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Hidden Ski Resorts in Japan
When one thinks of Japan words such as sushi and samurai may typically come to mind. However in recent years Japan has begun to gain acknowledgment for something completely different and unexpected: skiing. While the words skiing and Japan may not have an immediate and direct connection for most, in reality Japan is a utopia for avid skiers, with over 500 ski resorts scattered from the south of Kyushu to the north of Hokkaido. Ski fanatics from all over the world flock to Japan because they know that they will find pristine powder snow in perfect condition. The geographical location of Japan allows for the weather systems to work its magic, providing just the right amount of moisture and low temperatures. This results in an ideal environment where ski resorts overflow with champagne powder throughout the months of January to March. In fact, central and northern regions of Japan average a snowfall of 12 meters (39 ft) to 15 meters (49 ft) yearly.
Another word that may not have an immediate connection to Japan is “cheap.” While many seem to have the perception that Japan has an expensive cost of living, transportation, and pretty much everything else, this is not necessarily true. In fact, ski resorts in Japan can be enjoyed at reasonable prices compared with other countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and even Europe. So what do powder snow, slopes and courses to match skiers of all levels, and unbelievably reasonable prices add up to? A definite must-go for those who love cruising the snow. However choosing the right resort to venture out to from the possible 500 something may be a bit overwhelming, so below is a summary of a few of the most well-known.
HOKKAIDO – Prince Snow Resorts
The star of the north, Hokkaido is perhaps most famous for its fresh seafood and vast lands of never ending green. On the other hand, the region of Furano is surrounded by towering mountains on all sides, creating a patch of encased land. This creates an ideal location for skiing as the land is unaffected by the gushing ocean winds which can greatly influence the daily condition of the snow. Furano as a whole greatly appreciate and welcome foreign tourists, and locals who speak English often offer tours of the area for free. As of 2012 the percentage of foreign skiers is 20%, but Furano hopes to increase this to 50% within 10 years. The largest ski resort in Furano is the Prince Snow Resorts, which although major enough to host international competitions at times, is still priced at a third of ski resorts worldwide. With the unmatched hospitality and great prices, Furano may indeed be the next most popular skiing destination for foreigners.
YAMAGATA – Zao Ski Resort
Zao boasts a total of 14 slopes and 12 courses, meaning skiers would find the perfect match no matter what level they are. Dynamic courses weaving throughout the mountains are the favorites of experienced skiers. At the peak of the mountain awaits a stone statue of the guardian of the mountains. Zao is home to a truly unique sight – the silver thaws, or snow monsters. Snow monsters are actually pine trees covered completely in ice, making it seem as if there are towering creatures emerging from the snow. A number of strict conditions must be met for this natural phenomenon to occur, making it extremely rare to come by. Most tourists indulge in the set combination of skiing, snow monsters, and hot springs when visiting Zao.
SHIZUOKA – Mt. Fuji Snowtown Yeti
Shizuoka is one of the only two prefectures in Japan that shares the famous Mt. Fuji. And as if to confirm this fact, on days when the skies are clear Mt. Fuji can be seen from the slopes of Yeti as well. The grandiose view can be enjoyed by skiers of all levels as Yeti consists of slopes catering to any level. Yeti is not only beginner friendly but also family friendly as well, with a designated snow playground allowing for anyone who desires to create snowmen, have snowball fights, and even make snow angels. There is also a slope set aside for exclusively for sliding down on sleds (sled rental JPY 700 as of Sep 2012). Yeti provides an environment in which the young and old, beginners and advanced can all deeply enjoy.
NIIGATA – GALA Yuzawa Snow Resort
Gala is an unfalteringly popular ski destination even for citizens outside of Niigata for two main reasons: its ease of access and convenient rental service. Gala’s closest station, Gala Yuzawa Station is only one bullet train ride away from Tokyo Station, taking only 96 minutes. Gala even rents out everything from boots, sleds, trendy ski wear, to all the newest models of skis and snowboards, all maintained daily with great attention and care with the future visitors in mind. Travelers who are overwhelmed with the sudden urge to ski can find relief at Gala without bringing a single piece of ski equipment, and after a couple intensive hours of skiing, relax in the resting area completely free of charge.
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Tokyo’s New Night View
Open for traffic on February 12, this truss bridge spans 2,618 meters. Its unique shape, resembling a pair of crouching dinosaurs, has led to its being nickname the “dinosaur bridge.” The bridge’s nighttime colors are changed each month, with October the color of autumn flowers, November, the color of red maple leaves and December, the color of scarlet sage.
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Hospitality in the Toilet in Japan
With the aim of boosting satisfaction by visitors, Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku has adopted an “Omotenashi Toilet” system by which public toilets are recognized for high standards of cleanliness. The campaign aims to raise the perception of Kochi as being a hospitable place for sightseeing, thereby attracting more repeat visitors to its many attractions.
The campaign is part of the prefecture’s wider strategy of bring more visitors, having set its sights on the annual figure of 4 million visitors from outside the prefecture, which will bring revenues totaling more than 110 billion yen. To realize this, clean sanitary facilities at major sightseeing spots are regarded as essential.
To achieve certification, a lavatory must be 1) clean; 2) well illuminated (50 lux or above); 3) well ventilated with use of deodorizers; 4) provide toilet paper; 5) have one or more Western-style commode; and 6) convey a sense of hospitality to users. Concerning 6), such examples are suggested as flowers in vases; a facility for changing infant diapers; background music; supplying local information, and so on.
The campaign is focusing in lavatory facilities apart from private homes, such as hotels, rail stations, convenience stores, restaurants and others, whether public or commercial. Those accorded certification will be permitted to affix a multilingual “Omotenashi Toilet” seal, and also be listed on the prefecture’s home page.
URL: http://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/soshiki/020201/omotenashitoilet.html
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Tokyo’s Pedestrian Paradises
Tokyo’s Pedestrian Paradises
On most Sundays, motor traffic is banned from parts of three of the most popular streets in Tokyo, which then become “hoko-ten” (pedestrian paradises). This system dates back to August 1960, when the famous Ginza Street initiated the practice. This practice has continued to the present. The broad avenue is blocked off, and pedestrians permitted to stroll and relax, until early evening, free from exhaust gas and noisy traffic. (On rainy days and at the end of the year, some streets suspend the practice.) While such things as street performances photography sessions, political demonstrations, street sales, passing out of flyers, collection of money for charities, etc., are officially banned, some street performers nonetheless ignore the rule and put on impromptu shows.
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Millions upon Millions of Twinkling Stars
In a western suburb of Tokyo, you can see more stars than anywhere else on the planet. From July of this year, the Tamarokuto Science Center opened a planetarium in which a dazzling 140 million stars are projected onto its ceiling. Thanks to the adoption of new technology featuring LEDs as the source of illumination, the individual stars in clusters that make up the Milky Way galaxy can be viewed, along with colors and hues that more faithfully represent the universe as we view it by telescopes from our own planet. With a circumference of 27.5 meters, the planetarium’s dome is also one of the world’s largest, and during refurbishing, measures were taken to conceal seams in the screen. The added clarity and deep blackness of the starry sky heightens its appeal. “When you visit us, please be sure to bring along a pair of binoculars,” a staff of the Science Center urges.
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Travel in Osaka, Japan
WONDER CITY OSAKA
If you were to attempt to sum up the city of Osaka in a single phrase, the answer “nothing but everything” wouldn’t be entirely wrong. It’s difficult to find one landmark that symbolizes the city of Osaka, although a treasure trove of candidates is available. Here, we will introduce just a few highlights.
Air of Culture: Osaka Castle
Regarded as one of the most important Japanese castles along with Himeji Castle and Kumamoto Castle, Osaka Castle is closely associated with Osaka’s culture and history. It was built by military and political leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598), who is said to be one of the original masters of castle construction. The castle was constructed in the framework of the Azuchi-Momoyama era (1573-1598). After Hideyoshi’s heirs were defeated in the summer war of the Siege of Osaka (1615), the ruling Tokugawa government oversaw the castle’s reconstruction. Portions of the castle buildings that burned in the Second World War were subsequently restored by the government. Nonetheless the castle’s present form, surrounded by a modern and prosperous city, makes it a little difficult to imagine the scope of its grandeur in bygone days.
View of Osaka: The Floating Garden Observatory
The 173-meter-high Osaka Sky Building, with 40 floors above ground, was the world’s first conjoined skyscraper. On its top conjoined floor is a hanging garden which is the perfect place to get full view of Osaka night or day. Not only is the view from the top impressive, but the view of its conjoined form from the ground is also impressive, gathering praise from abroad. The spot has even been selected for inclusion in the Michelin Guide to Japan.
Tsuutenkaku tower in Shinsekai, Osaka Street car, tram in Osaka Fried something on a skewer Shinsekai district in Osaka
Experience Life in Osaka To experience life in Osaka, we recommend a visit to South Osaka. It is a city where one can experience the increasingly rare street cars and Osaka’s native food culture. In particular, a streetcar ride between Sumiyoshi Taisha and the town of Ebisu really gives the visitor the sense of Osaka in the old days. Also around Tsutenkaku Tower in the Shinsekai district, the streets are lined with vendors selling kushikatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets on a skewer), and visitors can walk around the neighborhood while enjoying a snack. A “no double dipping” rule unique to Osaka applies when for kushikatsu, and those who violate the rule by sticking their food into the hand-crafted sauce a second time will have to make a run for it or incur the shop owner’s wrath! The tasty snacks are an amazingly good value for money.
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Hidden yet beautiful gardens in Tokyo
<Nanushi no Taki Garden>
It was opened in the middle of the 19th century as a private residence by the lord of
The Oji area, at the tip of the Musashino Plateau, is home to many waterfalls, and there used to be seven waterfalls known as the “Oji Nanadaki”. Of these, Nanushi-no-Taki is the only one that still exists. The falls consist of four waterfalls.
The park is a strolling garden where these waterfalls, zelkova trees, enoki trees, chinquapin trees and more than 100 yama-momiji (Japanese maple tree) trees are planted on a slope to create a natural landscape.
It is located in Kita ward,
Kiyosumi Garden
This is a “strolling-style garden in the forest setting” with fountains, artificial hills and dry landscape. This method was used for the Daimyo Garden in the Edo period and was also adopted by the Meiji period, and is said to have been modernized by this Kiyosumi Garden.
Part of this area is said to have been the residence of Bunzaemon Kinokuniya, a wealthy merchant of the Edo period. During the Kyoho era (1716-1736), the residence was used as a subordinate residence of Kuze Yamato Mamoru, the lord of Sekijuku in Shimousa province, and the garden seems to have been formed to some extent at that time.
In 1881, Yataro Iwasaki, founder of Mitsubishi Zaibatsu (the largest conglomerate in Japan), bought the estate, which had fallen into disrepair, and planned to develop a garden for the comfort of employees and for inviting distinguished guests. Even after Yataro’s death, landscaping work continued, and the garden and its pond were constructed using water drawn from the Sumida River and surrounded by stones from all over Japan, making it a “strolling garden” representative of the Meiji era.
The Kiyosumi Garden was severely damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake, but it served unintentionally as an evacuation center and saved many lives. The Iwasaki family valued the disaster prevention function of the garden, and in 1924, donated the eastern half of the garden, which was less damaged, to the city of Tokyo for use as a park, and the city reopened it to the public in July 1932.
In 1977, an additional site adjacent to the west side of the garden was opened to the public as an open park. There is a lawn area and a pergola here. About 20 cherry trees have been planted here, making it a popular place for cherry blossom viewing in the spring. The garden was designated as a place of scenic beauty by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on March 31, 1979.