded places and places where I can see the mass groups of tourists. But, this time, I will introduce to you one place in this tourist-run area that will heal your soul and refreshes you up like new.

I am sure anyone who has been to the Kawaguchiko have at least once persuaded to take the Mount Kachi Kachi Ropeway (カチカチロープウェイ) to the top of the 1,100m tall Mount Tenjo where you are promised a breathtaking panoramic view of the Mt Fuji on its observation deck.

Yes, you can definitely get that breathtaking panoramic view of the Mt Fuji but that place is also extremely boring with one small building that doubles up as a souvenir shop and snack bar and a small shrine dedicated to a certain rabbit*.

The shrine is really cute though

There is nothing much to do except to look through one of the three binoculars. As for that panoramic view of the Mt Fuji, well... You can already do so by just being there in the Kawaguchiko area.

Oh well, we didn't know better and it's okay, I did the same mistake during my early days in Japan. But today, I encourage you to, instead of taking the cable car down, try to walk down the narrow and seemingly unkempt hiking trail. The whole descent takes about an hour through the forested mountain slope. But after 15mins on the trail downhill, you will be delighted because THIS is the view waiting for you.

Between mid-July to early August, you can see thousands of hydrangea on the slopes of Mount Tenjo and more at the Tenjoyama Park. The flowers like the summer fireworks, light up the mountain slopes with the brilliant colours of purple, red, blue and white. They looked like coloured sponges bobbing from the sea of green forest. The Tenjoyama Park is quiet and sitting in any of the benches can also give you breathtaking views of Mount Fuji. Personally, I feel that this park is the best place to view Mount Fuji.

After resting at the Tenjoyama Park, you can walk down further to this view of the mountain slope.

When you come down almost at the bottom of the mountain, there is another quiet and small Shinto prayer area and a rest stop.

I made a short stop here to say my thanks for letting me stay in this beautiful country before making my way back towards the train station

If you are using the retro buses along the Kawaguchiko Line, please get off at the Yuransen Ropeway Iriguchi bus stop. It is also possible to walk from Kawaguchiko Station to the ropeway station in about 15-20 minutes.

If you are planning to hike up the Mount Tenjo instead of taking the ropeway, it only takes one and half hour to get to the top of the Mount Tenjo observation area. The hiking course starts somewhere near the ropeway. If you are walking from the Kawaguchiko station, make sure to look for a row of blooming hydrangeas when you almost reach the entrance to the ropeway. There is a signboard that shows, "あじさいハイキングコース, Ajisai Hiking Course" and you will see a slightly steep road.

Properly marked signboard

Just follow that road. Soon, you will be surrounded by hydrangeas on both sides of the road and the road will soon lead you onto the hiking trail where the hydrangea bloom.

Hydrangea blooms on both sides of the road

This is where we want to get to

The map I got from the tourist office also had a clear direction which I have uploaded in this post. And yes, please wear your hiking shoes for this trail. Some parts of the trail are steep.

There is also another different trail starting from the rabbit shrine uphill which continues on to Mount Mitsutoge. This is also another popular day hiking trail with many good views of Mount Fuji. As I hike from the bottom of Mount Tenjo, I didn't try to hike to Mount Mitsutoge this time as it was a hot day and I was a bit exhausted from the hike.

The last time I wrote about how you can take a train and the highway bus from Shinjuku in this post. You can book the bus ticket online here (in English) or just go straight to the highway bus station in Shinjuku.

Image from Highway Bus website

*You can read the story about the rabbit on the Mount Kachi Kachi here.

In my opinion, the hydrangeas should be still blooming until the end of this week. You can still catch them if you go this weekend.

Happy hiking!

Eisā Festival, the masterpiece of the Japan's Summer Festival

Last Saturday, July 26th, I managed to attend the Eisā Festival for the first time. Originally, an Okinawan festival,  Eisā Festival is performed as one of the religious rites to send off the spirits of their ancestors on their journey at the end of the Obon season. It is just like the Bon-Odori in most places in the Kanto area, so I guess you can say that it is the Bon-Odori for Okinawans.

Most groups have performers who play the big drum (大太鼓, Oo-Taiko), the shime-daiko drum (締太鼓) and dancers dancing with only hand gestures, (手踊り, Te-Odori) accompanied by singers with playing the sanshin (三線). All in their own rhythm showing the beauty, joy, pride, and love for their dance makes the Eisā festival, one of the most energetic festivals.

Young and energetic

One cheerful performer

I love the determined expression on the performer's face

In the past, every year, when the end of the Obon season nearing, some local government in Okinawa will beat at the town hall drum for the local residents as a reminder that it is THE time to send off their ancestors. Usually made up of young men and women, they all will come together to train for the Eisā Festival. And between July13th - 15th on the lunar calendar, regional groups from different parts of Okinawa gathered together in one place for the 3 last days of Obon, combining their performances to form a masterpiece of a festival.

Like many folk dances, the origin of Eisā Festival and how it started was unclear. There are a few thoughts as to how Eisā started. One is connected to a Buddhist monk named Taichu of the Jodo sect. It is said that this monk was working in the Ryukyu Kingdom, where he successfully converted the Ryukyu king, Shouneiou, and many other high court officials to Buddhism. At the same time, he also translates the Buddhist scriptures (仏典, Butsu-ten) to the common folk by dancing and singing the short verses from the Buddhist scriptures. Naturally, the common people learn Buddhism by dancing and singing too. This is one theory as to how the Eisā folk dance started in Okinawa.

Another is that the word, Eisā was purportedly found in one of the Ryukyu's oldest ballad compilation, the Omoro Saushi (おもろさうし). The Omoro is a collection of ancient poems and songs, complied in volumes, detailing the religious beliefs, the history, the land and the heroes of the Ryukyu Kingdom that forms the unique Okinawa culture today.

Traditionally, a new generation of Eisā group, inherits the distinctive way of performing the Eisā dance from their predecessors. In some areas where they do not have their own group of Eisā performers, these groups usually learn it from the groups in the neighbouring districts. They are allowed to have their own style of Eisā performance. As every Eisā group has their own distinctive style of performance, there is no single form of choreography.

For someone who joined the Eisā Festival for the first time, my body feel alive, listening to the rhythmic beating sounds of drums, but at the same time, my soul is soothed by the relaxing pluck at the strings of the sanshin in the background. This combination of musical instruments creates a very lively and yet, a reassuring atmosphere that is unmistakably Okinawan.

The Eisā Festival performs straight into your soul with an Okinawan energy is one festival that seems to make summer heat not only bearable, but enjoyable. Even the usual crowd-averse me is glad that I decided to be brave and made it to Shinjuku's Kabukicho to witness this magnificent performance in the sweltering heat. It is one summer festival that you CAN'T miss if you are in Japan.

Were you able to join the Eisā performance last Saturday too? What do you think of it?

5 ways to enjoy summer in Tokyo

Japan's summer is known for its humid and really hot weather and the combination of the two elements actually creates a steaming heat that cooks you literally. But it is also the season of enjoyment, festivals and love. And everything happens so fast that you hardly noticed it until it is gone. 

So, don't miss your chance this summer to enjoy what this country has to offer. Just take a train to somewhere new, I bet you can find something interesting that is worth exploring. If not, here is the guide on how to enjoy summer in Japan. 

1. Light up your heart with every burst of the fireworks

The hanabi festivals or the fireworks festivals are Japan's ultimate summer event that one cannot miss. Invite your friends or family, bring some drinks and snacks. Sit on the grass and enjoy every burst of the fireworks. 

2. Attend an exciting summer festival

Summer is the season for festivals in Japan. Every ward in Tokyo is bursting with street dancing such as the Awa Odori, the Obon festival, the summer markets such as the morning glory market, the hozuki market and etc., the Tanabata festivals and the list never ends.

3. Find a wind-chime that is unique to you. 

Edo wind-chime in Japan is created uniquely and you can find one that says the most about yourself. You can choose from the shape - round or long in shape, or from your favourite summer design, or from the color of the glass - made from blue or green glass. The closer you look, the more you realised that there is one special wind-chime for everyone, including yourself. 

4. Enjoy the starry night

Summer is the best time to watch the skies. On July 7th, you can even try to find the two Star Lovers on the Milky Way. Bring your date and stay the night. Accommodation in places like Nobeyama are equipped with telescope for you to enjoy a night of stars together. 

5. Enjoy a walk in the tranquil pathways and learn a new art
If you are not too keen on the crowd like me, especially in the matsuri, why not immerse yourself in art and greenery? Summer is the best time to visit the bonsai nurseries in Omiya, as the weather will be hot, but the serene pathways of the Omiya Bonsai Village will soon cool you off. Plus, you can walk away with new knowledge. 
* Bonus: If you visit the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum from July 18th - Aug 31st in your yukata, the admission to the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum becomes free! 

With so much to experience in summer, which one is your choice? ^^

Cool beauty in a hot town

It is recognized to be the city with the hottest temperatures in the whole of Japan. And to get to this city, I woke at 5am to make the journey, although the journey to this city is only 1.5hours away. You might question my sanity as of why I am waking up this early to expire to a city with the crazy hot temperature in the middle of the hot summertime. As some of you may already guess, I will do anything for any flowers that worth a visit ^^

This time, the highlight is a lake of lotuses located in the city of Tatebayashi. There are two things that are special about this place. First of all, it is a lake full of lotus blossoms! Secondly, you get to ride a boat to go up close and personal with the blooms.

The name of the lake is Jyonuma Lake (城沼 Jyonuma Ike) located inside the Tsutsujigaoka Park (つつじが岡公園 Tsutsujigaoka Koen) which is also a very nice azalea park in the springtime.

Nice and cool greenery

Although I reach the station early enough at 9.15am, it was already 32 degrees Celsius! Phew, they are definitely not joking about the heat. From the station, the walk to the boat pier across the park is about 35mins. There is an hourly bus service from the east exit of the station, which takes about 10mins to get to the park, but since I missed the bus by 5mins, I decided to walk to the park instead.

As I made my way on foot to the park, I can see signboard and banners to tell you to drink a lot of liquid, avoid prolonged exposure under the sun and other health advisories to avoid heatstroke. I think this is the only city that actually advises you to take heatstroke as a very serious matter.

The walk was pleasant in the beginning, but as you get nearer to the lotuses, it gets hotter as some parts of the walk are not covered or shaded by trees. I strongly suggest that you carry an umbrella if you do not want to end up as a heatstroke victim.

This part of the walk is really hot!

But once you are on the boat, the ride became really pleasant with the cool air breezing onto your face that refreshes you after that walk under the blistering hot sun.

Excited about the dragonfly

I was informed by the boatman cum guide that there are two varieties of lotuses in this lake. One kind is the flowering lotus which usually only flowers, but its root is inedible. The other one is the lotus with an edible root. The flowering lotus are smaller in size compared the other lotus.

I think this is the flowering lotus

I am sure this one is the lotus with the edible lotus root

The boatman also showed us how in the olden days, people used the leaves of the lotus plant to drink sake from it. He made a hole in the lotus leaf where the stem meets. He showed us that the stem itself has air holes in them and acts like a spout when you pour sake onto the leaf and drink the sake from the other end of the stem. They used to imagine that this is how elephants drink in the olden times ^^

The lotuses bloom when the air is cool so if you are planning to visit, the best time is to go in the morning before 11am.

When I was there, many of the lotuses are still budding and the boat guide informed me that this year was slightly cooler than last year, so it will take another two weeks for the flowers to be fully bloom. And when it does, I imagined that the whole lake will be peppered with pink blooms among the green leaves.

The Jyonuma Lake is easily accessible from the Tatebayashi station (館林駅) on the Tobu Iseseki Line (東武伊勢崎線). The walk is about 35mins along the main road to get to the lotus lake inside the Tsutsujigaoka Park. To get to Tatebayashi station, you can board the train, the Limited Express Ryōmō (りょうもう号) heading toward Ota (太田) from the Asakusa station. The fare is about 1,920yen and the journey is approximately 60mins.

Or you can do the cheaper way on local trains for Section Express (区間急行) heading toward Ota (太田) from the Asakusa station. The fare is about 890yen and the journey is approximately 1hour and 35mins.

The address for the Tsutsujigaoka Park is Tatebayashi-shi, Hanayamacho 3278 (館林市花山町3278). It is really easy to get to the park. You just have to follow the main road till you get to the City Hall and in less than 3mins walk, you will see the car park and entrance to the park. Or you can see the map on how to get there at the end of this post.

Another note on the bus service, it runs less frequently on weekends, which I think is ridiculous considering that there are more weekend visitors. I have the bus schedule which I obtained online which I also included here, but you can inquire for the latest bus schedule from the tourist office located immediately opposite the train station.

From Tatebayashi City Official website

From Tatebayashi City Official website

The fare for the boat ride (花ハスクルーズ Hanahazu kuruzu) is 700yen for adults and 300yen for children. The whole boat ride lasts about 30mins. Please note that they will sometimes cancel the boat ride if it rains heavily or if it is too windy as these weather might make the boat unstable. You may call ahead to check at the Jyonuma Tourist Information Center at 0276-73-7800 (in Japanese).

I believe you can see the lotus from July 10th till August 15th and the park is open from 8:30am onwards till 4pm.

Again, I am captivated by small creatures

Although the boat ride only lasts 30mins, but it was a fun ride! I definitely recommend visiting this lake if you want to get close enough to the lotuses.

Ducky is catching a fish in the shallow waters

Will you visit this hot town to see these beauties?

* I just have to update this post with this cute map I found from the website of the Tatebayashi City (in Japanese).

You can the boat pier located inside the park and the tanuki (racoon dog) is the symbol for Tatebayashi city ^^
Map from the Tatebayashi City

The direction from Tatebayashi station to the boat pier:

Map from the Tatebayashi City

Summer in Japan: Dancing in the street

What is fun to do on a hot summer evening apart from enjoying a cold beer with your friends is enjoying a cold beer with your friends while watching people dancing on the street.

Yes, I am enjoying my cold beer on a hot summer evening with my friends in the Niiza city (新座市) city watching the Awa Odori (阿波おどり) festival.

The famed dancing-in-the-street, Awa Odori festival, has a history of 400 years. It was originally performed in the Tokushima prefecture on the Shikoku island as part of the Obon festival (the festival of the Dead) to welcome the souls of the ancestors, but today it is considered to be one of 3 big folk dance festivals in Japan.

How Awa Odori festival started was an interesting one too. The story has it started with a drunken incident when a feudal lord was celebrating the completion of his castle by offering crates of sake to the villagers. The villagers drank and drank until they are totally wasted. One drunk staggered and another staggered and before you know it, the whole village is staggering into a dance. The drunk picked up musical instruments as they dance in the street. Like in a Bollywood movie with more drunks and less choreography. Personally, I think it will be pretty difficult to choreograph a dance when everyone is drunk ^^ but they did it so well that today, this dance festival has been performed in many prefectures in Japan, making it one of the most popular folk dance festival in Japan.

Today, the dance is usually choreographed (no more drunken dance performance), performed by groups of dancers dressed in a traditional Obon outfit accompanied by musicians. I really love the outfit of the dancers, all dressed in the vibrant colours of red, green and yellow outfit, perfect for this energetic occasion.

Love the colourful outfit!

As they danced through the street, the dancers sing. The men and women's groups have different dance style, although, you can also sometimes see a group of women (usually younger women) dancing using the men's dance style.

The dances are usually pretty energetic with lots of jumps and twirling and it is infectious that sometimes you will see spectators dancing along and you are encouraged to do so at the end of the festival which makes the spectators feel that they are a part of Awaodori festival. I feel that Awaodori has the best festival and it usually ends with many smiles (I am just not so sure if it is from the beer or the dancing).

While I can't attend the original Awa Odori dance festival in Tokushima prefecture, I managed to attend one that is held in Niiza city and there are other Awaodori dance festivals scheduled for performance in other wards in Tokyo.

The famous one in Tokyo is the Koenji Awa Odori. This year is the 58th year for the Koenji Awa Odori Festival. This 2-day festival takes place on the 23rd and 24th of August at 5pm. It is scheduled to finish by 8pm.

To get to the event's venue, the closest stations are JR Koenji station  (高円寺駅) on the Chuo Line (中央本線, Chūō-Honsen) and the Shin-Koenji station (新高円寺駅) on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (東京地下鉄丸ノ内線 Tōkyō Chikatetsu Marunouchi-sen).

The map for the Koenji Awa Odori is available here (in Japanese because the English website doesn't seem to work) and it is included in this post too ^^.

Map from Koenji Awa Odori website, http://koenji-awaodori.com/

Map from Koenji Awa Odori website, http://koenji-awaodori.com/

Like all the summer festivals in Japan, it is definitely advisable to go earlier than the said time of action to get a good viewing spot. To attend the one in Niiza city, me and my friends went 2 hours earlier to get an okay viewing spot. Once you secure your viewing spot, it's time to relax and enjoy the beer.

Yes, here I am, soaking in the smiles of friends and strangers, laughing at the cute antics of little kids and toddlers dancing to the music and enjoying the overall festive atmosphere.

So, have you attend the Awa Odori festival yet in Japan?

This little one is also a dancer

Playing in the street