Still Buds.

Do you know what day 1st April is along with April Fool's day?? It's a cherry blossom bloom date in Kyoto according to the weather forecast. At the moment, there is no place you can enjoy fully blooming cherry blossoms due to this years unusual coldness.It is said that they will peak at 8th April.

Kyoto Local Beer Festival!

Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, Ebisu....we know all these popular beer-brands and what they taste like. Obviously, they are brilliant. However, did you ever know about any beer which use-to-be capital, Kyoto are making.
On 18th March from 11am, at ZEST Kawaramachi agora, you can have a taste of many kinds of beer made in Kyoto. A glass of beer is only 300yen. I have been here 2 years but never heard and drunk any of them. Does it mean they don't taste good or somthing?? Really want to know!! Please check out what they taste like. Whether good or bad, it should be interesting!

Before CHERRY, kyoto will be filled with PLUM blossom!!

We know that thousands of people coming to see cheery blossom's beautiful sceneary in Kyoto around end of March, but don't really know that plum blossoms come to their best season in March right before it, and that they create as beautiful and amazing view as cheery blossoms do. Tomorrow, plum blossom's festival is taken place in Kitano-Tenmangu(北野天満宮). If you are already in Kyoto, why don't you drop by there:)

Katsushika Hokusai Exhibition is going on.

Katsushika Hokusai(葛飾北斎) exhibition is being held in Kyoto History and Culture Museum until 25th March as this year is 250th year anniversary of the birth of him.
If you know him, I am happy. He is a legend of Ukiyoe-artist, well-known in over the world for Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji (冨嶽三十六景). The one below is one of pictures of it. Its view is from Kanagawa offshore. Every picture of him is very vivid and has uplifting feeling. Once you see it, you can never forget it.

We are featured in JNTO website!!!!

We are featured in JNTO website!!!!

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/exotic/JapanesQue/1201/kyoto.html

We are introduced there in a part of plan of 'Enjoy Kyoto in winter to the full.
Get around and stay over a night for 10,000 yen. It all depends on how you travel'.

Competition of Japanese art of archery!!

This can be an additional information of Coming of Age Day. On 15th January, at Sanju-Sangen-Do, from 9am, there is a competition of Japanese art of archery by people who are coming of age this year. About 2000 people from all over Japan come and aim at targets 60meter away. As you can see from the picture, they are really cool in colorful costume thinking only to hit a target.

Coming of Age Day is literally coming!!!!!

Coming of Age Day (成人の日) is a Japanese holiday annually on the second Monday of January. On this day, all those who have reached the age of 20 years old are celebrated that they have become adults. Festivities are taken place at local and prefectural offices. Traditionally, girls wear Kimono on the day and boys wear hakama(these days suits get more popular, though). If you see someone who looks happy in colorful costumes on the day around , she or he must be 20 years old:)