Zen-Kasyoin Cafe@Shibuya Hikarie

Zen-Kasyoin is a sweets shop in Kyoto.

Oh, Kyoto... a lovely, traditional, ancient city that Japanese admire.

Luckily I can enjoy their authentic sweets at Shibuya Hikarie. It's a mixture of Japanese and Western sweets such as green tea flavoured cake.

Because my friend and I, both of us are big green tea flavour fans, you can just imagine how much our happiness at that time.

「然」かすてら(zen-kasutera)、聖花冠(seikakan)、薪(takigi)
lovely names sweets...
zen-kasutera tastes the yolk of an egg.
seikakan, green tea flavoured custard cream inside.

zen-ice cream.
we are girls who never-should-afraid-to-eat-ice cream!

3 kinds of sugar are available for coffee.
because those sugar are so cute, I put white ball like sugar into my cup!
(usually I don't like sugar on my coffee.)

My friend and I have been friends since high school students. We wore same school uniforms.
Now, she brought her baby girl. I don't even have a partner.

But we are still friends, we always wish each other's happiness.
When she got married, I gave her beautiful iittala's glasses with other girls.
When I got new job, she gave me beautiful tanzanight's earrings.

iittala, tanzanights, They are not only gifts, but also our hearts.

How ever we changed, we'll be best friends forever.

What Do You Wish on Sunday?

What did you do today?

Now I'm waiting for the sunset.

I always love watching the sky at dusk.

Have you had a nice time today?

And what do you wish on Sunday?

I always ask to myself before I start a new week.

the sky will show you what's in your mind.
so, in my case....
what do you see?

Enoshima Island- 2

Generally Japanese go to a shrine at New Year,  in kind of celebration, or when he or she has a particular wish. Health, money, marriage, examination, and so on.

But, it's also common just for visiting. Because shrines usually have tranquil and peaceful precinct where people can relax and meditate what's in their mind.

Enoshima shrine is composed 3 shrines. Because shrines are dedicated to 3-sisters goddesses.

You can go up the stairs to the shrines, or you can take escalator(750yen, go up only, includes entrance fee for the light house).

red torii, this is gateway to the shinto shrine.
we will enter the sacred area through this gate.

purify yourself when you pass this symbolic rope gate.

fortunes are tied.

small path on the top of island.
there are guest houses, restaurants, shops and cafes.

enoshima beer is selling at this cafe.

finally, I found hydrangeas.

the light house "enoshima sea candle".
this uniquely designed light house was built in 2002.

what do you think?
my opinion, this light house is like a space shuttle!

because of the weather, we couldn't allow to use stairs inside of the light house.
elevator is available.

a view from the light house.
I could see the bridge where I walked from mainland.
I wish I had a good weather!
well, it's still amazing, even weather was not what I expected....

Enoshima Island- 1

Enoshima is a small island in Sagami-bay. But you don't need to get on board a boat, since you can walk from mainland to the island through the bridge. And this island is popular as a weekend destination because it is easy to access to the island from Tokyo.

Nearest station is Enoden's"Enoshima" station. It takes about 20 minutes by walk from the station to the island.

For me, this small island is also nostalgic island. When I was kid, my parents took me to Enoshima during summer holidays.

enoshima station

let's start to walk!

I almost arrived the bridge to the island.

this is a long bridge and we also need to walk in the island,
so I don't  recommend high-heeled shoes for girls.
walking shoes is better.

now you can see enoshima- island over there!

because of the weather, the sky and the sea are not blue...

just arrived in enoshima!

this path leads to a shrine which dedicated to benzaiten,
the goddess of music and entertainment.
there are many small shops, restaurants and accomodations both side of this path. 

an old, small post office

an unique, black painted post!!

I had lunch at small restaurant.

"enoshima teisyoku(lunch set)", about 2,500yen
finely chopped horse mackerel, a grilled turban shell and clams,
rice, miso soup, seaweed salad and pickels.
about young sardines, I bought it from a vender and ate on the street!

After lunch, I started to walk again. I headed to the Enoshima Shrine.
Because the shrine is famous, most people don't forget to visit, but there are many other interesting things.
A light house on the top of this island. Small passages, nostalgic restaurants, cats from mainland, a marina...

If you walk around in this island, you will find something.

Something unique, and something sweet.
Slow and nostalgic time, that's what I found in Enoshima Island.

Kamakura- Hase dera Temple

Hase dera is a buddhist temple which locates in the ancient city, Kamakura.

This temple is famous for a massive wooden statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. And also a beautiful Japanese garden.

During Rainy Season many people come to see hydrangeas. So do I... because hydrangeas look obviously more beautiful in the rain... brighter and more fresh. We can enjoy this pleasure only in Rainy Season.

hase station

a small station, there is no crowd? oh, don't jump to a conclusion!
a crowd has just left this station, so... 

many people were standing in front of the temple.
I had an announcement that it will take 75 minutes to be allowed to enter  hydrangea path.
this was seemed to be a problem, wait or not wait.....

I didn't wait for hydrangeas, there were another beautiful flowers.
temple's garden was still really beautiful even I didn't go to a hydrangea path.
maybe hydrangea path for next time.

After I walked around the garden, I went back to Hase station. It was time to have lunch. How about if I catch a train and head to Enoshima? My idea was.. having a nice lunch at a small restaurant in Enoshima, small island!

Famous fresh young sardines, a grilled turban shell, finely chopped horse mackerel!
I should not forget these local specialities!

It's fun, isn't it?

Enoshima Electric Railway

Now Japan is in Rainy Season which last until around the middle of July. Almost Everyday people carry an umbrella(Girls favour an all-weather one because we need an umbrella even in good weather to prevent strong sun lights).

But we still have some pleasure even in Rainy Season.

One of Rainy Season's pleasure is going to see beautiful hydrangeas at scenery location. So I decided to go to Hase-dera temple in Kamakura. Hase-dera is known for beautiful view and hydrangea path.

It takes about 1 hour from Tokyo to Kamakura by JR Yokosuka line.Yokosuka line has "Green Car" which give us more comfortable seats. Green Car fee is only 750yen for weekend.

JR Kamakura station

JR Yokosuka line's Green seats

In Kamakura, I changed to Enoshima Electric Railway(Enoden). Enoden is a small, cute train which links Kamakura and Fujisawa. You can enjoy mountains and coastlines from a window of this train.

Hase-dera's nearest station is "Hase" which 3 stations from Kamakura.

Well, let's enjoy Enoden's short trip!

route map, time table and facilities location map in front of a ticket gate.

a standard painted car

a colourful painted version

A Door to Somewhere Else

Sometimes a girl feels, she wants to go to somewhere. Somewhere, not here, a place where she never been to.

Far away from a daily life.

Far away from people who have known her.

But she doesn't know where she is going.

Sometimes she feels as if she is in a narrow path.

Or she is in a field where there is nobody.

Or she is in the dark.

But if she just believes that she will be given the best things for her, she would realize that she can manage her life easier.

It's so simple.

Let's sing a song "The First Noel",
THEY LOOKED UP AND SAW A STAR...

A star is always there even if she can't see.

The thing is, she just needs to look up the sky.

She would find what she hopes in her life.

A door has been opened, now she know.

Men In Black 3

Finally I went to a theater to watch "Men In Black 3"!

So sad, there is no Frank the Pug(but actually there is Frank's photo in J's bedroom! ).

In this time, Agent J(Will Smith) must save K(Tomy Lee Jones)'s life in his past 40 years ago...

And J found young K was a cheerful man not reticent and poker faced. K has changed. But what happen? J would find at last.

Story is simple and not so many (crazy)aliens this time. But after everything was happen between J and K(oh, I was exactly filled with tears), I feel happy to see them working together again.

Pieces of Japan (9 June 2012)

This time I collect scenes around "eating", but there is no restaurant. All of them is "fast food"(except the last one).

"Fast food", I mean, quick, easy, good price and delicious!

"Gyudon(a beef bowl)" is said "Japanese fast food". Actually I love gyudon shop! A beef bowl with miso soup(290yen) and salad(100yen),  this is really enough for lunch.

tokyo-chikara-meshi.
gyudon(a beef bowl) shop.
usually a beef is simmered, but fried in this shop.
always full of students and businessmen inside.

a food court in a shopping mall.
texas steak shop on the right side
and quick pasta shop in front.

other choices in this food court.
you can eat noodles(ramen, udon, champon), curry rice
gyudon and ice cream.

or you can eat "bento" which you can buy at supermarket in the shopping mall.
green vegetable juice: 380yen.
pork bento: 498yen.

at the table of RINGERHUT.
special Nagasaki champon-noodle shop.
not only students/businessmen but also girls love this noodle shop
since champon is cooked with lots of vegetables.

negi(long onion)-shio(salt)-chicken burger by LOTTERIA.
shrimp burger and cheese burger is also popular.

something extra; this is not a fast food shop, but a bar.
I love this one. a signboard of bar(uma-no-hone bar: a horse's bone bar).
a skeleton says, "I hear that bar's entrance is in back of this building."