Tag: bento

Venturing to Nara to see the Tiger Temple (Chogosonshi-ji) and Tsubosakadera

Tsubosakadera during the beginning of sakura season.

Last week I decided to venture to Nara to see various temples during the beginning of its sakura season and also stay in a cottage surrounded by wild deer. Fortunately the deer of Nara are very friendly creatures who love humans—especially if you buy senbei crackers to feed them. I first visited Nara when I was 19 years old during my study abroad trip and remember how vivid the central area was. Though I traveled to Yoshino and stayed at a ryokan 2 years ago while on a motorcycle trip, this was my first time returning to the central city of Nara in quite a long time. Nara is very close to both Kyoto and Osaka and makes the ideal day trip if you are visiting the Kansai region for a few days. I took some time off work so I could do photography here for two days and it was absolutely lovely, minus being lightly headbutted by deer for more crackers!

In this article series I will be highlighting some of the nicest temples in Nara, talking about my experience staying in the deer park, and also my day trip to Kyoto to see its sakura too.

Getting to Nara

The fastest way to get to Nara from Tokyo is to take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen to Kyoto, then the local Nara line to Nara Station. This trip takes around 3 hours and costs about 15,000 yen one way.

From Nara Station, there are many local buses and train lines you can take to get around the city. I would recommend staying here 2-3 days to see everything. I stayed in Nara for 2 days on this trip.

The Tiger Temple (Chogosonshi-ji)

The first stop on my Nara itinerary was Chogosonshi-ji, aka the Tiger Temple! Since 2022 is the year of the tiger, this temple has gained a lot of popularity. Chogosonshi-ji is south of central Nara but is definitely worth visiting because it has a huge complex of temples, hiking spots, and lots of interesting places to explore. Upon entering the temple grounds you will see the world’s largest paper mache tiger guarding the entrance! There is also a man selling tiger-shaped manjuu that I definitely recommend you try because they are warm and delicious. You can freely explore the temple at your pace, but I recommend walking through the tiger tunnel, visiting the main hall and looking at the good luck charms (I bought a mini tiger), and hiking to the top of the mountain through all of the tori if you have the energy. Be on the lookout for the striped mailbox as well, because it is right next to a beautiful sakura tree. I spent about 2 hours here and was very impressed with what I saw. Like the frog temple I visited last month, I would say this is one of my favorite temples in Japan because it is very interactive and there is a lot you can do here.

Address: 2280-1 Shigisan, Heguri, Ikoma District, Nara 636-0923
Entrance Fee: 300 yen

Tsubosakadera

The next temple on my list was Tsubosakadera, which is south of the Tiger Temple and extremely popular during sakura season because there are so many sakura trees here. Unfortunately the sakura were not in full bloom when I came, but there were enough of them that I felt satisfied with my visit. Tsubosakadera has not only Japanese but also Indian influences, and a number of the statues here were presented by India thanking the temple for helping people suffering from leprosy (source). I enjoyed hiking around the temple and seeing the giant Buddha from different viewpoints. The white architecture of this temple is truly striking and has a beautiful contrast with the bright pink blossoms. There are various halls you can walk through here too. One of them had a large collection of dolls and there were many statues surrounding the outside area. I spent about an hour here and then decided to head back to central Nara because seeing these two temples will take a lot out of your day. Both were highly worth the experience, especially during the spring season.

Address: 635-0102 Nara, Takaichi District, Takatori, 壷阪3
Entrance Fee: 600 yen

Bonus Food from Osaka

Before coming to Nara, I actually stopped in Osaka the night before to meet friends and eat delicious sweets. At Tokyo Station, one of the bento stands was selling sakura themed bento so I ate that on the way there. I loved the pink sticky rice and the mochi they included with it because it was so sweet and delicious! All of the food in the bento went so well together which is why I love trying seasonal ekiben.

Upon arriving to Osaka, I stopped at season & co in Umeda to eat their flowery bear cheesecake parfait. Not only was it extremely aesthetic, but it was also melt in your mouth goodness. The last place I stopped was daily dose coffee at DD House where I got a creamy latte with my name written on it and a matcha ice cream waffle shaped like a tiger! I love Osaka because it has a lot of creative coffee places that Tokyo doesn’t. If you have time then definitely check these places out because the staff does a really good job managing their cafes and making creative menus.

Thank you for reading the first article of my Nara article series. In my next article, I will be detailing my experience with the deer and the lovely place where I stayed for the night. Please look forward to it!

Flying to the Fisherman’s Town of Kushiro for Birdwatching and Hiking Expeditions (Part 2)

Hiking to the base of Mt. Io where volcanic gases spew from vents.

After a lovely first evening of exploring the central streets of Kushiro and having a whole rental apartment complex to myself, the next I departed on a full day bus tour to all of the major sightseeing points of this area. The White Pirika Bus I selected for this trip runs from January – March and will take you on a journey to see rare species of birds, famous lakes and mountains, and hot springs too! I really recommend this tour because I was able to see everything I wanted and it was cheaper than renting a car. The guides only speak Japanese, but will show you the best spots for birdwatching and hiking so you know exactly where to go without wasting any time. As someone who loves photography and listening to guides to practice Japanese, this was the optimal tour for me. I would advise booking this tour at least a week in advance online because it has limited availability.

The major spots that are covered in this tour are: Tsurumidai (for viewing the cranes), Sunayu (for viewing the swans), Mt. Io, Lake Mashu, and Lake Akan Hot Springs

Afterwards you can request to be dropped of at Kushiro Station, Kushiro Airport, or your accommodation.

If you come during the warmer seasons to Kushiro, you can reserve similar buses on the Akan Bus website, but the swans and cranes rarely appear. I recommend coming here during the winter because you can do and see the most!

Tsurumidai

The very first place we stopped on our tour was Tsurumidai, which is a popular lookout spot for the Japanese Red-crowned Crane (also known as the “Japanese Tanchou”). The Red-crowned Crane is one of the largest East Asian cranes and one of the rarest species of crane in the world. This bird is said to bring good luck and is a prominent symbol in many folklore and legends. It also appears in Japan Airlines’ logo! I enjoyed watching these cranes spread their wings and honk at one another. They seemed completely unbaffled by the presence of so many humans watching them from the other side of the fence. They were a lot bigger than I had initially anticipated, and that made watching them all the more fun. After March they usually migrate to other countries such as Russia and China. I was extremely lucky to catch sight of them this year!

Sunayu

The next stop of this tour was at Sunayu, which is a hot spring that oozes out of the sand for both humans and birds! Sunayu is located on the east side of Lake Kussharo, and is a popular campsite during the warmer months. During the winter, whooper swans flock to the warm waters for comfort and a number of people come to watch them. A few years ago, a group of my Japanese friends came here for photography and one of them created this melodic track called “Whooper Song” that was inspired by the sight of the whooper swan. Since then I wanted to come to Kushiro and see the bird for myself, so I’m extremely grateful I had this opportunity!

Here are more photos I took of the beautiful whooper swans. They truly are serene:

Mt. Io

Our third and perhaps most adventurous stop was at Mt. Io, which is an active volcano in Kushiro. It is famous for erupting sulfur and volcanic gases from its vents, and has a lot of characteristic geological formations. Climbing is prohibited, but you can hike up to the fenced area and get extremely close to the vents. I watched a Japanese couple stick their hands into the fumes and was concerned they were going to get burned, but it is safe to do this at the base! I tried it myself and found that the temperature was comfortably warm; kind of like a steam sauna. You can buy eggs cooked by the steam at the souvenir shop which I highly recommend, because they are healthy and delicious!

Lake Mashu

Our next destination was a brief stop at Lake Mashu, which is a caldera lake formed by an active volcano in Akan Mashu National Park. It has been called “the clearest lake in the world” and is considered Japan’s post beautiful lake. It is also one of the deepest lakes in this country. Visitors are not allowed to go down to the lake, but can view it from multiple observatories. I was thankful to have the tour guide here to point me in the right direction of to where to take the best pictures. Its waters truly were beautiful and reflected the surrounding winter scenery.

Lake Akan Hot Springs (and Lunch)

Our last stop was at Lake Akan Hot Springs where we were given an hour of free time to do whatever we wanted. Here you can choose to ride a banana boat, rent winter sports equipment, go shopping, or bathe in a hot spring bath. If you know me, you know I love hot springs so I naturally went to the nearest one at a hotel adjacent to the bus stop. The entrance fee was only 1000 yen and it included a towel and shampoo. I had the whole outdoor bath to myself so that was a plus! It felt so good to clean up after all the hiking I did this day. I also walked around the hot spring town and looked at the little shops. I enjoyed seeing all of the wood carving places and cafes, but unfortunately not a lot of things were open. I did enjoy how private this area was though; there was hardly anyone here except for our tour group and that was nice!

Right before this stop we were given a delicious bento lunch that contained fish or meat (I chose fish), and I ordered hojicha gelato for dessert. All of the food in Hokkaido is cheap and tastes amazing so you really can’t go wrong with what you eat here!

Final Thoughts

Overall this was one of the best tours I’ve ever been on in Japan because not only did it include lunch and entrance fees to all of the parks, but it also took me to every single place I wanted to see in Kushiro! I had a fantastic time seeing the birds, active volcanoes, and lakes this part of Hokkaido had to offer⁠—not to mention the hot springs! I feel extremely fulfilled to cross yet another dream destination off my list. I would recommend Kushiro to travelers who have already seen all of the major cities of Hokkaido and are looking for something more secluded and unique. I hope to come back to Hokkaido again during the summer for some more photography, because this island has a lot of untouched nature and exciting places to see. I feel so relaxed after getting out of the city for a while too!

Thank you for reading my Kushiro article series. I plan on going to Nara this year to see the cherry blossoms, and possibly Shimane and Yamaguchi too if I have time. Please expect more exciting articles from me!

Tentacle Bento at Awajiya

There’s nothing quite like a jar of tentacles and rice to start your day!  This ひっぱりだこ飯  (Hipparidako Rice) is available for 1,080 yen at bento stands found in Japan Railway stations called Awajiya.  They contain octopus tentacles in addition to vegetables, conger eel, and seasoning.  The best part is you get to keep the jar when you finish it.  Please try it if you get the chance, because the texture and freshness of the tentacles is unrivaled!