In the mountains, two hours by train from Tokyo (by Tobu line from Asakusa station), there is a holly place which is famous at the same time for buddhism, shinto and political history : Nikko (日光), the "Sunlight" of Japan, the right place to spend a week-end in November, when the leaves are red and the air is so pure. Follow me !

Lucky me : Look at this sky, from my window seat. Nikko is more meaningful when the sun shines, and the autumn sky did not fail to bless the trip.

Up there in the mountain, the climate is definitely fresher ; gloves and scarf are required ! The greatest point of Nikko is, according to me, its natural landscape, with its volcano-shaped mountains, its lakes and its waterfalls. From Nikko station, you can take a bus to Chuzenji lake (two days bus pass available for 2700 yen), and enjoy this scenary :

Chuzenji Lake

Water, stones, sky. Nikko has something solemn that even Nature reflects.

Kogen waterfall

In Japanese, the word for waterfall, taki (滝) means "water dragon". So poetic. In the case of kogen falls, the dragon is long, white, slim and pure, shining in the sunlight like a long clear ribbon.

Senjogahara Plateau

There are many small waterfalls in Senjohara plateau, and beautiful trees too - even if in late November, most of the colors were gone already. It's winter already in these high places ! Still, I could have a nice shot of flaming branches.

Not so bad for a rest of colors.

Toshogu Sanctuary

Toshogu Sancturay is the jewel of Nikko. The site has been finished in 1636, in the memory of Ieyasu, foundator of Tokugawa shogunate. This smart warrior-politician managed to unify the country in the 16th Century (before him, Japan was a patchwork of lands constantly disputed by clans) and to build the base of the Tokugawa's 250-years supremacy in Japan, until Meiji period. He was also the one who chose the Kanto region as the new capital of Japan, over the traditionnal Kyoto.

The shrines here are shinto, but so colourful, red and gold just as Chinese buddhist temples.

This is the symbol of Nikko : the 3 monkeys of wisdom. One does not hear what he shouldn't ; one does not tell what he shouldn't; one does not see what he shouldn't. This was a free lesson for the lords and politicians who had to wait for the shogun's leave to enter the Yomeimon gate and expose their demands or projects.

Yomeimon gate

Ieyasu's tomb

200 steps to reach the tomb. Yalla.

Ieyasu's tomb is very impressive, at the top of the hill, and all made in carved bronze which was much more precious than gold in Japan at this period.

The holly forest

The surrounding forest was just amazing : 16 000 cedars, most of them more than 300 years. Tall and magnificent trees...

This one is a kami, a Japanese god, as shown by the characteristic rope around it. People were sending money in its empty trunk and praying.

The giants of the forest...

... and color gifts everywhere.

World Heritage Park

The sanctuary belongs to a larger area classified as World Heritage by the Unesco. The park is full of old stone walls, ancient gardens and beautifully carved roofs. And trees. Trees. Trees !

Shinkyo Bridge

During Edo period, only the Emperor could walk on this bridge across the Daiya river. It is still closed to the public, but only because of its historical value, I guess. I hope. Whatever.

The Monkey Experience

Alright : my most striking memory of Nikko will be... the monkey I saw in the woods. A baboon, to be more precise, and big like a medium-sized dog, with a pink face and long grey-brown hair. Like this. Unfortunately the meeting was too short and I could not take a picture. I was astonished to see it like that, randomly, in this familiar-looking forest, and the Japanese around me saying "Why, this is nature, there are trees, so there are monkeys...". Hey, for a French, monkeys are in the zoo, not in the forest !  Come on, guys, that is so exotic !...

Can't believe I saw this, in its big version, and in real, a few meters from me... 

... everything is normal.

To the question "what should we eat at Nikko?", unfortunately, I don't have the answer. Only kakis, there were so many on the trees. For the rest, I found no typical food but this steaming "shogun curry", super-black and sweet type, that made my day...

Shogun curry !

Anecdote : In Nikko hotel, no Bible in your drawer but the Teaching of Buddha.

And that was my Nikko experience. Nature, History, Colors... What else ?

October is full of 3-days week-ends in Japan. This time, I decided to fly south and have a look at Fukuoka, the main city of Kyushu Island, where men are bold and mountains are hot (or the opposite, as you wish). Earthquakes are rare here, but volcanos are still smoking and the air is spicy with sulphur and Korean peppers. From Tokyo, it takes only 2 hours by plane to reach the city, and the little airport is amazingly close to the centertown, so you're ready to enjoy your holidays in an eye's blink.

For your information, I booked tickets with Skymark, the cheapest company to fly inside Japan - both plane and service were very good, I recommend it.

I'aaaaaaam coming up, so you'd better get the party started !

From the plane : look at who came just to say goodbye to me ! So sweet...

ZEN OYADO NISHITEI RYOKAN

As I had never been to Fukuoka, I randomly picked up a ryokan on the internet, and I have to say it was the best choice I could dream of. Zen Oyado Nishitei is a super-cute ryokan situated at Yakuin station, 20 by foot from both Hakata station and Tenjin station. Th design is great, traditionnal and neat. I did not order breakfast but I received "midnight" onigiri for free every night ! Fresh water and hot tea are provided in the rooms. The basins and bathroom are common, but the ryokan was so quiet I did not have to wait for it. The bathtube was huge, made of stones, I just loved it.

Pajamas provided !

MOMOCHI BEACH

No beach, no holidays. Fukuoka has a great seafront with many beaches, but let me introduce you the closest from the center and most convenient : Momochi Hama !

There is a church there for wedding ceremonies and all you can dream about : jetskies, ice-creams, palm trees. And SUNSETS, oh my God, SUNSETS.

FUKUOKA TOWER

All the big Japanese cities so far have a representative tower; Fukuoka Tower is especially beautiful, all made of glass shining in the sunlight...

FUKUOKA BY NIGHT

Fukuoka Bay from the Tower

The Floating Church from the Tower

Tenjin, the core of the city : wide streets, plenty of lights

Fukuoka famous street shops selling ramen, gyoza, yakiniku...

Fukuoka colors

FUKUOKA SPECIALITIES

I know I am desperately French, but I can't help it : for me, whatever the region, ramen is ramen... and I love it, for sure, but I don't really feel the difference between this Hakata Ramen (with soup and pork), the pride of Fukuoka, and any other ramen bowl. Maybe I aù going to be expelled of the country because I wrote this sentence, but whatever.

Hakata Ramen (yummy !)

Gyoza (one of my favorite dish in the world)

Fish & Seafood (let's it a lot before getting back home !)

and pistachio ice-cream ! Ok, it's not a local spciality, but I couldn't resist...

FUKUOKA CITY HALL

This is an amazing building with step gardens on the walls and a big orchestra center inside...

Dance contests : Fukuoka moves ! Here is the JR (Japan Railways) team, a funny performance with train noises !

DAZAIFU SHRINE

20 minutes by train from Tenjin station. As the country was invaded by Mongolia a long time ago, it is mixed with several influences and the result is even more colourful than usual shinto shrines.

KYUSHU NATIONAL MUSEUM

Huuuge... There is so much space here ! Is it Japan, really ?? Learn everything about Kyushu, including China, Korea, Mongolia influences on the region and above all, enjoy this incredible landscape... Bamboos everywhere ! Kyushu National Museum is a piece of art itself !

NOKONOSHIMA

Just in front of Fukuoka Bay, there is a 12 kilometers-diameter island called Nokonoshima (apparently it is a funny name to the Japanese ears), which is amazingly quiet and peaceful. 10 minutes by boat from Marinoa Mall Ferry station !

OHORIKOEN

Great park in central Fukuoka, Ohorikoen is the place I have seen the largest number of Westerners in Fukuoka. And this is also the place where I thought that Fukuoka was a very nice city to live in.

Fukuoka makes you happy ! Fukuoka makes you genki ! 

Pou-dou-dou ! Trop la pêche, moi. Ouais, ouais.

Don't miss the chance to go to Fukuoka !

Every year between April and May, comes the Golden Week.Or the Golden Almost-a-Week. Actually, the Golden Week is just a series of agglomerated "bank holidays" that give to the whole country the feeling to get a long vacation. As a French, I say : let me laugh. But anyway, the Golden Week is something serious in Japan. Most of the time, people manage to take an extra holiday in order to allow themselves to leave their workplace for five or six days (halleluyah) ; so they can come back to their hometown and spend time with their family ; or they travel around Japan (going to onsen, to resort parks...) and even abroad (Hawaii, Singapore, Hong-Kong). The Golden Week is the right moment (now or never) to have fun and to refresh entirely. No need to tell me twice.

GOLDEN WEEK 2011

 - at Kamakura and Enoshima, only 30 minutes from Tokyo -

INGREDIENTS LIST :

1) SWEET SEA

2) SOFT NATURE

3) FRIENDLY ANIMALS

4) FRESH AIR

5) GOOD FOOD

6) A PIECE OF DREAM

Sunday morning, 11:00, time for brunch. I think that the French cuisine reputation is safe.
いただきます！

Welcome to sunny, pinky, sweet Albi ! Sorry for the short comments, but it's holidays after all. Enjoy the summer everybody !

Saint-Cirq Lapopie is said to be the most beautiful village in France. I am at least sure that it's the most beautiful village I have ever seen. Pink roofs under the sun, wild nature around, amazing view on the valley... It looks like a place extracted from Heroic Fantasy, from Hayao Miyazaki's mind, from your dreams...

Holidays !!! Deeply desired holidays... First stop on the way to Southern France : Limoges, the capital of quiet, rural and empty central region of France. The best place to buy china - after China... Actually, the town is not very beautiful in the day light, but by night, it becomes a magical and golden city.

ここはリモージュという町です。フランスの中心で、とても静かですいている所です。夜の時本当にきれいになります。

It was a beautiful idea : having a nice China-town between the Seine and Marne rivers in the Eastern boder of Paris, with Chinese restaurants, shops, hotels, cultural activities... It was called Chinagora, and born in 1992. Now, it looks like a ghost city. The project died slowly because it was badly managed by both local and Chinese authorities. It can't be reconverted yet, because of a blocage in the legal process. But if you like Chinese ghosts stories, you can still enjoy the design of the place and imagine the lost souls crying about this huge waste of time, money and energy...

これはチャイナゴラというところです。パリの東で、中国の店やレストランやホテルがあります。面白いアイディーでしたけど、経済計画が悪くなって、今死んだ町の漢字です。誰もいなくて、本当に残念です。お金と時間の無駄だと思います。しかし幽霊の話が好きだったら、完璧な場所です。

This is the most modern part of Paris, usually empty, because it's not in a central area. Bercy Park is the perfect place to read a book or to draw something. A long time ago, it was a place where wine was stocked and it seems that its perfume is still in the air... If you need a nice shot of green, have a sunny walk at Bercy !

ここはベルシーというところです。昔、ワインのストックのところでしたが、今公園になりました。現代的なデザインで、いい天気の時本当にきれいな場所です。そして町の中心ではないので、とても静かです。

The stay was too short and the budget too light to explore all the resources of Okinawa - especially the Sea Park of Churaumi, in the North of Okinawa Island (we were settled in the South part); but also the smaller islands you can access only by boat and all the natural areas you need to go by car... Some places to see once in yourlife, which will make me come back to Okinawa in the future !

But the few we could enjoy was already amazing...

Seashore
Farniente, farniente !








Nature
Hibiscus flowers and strange-shape trees














Naha, Kokusai-dori
a Californian/Hawaiian/Chinese/Japanese Bazaar...














Okoku-mura, former Royal Village
Traditionnal Houses, Fruits, Brown sugar and Habu-shuu (Snake alcohol) factories























Gyokusendo, impressive caves
(sorry, it was difficult to take good pics...)




Habu Snake Park
People-friendly snakes only !

Kawaii snakes (glup)


Tasty snakes (re-glup)


Snake show
(where you learnt that the cobra is not as cool as it seems to be,
because it just can't see nor feel anything behind him).


This one is pink, so it's the snake of love (obviously).



Naha, Makishi Market









Okinawa best products : tropical fruits and bitter cucumber


and also... "pork face"... yes.


Shuri-jo
The former palace of the Ryukyu














Fukushuen
Traditionnal Chinese-style garden

The most beautiful garden you could dream about...

Notes about our stay in Okinawa

Being a gaijin in Okinawa is different from being a gaijin in Tokyo. Because of the hot issue of the US military bases in the region and the memory of the war in the Pacific area, you can feel a certain tension in the air when Westerners show their faces somewhere - even when, like us, you are not American... Even if people were mostly as kind and polite you can expect from a Japanese person, here are a few differences I noticed in everyday communication with Okinawans:

- In Tokyo, one of the first question people have for you is "where are you from?", followed by exclamations of enthusiasm when they hear the magical word "France". But in Okinawa, almost nobody asked, because a Westerner in the region may be from the States. Then, when they discover that you are from Europe, they show more perplexity than curiosity - the kind of reaction of vague ignorance that people from countries like Uzbekistan may undergo in Western countries when they announce their nationality... No French prestige in Okinawa. Damned. I confess that I got used to it very quickly...

- Nevertheless, enthusiasm comes with the linguistics. Of course, in Tokyo people spend their time to say how great your level in Japanese language is, but you know that it's mostly to have something to say and to support your effort in learning the language. In Okinawa, people were really, sincerely, astonished to hear our broken Japanese, even in very touristic areas like Kokusai-dori in Naha. That let you imagine how many Westerners they met before, who didn't make the slightest effort to say something in Japanese, when it's not Okinawa local language. I could read in their eyes "So, can a Westerner really talk Japanese ??? I can't believe it !"... That's when I realized that we were far from the mainland.

- Okinawa is the last Japanese land before the "rope" of islands becomes Taiwan, and the archipelago belonged to China for centuries before that. You can feel that you made a step into deeper Asia when a group of young men from Taiwan ask the permission to take pictures with you, one after the other, while you are visiting some amazing Chinese gardens... It's very strange to realize that you are more exotic than this kind of background :

Last but not least : Okinawa daily pleasure of EATING !

More pictures, more stories, more fun to come soon on Mogusa's blog !