Nakanoshima Rose Garden

We headed to Nakanoshima Rose Garden in central Osaka, surrounded by urban high rises. it was gorgeous, except it was enormously hot and humid last Sunday.

sento, public bath

why not try sento, public bath in Japan. sento is not just a bath, but where you socialize with your neighbors in relaxing atmosphere, a bit like a watercooler.
1 take off your shoes as you enter the building
2 pay your fee, which depends on the prefecture
3 take off everything you wear(rings or necklaces not included)
4 wash yourself before you get into the bathtub. you share the water with everyone
5 don’t put your towel in the bathtub
enjoy!

robot restaurant

heard about this robot restaurant on TV show. It is over the top off the wall to me...Anyway if you want to try robot dance show, you need to make a reservation.

Sheena Ringo

I have always felt Sheena Ringo , an exceptional artist would deserve a little more attention. and below goes her third single ‘kiss me'. when she appeared this way, we found it irresistible...

wrapped train with anime

In Japan, wrapping buses are not covered only by adds, sometimes by anime characters to make the district unique and appealing to the fans.
Here are ones from Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions.
They jack the car inside as well. Hand straps included.

Lake Biwa Canal 2014

Last spring, we visited this canal in Kyoto side. The other side of this canal is located just next to Onjo-ji temple in Shiga. This way, residents in Kyoto receive a stable water supply from Lake Biwa . It draws a lot of cherry blossom viewers in the season.

overlook view from Onjo-ji

From the observatory, you can overlook Otsu city and Lake Biwa .

Onjo-ji temple

Onjo-ji temple is beautiful in the beginning of April with its cherry blossoms.

the consumption tax hike raised the price of stamps

On April 1, a new fiscal year started across the nation. The consumption tax went up from 5% to 8%, which means something to local people. Some of them lined up to do the last time shopping before the tax hike.
A stamp for an envelope now costs extra 2 yen. If you haven’t used 80 yen one up yet, you have to add this tiny rabbit one.