Le monde de Tokyobanhbao: Blog Mode gourmand

Day 13 : Takayama Spring Festival

Fri 23 May, 2014 · Fashion, Illustration, Travel

We left Nagoya very early to take the train (yummy bento for breakfast! hehe) and headed for Takayama to enjoy its spring festival for the day (the festival lasts 2 days: on the 14th and 15th of April).

This festival (more commonly called « matsuri ») is one of the most popular festivals in Japan and many make the trip for this occasion, foreigners as much as Japanese people! But it is not suited for agoraphobic people: this place is packed.

Takayama is a little town of Hida province, at the foot of the Japanese Alpes, famous for its tender beef (we’ll come to that later).

We find ourselves in front of a traditional village which is nice to stride along by foot. As soon as you arrive at the station, you can pick up the program of the festivities.

On the program : puppet shows on huge floats (=yatai) next to the red Nakabashi bridge, procession of the Takayama inhabitants dressed in traditional costumes, night parades with floats decorated with luminous lanterns

Chars et karakuri

To see the puppet show (=karakuri), you need to jostle for position and not to be scared of the skin contact with your neighbor (graouuu). But it is worth it.

The floats, dating back from the 17th century, have the most beautiful ornaments and finishing touches I have ever seen. Apparently, these floats have been built by the best carpenters of the town, those who have contributed to the construction of Nara and Kyoto temples … You can imagine the very high level of skills these Gepettos with slanting eyes have. Take a look at this!

The show starts with the first puppet making its entry on the edge of a beam. (All eyes are up). It starts to move, as if by magic, on the sound of traditional music.

Les gestes sont d’une précision assez impressionnante, presque humaine ! Apparemment plus de 8 personnes tirent les ficelles de chaque marionnette afin de pouvoir l’animer… je comprends mieux !

The gesture is amazingly accurate, almost human! Apparently, more than 8 people pull the threads of each puppet to animate it… Now I get it!

The 3 puppets on the different floats move in turns, sometimes taking the audience by surprise by transforming themselves (Tremple Arturo Bracchetti) or by letting blow a cloud of confetti. I was amazed.

Hida beef sushis

After this beautiful show, let’s have lunch in one of the town’s restaurant. I don’t remember the name of the place (written in Japanese) but you will easily see it on the main shopping street, Honbashi Street. There is a queue in front of the beef sushi take-away stand: with these clues, you will find it, I am sure you will.

We decided to eat these delicious beef sushi of the Hida Province inside the restaurant. This beef, as well as the Kobe beef, is well known to be one of the best in Japan. The meat is tender and evenly marbled with fat (gaaaa!) because the cows got a special treatment: they are fed with beer and are massaged while listening to classical music.

These sushi are a real delight which, in the mouth, are equivalent with fat tuna sushi. You can chose to order a Hida chirashi beef.

The procession

After having regained our strength, we went to the procession allowing us to admire the residents dressed in costumes, transporting a beautiful sacred altar.

A little walk in Takayama

Then we went for a little walk in the town (you can get a map of walking tours on the site), getting away from the crowd in order to get a glimpse of the more authentic face of Takayama.

Cap, Blazer H&M
Tee shirt Paul & Joe Sister pour La Redoute
Bag Ted Baker
Leather slim La Redoute
Sneakers Converse
Lipstick Rouge Coco « Rivoli » Chanel

There is another procession of lantern decorated floats during the evening but unfortunately we missed it as we had to catch the last train (expected to leave at 6.45 pm). The best would then to spend the night at Takayama to fully enjoy the Festival but apparently you need to book several months ahead! You are now fully advised! (English translation by Daphné)

Previously on MY JAPAN TRAVEL DIARY :
Notre appart à Tokyo
Day 1 : Sumida Park & Asakusa
Day 2 : Namco Namjatown
Day 3 : Omotesando & Harajuku
Day 4 : Ueno Park
Day 5 : Errances gourmandes à Omotesando
Day 6 : Odaiba お台場
Day 7 : Tsukiji market, Meiji & Yoyogi
Day 8 : Tokyo Skytree
Day 9 : Dans le train pour Osaka !
Day 10 : Osaka Castle & Hanami au Mint
Day 11 : Osaka DenDen Town
Day 12 : Nagoya

Day 12 : Nagoya

Thu 22 May, 2014 · Illustration, Travel

In Osaka, we took a train to Nagoya. I had the pleasure of enjoying more train-bentos. I don’t particularly like taking the train, but I have to say it’s amazing how good food makes for a much more pleasant trip.

Nagoya was essentially a strategical choice in our journey: it was at the crossroads of two cities we wanted to visit (Takayama and Isé). We stayed 2 nights, but only had half a day to explore it.

There are probably a lot of things to discover and enjoy in Nagoya, but I have to admit I was less enthused with the city than I was with Tokyo and Osaka. I found it less lively, somewhat “dusty”, although I can’t really explain how. Should you visit the city, here are some ideas, based on what we did.

NAGOYA CASTLE

The architecture is similar to the Osaka castle, as it was built around the same time (1525).

It’s possible to visit the inside of the castle as well as the gardens. We missed the cherry blossoms, but it seems it’s a great “hanami” spot.

OSU KANNON TEMPLE

It’s like a mini Senso-Ji temple. It is flanked by a street full of shops that bears a resemblance to the Nakamise street, but it’s much less animated (at least the day we were there).

A few food electronic shops and a thrift store are to be noted but after the excitement and bustle of Tokyo, the street seemed rather forlorn. (haha, you’re not really convinced by Nagoya right?)

TV TOWER & OASIS 21

Once again, a sort of teeny-tiny Skytree (180m … it’s a small play compared to Sky Tree’s 634m) and in the area, Oasis 21, a futuristic shopping mall, is a rather enjoyable nighttime visit.

All in all, not a whole lot of emotions in this city, apart from the marvelous gyozas we ate in a gyoza bar that I unfortunately can’t name, since it was all written in japanese and that it was a random stop: we were looking for an address that we couldn’t find (yet another!) and gave up.

But tomorrow, get ready for a much more animated visit: Takayama’s spring festival! (English translation by Bleu Marine)

Day 11 : Osaka DenDen Town

Mon 19 May, 2014 · Fashion, Food, Illustration, Travel

The tour of Osaka goes on! If you are an Otaku (a fan of the Japanese culture of video games and manga) or a Geek, or even both, I think you will like this post. I am a bit of all that, even if I have tempered my ardor with time.

I am not really aware of today’s popular manga but I am still very nostalgic of those which soothed my childhood and adolescence and above all, gave me the inspiration to draw!

This neighborhood of Osaka has brought back this fire in me! Indeed, many compare it to Akihabara, the electronic neighborhood of Tokyo.

Having had the opportunity to see both, I would say that Osaka’s may be more “human” and more suited to doing business. I must say I visited Akihabara in rainy weather which made it more difficult to compare both in good conditions!

Anyway, in this neighborhood, you will find anything that is related to manga: little shops as well as huge stores on 6 to 7 floors packed with books, gadgets, and figurines.

We decided to look for the figurines of our favorite cartoons: Sailor Moon, Creamy Mami, Ranma 1/2, Dragon Ball Z for me and Goldorak, X-Or or Gundam for him!

I had to give some of them up, because I feared our interior decoration would become a bit too “Japan Expo”. But it was really tempting, due to the quality of the figurine’s finish!

Jacket H&M
Teeshirt “Coca-Cola” ASOS (déjà vu ici)
Clutch Aquvii
Cat watch ASOS
Lipstick L’absolu Velours « Velours de Grenade » Lancôme
Flats WhatFor (déjà vues ici)

Along our little tour, many times we have been approached by young girls dressed as maids: the “maids”. Their goal is to bring you inside “Maid Cafés” where they work. We don’t have time to go in, but through one of their windows (peeping toms!!), we observed somewhat odd scenes.

In fact, “Maid” coffee places are places where you drink coffee (ok not very unusual so far) but also places where you can interact with the waitresses. It is quite odd. Waitresses welcome you by saying: “welcome home!”, then stir your coffee, cut you a piece of cake and laugh with you.

Everything remains very prudish, which is quite contradictory to the sexual tone of the outfit. All the more so as the rules for approaching the “maid” are very strict (no inappropriate gesture, no “hey girl! what’s your phone number ?”…). A real Japanese paradox!

IMAMIYA EBISU Sanctuary

Along our journey, we stopped randomly in this sanctuary dedicated to the “God of business”.

It was quite funny to watch people pray for their business to work out or their work to be profitable. What is more unusual than this contrast between spirituality supposed to lift up your soul and the purely materialist world: I must admit that during this trip, this paradox has made me often laugh.

MATSUZAKAGYU Yakiniku restaurant

(1-1-19, Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka-city, map: here)

I give you a last address to ease your taste buds, looking for some tender meat.

We had a good time in there: we are placed in little intimate boxes to taste the “yakiniku” or Japanese barbecue.

Like all yakiniku, it is quite pricy but the beef meat is so deliciously juicy and tender and the reception is very caring. Special attention to “Big sirloin steak” that literally melts in your mouth! (English translation by Daphné)