Anton`s blog

Musim Semi tahun 2007 kali ini....kita berdua pergi ke Kyoto dan meyusuri sugai di daerah Gion...Hmmm benar-benar indah deh bunga sakuranya..... 

This is me and all my friend in front of Ninja House.

Iga Ueno is situated in western Mie. It is a castle town that spreads in the northern Iga Basin completely surrounded by mountains. The city has a neat grid of streets. The samurai's residences and temple town retain strong reminiscence of the olden days. It is also famous as the birthplace of the Iga ninja spies. Iga is one of the ninjutsu schools completed in the 14th century. The ninjas would infiltrate into the enemy's ground with the objectives of scouting, stratagems, raids, harassing the rear guard and other activities with their special skills called ninjutsu. The Iga Ninja Museum where an actual ninja's residence was transferred, is a must-see place.

The Iga Ueno Castle is famous for the highest stonewalls in Japan. These stonewalls were selected as the scene for a movie "Kumonosu-jo" directed by Akira Kurosawa.

In the last sunday, we attended an International Cooking Party from our Japanese Class at Ikoma City Network. Many participant made they country food such as from Turkey, Malaysia, China, Madagaskar, Thailand, South Korea, Peru and off course from Indonesia and Japan.

Arashiyama is a pleasant, touristy district at the outskirts of Kyoto. Its landmark is the wooden (now partially concrete) Togetsukyo Bridge with forested Mount Arashiyama as backdrop.

There are many things to see and do in the Arashiyama area. Tenryuji, a leading Zen temple, shops, cafes and restaurants are found in the district's busy center around Togetsukyo Bridge and Keifuku Arashiyama Station.

North of the central area, there are bamboo groves and a residential district with several small temples, scattered along the base of the wooded mountains. The area with its rural feel is best explored on foot, by rental bicycle (around 700 Yen per day) or on a rickshaw (around 8000 Yen for 30 minutes and 2 persons).

Another pleasant thing to do is taking a two hour boat tour down Hozu River. The river flows through an idyllic, forested valley before reaching urban Kyoto at the Togetsukyo Bridge. Alternatively, you can enjoy views of the valley from the Sagano Romantic Train.

Arashiyama is particularly beautiful and busy during the cherry blossom and autumn leaf seasons.

Kasuga Taisha is Nara's most celebrated shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city. Kasuga Taisha was also the tutelary shrine of the Fujiwara, Japan's most powerful family clan of most of the Nara and Heian Periods.

Like the Ise Shrines, Kasuga Shrine had been periodically torn down and rebuilt every 20 years for many centuries. In case of the Kasuga Shrine, however, that Shinto custom was discontinued at the end of the Edo Period.

Kasuga Taisha is famous for its many lanterns which were donated by worshippers. The many bronze lanterns within the shrine and the hundreds of stone lanterns lining the shrine's approach are lit on the occasion of the Lantern Festivals in February and August

Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion, is a Zen temple at the foot of Kyoto's Higashiyama ("eastern mountains"). The temple is formally known as Tozan Jishoji.

In 1482, shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa built his retirement villa on the grounds of today's temple. A few years later, the Silver Pavilion, modeled after Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), was constructed. Plans to cover the pavilion in silver were never realized.

The villa was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimasa's death in 1490.

Setelah Bonenkai Party, kita habiskan malam dengan bermain Bowling di Round1 masih sekitar ShiOmiya. Walaupun baru pertama main bowling, nilaiku cukup bagus >100.

Bonenkai or "Forget-the-year Parties" are held throughout December while Shinnenkai or "New Year Parties" are held in January. They are social gatherings of company workers, business and other friends that usually take place in restaurants. They are not family gatherings, and should not be confused with the New Year celebrations that take place during the Shogatsu holidays (January 1-3) and which are traditionally family events.

NB:aku ngga ikut minum loh!! cuman air teh yg warnanya sama dg bir mereka

Founded by Prince Shotoku, who is attributed with having introduced Buddhism to Japan, Horyuji is one of Japan's oldest temples. Its main hall, five storied pagoda and central gate, all located in the temple's Saiin Garan (Western Precinct) and dating from the 7th century, are the world's oldest surviving wooden structures.

Next to the Saiin Garan is the newly constructed Daihozoin, a hall that exhibits a part of the temple's art collection. The main attraction of the Horyuji's Toin Garan (Eastern Precinct) is the Yumedono, the Hall of Visions.

In 1993, Horyuji was designated a UNESCO world heritage site. Unlike many other historic attractions in Japan, Horyuji is wheelchair accessible and provides pamphlets in various foreign languages.

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple formally known as Rokuonji.

In 1397 construction started on the Golden Pavilion as part of a new residence for the retired shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Kinkakuji was converted into a Zen temple after Yoshimitsu's death in 1408.

The Golden Pavilion functions as shariden, housing sacred relics of the Buddha and is covered in gold leaf. The present building dates from 1955 as the pavilion was burnt by a fanatic monk in 1950