2012 Dec: Japan: Bicycle

Bicycles are widely used in Japan for everyday life by people of all age groups and social standings.[Reference]

All I wanna do is... I want to ride my bicycle,

I want to ride my bike, I want to ride my bicycle,

Bicycle races are coming your way,

So forget all your duties oh yeah! --queen

2012 Dec: Osaka Castle

Destination: Osaka Castle
Travel Date: December 2, 2012
Location: １-１ Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 540-0002, Japan
Open: 9:00am - 5:00pm (last 4:30pm)

Entrance: Osaka Castle (600yen) + Osaka Museum History (600yen) = 900yen

Map: http://www.osakacastle.net/english/park/map_new.pdf

How to get there:

From Osaka City Subway Chuo Line, drop-off at: TANIMACHIYONCHOME (C18), and take EXIT 09.

  

Crossing several streets until we had a view of Osaka Castle.

I was welcomed by these waste bags of dried leaves, Oh no!  As if I wanted to throw them back on the castle grounds.  

2012 Dec: Osaka: Umeda Sky Building

Destination: Umeda Sky Building (known as: Umeda Sukai Biru, 梅田スカイビル)

Address: 1-1-88, Oyodonaka, Kita-ku, Osaka

One of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center. [Read]  Considered to be the 13th tallest building in Osaka. [Read]

Other information:
-The building was mainly owned by Toshiba Corporation
-Tenants: Mazda,  Consulate-General of Germany in Osaka [Read]
-On media: The Floating Garden Observatory in the Umeda Sky Building was visited in Leg 10 of Amazing Race 12; Location shoot of Rain's (Korean Star) Runaway series

How to get there:

Take Exit No. 4 of Umeda Station (Midosuji line)

Check the map below for the better visual, it will take almost 15 minutes walking until you reach the building.

2012 Dec: Osaka: Sacra Famiglia

Destination: Sacra Famiglia (Catholic Church)

Address: Toyosaki 3-12-8, Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka 〒531-0072

How to get there:

1. From SHINSAIBASHI, take Line: Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line and

2. Drop-off: NAKATSU(SUBWAY).  It would take 9 mins travel time with distance of 4.2 km (230yen, 2012)

3. Take Exit No.4 of Nakatsu station.  Starbucks will be on your left side, proceed and continue walking.

4. Take a left turn (either on the first or second street) you’ll see different Family Mart convenient stores on your left side.

5.  Recognize the tall building of Pias Tower.  Across it is the church.

Here is the map for better visuals:

The main lobby and ground floor is the office area. Also, you can visit their mass schedule from their website: http://www.osaka-umeda-church.jp/en/category/mass-hours/

2012 Dec: Osaka: Umeda

Umeda

Summary of 5 days itinerary in 2012 Autumn Osaka, Kyoto Trip:

Day	Places to see	Food and Restaurants	Where to Sleep
Day 1	Kyoto Guided Tour (JAPANiCAN.com) Nijo Castle Kinkakuji Temple Imperial Palace Heian Jingu Shrine Kiyomizu Temple	Il Bar, Kyoto Station	Hearton Hotel in Shinsaibashi
Day 2	[Osaka] Universal Studios Namba Dotonbori	Pasta Frolla, City Walk Dinner in 3rd Planet	Hearton Hotel
Day 3	[Kyoto] Saga-Arashiyama: Sagano Scenic Railway Fushimi Inari Taisha Tofuku-ji Temple Gion-Shijo Kennin-ji Temple	Snacks (sushi) in Sagano Station Restaurant in Gion Dinner in 3rd Planet	Hearton Hotel
Day 4	Osaka Castle Umeda Sky Building	Lunch in Daimaru European Market in Umeda Sky Street Food near Osaka Castle Dinner in 3rd Planet	Hearton Hotel
Day 5	[Osaka] Sacra Famiglia (Catholic Church) in Umeda		Hearton Hotel

2012 Nov: Kyoto: Kennin-ji Temple Grounds

Destination: Kennin-ji Temple Grounds
Travel Date: November 30, 2012
Location: Komatsu town down through Article 45, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto Yamatooji
Admission Fee: 500 yen
Website: http://www.kenninji.jp/english/

Kenninji is a temple of the Zen sect, one of the main branches of Japanese Buddhism. Buddhism, founded approximately 2,500 years ago in India by Shakyamuni Buddha, teaches that the inherent suffering of life can be transcended through equanimity, wisdom, and compassion. The Zen sect, dating back to sixth-century China, seeks the realization of this ideal through a strict training system stressing work and meditation. At present, there are three branches of Zen in Japan - the Rinzai Soutou and Oubaku schools. Kenninji belongs to the Rinzai tradition. The temple was founded in 1202 by the priest Yousai (1141-1215). [Read more]

2012 Nov: Japan: Kyoto: Gion

Gion (祇園) is Kyoto's most famous geisha (performing artist) district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain. [Read more]

2012 Nov: Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Taisha

Destination: Fushimi Inari Shrine (also known as: Fushimi Inari Taisha, 伏見稲荷大社)
Travel Date: November 30, 2013

How to get there:
From KYOTO [ Departure track No.10 ] station, take line: JR NARA Line Local [5mins].
Drop-off at: INARI 稲荷駅（京都）station.  Fare is ¥140 (70php) with distance of 2.7 km
Then walk to: Fushimi Inari Taisha [3 mins], (always open)

As soon as you get out of Inari station, you will immediately see the tori-gate in front of the Shinto shrine.

A lot have been visiting the place since it is one of the cinematic locations of Memories of Geisha.

2012 Nov: Kyoto: Sagano Sightseeing Railway

Sagano Sightseeing Railway is one of the best options to see autumn leaves in Kyoto. And what’s good about it, there is car #5 which is windowless that will give you astonishing view.

How to get there: 

From KYOTO [ Departure track No.33 ] take line JR Sagano Line [16mins] and DROP-OFF at SAGA-ARASHIYAMA 

Fare 230yen (120php, 2012) with Distance: 10.3 km

It’s just too bad because during that day, tickets are not being sold due to an incident or emergency maintenance of the train.  (Actually, I saw something on news that morning that there is a landslide on the train tracks, since it is on local language I was not able to catch which affected route was it.)

In spite of what happened, I appreciate the guards and the train assistants for letting us get into the station and helped take photos near the cars.

Instead of being disappointed, I enjoyed watching the mini trains on its railways, picking-up omiyage and eating local cuisine.

2012 Nov: Osaka: Dotonbori

Shopping!  Start the night by taking an exit from Namba station.  Just look for the covered walk and this is also where most of the people are passing by.

By then you’ll reach a bridge along side the Dotonbori canal.  Here is the photo of the few famous landmarks of the place:

Glico Man: Originally installed in 1935, the giant neon athlete on a blue track is a symbol of Glico candy. The sign has been altered on several occasions to celebrate events such as the World Cup and to show support for the Osaka baseball team, the Hanshin Tigers.

2012 Nov: Osaka: Universal Studios

If there is Disneyland and Puroland in Tokyo, there is Universal Studios in Osaka!  It is only 24 minutes from Shinsaibashi, but if you missed the transfers then it will be much longer.

Getting there:

Take time: 24 Minutes  Transfer: 2 Times  Distance: 9.3 km  Total:¥ 370

SHINSAIBASHI [7 Min] Osaka Subway NagahoriTsurumiryokuchi Line ¥200

=> transfer: TAISHO(OSAKA) [5 Min] JR Yamatoji Rapid Service

=> transfer: NISHIKUJO ¥170 [5 Min] JR Yumesaki Line

=> drop-off: UNIVERSALCITY

Before we start our adventure, we already got hungry from our train journey, so we had English brunch in Pasta Frolla.

2012 Nov: Japan: Kyoto: Kiyomizu

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyomizu-dera]

This will be the last stop for our one-day guided tour.  From the parking lot, it will be a long climb to reach the foot of the temple. Try to visit the area in the morning, because it is too crowded at night.  Some would walk slowly since they are interested to check on the street food, souvenirs, antiques, etc.

2012 Nov: Kyoto: Heian Shrine + Sanjūsangen-dō

The Heian Shrine (平安神宮 Heian-jingū?) is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The Shrine is ranked as a Beppyou Jinja (The top rank for Shrines) by the Association of Shinto Shrines. It is listed as an important cultural property of Japan. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_Shrine]

Noted by our guide that to recognize a Shinto Shrine (compared to Buddhist shrines), there should be a tori gate standing across the street.

2012 Nov: Kyoto: Imperial Palace

Beautiful ginkgo tree taken from the guided bus tour while going to the Imperial Palace.

The Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所, Kyōto Gosho) used to be the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.

Reference: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3917.html

Kyoto Imperial Palace is the last stop for the Kyoto morning tour.  It is good to join on a tour since the palace has exclusive compound that can only be accessed if you are part of an organized group.  We’re always being reminded by our guide that we should stay on our line.  Although, none of the buildings can be entered, perhaps they are just protecting the area.

Top of the entrance gate (Okurumayouse) for official visits by courtiers who had been granted permission to enter the Palace precincts.

2012 Nov: Kyoto: Golden Pavilion

Kinkakuji (金閣寺, Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple in northern Kyoto whose top two floors are completely covered in gold leaf. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji was the inspiration for the similarly named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the other side of the city a few decades later.

Reference: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3908.html 

After taking this shot, the next time I see it I was already in Manila, so surprised about the colors!