EmiOnishi
Japan
39 years in Japan
I was born in Kyoto and moved to Tokyo about 10 years ago. I hope to share some information about Kansai through DJ :-). Currently enjoy being a mom raizing a two-year old boy.
EmiOnishi's Advice List
EmiOnishi
Japan
39 years in Japan
Enoshima - "Jewel of Shonan" Festival
Enoshima Island has been lit up for the "Jewel of Shonan" Festival, with delightful night time illuminations at various locations, including the Sea Candle Lighthouse, Samuel Cocking Garden, some of the local cafes and restaurants. It is chosen as one of the three major illumination spots in the Ka…(263 words)
EmiOnishi
Enoshima Island festival Shonan Visit Spring Sea Winter Walk Mount Fuji view
Kyara-ben or chara-ben Culture
It is a shortened form of character bento. As Autumn is season for sports festivals in Japan, it comes up in our conversations between moms. Moms decorate homemade food to look like cute characters in order to make their kids happy and their lunches more appealing.If you’re interested in seeing…(222 words)
EmiOnishi
Food Bento (box meal) Kids Art Sport Autumn Japanese food Apple
High Quality Fruits in Japan
The other day, I found giant "New Pione" grapes at a local supermarket and I could help buying one even though the price was rather high compared to other grapes (750 yen per pack while regular grapes are sold at 350 yen per pack). They are seedless and each grape has a diameter of 4cm or more. The…(599 words)
EmiOnishi
fruit picking Fruits Eat Hotel Okayama Yamanashi Peach
Ginza Ogura at Haneda Airport
Haneda’s international terminal has an impressive selection of good restaurants in a nicely designed area called the Edo Market Place, although they are all relatively expensive. Once you check in your luggage, you will have free time to wonder and have a meal before boarding the plane. You may…(233 words)
EmiOnishi
Airport Haneda Airport Food Tokyo Convenience store Winter Soy sauce Tempura Oden
Oiran Parade : The screamingly bright colors!
Shinagawa Shukuba Festival is held on the last Saturday and Sunday of September every year. We just had one two weeks ago. One performance you should not miss is the parade of oiran (courtesans) wearing beautiful Kimono. If you are lucky, you will have an opportunity to watch one of those oiran par…(467 words)
EmiOnishi
Japanese festivals Kimono oiran Event Flower Autumn Live festival Kanto style
"Matsutake" Mushrooms
Autumn is "Shokuyoku no aki" (time of hearty appetites). As the heat goes away, the Japanese enjoy seasonal foods such as chestnuts, mashrooms, sweet potatos and Pacific saury to name a few. Sometimes, we enjoy culinary treats such as maple leaves in tempura.One of the more notable smells of au…(235 words)
EmiOnishi
Autumn Seasonal matsutake Sushi Tempura green Yuzu Sudachi Chawan mushi (Steamed egg custard)
Oktoberfest in Japan: Starting in Odaiba this Friday!
It's been 12 years already since Japan started the Bavarian beer festival, Oktoberfest in Yokohama for the first time. You can now enjoy the Munich's notorious beer festival throughout Japan such as Tohoku, Nagasaki and Tokyo (Odaiba, Hibiya, Yoyogi and Akihabara, etc.) Today I had a chance to go t…(269 words)
EmiOnishi
Odaiba Beer Drink Event festival Autumn Tokyo Park Yokohama
NOUSAKU: Flexible ware? Great Japanese Craftmanship
My parents' birthdays are coming up this month and I am considering to present them a special Japanese craftman art this year. Have you heard of NOUSAKU brand? I had a chance to do some research on this company at work and I would like to share about their wonderful work. It is becoming a huge hit …(395 words)
EmiOnishi
craftmanship Japanese manufacturing Souvenir Art Ginza Department store Mitsukoshi Tokyo City Hotel
Assistance/Help button: Subway ticket machine
Tokyo is covered by a dense network of train, subway and bus lines. They are operated by about a dozen different companies. The train lines operated by JR East and the subway lines are most convenient for moving around central Tokyo. Although smartphones and mobile phones can provide great navigati…(129 words)
EmiOnishi
Ticket Subway Ticket machine Tokyo Train Bus Movie Mobile network
Meal Muji Cafe in Yurakucho, Tokyo
Meal Muji is located on the second floor in the Yurakucho Muji store (same building as Loft). I would say one of the best Muji stores in Tokyo. It's a large open cafeteria style space- you wait in line to be seated, then you go to the deli counter to order your food and pay. Although they don't…(221 words)
EmiOnishi
Tokyo Cafe Kids Food Miso soup Marunouchi Lunch
Legoland Discovery Center in Odaiba, Tokyo
Legoland is a theme park dedicated to families with children between the age of 2 and 12 that features interactive rides, play space and attractions based on the LEGO toy brand. The park is split into various areas such as a Lego miniland, play fields and model village. The model village is bre…(252 words)
EmiOnishi
Odaiba Children Kids Tokyo Park Play view Amusement park Toy
Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto
Nothing is as symbolic of Kyoto as Kinkaku-ji's golden reflection shimmering on the surface of the pond before it. A lot of people should be familiar with such a picture appeared on postcards and guidebook. I would like to share my personal experience with Kinkakuji. When I first visited Ki…(450 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Visit Tera (Temple) Building Statue Travel Etiquette
Love Stones at Jishu Shrine in Kyoto
Jishu Shrine is located near (or I would say within) Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple. Dedicated to the deity of love and matchmaking, the love shrine is always crowded with many couples and especially young girls praying for luck in love. There are two love stones in front of the shrine, placed 18m apa…(223 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Jinjya (Shrine) Tera (Temple) Park Visit Amusement park
JR Kyoto Station - Futuristic architecture masterpiece
If you only pass through the platforms of Kyoto Station, you miss out to explore this impressive building, the third largest train station in Japan (Ref: 1st: Tokyo, 2nd: Umeda). The whole building was constructed on the 1200th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto.If you come by tra…(267 words)
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Kyoto architecture Train station Train Building Department store view Internet
Gorgeous and Exotic "Pontocho" in Kyoto!
At night, Kamogawa riverside is turned to be the scenic site well-known for its gorgeous Pontocho in Kyoto! I used to take my friends visiting Kyoto to Pontocho without fail. I just love their atmosphere - the traditional lantern lights in their narrow street are really exotic. Summer is here …(257 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Summer Visit Sushi River Izakaya Tempura Cuisine Kamo river Maiko and Geisha
Kamogawa Riverside in Kyoto
The Kamo River (鴨川 Kamo-gawa, literally means duck river) is running through Kyoto Prefecture. The riverbanks are popular walking spots for residents and tourists. There are pathways running alongside the river on which one can walk along the river, and some stepping stones that cross the river.…(187 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Summer Kamo river River Walk view Japanese Culture Dining
Lively NISHIKI market in KYOTO!
A market is the best place to visit if you want to know about the lifestyle in the area. When you are visiting Kyoto, it's a good idea to go to the lively Nishiki Market.Now there are about 130 grocery and seafood shops lined up on both sides of the narrow street. They are selling Kyoto's speci…(250 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Market Visit Food Sashimi (Raw fish) Shop Tofu (Soy bean curd) Fish Snacks Seafood
Amazing Kyoto- Sanjusangendo Hall
Sanjusengendo hall is the MUST visit spot in Kyoto among many sightseeing destinations.A large, wooden statue of a 1000-armed Kannon (Senju Kannon) sits in the center of the main hall and there are 500 statues of human sized 1000-armed Kannon standing in ten rows on each side. To walk through t…(166 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Visit Tera (Temple) Bus Walk Statue Guide
EPSON Shinagawa Aqua Stadium
This aquarium is a couple of minute walk from the Takanawa exit of Shinagawa station and located within the Shinagawa Price Hotel complex. The aquarium is rather small, but good size for little kids to walk around. A variety of colorful fish will entertain your eyes. Their tropical fish submari…(193 words)
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Shinagawa Kids Aquarium Summer Hotel Sea Walk Fish Shinagawa Station
KAIO Kaitenzushi restaurant in Diver City, Odaiba
Kaio is a kaitenzushi restaurant on the 6th floor of Diver City on Odaiba, Tokyo. In addition to the normal conveyor belt, you can use the iPad touch screen to make specific orders, and they are delivered by a little "shinkansen" train on the 2nd level above the conveyor belt. Kids will love this!…(183 words)
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Odaiba Sushi Kaitenzushi (Conveyor belt sushi) Restaurant Tokyo Train English Shinkansen Bullet Train Sashimi (Raw fish)
"Chinowa" - a Very special ring at shrine!
"Chinowa" is a large ring made of grass and erected on the pathway leading to a shrine on the days of purification (harae). Photos are taken at Shinagawa Shrine.At the shrine, you can pass through the ring as an act of purification from misdeeds (tsumi), impurities (kegare), or bad luck. Shinag…(170 words)
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Jinjya (Shrine) Tokyo Visit Mountain Shinagawa Station Mount Fuji Shinagawa
Doraemon - Robot cat
The other day, from the local evening TV news, I learned that our Doraemon is to make his debut on US television this year (2014)!Doraemon is one of the most popular cartoon characters. He is a robot cat from the future with a magic pocket in his tummy. When I was a child, I used to sit in fron…(284 words)
EmiOnishi
cartoon Television Doraemon Japanese Animation Anime Manga Japanese Pop Culture Summer Evening
Tokyo Bay Fireworks - HANABI Special buffet Dinner
The Tokyo Bay Fireworks are held north of the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay. They feature about 12,000 fireworks launched from barges anchored in the water. They have official viewing spots at Harumi Park (15 minute walk from Toyosu Station), but transportation will be really bad especially after…(319 words)
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Tokyo Dinner Restaurant Hotel Drink Sushi Tempura Beef Fireworks Fireworks Shows
Umeshu and Umeboshi
When you are supermarkets, you must have seen a bunch of bottles and suger on sale these days. Yes, this time around the year is the time to make your own Umeshu and Umeboshi at home in Japan.Umeshu （梅酒） is a Japanese liqueur made from ume fruits (while still unripe and green) in alcohol and suga…(198 words)
EmiOnishi
Umeboshi Umeshu Drink Salt Fruits Shochu Onigiri (Rice ball) Sugar Japanese plum
Odawara Castle - Worth a Visit!
When you are in Odawara area, the Odawara Castle is worth a visit. It is actually located in a fairly short walk from Odawara Station. You can see it from the station as this castle is built upon a small hill. What I liked most is a beautiful red bridge leading across the moat into the castle g…(269 words)
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Visit Castle Odawara Train Park Kimono Samurai Amusement park Walk Kids
Sea foods bowl restaurant "Kaishu" in Odawara
Odawara is the station many people pass by when they visit popular Hakone. We happened to walk around Odawara for the first time when we visited Hakone last time. There, we found a very good restaurant specializing in sea foods bowls(Donburi),"Kaishu". With such a colorful restaurant's front face, …(242 words)
EmiOnishi
Restaurant Odawara Tempura Shinkansen Bullet Train Sashimi (Raw fish) Hakone Teishoku Tokyo sea food
Lavender fields of Farm Tomita/Hokkaido
In Hokkaido, Furano's lavender fields attract large numbers of visitors to the region every summer when the plants are in full bloom. Lavenders usually start blooming in late June and reaches its peak from around mid July to early August. I had always wanted to visit Furano since I watched the …(328 words)
EmiOnishi
Hokkaido Lavender Summer Visit Region Walk Garden Curry Kids
UNKAI Sea of Clouds in Hokkaido
Unkai Terrace is located in the resort town of Tomamu in Hokkaido Japan, about a 2.5 hour drive from Sapporo. The word "Unkai" in Japanese means "sea of clouds" and the natural phenomena only occurs occasionally, typically on summer mornings. Resort Tomamu located in Shimukappu village has the unka…(313 words)
EmiOnishi
Sea Hokkaido Hotel Summer Visit Event Coffee Nature Mountain view
How to cook edamame at home
Edamame is a delightful vegetable commonly served at Japanese Izakaya and sushi restaurants as a meal starter. Also, we can also cook them easily at home when you want some finger food to dinner during summer. Although it's very easy and simple, how to cook edamame is very important since it makes …(191 words)
EmiOnishi
Edamame (Green soybeans) Summer Sushi Izakaya Salt Dinner Food summer food
Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
Hakone Sightseeing Cruise links popular sightseeing spots and you can enjoy scenic views of Mt. Fuji if the weather allows. We were not able to see it when we went. You should consider yourself lucky if you get a clear view of the mountain. Even without it, the ride is worth it. Calm, relaxing and …(142 words)
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Cruise Hakone Hiking Lake Lake Ashi Mount Fuji Mountain view Weather
"Tanaye" & "Club Harie"
These are special sweets "Taneya" designed for Children's Day this year. Aren't they pretty? Inside the paper boxes, they have several Chimaki, a cake wrapped in bamboo leaves, special sweets for Children's Day in Japan. Their mochi skin is so smooth and I bet you will be impressed with your first …(246 words)
EmiOnishi
Tokyo Visit Department store Mochi (Rice cake) Sweets Children Cake Shiga Wagashi tradition
Preserved alpha rice
Have you ever heard of preserved alpha rice? It is packed in pouch and very useful for disaster cases. Even without gas or electricity, it can be cooked with hot water or water! We joined the children's outdoor event the other day and one of the NPO groups was demonstrating how to cook preseved…(165 words)
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emergency provisions Outdoor recreation Children Disaster emergency Event
Bakery & Table HAKONE
Great food, service and views!We happened to pass by this place and walked in. But it turned out to be excellent! We grabbed a couple of pastry with a bottle of milk and sat outside enjoying the view of the Ashi Lake. You can take off your shoes and socks at the outside table and soak your bare…(131 words)
EmiOnishi
Hakone Bakery Restaurant Spring Bus Shoes Milk Lake view Food
"Gomatamago" - Tokyo sweet souvenir
You may not know it yet but one of the Tokyo "omiyage" you want most is the gomatomago. Goma means sesame seed and tamago means egg. Literally it is a sesame seed egg. It's a Tokyo specialty and previously available only at Tokyo Station. However, as it is getting popular, you can find it some othe…(164 words)
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Tokyo Souvenir Kansai Cake Tokyo Station Sweets chocolate
Omiyage wrapping
Omiyage is the Japanese social obligation of gifting. It's expected for travelers/guests to bring omiyage when they go somewhere for hosts or when they return home for family, friends or coworkers. It's best when the gift is a specialty product of the region, from which that the traveler is coming.…(226 words)
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Souvenir Shopping Visit Etiquette Beauty Region Japanese Culture
The Hakone Open Air Museum : Amazing place!
The Hakone Open Air Museum is a beautiful landscape park with wonderful arts and the mountains as a backdrop. I recommend this as an unforgettable stop while exploring Hakone. We went there in the afternoon on the way back from our Hakone trip as it has been always my favorite Hakone spot. We stay…(255 words)
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Museum Hakone Park Building Trip Lunch English Play Gallery Kids
Happy Nogeyama Zoo in Yokohama
We visited Nogeyama zoo today.It is just about a right size zoo for little kids and my little boy was running all over. I admire Yokohama city to run this place as a free zoo beside Kanazawa zoo (also a free zoo) and Zoorasia (Admisson fee 600 yen/person). We would love to visit the other two i…(235 words)
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Yokohama Zoo Nogeyama Zoo City Visit Children Respect for the Aged Day
Sakura in Jijyugaoka and Tokyo Institute of Technology
The “hanami” experience is highly recommended for those visiting Japan around this time. My family visits Jiyugaoka every year for Hanami. We went there last weekend and it was pretty as always! I would recommend to get off at Midorigaoka Station (Oimachi line) and walk along the sidewalk to Jiyuga…(257 words)
EmiOnishi
Tokyo Cherry blossom Cherry Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) Sweets To-ji Temple Japanese camellia
Ootoya restaurant - Kasan Ni Teishoku
My recommendation for Teishoku is "Kasan Ni" at Ootoya Restaurant. This one is an Ootoya special and one of their signature items. I actually ate this yummy teishoku when I went there with my family for the first time. Then, I ended up sticking to this dish for a while after that whenever I went th…(149 words)
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Restaurant Teishoku
My seven-tiered Hina doll set
The photo shows my seven-tiered Hina doll set. My grandpa bought the set for me when I was a baby. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (雛人形 hina-ningyō) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the He…(274 words)
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tradition custom Dolls Hinamatsuri Event- Page 1 of 2
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