June 2010Archives

    I don't know if you caught last weeks episode of Tokyo Eye.  I certainly did.  It was an amazing look into the life of real Geisha living and working in modern day Tokyo.  Well, this week check out part two!  This weeks episode focuses on the old neighborhood of Asakusa.  Lots of traditional Japanese arts, products, foods, and crafts can be found in this neighborhood. So of course it is a popular place for Geisha too.

Asakusa is one of Tokyo's prime sightseeing spots for foreign tourists. If you ever visit Tokyo you will want to check out this neighborhood.  This would be a great way to find out more about the area before you visit!

The show visits some of the places where geisha actually shop.  Its definitely worth checking out this interesting and famous part of Japanese culture.
 

By Jib-kun

     Samurai are cool.  Pretty much everybody must think so.  I know I do.  That's, why I am so eager to watch this latest episode of "Journeys in Japan." This time the crew headed to northern Japan to visit a historic city with a warrior legacy -- Yonezawa in Yamagata prefecture. For many years, it flourished as a famous castle town and was a home to many samurai. Our reporter JJ explores its samurai legacy.

     JJ first visits Uesugi Shrine, dedicated to the great lord Uesugi Kenshin who was in power about 500 years ago. Yonezawa was long ruled by generations of Kenshin's descendants. In 1871, local followers of the Uesugi clan built Uesugi Shrine in honor of Kenshin on the former site of Yonezawa Castle.  At the shrine, JJ meets samurai enthusiasts who show him the appeal of samurai. In fact, Yonezawa is home to a big festival called the Uesugi Matsuri every May. Some 700 samurai enthusiasts from across Japan don costumes and participate in the mock battle to get a sense of what is was like to be a warrior 500 years ago. JJ wears the armor of a 16th century warlord.

     In Yonezawa, there are lots of hedges with the ukogi plant. Many ukogi hedges were created during the 18th century as part of a clan policy. The lord of Yonezawa domain at the time was Uesugi Yozan, the tenth family head of the Uesugi clan. Yozan conceived the idea to utilize ukogi as an emergency food source. During his reign, Yonezawa's food supply was very tight. So Yozan encouraged people to cook and eat ukogi plant with staples. JJ meets local people who are carrying on the tradition of ukogi dining.  JJ caps off his visit by dipping at a hot spring in Yonezawa frequented by generations of the Uesugi clan.

     JJ feels the warrior's legacy in Yonezawa.  I hope you will too!  Check it out all day Tuesday 6/29/10 on Jibtv.com's live streaming video page.


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From Tokyo, it takes about two hours to reach Yonezawa by bullet train. 
At the Uesugi Shrine, dedicated to the great lord Uesugi Kenshin, many valuable cultural assets are exhibited, including armor worn by the Uesugi family. 
The mountains surrounding Yonezawa have many hot springs and inns.

Hey Everybody,

     Jib-kun here to let you know about what's on this week.  Check out Japan's scenic beauty in the latest episode of "Journeys in Japan" coming up on 6/22.
     I tagged along with the film crew and saw lots of interesting things.  Here are some photos from my trip with the camera crew of "Journeys in Japan." The pine-studded sandbar spans Miyazu Bay, facing the Sea of Japan in northern Kyoto.
     The accumulation of white river sand over thousands of years sculpted this impressive strip of land, which has been the subject of significant poems and paintings for more than 1000 years.
     In this edition of "Journeys in Japan," our reporter, Judit Kawaguchi, meets the friendly residents of this gorgeous area where history is very much alive.

     Looking at the "bridge in heaven" from above is not the only way to enjoy Amanohashidate.  Walking across it is also delightful. The white sand beach, with its 8000 pines, has been considered a mystical place since ancient times.

     The city also prospered as a kimono textile center for several hundred years, drawing buyers from Kyoto. Structures reflecting its past glory can be found in many parts of Miyazu.
The city also prospered as a kimono textile center for several hundred years, drawing buyers from Kyoto.

     Geisha also have a repertoire of amusing parlor games, called ozashiki-asobi.
The living art of the geisha has been passed down in Miyazu for hundreds of years.


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To get to Miyazu from Tokyo, take the shinkansen to Kyoto and change there for a limited express to Miyazu on the Kitatango line. The total journey takes about four and a half hours. Miyazu Station is an excellent starting point for Amanohashidate sightseeing.

Hey Everybody,


Next episode of "TOKYO EYE" coming up on 6/16.


-Photo tour of Tokyo: Part2.-

The city has so many great photo spots.
Even seemingly humdrum scenes can look fascinating if you change your point of view.

So get ready to snap your own take on Tokyo!

Hey Everybody,


Very cool episode of "journeys in japan" coming up on 6/15.  At first I thought of the famous character! But its actually a place, which also happens to have a lot of character.   The show, focuses on Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture and introduces the locals who have made use of nature's bounty in unusual ways to create tons of cool products.
 
Coming from the forest I don't know much about the sea, but the locals of Naruto sure do.  The sea off Naruto City has a strong current that flows at about 20 kilometers per hour and forms natural whirlpools that can get as big as 30 meters. The fish get all tossed about which people say make them particularly tasty, and probably very dizzy. 

A fish called the sea bream is known to be the tastiest!

We will also visit a popular museum with a collection of artworks tiles made from the sea sand of Naruto.

Naruto is becoming famous for its LED lights! You'll also see a very unique festival of the area.  Check out the show!  It will be on several times on June 15th.  If you'd like to visit yourself here is a map.  Though you might have to get on an airplane or two!



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To reach Naruto City, take a 1 hour 15 minutes flight from Tokyo to Tokushima Awa-odori Airport, and a bus ride for approximately 30 minutes.
Highway buses are convenient from Osaka as the ride takes just 1 hour.