Entrance to Kiyomizu–dera Kyoto Japan

This week’s Japan Picture of the Week is the famous entrance to Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto, Japan. Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) means "Pure Water Temple" and is a temple first built in 798. It is one of the most famous landmarks of Kyoto and attracts a lot of tourist, especially during the cherry blossom season.

To get there take the No. 206 or 207 bus from JR Kyoto Station and get off at either the Kiyomizu-machi or Gojo-zaka bus stop. From there it is a 10-15 minute uphill walk to the temple.

Why Visit Japan in 2012

http://ciracar.com/beautiful-japan-part-2

Japan has had a rough 2011, with the March earthquake and tsunami disaster hurting tourist numbers, but Japan is the place to visit in 2012.


Why visit Japan in 2012?

Japanese Song of the Week Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku by Hello! Project Mobekimasu

This week’s Japanese Song of the Week is Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku by Hello! Project Mobekimasu, which has debuted at number 4 on the Japanese J-Pop Oricon chart.

This is Hello! Project Mobekimasu’s Debut Single, and was released on November 16, 2011, in 7 Editions Regular & Limited A~F.

Deer in Nara Koen Japan

This week's Japan Picture of the week is the famous deer which can be seen at Nara Koen in Japan. Nara Koen was created from wasteland in 1880 and is home to about 1200 deer. The deer in pre-Buddhist times were considered to be messengers of the gods, and today they enjoy the status of National Treasures. The deer roam the park and surrounding areas in search of keen tourists and a hand-out of food. You can buy shika-sembei (special biscuits) from vendors for 150 yen to feed to the deer.

Japanese Song of the Week Okie Dokie by SKE48

This week’s number one single on the Japanese J-Pop Oricon charts is Okie Dokie by SKE48.

You can read more about SKE48 here

Okie Dokie (オキドキ) is SKE48’s 7th single and 3rd straight number one on the J-Pop Oricon charts.

Nabana no Sato Mie, Japan

Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) located in Kuwana City in Mie Prefecture, Japan is a must see place if you are ever in the Mie area. Nabana no Sato is a theme park focused on flowers and is part of the Nagashima Onsen (長島温泉) resort area.

Japanese Song of the Week SPICE by Perfume

This week’s Japanese Song of the Week is SPICE by Perfume which has debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon chart.

Perfume (パフューム) is a Japanese all girl pop/techno trio from Hiroshima, Japan. They debuted locally in 2001 and made their major label debut in 2005 as an electropop act. SPICE is Perfume's 11th single.

The group formed in 2000 and named themselves Perfume as all three members had the Japanese character for fragrance (香) in their names. In 2011 their song “Polyrhythm” was chosen for the Pixar movie, Cars 2 soundtrack.