This week we took a look at Gion Hatanaka, a beautiful ryokan in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto. Here guests can enjoy a Kyoto style dinner while watching Maiko performances for an affordable price. After the meal, the participants are invited to play drinking games with the Maiko! ^.^ Check out more at their homepage: […]
Last week, on a beautiful autumn day, Next Japan Travel visited Kyoto’s Shunkō-in temple in order to experience a genuine Zen meditation class. Shunkō-in Temple is a Zen Buddhist temple located in Kyoto’s Myōshin-ji temple complex. It was established by the daimyo (feudal lord) Horio Yoshiharu in 1590 in honor of his son. Almost every […]
On the 16th of August the «Gozan no Okuribi» (五山の送り火) event took place in Kyoto where five giant bonfires were lit on mountains surrounding the city. The event is connected to the O-bon festival – a Buddhist custom during which the spirits of deceased family members are said to visit this mortal world. The word […]
Sunday night the Kyoto-based company confirmed that Satoru Iwata-san unfortunately had passed away after an extended period of illness. In June last year he had to drop the yearly E3 game expo in Los Angeles as he had to undergo surgery. In 2002 the previous programmer took the top post of Nintendo just two years […]
This week, Next Japan Travel visited Kyoto’s famous Menbaka-ichidai restaurant, better known as the “Fire Ramen” restaurant. Despite being a small and local ramen-house, it recently ranked number 1 (!) of all restaurants and eateries in Kyoto (Tripadvisor). The concept is simple: put on an apron, put your hands behind your back, and wait for […]
The G7 summit of 2016 is to be held at Ise-Shima close to the original sacred Shinto shrines of Japan, (Ise) Jingu. “Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday Japan will host next year’s Group of Seven summit of major industrialized countries in an area of central Japan close to a grand Shinto shrine…” (link to […]
The Aoi festival held on the 15th of May every year in Kyoto is drawing near. Before the actual date of the festival, many preparations and pre-ceremonies has to be done. One of these is the misogi purification ceremony that was held today. In this ceremony, the “Saio-dai” purifies her mind and body by ceremoniously […]
If you google the word “Torii”, most of the torii gates appearing are indeed red, vermillion or orange. But why are they coated in exactly these colours? Finding a clear answer to our question is not easy, but according to the Fushimi Inari Shrine (the one with all the gates) located in Kyoto, the colour […]
Maiko – Apprentice Geisha in Kyoto, Japan. How can you tell the difference between a Maiko and a Geisha? Some of the easiest ways to distinguish the apprentice (Maiko) from the Geisha is by looking at their appearance. Whereas a Maiko wear a more colorful Kimono (dress) with a long ornate-style tied Obi (sash), the […]
