7.26.2012

My trip report 3 -Gifu- last day


2nd day of my trip.
I woke up early and took a hot spring again.When I stay at a hotel,I take a morning bath.
Although I was going to next place,I wanted to see a morning market which is held everyday.


In the market,flowers and vegitables are sold by local people.
I spent longer time than I thought.So I ran to the bus station in a hurry to get a bus to next place.
I didn't want to make a mistake like first day though,I always forgot time.

About one hour later,I arrived a place I wanted to visit the most.




Passing over this loooong bridge......



This place is called  "Shirakawa-go".


People who lived there built their unique houses.
Shirakawa village gets a lot of snow  in winter and also it's very hot in summer because surrounded by mountains.
People who lived there couldn't grow rice well,so they grew silkworms and sold silk to get food.

Inside house:just between roofs


These houses makes me nostalgic for old Japanese landscape.
I reminded an animation I often watched:Old stories of Japan.
When I walked around there,the theme song played in my head all the time.


It took over 8 hours from Tokyo to see THIS landscape for oneself:)
I looked down the village for few hours,then I was about to forget time to leave there.
But I didn't forget this!!



One hour later,I arrived at Takayama bus station,and more one hour later,I had to get a bus to Tokyo.
I think normal person wait the bus to Tokyo at the bus station for an hour.
But I went to sanmachi again and had a seat at a nice cafe:)



And of course I ordered this><!!!!

After eating,I ran to the bus station in a hurry AGAIN!!
If I missed the bus,I had to stay one more night.Actually I already missed Tokyo and people.
I got the bus to Shinjuku station and got caught in heavy traffic again...
Although I booked seats for two persons because I wanted to do things I like in a bus,it was too long,over 8 hours again.


Finally,I arrived at Shinjuku station at midnight and all subway already closed.
In taxi,I remembered the old village.Probably people there already sleep,but people in Tokyo still awake and everything is illuminated.
I felt my trip was like time slip..It was great trip:)

I'd like to visit the village in winter again.It must be beautiful landscape to be covered with a lot of snow.
But next time,I'll chose fast train!


My Gifu trip report finish!
Thank you soooo much for reading my (stupid) trip report!


7.22.2012

My trip report 2 -Gifu-

My trip was only 2 days and went to 2 places,old private houses town(Sanmachi) and Historic village(Shirakawago).
1st day,the main event was walking around sanmachi.
Unfortunately,I arrived there few hours behind schedule(the reason is last article),and at that time almost shops already closed.
I wanted to try to eat soy sauce soft-serve ice cream though,I gave up and eat normal one.
This is not that bad,isn't it?
It was first food since I ate sandwich 8 hours ago.

Sanmachi is very small town and build about 400 years ago at the time of Edo Period.
Even now,this town conserved and there are old houses along a narrow street.







I enjoyed walking this street few times even though it was very hot day.
I was too tired to walk more,so I went to a hotel to take a break.But I didn't have nothing to do there alone.
I went to sanmachi again at the night.












This area is famous for Japanese rice wine.
If I could drink alcohol,my trip would be more interesting.
This day,I ate only ice cream,chocolate and coke(not pepsi).That's not different from my normal day.
I realized like to eat with someone.Just eating is boring for me.











A hot spring in my hotel was nice.I could see down to the town during taking a bath.
I went to bed to get up early next morning.


To be continued 2nd day later.
Thank you for reading.

7.18.2012

My trip report 1 -Gifu-

I had three days off in a row last weekend and traveled to Gifu prefecture.
It was my first trip alone:)
Gifu prefecture is just center of Japan,it takes 5 and half hours to places I want to go by bus from Tokyo.



View Larger Map


The reason I choose bus was because I didn't have much of money and it almost the same time to use fast train(Shin-kan-sen) as a bus.


1st day,I was supposed to get a bus I booked to Gifu at 6 am at Shinjuku station.
But I missed the bus because I got off wrong subway station and lost a way.
That was my biggest mistake in this trip.
Shinjuku is the most crowded city in Tokyo.
There are too many people and high buildings,all of them always make me confused.
I got off a station with name of "West Shinjuku station".Actually the station I had to get off was "Shinjuku station" and then go to west exit of the station.
I walked between these areas and lost my way..
The town is very fun at night though,it's incredibly messy area.
A lot of garbage were everywhere and big black crows were flying above my head...
Some of them were eating garbage,even there were few dead bieds by them....
I was thinking to give up this trip and go to Korean sauna near here.


A fashion school in Shinjuku




Finally,the time was already 7:30 I could arrived a bus center.
I could book next bus leaving at 9:00XD



However a massive traffic jam already started.
It takes 5 and half hour usually though,I was in a bus for 8 hours.
Fourtunately,that was a girl next me.I was glad.But I'm not a pervert.


Sorry this artcle is long and I'm too excited even though the trip isn't still start.
If you don't have things to do,please read next one.(I'll update soon....)
I promise to show you beautiful pictures.


Thank you for reading:))
See you soon//

7.08.2012

Tanabata night

The 7th of July is special day in Japan(and probably China and Korea too...tanabata for details..)
This day is my second favorite day of a year.First is New year's eve!Well,,,


I really like this traditional story of the day.
It's important and only day to meet Ori-hime(princess) and Hiko-boshi(prince) on a milky way of a year.
That's so romantic,isn't it?


Unfortunately,last night was raining.We though they could meet without any problems.Because they may lost their way because of much of clouds.

And some people write their wish on strips of colorful paper and hang them from a bamboo branches.
Like this:


The shrine I visited was "Tokyo-Dai-Jin-Gu".



View Larger Map

Before wishing,we have stand in line for praying.
There were many women because the shrine was said to be good for love(relationship?).
So if you want to marry there,it's possible:)




Actually I didn't write this,but I felt the same way.


--I wish tomorrow is also fine as always--

Thank you for reading:)


P.S.I'm going to visit outside of Tokyo next weekend!I can't wait it:D

Walk around Aoyama



View Larger Map
Yesterday,I saw interested works at  Watarium museum.


I started walking there and reached a street called Omote-sando.
I bought my new camera,so I was like a paparazzi><

There are very high trees on the street.In winter,every trees are illuminated:)
The street is famous for fashion.So you can see many people waring nice and unique clothes there(plus rich people too).
I was enjoying just watching them.


After that,I went to another place to do more important thing.


to be continued later....

7.05.2012

Japanese characters

I always thought there were few designed Japanese characters in my PC.
When I make something with Japanese,I can't choose nice one.
Finally,I chose an alphabet characters if I didn't want to use it.


The other day,I listened about it by a person who works at a designed Japanese characters company.
Then I realized it was really really difficult to make new design of them.
At first,it officially needs 23,058 characters to publish.


23,058!?!?!?!?!?!?


And it takes over 5 years to commercialize.



Japanese usually use Hiragana,katakana and kanji.
I used to practice a lot to write them as a child,and the most difficult was kanji,of course.
Because there are over 100,000 and it doesn't stop.
We had a lesson to only write characters with ink brush.I just wrote them for an hour.
It was like a punishment for me><




A designer writes only one character many times by hand as above photo.
I can't imagine someone works this process about 30,000 times.Awesome...


I will always treasure this beautiful characters after knowing about it.