Magical moment in naoshima

The sunset is always magical at Benesse House.

A free udon day in naoshima

A temple in honmura, naoshima, had a regular ceremony of chanting scriptures in the main hall when udon noodle was offered free and a bag of snacks and/or a box of detergent was given as a gift to take back home. My guests and I happened to be in there this time and enjoyed the occasion. I got the detergent and snacks, which I gave away to the owner of the inn where I stayed. He was such a sweet islander. 

Try Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum near Omote-sando, Minato ward, Tokyo

Okamoto Taro photographed

This makes a wonderful half day tour. Start your walking tour from Omotesando subway station. Walk for eight minutes and you will be at the museum. His former residence is now converted into the memorial museum exhibiting his works: just the right building, not too large but cozy in size. 

After the visit, try walking for twenty minutes or more (you might get lost on the way so this could be longer but fun to be lost in Tokyo) to Shibuya Station for whatever line (but Inogashira Line is eventually good for this tour). 

On the way, you will pass Okamoto's outdoor artwork in front of Kodomono-shiro building. That's on your right. 

Kodomono-shiro (Children's Castle)

When you come to a folk, go downward along the right street and soon you will be at the famed scramble cross-ways at Shibuya Station. Travelers from abroad are always taking a movie there.

Take an escalator to the Inogashira Line. Instead of going to its ticket gates, turn back and walk just for a few dozen seconds and you will see the mural done by Okamoto entitled MYTHOLOGY OF TOMORROW. 

MYTHOLOGY OF TOMORROW

This completes a fantastic artistic walking tour featuring Taro Okamoto. The most famous piece done by him has to be THE TOWER OF THE SUN, which characterized the Osaka Exposition held in 1970.

Photography allowed at the museum inside and outside in the garden. 

Okamoto and a miniature tower of the sun

An ambulance was around; thus less pedestrians on the crossing

Gushing steam is the evidence of rich onsen water

The photo looks as if a disaster is taking place but in fact this is an ordinary sight in Kan-nawa, Beppu City, Oita Pref. Bellows of steam are everywhere due to onsen water welling up in Beppu. 

ordinary sight!

The water is so hot that it has to be cooled down using this simple device.

I wish I could bathe in onsen every day. In Beppu, it is easy: residents can visit public bathhouses in their neighborhood or they can have the onsen hot water drawn into their house by paying for the onsen water plan. Lots of visitors from Asia, not much from the west at this moment. If you are an onsen lover, however, I bet you would like to visit Beppu some day. In Kan-nawa, there are several facilities where you can steam your food. The food could be from local stores or what you brought along. By participating in the tour called Kan-nawa Marche, you can enjoy walking in the neighborhood and then a meal at a steaming station. It's a good deal to fully appreciate Beppu onsen.

Go to Oita Prefectural Museum of history and then to Fukiji temple

The history museum has remarkable replicas of historical assets in the Kunisaki Peninsula, Oita Pref. The photo below was taken in the lobby of the museum and photography is allowed there. 

In the lobby of the museum, a replica of the carved Cosmic Buddha is exhibited

In one of the exhibit rooms, the interior of the main hall of Fukiji temple is reproduced beautifully. It's so awesome that visitors would feel the reproduced statue of Amitabha Buddha should be the object of worship. 

Here the original colorful appearance of the hall and gold-leafed statue can be viewed. You can even walk around the central inner zone where the Buddha sits and see how the back of the statue looks like. Here is the link to the museum web site. 

After this, you should go to Fukiji temple and see the real hall and the statue. They were originally built in the eighth century. They've survived to this day but became antique over centuries. 

Head priest just closed the side doors. The front doors are always closed.

You will have a time travel with your imagination by visiting these two places one after another.

Tensha-en garden in winter

The famed wisteria looks very dry in winter but still interesting. Water and light always do magic. There's another sky in the water.

Cat Trail in ONOMICHI

Onomichi is a gate way to Shimanami cycling routes. The hillside by the waterfront is also good for strolling. Leave your bike and explore the hills and alleys on foot. The Cat Trail is particularly unique. There are real cats, happy stone cats, a happy stone cat shrine and a museum of beckoning cats. Some old houses along the alley are remodeled into stores, cafes or artistic places. But they are not open every day, which enhances the mystery of the alley zone. This time, my friends and I walked from Ushitora Shrine at the bottom of the hill (the big old camphor trees are magnificent and the shrine looks powerful) and eventually went to the Municipal Museum of fine arts on the hill (renovated by ANDO Tadao, a world-famous architect). Here are some pics from there.

See the official site below too.

http://ihatov.in/cattrail/