Japan Concierge's Travelog: November 2012

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Rikugien with Colored Leaves

Walking 7 minutes from Komagome station on JR Yamanote line in Tokyo, one of the famous Japanese gardens, Rikugien is there. It is autumn and the best time to see the colored leaves, lots of Japanese people go this garden to enjoy the scenery.
Rikugien was established in 1702 by feudal lord Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, who served as an attendant to the 5th Shogun in Edo period, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. It took about 7 years to construct this garden, which has hills, steams, islands, ponds and tea houses.

There are some cafes to have tea break. At Fukiage tea room, you can have Maccha tea with a sweet, JPY500. Relax and enjoy the garden view outside.

In 1878, this garden became a second residence of Mitsubishi's founder, Yataro Iwasaki, and he maintained the garden in good condition. Later, his family donated it to the city of Tokyo in 1938. Now the garden is designated as a special site of exceptional beauty and an important cultural asset.

The colored leaves reflected on the water are beautiful!

You must enjoy the overview from the tallest hill, Fujishiro Toge, the highlight of this garden.

Rikugien
http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/rikugien/index.html

Hours: Open from 9:00 to 17:00 (Entry until 16:30)

Closed: End year holidays, Dec 29 to Jan 1

Admission: JPY300 per adult

It takes about 1~2 hours to look around.

About two weeks in colored leave season, the garden is open at night till 21:00 as well, and visitors can enjoy the light up of the leaves. Also, you can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring, of course.

Experience Japan!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

With 1,200 year history, Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo

If you have some time when you visit Chusonji temple, please try to visit this temple, too. Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo was established in a religious precinct by one of Samurai heros, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, in 801. Because this surrounding area is so sacred that it is forbidden to kill any animals or pick any plants. Plus, you are not supposed to smoke, eat, or drink, nor bring any pets. Please feel the power of divine land surrounded with barrier.

Bishamondo was built under the cliff. It is said that this temple was built in the style of Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple. Bishamon is a god of war who originally protects those born in the year of Tiger. Bishamon fights demons and invites happiness. Bishamon saves not only fighters but also those who wish for their love, intelligence, promotion and fertility.

At the inner part of the sacred area, there is Stone carving of Buddha. A legend says that a master archer, Minamotono Yoshiie, carved this Buddha by firing arrows at the sandstone cliff. The 16.5m high Buddha is one of the largest Buddha statues or carvings in Japan and known as the Northern Rock Buddha.

Unfortunately, the lower part was destroyed by an earthquake in 1896. The face part also needs maintenance. It is valuable to see the Buddha on the rock.

The colored leaves are beautiful in this season, too. (from end of October to beginning of November.)

Once you go back to Ichinoseki Station, let's eat rice cake, it is famous in this area. The rice cake balls on this photo are with bean paste, with walnut paste, with sesame paste, and with green soybean paste.

In order to go Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo, take taxi from Hiraizumi or Ichinoseki station for 10 minutes. Visiting time for this temple is about 20~30 minutes, it is better to ask the taxi driver to wait to go back to the station because there is nothing in this area. There is also regular bus route from spring to autumn and sight seeing bus tours on every day from spring to autumn and on the weekend in winter time. Please check with Iwate Bus company (http://www.iwatekenkotsu.co.jp/teikikankou/teikan-top.htm), TEL# 0191-23-4250. (The sightseeing bus tour is about JPY3,500 for one-day including Chusonji and Motsuji temple.)

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo
http://hiraizumi.or.jp/en/sightseeing/takkoku/index.html

Open hours:

4/1-11/23 8:00-17:00
11/24-3/31 8:00-16:30

Admission: JPY300 for an adult

Experience Japan!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

MIYACHIKU, Miyazaki Beef Restaurant

Would you like to taste high grade Japanese beef? Miyazaki is the city name, which is in the south part of Kyushu Island, and is famous for Japanese black beef brand. You can have its beef at "Miyachiku restaurant" in Ginza, Tokyo.

Even though their beef is the supreme grade, we can taste at reasonable price at lunch time. Today, we ordered Ladies' steak lunch for me and also for my husband. (Guys can order Ladies' lunch, I think you can be full.) At this restaurant, you can taste Miyazaki beef both with grilled and with soup (shabu shabu style).

This is appetizer, purple sweet potato soup, roast beef, smoked salmon, etc... delicious!

There are some semi-private griddle rooms in this restaurant, and the chef grills and cooks all course menus and serve for you. The ladies' lunch included 60g of lean meat and 60g of fatty sirloin meat. We tasted with salt, citrus Japanese soy sauce, and wasabi. All tastes were so good and juicy. The restaurant serves the beef with A4 or A5 rank. (There are 5 ranks in Japanese beef, from A1 to A5.)

And salad, fried rice with miso soup.

Lastly, dessert and coffee or tea. Today's dessert was panna cotta.

Today's course price was JPY4,000 per person, plus drink. On the weekdays, there are more reasonable menus as well. The average price for dinner is JPY15,000 per person and for lunch JPY5,000. Cover charge is 10% only in dinner, a flat fee per person. Credit cards are accepted.

Open hours:

Lunch: 11:00 - 15:00 (L.O. 14:00)

Dinner Monday - Friday: 17:00 - 22:30 (L.O. 21:00)

Dinner Weekends and Holidays: 16:00 - 22:00 (L.O. 20:30)

Closed on 12/31 and 1/1

Miyazaki Beef, MIYACHIKU

Fujiya Ginza building 3F, 6-9-3, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0061

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a201400/lang/en/

Experience Japan!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

World Heritage, Chusonji Temple

Chusonji Temple, which is located in Northern part of Japan, was registered in the U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage List in 2011. You can go to the temple as one-day trip, let's go to see the Golden Hall if you have JR Pass.

You can see the Golden Hall and many kinds of golden Buddha statues at one time. (This photo is from a flier since you cannot take photos in this hall.)

To visit Chusonji Temple, take Tohoku bullet train from Tokyo to Ichinoseki station, it takes about 2.5 hours. Then, take local train for 8 minutes to Hiraizumi station. To get on this train, push the open door button, and do not forget to push the close door button. In this area, people open and close the train doors to keep warm inside the trains.

Once you get to Hiraizumi station, take bus or walk to the Chusonji Temple. It takes about 5 minutes by bus, and 20 minutes on foot up to the entrance of Chusonji precinct. The temple and golden hall are in the mountain, so you have to climb up another 10 minutes, go for it.

This is the main hall of Chusonji Temple, the center for services and rituals. Chusonji Temple was constructed in 12th century, after two wars were fought in Tohoku. The first Fujiwara lord, Kiyohira lost his families at the war. Then, he ordered to build this temple and offered a pledge before Buddha to console the spirits of the dead for not only for his families, but also for all his friends and also foes, humans and even animals.

And this is the main event, do not miss this Golden Hall, Konjikido. This building is remained from Fujiwara-era. The hall was completed in 1124. The image of Buddha, surrounded statues and the magnificent decorations are meant to represent his Pure Land western paradise. The inlay work of iridescent shells, the Southeast Asian rosewood and African ivory show the extensive trade network at that time. The mummified remains of four generations of Fujiwara lords rest in peace under.

Inside of this hall is all gold!