2. April 2019 20:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Below the Osaka tower is a restaurant area with lots of yummi food.
The area was once a very modern part of Osaka, and worth a visit during the night.
2. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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In Osaka we went to the Toei Film Studio.
This is an area where they have filmed lots of traditional Japanese movies and where they have all the old houses and also some theaters.
It is also used as a bit of an entertainment and cultural area to teach the Japanese about their culture. Surprisingly we seemed to be the only foreign tourists there and it was definitely worth the visit even though we didn't understand a word of what they were saying.
2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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In Osaka we went to the Universal Studios theme park. It was just before Halloween, so everywhere in the park people were dressed up in 'scary' costumes.
After dark the park put on the most amazing zombie show with hundreds of actors and dancers dressed up as zombies - No One celebrates Halloween like the Japanese - amazing!!!!
2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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While in Japan we had to try a traditional Japanese bathhouse. We found a small one in the suburbs of Osaka that had good reviews and was also suited for the boys.
As most of the bath houses men and women are in different sections, so I took the boys with me which was a fun experience for them.
The bath house had a section that was full of yellow rubber ducks, and the boys spent a fair amount of time playing with them.
It also had a lot of other pools that varied from really hot to freezing cold pools as well a various mineral baths with water pumped up from deep underground.
It is difficult to describe the feeling, but both Kim and I felt amazing afterwards. No photos allowed inside, so the outside and the poster at the local trans station will have to do.
1. April 2019 20:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Nara is an area a couple of hours outside Kyoto that is full of temples and deer roaming the streets.
It has a massive temple with one of the pillars with a hole in it. Apparently if you can squeeze through then you are enlightened.
The deers are good fun although Kim and and boys took a while to get used to them.
1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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This castle is close to the centre of the city. It is quite big and lit up at night. Out hotel was just around the corner so we passed it almost every day.
We didn't go inside it as there were too many other things to see.
1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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There are lots of temples in Kyoto. This is mainly because the city wasn't bombed during the second world war.
For historical reasons they are mostly outside the city centre in the hills - apparently they were banned from the city centre long time ago due to the monks growing influence.
1. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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The golden pavillion in Kyoto is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto. It is a small zen temple surrounded by a beautifully manicured landscape.
It is however very touristy with large tour buses and large crowds, but still worth the visit.
1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Asiyama is on the outskirts of Kyoto and this is where people go to see the Bamboo forest but there is also lots of other things to see in the area such as monkeys and more traditional sights such as temples.
The bamboo forest itself is very crowded and the foot paths are fenced in and to be honest there are so many bamboo forests in Japan in the land districts that it is hard to see why this particular forest is so special.
It is lovely to see people in traditional kimono's being transported in rickshaws.
From the place where there are monkeys, there is also a view of all of Kyoto.
1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
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The Gion district in Kyoto is the traditional Geisha district and one of the very few places in Japan where it is still possible to spot Geishas and see them perform.
It is a lovely little district with all its narrow lanes and old traditional wooden buildings.
We went there a late afternoon and were lucky enough to see a couple of Geishas heading out to perform.
Later in the evening we went to a performance where they both had Geishas perform as well as some traditional Japanese theatre, comedy and tea ceremony.