2012年11月30日金曜日

2012年11月30日金曜日 -

Bob - Bishamon-Do Temple

                                                   Bob enjoying the autumn colors in Kyoto                                            
Ever since I arrived in Japan, I have enjoyed visiting shrines, temples and gardens with my wife. In the Kansai area, in late November and early December, it’s a good time to see the autumn colors and especially the red leaves of the Japanese Maple tree. Like many Japanese people, I like to take photographs. When I show them to my friends and family back home, they are amazed at the range of colors.
On Sunday 25 November, we went to Bishamon-Do Temple in Yamashina near Kyoto. It’s quite a small temple tucked into the mountainside. It’s surrounded by many Japanese Maple trees and there was a huge array of colors from bright yellow, through orange to deep red. It was very beautiful and I wasn’t the only person taking photos! My favorite spot was the garden with a pond at the back of the temple.
After visiting the temple, we walked along the path beside the Lake Biwa Canal that flows from Lake Biwa to Kyoto. The canal follows the contours around the mountainside and the water is clear and flows briskly. Here also, there were some gorgeous autumn colors! We found a place in the sun to have a picnic. It was tranquil and nice to escape the crowds sightseeing at the temple.

shrines: 神社
temples: 寺
autumn colors: 紅葉
tucked: 奥まった場所に隠された
surrounded: 囲まれた
array: ずらりと並んだもの
beside: ～に沿って
canal: 運河
flows: 流れる
contours: 外周
briskly: 勢いよく
tranquil: 穏やかな


Lake Biwa Canal


2012年11月21日水曜日

2012年11月21日水曜日 -

Sarah - The Takarazuka Review!


Sarah

Just recently, I went to see a play at the Takarazuka Grand Theater with some friends. It was my first time to visit Takarazuka or see a play there, but I remember studying about it in university, so I was very excited.

We arrived at Takarazuka around noon and took a nice scenic walk towards the theater. The weather was excellent and the view was beautiful, so we took our time. We stopped for coffee and sandwiches at a nearby cafe and enjoyed the atmosphere.


Finally it was time for the play and it certainly didn't disappoint!
The story and the music were entrancing.  I couldn't believe some of the costumes we saw in the Review. I couldn't take my eyes off the stage! I've never seen so much sparkle in my life!
Afterwards we headed back to Umeda for some okonomiyaki and karaoke.
It was the first time for me to eat okonomiyaki so I was really excited. The restaurant looked very traditional. We sat on tatami mats and all the tables had little hotplates in the middle.
The service was out of this world! We didn’t have to wait long and everyone was really friendly. The waiter actually cooked the meal for us at our table. Now that’s service!
I had the standard pork okonomiyaki and my friend had shrimp. I think next time I will be a little more adventurous with my toppings.

 Takarazuka Grand Theater

scenic = 景色のよい
took our time = のんびりしました
atmosphere = 雰囲気
entrancing = うっとりさせる
couldn't take my eyes off = 目が離せませんでした
sparkle = きらきら
head back = 引き返す
traditional = 伝統的な
out of this world = 信じられないくらいすてき
standard = 定番の
more adventurous = 冒険する


Sarah's Introduction Video

2012年11月21日水曜日 -

William - The Monkeys in Minoh

Buildings alongside the first half of the trail to Mino Waterfall
This weekend, I went hiking with my friends in Minoh, Osaka. It was the first time for me to go hiking in Japan so naturally I was very excited. We arrived in Minoh around 9am. It was already very hot and I was starting to regret wearing such a thick top. There are plenty of shops at Minoh station so we stocked up on some rice balls and water. I was pleasantly surprised how easy the hike was. It was more like a leisurely stroll along the river of a picturesque town. We walked past some beautiful old teashops and quaint old toyshops from yesteryear. It was all very nostalgic.

At the base of the mountain the trees start to overhang the path. It reminded me of a Tim Burton movie.

I was surprised to see lots of cheeky monkeys hiding in the trees. Although the monkeys didn’t approach us nor do anything mischievous I was wary of them the whole hike.

At the end of the trail there was a beautiful waterfall! The spray from the pool cooled us all down. We sat for a while taking in the views and enjoying our rice balls and a much deserved beer.

regret = 後悔する
stocked up ＝買出しする
pleasantly surprised　＝いい意味でびっくりする
stroll　＝ぶらぶらする
picturesque　=絵になる
quaint　＝古風な趣のある
yesteryear　=昔風の
nostalgic　＝ノスタルジックな
cheeky ＝やんちゃな
mischievous　＝いたずら好きな
weary ＝用心深い
spray ＝細かい水しぶき



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