Gion Matsuri Hoko Float Construction

Happy Sunday everyone!

Just wanted to share some photos that I took of the float constructions when I went to Kyoto last week :) The Gion Matsuri is one of the most famous festivals in Japan and takes place over the entire month of July. Two different floats are used in the matsuri: the yama and the hoko. The hoko can weigh over ten tons and are up to twenty-five meters tall with their wheels being as tall as a human. My friend and I were searching for the streets where the float constructions were taking place and were able to find it after asking some locals. One of the most impressive things about the construction of the floats? No nails are ever used!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

Float Construction

Happy Friday everyone! :)

Back in Hawaii and I'm definitely loving the weather here! Just wanted to share a picture that I took last weekend in Kyoto :) More to come later!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

Japan Omiyage Haul

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I can't explain to you all how excited I am for this day to come!! It's almost been a year since I last saw my family (skype was very helpful, but definitely not the same) and I'll be flying back to Hawaii for a nice three-week vacation ^^ That being said, I've been collecting omiyage since I came to Japan and had a wonderful time playing tetris with the numerous gifts in my suitcase. Some people like to buy all of their omiyage a couple of weeks before they leave, but I prefer to buy over time so that I won't be stressed out and won't drop 30,000 yen in the span of two weeks but rather over the course of many months. I don't want to know how much I've spent on omiyage, but it's always worth it :) As of now, I'm quite certain that my luggage consists of ninety percent omiyage and ten percent clothes and other miscellaneous things. Quite a few pictures in this post so I hope you enjoy some of the omiyage that I'm bringing home :)

Can't go to Kyoto and NOT bring back some yatsuhashi :) The pink one is peach and the blue one has matcha and cinnamon (and a very nice wrapping for the Gion Matsuri)

My brother and mom loved the arare that I sent them for their birthdays so I made sure to buy a couple more bags :]

Kinako jam from Kyo Kinana ^^ I already have a few different uses for this jam

Ten different flavored salts from Kyoto! 

Waffle snacks from Kobe (strawberry, maple and chocolate)

I love to save boxes and use them to hold fragile omiyage such as this torii gate :) 

Bought these adorable little trinket purses at the Chionji Handicraft Market :) 

Such cute handkerchiefs!! I have a couple, but haven't used them yet because I'm afraid of getting them dirty 

Had to pick one of these up while I was in Hiroshima :)

And because not all people are the best drivers, I bought a traffic omamori for my cousins to keep them safe from the crazies out on the road

Washi tape has been extremely popular these days and I couldn't resist buying a few (okay A LOT--they're just not pictured) for some friends :)

I would consider it to be a crime if I came home without anything matcha-flavored

So I picked up a couple of other snacks ^^ 

Thank you so much for reading! I still have a few posts from this past week so I'll have those up later :) Have a wonderful week! 

Back in Time: Streets of Gion

Happy Monday everyone!

No matter how many times I visit Kyoto, the Gion district is one of my favorite places to go because of the traditional buildings and atmosphere that it evokes. My friend and I were lucky enough to explore the streets early and thus escaped the mid morning crowds :) It's always nice to wander through the side streets rather than just Hanami-koji Lane (the main street) because of the unexpected and different restaurants, bars, machiya and other stores.

Traditional menu with the food and price.

The streets aren't very wide, but mopeds, cars and small trucks are still able to navigate their way through!

Traditional streets and buildings never get old. The atmosphere is always peaceful and different from the bustling downtown area. 

Rare empty shot of the main street in Gion. 

Sign for Kyo Kinana-- home to the best parfaits :) And located on one of the side streets! You can click here to see my post about the summer parfaits that my friend and I ate there. 

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Kyo Kinana: Cool Summer Bites

Happy Saturday everyone!

My friend and I went to Kyoto this weekend to explore a bit and ended up visiting Kyo Kinana（京きなな）, a rather popular parfait cafe known for their high quality parfaits and freshly-made kinako ice cream. We had gone last year during the fall and decided to see if there were any summer specials. We both ordered different parfaits, but also tasted the できたて (freshly-made) kinako ice cream.

初夏のきななパフェ (shoka no kinana parfait): lemon sorbet, sangria jelly, kiwi puree, white chocolate ice cream, yogurt mousse and cake topped with dried pineapple. Soo yummy! And the colors were very fitting for summer :)

Berry parfait: black sesame ice cream, matcha ice cream, berries, vanilla ice cream, yogurt, shiratama and a yatsuhashi cookie :)

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

Japanese Elementary Kyushoku

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Sorry for a lack of posts...it's been quite slow lately. Although summer is here, it also means that Japan has become one huge sauna with the humidity levels in Kobe reaching in the high 90s. I will never complain about humidity when I go back to Hawaii for a long break -____-;. It feels as if I'm drinking water simply by stepping outside and breathing.

But back to today's post! I have two elementary schools that I visit once a week on Mondays and Thursdays. Before coming to Japan, I heard some scary stories about the food that was served during kyushoku, or lunchtime, and was a little nervous to see what my schools would serve. I'm all for trying new things, but you just never know sometimes. My schools alternate between serving rice and bread (MWF is rice and TTH is bread) and I'm usually able to snap a picture of my kyushoku on Thursdays before my kiddies take me to one of their classes to eat with them. Bread/rice and milk are the main components for kyushoku and is usually accompanied by two side dishes.

There are no cafeterias in Japanese schools and the students bring the food up to their rooms in trays where about ten of them distribute the food and serve it to their classmates. Of course, this is done with their mint green aprons, caps and masks. No one eats until the last person is given his/her food and it is only after they say "itadakimasu!" that they are allowed to eat. If a student doesn't like a food that is served, they will still eat it all instead of throwing it away. So far, I have yet to be given food that I don't like :)

I was hooked onto hijiki (the black seaweed) after eating it during one of my kyushokus. It's been part of my daily lunch since then :)

This bread is slit so that you can put the veggies and wieners inside 

Thank you so much for reading! For all of my Japan readers, please be careful and stay safe from the typhoon!

Kobe Vissel

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Awhile back, I went to a Kobe Vissel soccer game with a couple of friends and the fans were pretty dedicated. You could tell who was going to the game while on the train because everyone was wearing red clothing or sporting Kobe Vissel attire and carrying their team towels. We followed the crowds to the stadium and were given really good seats! Not front row, but still in the lower level and best of all, we didn't get hit by the hot sun :) Enjoy!

Booths were selling a variety of merchandise to fans in addition to the many food stalls that were just around the corner :]

Super-sized camera lens...they look more like mini telescopes to me!

Definitely didn't envy the people who had to sit in the sun for the entire game :/

The cheering section. And ninety-eight percent of them were wearing red! 

People shouting in megaphones gave a lot of energy to everyone so that they could cheer for the ENTIRE GAME. If they weren't cheering and shouting, they were jumping up and down and banging on drums. 

Gotta get those cramps out

And Kobe Vissel won the game!! :) It was definitely a fun game to watch ^^

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful week!