Satoshi Nihonyanagi
Welcome to my blog, Green Tea Club !
I'll show you all the beauties and goodies in Shizuoka through this blog.
If you have any inquiry, please feel free to post your messages on it.
Hope to see you around in Shizuoka !
Main content starts here.
03/23/2012 [Fri]
Amagi Museum [Izu City]
Another new facility, “Amagi Museum” was opened on Jan 2, 2012 in the middle of Izu Peninsula, Amagi, Izu City. They basically exhibit Japan’s famous arts for some duration and when I visited it, they were having the exhibition of world-loved Lego block works “PIECE of PEACE” ( legoⓇ ).
The first thing you will see at the entrance hall is the Tutankhamen built with as many as 20000 pieces of Lego, and dozens of Lego artistic works welcome you in the exhibition hall. Actually, they are displaying 26 world heritages of 20 countries for now until April 8, 2012. They look so real seen from a distance but if you walk closer, you will know that they are built only with pieces of Lego. Honestly amazing !
Walking around “Mont-Saint-Michel”, “Shuri Castle”, “Eiffel Tour” and “The Tower of Pisa”, I was almost feeling like I had been touring around the world. What pleased me most was that Mt. Fuji, temporarily registered in the list of prospective world heritage, was shown in the hall. 6000 pieces of Lego. How could it be ?
Then, I found a room for build-it-by-yourself, which reminded me of my childhood. I of course sat on the chair and reached some of Lego pieces. Imagination was only what was required but no matter how much I tried to figure a shape, nothing came upon me. There, I found a pair of tire. Maybe this is it. I put another piece on it, one after another, and finished it up after 10 minutes or so. Weird. I know I have no sense of beauty or art, whatever. Anyway, the world heritages of Lego worth seeing ! I reacknowledged then the fact that we are all connected to each other. Please stop by to find your own discovery.＾＾
From April 14, a Japanese cartoonist Ebisu’s work will be exhibited in the hall. Hope you enjoy it too !
Have a good day !＾＾
Amagi Museum
Access：30 minutes by bus to “Yugashima” bus stop from Shuzenji Station of Izu-hakone Railway
Admission：￥500 for adults, ￥300 for children ( Free for pre-school children )
Open Hours：10:00 – 17:00 ( closed on Tuesdays )
※ Part of admission and sales of related goods will be donated for World Heritage Activity of National Federation of UNESCO Association in Japan
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Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 15:09 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
03/15/2012 [Thu]
Wasabi Soft Ice Cream in mid Izu Peninsula [Izu City]
Amagi district, in the middle of Izu Peninsula, Izu City, is very famous for Wasabi and the best recommendation if you like to see or experience wasabi fields. On my way to Kawazu from Shuzenji, I stopped by a roadside station “Amagi goe” to drop at “Wasabi-no Sato”. Because there, you can find a wonderful soft ice-cream.＾＾ Ever imagined ice-cream with wasabi ? It tastes miraculously good ! Real just grated wasabi on the ice cream. Soon after you taste wasabi and feel the real fresh flavor, try it with ice cream. Indescribable harmony with wildness and modesty. How can I explain ?＾＾； At the other shop, another wasabi soft ice cream is available. Kneaded one. Compare those two below. Which one would you like ? ＾＾
As for Amagi, I like Joren Fall best ! Wasabi fields and wasabi shop are found along the river. The crystal-clear air and water will absolutely refresh your mind and soul. Just sitting is fine to me. In summer, it will cool us with minus ion. Anyway, for further information, please read our former report. There you can also try wasabi soft ice cream but, you know, I was not ready for the third ice cream then.＾＾； So you try and tell me someday.
Have a good day !
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“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 19:03 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
01/16/2012 [Mon]
Shuzenji Onsen Spa Resort ― Asaba [Izu City]
Shuzenji, Shizuoka Prefecture, is definitely one of the most historic and traditional onsen resorts in Japan and today I will introduce the most prestigious ryokan there. That is, Shuzenji Onsen “Asaba”. Its history can be traced back 500 years. It started as an inn of Shuzenji Temple, and since then, its history and tradition have been taken over to this day.
Walking from Shuzenji Temple through “Tokko-no Yu” and “the Pathway of bamboo forest”, you will find a large gate as one you see at a temple. A huge noren curtain and luxurious looking foyer could be seen through the gate.
This is Asaba ryokan Inn.
Stepping inside, I was welcomed by an Okami ( mistress ) in Kimono and other Nakai ladies, which made me feel just as if I had been the master of the inn.
A large pond could be seen over the foyer. On that day, I was so lucky that I could see a magazine model on a boat to shoot pictures. Just like an image of a painting. I felt so excited to look around.
There was even a Noh stage beyond the pond. It can be used to play noh performance or have a wedding ceremony, I heard.
So, what’s inside the ryokan. There are 17 rooms in total and 5 onsen bathroom including open-air spa, inner bath, and family onsen. Some rooms have the private onsen bathroom. Please inquire when you make a booking.
“Asaba thinks much of the harmonization with nature”
The manager told me in an interview. Seasonal charms such as flowers, trees, birds, and singing of insects should be always around us. Of course, meals are to be cooked with the best selected ingredients of the season, or of the time to be served in Kaiseki style. Some guests come several times in different season, he said. They go so far as to cook rice respectively by rooms, as an aside. This is the supreme Omotenashi, don’t you think ?
Asaba, believe it or not, doesn’t have the website, by the way. That means no information can be obtained through the internet. Still, this is also one of the traditions Asaba has been upholding until now. Still it’s also true that they have almost full guests every day only by word of mouth. No exaggerated ads are required for real quality. Asaba is such an extraordinary inn you will get into very soon.
Shuzenji Onsen “Asaba”
Access ： JR Tokyo → JR Mishima → 30 minutes by Izu-hakone Railway to Shuzenji station → 10 minutes by taxi
Reference Rates ： ￥40,000 〜 ￥80,000／adult with dinner and breakfast ( tax and service fee included )
Booking and Inquiries ： By phone（ communicable in English ）
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Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 09:02 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
01/05/2012 [Thu]
Shuzenji Onsen spa resort − Arai Ryokan inn [Izu City]
Shuzenji is an onsen resort directly connected with Japanese tradition and there are lots of ryokan inns by the Katsura River that flows in the center of the town, all of which were killingly loved by old cultural figures. “Arai Ryokan” is one of the oldest inns in Shuzenji and, believe it or not, 15 historic architectures have been registered as national cultural treasures. A definite prestigious ryokan, established in 1872, one hundred years before I was born, of the era called “Meiji Period” in Japan.
Seishu-ro on your left
Walking through the gate, I was very impressed by the autumn leaves marvelously going well with the architecture. I heard maple leaves of the Arai Ryokan’s inner garden had turned red fastest in Shuzenji. Another architecture seen on your left at the entrance is called “Seishu-ro”, which was built in 1881, the oldest building in Arai Ryokan, and is needless to say one of the registered national cultural treasures. I could feel the magnitude of history laden for years and years. Casually equipped calligraphic writings and paintings are all works of old cultural artists. You will also find a creek flowing in the lobby and stones shaping the Japanese archipelago. Everything is “Japanese”. I would rather say this lobby was created by old cultural workers.
I felt very comfortable walking on the wooden hallway and just wondered if the old men had also walked on the same floor. A decent pond, actually a part of Katsura River, was in the courtyard and I saw beautiful carps swimming gracefully. Guest rooms stand around the pond.
The guide exceptionally showed me one of the rooms. Astonishing ! I opened the window and found the Katsura River right in front of me and the red symbolic bridge. Beyond the river is the Chikurin-no Komichi, the bamboo pathway. I felt myself a little bit superiority seeing visitors passing by.＾＾
You can’t understand Arai-ryokan without seeing the onsen bathrooms. There are 4 onsens around the pond and one open-air bath a few minute walk away. Especially, the “Tempyo Dai-Yokudo” bathhouse in the picture is well known as an architectural masterpiece built in 1934. Dynamic cypress pillars looked so impressive.
As you can see from the picture, the lengths of pillars are all different and you know why ? It’s to strengthen the seismic capacity. That is the very wisdom of old people !
You can enjoy the guided tour of cultural properties of Arai-ryokan even if you are not staying overnight. Guide in English is available with request in advance. Please come and visit Arai Ryokan to stay or see the real Japan’s culture and history.
Arai Ryokan
Access ： JR Mishima Sta. → Izu-hakone Railway（ 30 min ）Shuzenji Sta. → #１bus to “Shuzenji Onsen” ( 10 min ) → 5 minute walk
Reference room rate ： ￥30,000 〜／adult ( with dinner and breakfast )
Inquiries ： by phone or e-mail
Arai Ryokan Guided Tour ( by NPO Yukihiko Mokuho Kai )
Guide fee ： Visitors ＝ ￥1500（ with tea and snack ）／Room Guests ＝ ￥500
Scheduled time ：10:00〜／15:00〜 ( basically twice a day ）, 16:00〜 ( for guests only ）
Inquiries ： by e-mail
For Japanese (748KB)
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“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 11:38 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
12/28/2011 [Wed]
Shuzenji Onsen spa resort ― Yagyu-no Sho [Izu City]
Once, in Tokyo, there was a ryotei traditional Japanese restaurant that had been pursuing the ultimate Japanese cuisine. “Yagyu” is its name and a ryokan inn taking over the mind of Yagyu stands still in Shuzenji, Izu City now.
A sukiya architecture ( traditional Japanese style mostly used for tea ceremony ) in the bamboo grove ― "Yagyu-no Sho" is the one I introduce today.
Established in 1970, it’s been already well-known as one of the most excellent ryokans in Japan though it has merely over 40 year history which is considered very new in the historic Shuzenji spa resort area.
13 rooms in the main house and 2 separated villas. All rooms are designed full-fledged sukiya style and, in addition, each room has distinctive aspects.
Please open the window to find a spectacular garden. It will surely let you forget your busy days. Just relax yourself.
Your meal will be served in Kaiseki style that has been taken over from “Yagyu”. They stick to selected ingredients chosen among the best place, best quality and the best season to reach the ultimate cuisine. Please feel the sense of tradition to your heart’s content.
Now, let’s see onsen hot spring that Shuzenji boasts most.
The onsen quality of Shuzenji is said to be the plain one； less of smell endemic to hot-spring, smooth to your skin and moisturizing your body. No wonder women love Shuzenji hot spring. The right picture is the communal bath. But this is not the only one. Yagyu-no Sho, believe it or not, provides individually a gorgeous onsen bathroom as pictures below to every single room wanting all guests to fully enjoy its high quality onsen.
Japanese ryokan often use the word “omotenashi”, ( often explained as “hospitality” ) which real definition differs by individual but I simply felt that I had seen various “omotenashi” during being guided in Yagyu-no Sho. I saw rooms, trees of gardens and even brightness of the hallway all ready to welcome coming guests. It was just like warmth of embracing, I instinctively presumed.
“This is the shape of our omotenashi we’ve pursued”
The master of Yagyu-no Sho told me in an interview. I deeply agreed. Supreme omotenashi to all guests. Come and stay at Yagyu-no Sho when you visit Shuzenji to touch the sublime mind of Japanese tradition.
For Japanese (661KB)
Yagyu-no Sho
Access ： JR Tokyo → JR Mishima → 30 minutes by Izu-hakone Railway to Shuzenji station
→ 10 minutes by taxi from Shuzenji Station
Reference room-rates ： ￥40,000 〜 ￥120,000／Adult ( with dinner and breakfast ) ※ service fee included, tax not included
Booking and inquiries ： By phone or e-mail（ acceptable in English ）
Website ： http://www.yagyu-no-sho.com
Join us in Twitter φ(・ω・ )
“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
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