Gifu Summer Festivals and Events

July is the start of the hot summer period in Japan with the end of the rainy season. This is the time to head outdoors and enjoy the numerous festivals and events happening around the country. A few of my favourite Summer Activities in Japan.

Some of the big summer events happening in Gifu this July include:

Summer Activities in Japan

Summer is the time for festivals, food and fireworks in Japan. The white winter landscape has been covered in lush greenery with the sounds of cicadas shrilling and furin (wind chimes) blowing in the breeze.

The weather is hot and sticky, which is perfect for the summer festivals.

A few of my favourite summer activities in Japan

Ai Deshita by Kanjani8

This week's Japanese Song of the Week is Ai Deshita by Kanjani8, which has debuted at number 1 on the Japanese J-pop Oricon charts.

Kanjani8 (関ジャニ∞) is a seven member boy band from the Kansai region of Japan. They are one of the many artists from the famous Johnny's Entertainment group, which includes Arashi.

The name Kanjani8 is broken up to mean Kan for Kansai, jani for Johnny's and 8 for the Kansai TV Channel 8.

Japanese Hair Washing Robot

Japanese giant Panasonic has come up with a robot that can wash and blow dry hair. The product due for release next year is aimed to help the elderly population in Japan, and is seen as being a great aid to the rapidly increasing ageing population.

The washing robot can replicate the dexterous touch of a human hand and Panasonic believes the robot could help replace human care-givers in Japan.

The robot has 24 robotic fingers and 2 motorised arms, and shampoos, massages the scalp and rinses in about three minutes. Conditioning and a blow-dry add another five minutes to the process. Panasonic hopes to export the robot to other ageing societies such as South Korea and China, in the future.

Your Eyes by Arashi

This week's Japanese Song of the Week is Your Eyes by Arashi, which has debuted at number 1 on the Japanese J-pop Oricon charts.

Arashi (嵐) which means storm in Japanese is a five member group from the famous Johnny's Entertainment group. Their musical style ranges from Pop to R&B and Hip-Hop with a bit of Rock thrown in for good measure.

The group debuted in 1999 and this is the group's 39th single. The song is very touching and typical of Arashi.

Visiting The Tokyo Skytree

The new Tokyo Skytree offers unsurpassed views of Tokyo and is a must see on your next visit to the city. The Skytree opening last month was eagerly awaited and it has already gone on to become one of the biggest attractions in Japan. Tokyo is a city awash with modern skyscrapers, but they are all eclipsed by the Skytree, which at 634 meters dominates the city skyline.

The Skytree is the world’s tallest free standing tower and has two public observatories at 350 meters and 450 meters offering 360 degree views of the city. On a clear day you can see everything including the beautiful Mount Fuji.

Manatsu no Sounds Good! by AKB48

This week's Japanese Song of the Week is Manatsu no Sounds Good! (真夏のSounds Good!) by AKB48, which has debuted at number 1 on the Japanese J-Pop Oricon charts.

Read more about AKB48

This is the group's 26th single.

Kobe Travel Guide

Image from JNTO

Kobe is one of my favourite places in Japan and it is considered to be one of Japan’s most attractive cities. Kobe is a cosmopolitan port city with an international vibe that attracts a lot of foreigners. Kobe make a great travel destination due to its size with most of the sights reachable on foot from the main train stations.


The highlights of Kobe include:

• Ijinkan (異人館) - Kobe’s number one attraction is Ijinkan, which is a collection of Western-style houses dating from the 19th century. A lot of these houses date back to 1868 when Kobe was opened for foreign trade. 

• Kobe Tower - The unofficial symbol of the city of Kobe offering great views of the city for (¥600). 

• Shin-Kobe Cable Car - Located near Shin Kobe station, the ropeway takes you to the top of Mt Rokko, where the views over Kobe and the bay are amazing. 

• Nunobiki Habu-koen - A 40 acre garden located on Mt Rokko. It is a herb garden and complex of gardens with restaurants and shops. The garden features over 200 varieties of herbs. Admission to the garden along with a round-trip ride on the ropeway is ¥1200. 

• Nankinmachi (Kobe Chinatown) - A great place to visit in the evening with the illuminating lights. The area has lots of restaurants and street food. Famous for its pork buns (豚饅頭). 

• Kobe Harbour Land – A fun area with lots of cool restaurants and entertainment. It features a mega mall shopping area. 

• Kobe Beef – One of the world’s most famous beef that just melts in your mouth. There are lots of different dishes to be sampled in Kobe with Kobe beef. Some of my favourites include Kobe Beef Curry and Kobe Beef Steak. 

The great thing about Kobe is you can also make some side trips to Osaka and Himeji, which are close by.

Ijinkan from JNTO

Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree opened in Tokyo today and the city’s newest landmark is set to become an everlasting symbol of Tokyo. What is the Tokyo Skytree? It is a broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Tokyo, near Asakusa, which is a major tourist area.


A few facts about Tokyo Skytree:

Japanese Ice Bra

Japan’s hot and humid summers have led to many great ideas and inventions to try and stay cool and beat the summer heat. Last summer it was the Air Conditioned Jacket.

The latest is a bra with built in ice packs that promises to keep women cool this summer. The ice bra from underwear firm Triumph Japan dubbed the “Super Cool Bra” was unveiled on Wednesday. The bra features a pair of small fish tanks encompassing the breasts, a traditional Japanese wind chime and a mint leaf.

How does it all work?

Kodomo no Hi - Children’s Day

Kodomo no hi or Children's Day is a Japanese National Holiday during Golden Week which takes place on the 5th of May. While it is a holiday for children in general, it is primarily for boys (girls have a day of their own on the 3rd of March called (Hina Matsuri).

Children’s Day is a Japanese boy’s festival and is a day to pray for the healthy growth of boys. It is Japanese tradition for families with boys to display carp streamers (koinobori) outside their houses around this holiday. Carp are believed to symbolize successes in children’s lives, and by displaying koinobori it is hoped to bring boys of the family future success and luck. Samurai dolls called gogatsu ningyo (May Dolls) are also put on display in homes.

In my home, because we have a son we display kabuto (samurai helmet). Many people have these as a seasonal decoration displayed during Children’s Day. Kabuto is displayed to express hope that each boy in the family will grow up healthy and strong. We bought quite an expensive one in Japan, but really like having it out on display during Children’s Day. Our son loves wearing it on this special day as well.

You can see a picture of our family kabuto below

Family Kabuto (Samurai Helmet)

Some other interesting Japanese Festivals are:

• Golden Week - A period of Japanese National Holidays
• Hina Matsuri - Japanese Dolls Festival
• Tanabata - Japanese Star Festival

1,000,000 Smile by SUPER GiRLS

This week's Japanese Song of the Week is 1,000,000 Smile by SUPER GIRLS, which has debuted at number 5 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon charts.

SUPER GIRLS are a twelve member all girl group from Japan signed to the famous Avex Trax label. The group made their stage debut in 2010 and released their first single in 2011.

This is the group's 4th single and is old fashioned candy pop that is very upbeat and happy.

Golden Week 2012 in Japan

Golden Week in Japan is fast approaching. The end of April through around May 5th is called “Golden Week” in Japan and is based around a period of Japanese national holidays. Golden Week in 2012 is based on two separate holidays of 3 and 4 days. The first is from Saturday, April 28 through to Monday, April 30 and then Thursday, May 3 through to Sunday, May 6.

Miyajima Travel Guide

Image from JNTO

Miyajima is a 40 minute trip by tram and ferry from downtown Hiroshima. Most people know Miyajima for its famous giant torii gate, which seems to float on top of the water. The island has been deemed a sacred place since ancient times and is now classified as a “Special Place of Scenic Beauty” in Japan.

The first thing you notice on arrival are the welcoming committee of deer. Several hundred deer roam freely on the 30sq km island, attaching themselves to tourists, who supply them with food.

Miranda Kerr in Japanese Commercial for Lipton Limone Lemon Tea

Australia's own supermodel Miranda Kerr features in a new Japanese commercial (CM) for Lipton Limone Lemon Tea. The CM is very funny and quite catchy.

In the commercial, Miranda plays a singing waitress and actually sings in Japanese, but look out for the cute "oishii" at the end.

Cherry Blossom Forecast 2012

This year’s cherry blossom forecast is later than previous years with most places in Japan expecting a late March blooming date. This is most likely due to the colder weather experienced this year in Japan.

The best time for viewing the cherry blossoms varies between a few days to a few weeks from the first bloom, so don’t leave it too late to see the beautiful blossoms.

I have created a table below for the major places in Japan with the estimate start date and peak bloom of the cherry blossoms.

White Day in Japan

Image from andrene_morris

March 14th is White Day in Japan. What is White Day you ask? White Day is exactly one month after Valentines’s Day, and is where boys have to return the favour of gifts received from girls on Valentine’s Day.

On Valentine’s Day in Japan girls present the boys with gifts usually chocolate. White Day is where the boys have to return the favour. Why call it White Day? It is pretty simple really. White is the colour of sugar the main ingredient in candy which is traditionally given on White Day.

Japan Remembers March 11th Tohoku Earthquake

Image from 7News

Today, March 11th marks the first anniversary of the horrific earthquake and tsunami that devastated the coastline of north-eastern Japan. The Japanese government will hold a memorial service at the National Theatre, which faces the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo to mourn the disaster. At 2.46pm trains will stop, shoppers will stand still and people throughout Japan will fall silent to mark the exact moment when the 9.0 magnitude quake set off a catastrophic chain of events.

McDonald's Japan Beverly Hills Burger

The McDonald’s Japan Big America Burgers have returned for 2012. You can read about the previous editions of the burger here
Big America Burger Series.

The latest and final release in the current series is the Beverly Hills Burger, which features a beef patty, cooked egg, lettuce, onions, avocado sauce and Caesar salad sauce.

Kyoto Japan

Kyoto (京都) is one of the must see places in Japan on any trip. With more than 2000 shrines and temples, Japan’s former capital is considered the home of culture and history in Japan. The absolute minimum amount of time you should spend in Kyoto is two days but more is highly recommended to fully experience what the place has to offer.

The must see places in Kyoto include: