Bairin Koen in Gifu City is a famous spot for plum blossoms in Japan. The name Bairin Koen (梅林公園) means “plum grove park” and it certainly lives up to its name with 50 different types of ume or plum blossoms and around 1300 plum trees. About 700 of the trees have white blossoms with the other 600 with red/pink blossoms.
The park was originally a private estate until it passed into the hands of Gifu City, where it was expanded and made into a public park.
The earliest plum blossoms begin blooming in mid-January, with the majority usually reaching their full blossom in late February or early March. The Gifu Ume Matsuri is held around that time in the park on the first Saturday and Sunday of March. It features music, dancing and lots of street vendors selling all kinds of fabulous Japanese festival food.
Close up of the Pink Plum Blossoms
Pink Plum Blossoms
More Pink Plum Blossoms
Close up of the White Plum Blossoms
White Plum Blossoms
Plum Blossom Grove
A point of interest is the park is home to a D51 steam locomotive, which is popular with kids both big and small.
Japan is a country famous for many things: the sleek and efficient bullet train; traditional culture; world-famous cuisine and perhaps, most endearing of all, the snow monkey.
It is the small town of Yudanaka that many of these wonderful animals have made their home. Situated deep in the Japanese Alps, in an area known as “Hell Valley” thanks to its hot steam vents, sulfurous streams and other volcanic activity, the snow monkeys can be found taking advantage of their surroundings by bathing in the hot spring baths dotted throughout the area. Indeed, the monkeys have acquired such a reputation that one of these baths has been declared a ‘human-free’ zone and is used exclusively by the monkeys!
Japanese macaques, to call them by their proper name, bathe all year round, but it is especially amusing to watch them during the winter months, when the area is covered in a thick, white blanket of snow, which sits adorably on their heads as they attempt to warm up in a very human-like fashion. Though the animals are still wild, they have become somewhat use to the attention they now receive and photo opportunities abound as groups huddle together against the freezing air temperatures, preen each other and play. Hundreds of monkeys at a time can frequently be seen enjoying the warn and healing waters here.
The journey into the heart of Nagano isn't the easiest for visitors – after riding the bullet train from Tokyo for one and a half hours you then embark on a 40-minute train ride from Nagano City. A pleasant walk through beautiful woodland completes your journey. The sight that awaits you is well worth the effort though and as the area is dotted with hot spring inns, you can follow the monkeys’ lead and soothe away the day’s travels in the natural thermal waters.
This guest post and images have come from Audley Travel, an award–winning tour operator, specialising in tailor-made trips and small group tours for the discerning traveller, to over 80 countries around the world.
March 2-3: Gifu Ume Matsuri at Bairin Koen in Gifu City. Featuring 50 different types of ume blossoms and 1300 trees this is a must see for any ume blossom fan. There will be a kids event on the 2nd while the 3rd will have music and dancing. Lots of food vendors will be there as well for all your favourite festival food.
March 16: Istanbul / Turkey New Attraction at Little World Inuyama in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture. Featuring Turkish food, culture, goods and exhibitions. You can also try on some traditional Turkish costumes.
Visit the website for more details http://www.littleworld.jp/english
April 6-7: Inuyama Matsuri at Inuyama-jo Castle in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture. This festival first started in 1635 and features 13 parade floats, lavishly decorated and dating from the 17th century. They are paraded under the beautiful cherry blossoms. At night they are decorated with 365 paper lanterns (chochin).
April 6-7: Gifu Matsuri in the center of Gifu City. Kashimori Shrine, Inaba Shrine and Kogane Shrine host the festival, which features parade floats and street food vendors.
April 6-21: Tulip Festival at Kiso Sansen Koen in Kaizu City Gifu. The park is a blaze of colour with beautiful tulips that can be seen next to the cherry blossoms. There are also many events happening on the weekend. Open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday - Friday, and 800 am to 6:00 pm Saturday - Sunday. http://www.kisosansenkoen.go.jp/e/
April 14-15: Takayama Festival – one of the most spectacular festivals in Japan, featuring elaborate festival floats. The spring festival is also known as Sanno Festival. There are about a dozen festival floats or yatai as they are known in Japan, and each float is lit with 100 paper lanterns.
For more information on what is happening in Japan, you should check out the following travel guide books: (click on the image for more information)
March 3rd in Japan is a special day called Hina Matsuri (雛祭). It is also commonly known as Doll’s Festival or Girl’s Festival. On this day, families with girls will display ornamental dolls in the hope of bringing their daughters a successful and happy life.
Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display the set of ornamental dolls called hina-ningyō (雛人形), which represent the Emperor, Empress and other court attendants in traditional court dress of the Heian period (794-1185) in Japan. The dolls are usually displayed on a five or seven tired stand with the Emperor and Empress at the top. The next step contains three court ladies (sannin-kanjo), followed by five musicians (gonin-bayashi), two ministers (udaijin and sadaijin), and three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display.
Diamond shaped rice cakes called “hishi-mochi” are also displayed as an offering to help ensure the healthy growth and happy future of daughters. They are pink, white and green. Pink is for keeping evil spirits away, White for purity and Green is for good health.
Families will generally start to display the dolls in February, usually in their living rooms and take them down immediately after the festival on March 3rd. Don’t be late, as there is a superstition that if you leave the dolls out past March 4, the daughter will get married late.
A tradition on the day of Hina Matsuri is to drink sweet white sake called “shirozake” and eat chirashi zushi.
There are many different hina-ningyō sets here in Japan and they are usually quite expensive. Traditionally grandparents buy a set for a girl for her first Hina Matsuri (hatsu-zekku).
Here is a picture of a Hina Ningyo set we found here in Japan.
The Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich went on sale at KFC in Japan on February 7th. The bun less sandwich features ketchup rice, cheddar cheese special tomato sauce, and special mayonnaise sandwiched between two pieces of the Colonel’s Original Recipe chicken fillets.
Kind of reminds me of the KFC Double Down, which made its debut in Australia last year. The Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich is on sale for 450 yen (USD$4.80).
This is what the sandwich looks like:
The KFC Chicken Rice Sandwich comes wrapped in paper
Looks a bit of a mess but is pretty tasty
A good look at the ketchup rice, tomato sauce, mayo and cheese
A poster advertising the KFC Chicken Rice Sandwich
At first sight it looks like a pile of mess and doesn't look too appetizing. It is also quite expensive at 450 yen. How does it taste? It tastes pretty good and I liked the flavour combinations, but it is very high in carbs. I don’t know how you are meant to eat it as a sandwich as it’s quite messy. I ended up eating it all separately with my hands.
The Kentucky Chicken Rice Sandwich is only available in Japan until February 27th.
Check out my video of the KFC Chicken Rice Sandwich below
I’m interested to hear from you guys what you think of it. Have you tried it or would you be willing to give it a try?
Valentine’s Day in Japan is very different from home in Australia. The date is the same, February 14th, but in Japan it is all about the chocolates. The tradition in Japan is for the girls to give chocolates to the boys. It is totally up to the girls to show who they like by presenting them with chocolate. The favour is returned to the girls on a special day called White Day, which is celebrated a month later on March 14th.
Girls can express their love to that special boy in their life on Valentine’s Day, but it is not as simple as that. There are different types of chocolate giving on Valentine’s Day. These include:
Giri-choco (義理チョコ) obligation chocolate given to male friends, work mates, family and bosses. Giri means ("obligation") in Japanese and choco, ("chocolate"). There is no romantic association with giri-choco and it is just chocolate that you have to give to people. These are usually ordinary, inexpensive store brought chocolate and can range in price from 100 yen to 500 yen.
Various Chocolates on display in a Department Store
Honmei-choco (本命チョコ) chocolates for that special one who you want to express your love to such as boyfriend, lover or husband. This type of chocolate is special, so it is usually handmade by the girls themselves or is a really expensive chocolate from a store, often presented together with a gift. You are very lucky if you can get honmei-choco on Valentine’s Day!
There are lots of different types ranging from the cheap to very expensive
Tomo-choco (友チョコ) this is chocolate that girls give to friends and is usually inexpensive. This kind of chocolate has become more popular in Japan in recent years.
Jibun-choco (自分チョコ) chocolates that girls just buy for themselves. Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself to something special.
Nama chocolate is always a popular choice for Valentine's Day in Japan
Chocolate is the most popular gift for Valentine’s Day in Japan. Other popular gifts include cookies and small cakes. The department stores and supermarkets will be fully stocked with all sorts of chocolate days and weeks before the actual day. There are usually long queues at the stores in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day.
Mr Donuts and Krispy Kreme in Japan also had several special donuts on sale just for Valentine’s Day. Mr Donuts had ハートチュロ (Heart Churros) and ふんわりハート(Soft Heart) donuts. Both were very good and extremely sweet.
Mr Donuts Heart Churros
Mr Donuts Soft Heart Donut
This year, I also heard about "Valentine’s Insurance” in Japan. A guy can take out an insurance policy if he feels like he might not receive any chocolates on Valentine’s Day. A box of chocolates will arrive in the mail and he can feel that little bit special on the day.
I hope you had a great Valentine's Day this year wherever you are in the world.
Today, February 3rd is Setsubun no hi (節分の日) in Japan, which is a day that marks the change of the season. The word Setsubun literally means a division of the seasons. Setsubun no hi is not an official national holiday, but it is celebrated in ways meant to drive away evil spirits and bad luck and bring in good luck.
The next day, February 4th, is called Risshun (立春) and marks the official start of the spring season in Japan.
Setsubun Traditions and Customs
It is custom on Setsubun for people of all ages to throw beans and shout “Oni wa soto. Fuku wa uchi”, which basically means out with the demons and in with good luck! It is traditionally believed that the throwing of beans and shouting would drive away the demons of misfortune and thus allow prosperity.
When we throw beans outside of the house, we shout “Oni wa soto”, which means out with the demons. We also throw beans in different rooms of the house to scare away the demons and invite good luck. We do this by facing the good luck direction and shouting “Fuku wa uchi”, which means in with the good luck.
Children will often wear masks representing these bad luck demons.
Oni wa soto
The most famous custom of Setsubun is the mame-maki, or bean throwing. This is held at many Buddhist temples and Shinto Shrines in Japan, where dried beans are thrown to the spectators. People try and catch these beans usually with plastic bags or hats.
Mame-maki at Kano Temple in Gifu
Another tradition is to eat the number of beans corresponding to your age in the current year (2013).
Another way to celebrate is by eating a big, long, fat, uncut sushi roll called ehomaki. Eho means “good luck direction” and maki means “roll”. You are meant to face the good luck direction (this year it’s south south east) and eat the ehomaki with your eyes closed and without talking.
Ehomaki
This year we visited the Setsubun Celebrations at Kano located near the south exit of Gifu JR Station. This place is famous for its huge oni. There were many street vendors selling all kinds of Japanese festival food.
