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Articles Tagged ‘Kansai’

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Last Night in Kansai

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

Well that’s it.  Time to start making peace with Japan.  I have less than a week left on my visa.  My ferry to Korea leaves on Monday, and I still need to pay a visit to Megumi in Fukuoka before leaving.    [read on]

Kyoto Part II: Geisha and Matsuri

Tuesday, July 10th, 2007

 

Already feeling very satisfied with the decision to visit Kyoto, I jumped on a subway heading towards Gion and Hanami-koji, the heart of Japan’s Geisha activity.  Although my hopes weren’t high, the neighborhood where you might spot them is also famous its elegant streets and classical architecture.  It definitely lived up to its reputation.    [read on]

Osaka Life Part II: Late June

Saturday, June 30th, 2007

The past two weeks that I’ve settled in Osaka the days have been drenched from the rain season. Fortunately, the rain has slowed down. Alas, in its wake the area has been suffering a terribly humid heat wave. According to all of the locals I came during the worst month for climate conditions. Not ideal for days spent exploring, but since muggy is better than rainy I set out a couple times this week.    [read on]

Nara

Tuesday, June 26th, 2007

I finally escaped the grasp of Osaka for a day and took a day trip to Nara, the first permanent capitol of Japan.  About a week ago I talked to a university student from the city who offered to show me around when I came down.  I met Yang at the train station and she began to show me around Nara-koen and the collection of temples and shrines.    [read on]

Tsuruhashi and Karahori-Ezu

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

In Osaka, it is easy to fall into a perpetual night life and only rest during the light of day. I’ve worked hard over the last few days to shift back to a more reasonable schedule. My efforts paid off with a few unique adventures under the old familiar shine of the sun… or what would be the shine of the sun, if it weren’t raining or cloudy all the time.    [read on]

Addicted?

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

Osaka… this is already a special place in the world for me. I’ve been playing music at live houses and bars every other night. When I’m not behind a drum kit, a large portion of my time has been spent drinking mass quantities of shochu and eating delicious meals with my friends. Everybody is friendly here; there is a sizable Aussie expat crowd and the local Japanese are unlike the majority of Tokyo-ites (whos friendly outlook is cold in comparison to Kansai). [read on]

Osaka Life

Wednesday, June 20th, 2007

On Friday, I took the day to explore the city using my new found bicycle freedom. I pretty much headed north, with no real destination in mind. I made a few stops to browse through stores along the way, but didn’t find anything worth mentioning. About an hour into my ride I came a cross a recording/practice studio. It only cost ¥700 to play drums for an hour so I popped in to get my chops up to speed.   [read on]

Otaue-Shinji

Thursday, June 14th, 2007

I awoke just in time to catch the opening ceremony of the Otaue-Shinji (rice planting ceremony) at Sumiyoshi-Daichi.  This annual Shinto ceremony was recommended to me yesterday when I went to pick up a subway map at the info desk.  Even after being here for two months, it was still the first traditional-culture event that I’ve had the opportunity to witness.    [read on]

Kansai Bound!

Wednesday, June 13th, 2007

 

Yesterday was a wake up call.  I think I’ve seen enough shrines, temples and historical artifacts from Japan.  Sightseeing is wearing a bit thin, but every experience with the current culture has been most exciting and has appealed to me most.  Every day that passes, my visa expiration inches closer and I still haven’t been to Kansai to see the famed cultural heart of Japan.  So I decided to say goodbye to Nagoya.  It has been an extremely friendly and welcoming city, but I’ll just have to come back someday when I have more time.    [read on]