Japanese Dolls. Where to go and see all this month!

Exploring Miyajima’s Japanese Dolls

Refined and treasured dolls from the ancient days of Japan are currently on display in both local homes and historical facilities in Miyajima for all to view. At the Historical and Folk Museum of Miyajima there are four locations (indicated by purple banners) that require a ticket along with a 300 yen fee (adults) for viewing (good for all areas). The areas marked with pink banners have many Japanese dolls that can be viewed free of charge.

Exploring Takehara City’s Japanese Dolls

Go back in time and re-live the ancient Japanese Edo Period, admiring the beloved and traditional Japanese dolls of old while wearing an exquisite kimono. To explore the local scenery in a beautiful kimono, please contact the preservation center for a kimono rental (2000 yen TEL:(0846)22-4331). Exploring the city in a kimono will also allow you FREE admittance into the four purple banner areas. You can buy an “excursion pass” for the tour of cultural facilities.

Tomonoura’s Japanese Doll Festival

The entrance area of the Tomonoura Historical and Folk Museum’s Ota-ke home is a great place to begin your journey into the Japanese past. This area is a local residence and also has restaurants and shops that holds almost 100 aisles of Japanese dolls that line the front. On these shelves known as Nanadankazari you can enjoy dazzling, traditional Japanese dolls from the later years of the Edo Period as well as Gotenkazari dolls from the Meiji Period.

Joge Japanese Doll Festival

The local area’s remaining white-walled avenues with ancient homes are decorated with over 80 shelves of ancestral dolls, clay figures and silk figurines that are currently on display. The History and Culture Museum of Joge has an especially unique collection of Japanese traditional dolls that should not be missed. Some events will be held; “Deko Street Market” on March 5th and 6th, and “Tezukuri-ichi”(lit. Handmade fair) on March 19th and 20th.

Osaki Kamijima-cho February 22st (Tuesday) to March 13th (Saturday)

Rare and valuable Japanese dolls from the Meiji Period up to the present day will be on display at East Osaki Kamijima’s Sea and Island Folk and History Museum’s Waxing Moon Exhibition.

Fukuyama City February 12th (Saturday) to March 6th (Sunday)

Enjoy the sights of Japan’s most treasured dolls from the end of Edo-era to Showa era in a traditional Edahiro Japanese-style room setting. Free entry.

Hiroshima City January 22th (Saturday) to March 7th (Monday)

Over 100 glass Japanese dolls hand-made by local studios are on display and for sale.

Fukuyama City February 11th (Friday) to April 11th (Sunday)

The collection of Japanese Hina Dolls, such as Clay dolls and Hariko(Japanese papier-mache dolls) will be exhibited by areas.

Feb 21st~Mar 31st Sharpen Your Wit! Shigeo Fukuda Super-Retrospective

Sharpen Your Wit! Shigeo Fukuda Super-Retrospective

Date:February 21, 2012 9:00 am to March 31, 2012 5:00 pm

Cost:Adults ¥1100 (¥900)

College & High School Students ¥700 (¥500)

Prices in ( ) are advance and groups of 20 or more. Pair ticket ¥1500. Junior High School Students and younger free.

Place:Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum

Fe 18, 2012 Hadaka Naked Man Festival in Okayama

Every year on the 3rd Saturday of February, on one of the coldest nights of the year, thousands of men in fundoshi loincloths parade around Saidaiji Temple in Okayama Prefecture getting purified with freezing cold water. After cramming into the main temple building, the lights go out at 10pm and two lucky shingi sticks are released from the ceiling. The 9000 or so men battle to get hold of one of them and try to stuff it into a wooden box. Whoever manages to do it is guaranteed a year of good fortune.

More on the Hadaka Matsuri

• Survivor stories here and here.
• Account by someone who survived watching Hadaka Matsuri here.
• Amy Chavez on The Naked Festival
• Hadaka Matsuri videos on YouTube
• Hadaka Matsuri video on Japan In Motion

You can pick up a fundoshi loin cloth for about ¥1000 and join in the “fun” or just go along and watch. The shingi sticks are released at 10pm, but there is a kids version of the event between 3:30 and 5pm and Japanese taiko drumming and other events held at the temple 6-8pm.

Access: Take the Ako Line to Saidaiji Station from Okayama Station (30 minutes).

Event:

Hadaka Naked Man Festival

Date:

February 18, 2012

Category:

Culture, Festivals, Traditional

Organizer:

Saidai-ji Temple

Phone:

(086)942-2058

Email:

saidaiji@saidaiji.jp

Updated:

January 11, 2012

2012,Feb 10th (Fri) No TV Party ON!!with DJ Kyoko

Little DJ big on the Tokyo electro scene returns to Hiroshima
on the back of her latest mix CD release Paper Trail Of Nights!!!

• DJ Kyoko’s Myspace
• DJ Kyoko’s official site

Support DJs

• DJ KCH
• SEXHOLIC
• LIBERTY HEADZ
• FIMEO
• IMACHIN

Event:

NOtv PARTYon with DJ Kyoko

Date:

February 10, 2012 10:00 pm

Cost:

Advance ￥2000 Door￥2500 (1 ¥500 drink order required)

Category:

DJ

Organizer:

MAPS

Phone:

(082)241-0089

Email:

info@maps-shop.com

Venue:

Mugen5610

Address:

Atsuma Bldg, 1-3 Yagenbori, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

It's gonna be so much fun night!!Haven't any plan on weekend??

Come and join the party!!!Let's have fun:-)

Feb.11(Sat) & 12(Sun) Miyajima Oyster Festival

Do you know that Hiroshima is Japan's largest producer of oysters?

This season every year, so many oyster festivals are held in various locations.
Hiroshima's biggest and oldest oyster festival attracts huge crowds looking for raw and cooked oyster dishes at very cheap prices. ( You can try Oyster Miso Soup, Oyster Ramen and Oyster Okonomiyaki etc.) They claim that this is the very best time of year to try the tasty bivalves, why not put it to the test. There will also be Kagura and Taiko drum performances.

Come and get fresh yummy oysters next weekend!


Dates: February 11 & 12, 2012
Location: Miyajima island
(Held in front of the ferry port on Miyajima and in front of the MIyajima Aquarium.)

Skiing Information around Hiroshima

Megahira Ski Resort
4301 Yoshiwa, Hatsukaichi City
Phone:0829-40-3000

Osorakan Snow park
Oazayokogo, Aki-ota-cho, Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-28-7007

Kenritsu Mominoki Forest Park
Ski Resort
1593-75 Yoshiwa Hatsukaichi City
Phone:0829-77-2011

Yawata Highland 191 Resort
Nishiyawatahara Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-37-0341

Geihoku-kogen Osa Ski Resort
38-31 Kojinbara Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-35-0038

White Valley Matsubara
135-1 Matsubara Aki-ota-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-29-0021

Gehoku Kokusai Ski Resort
19 Nakaso Kitahiroshima Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-35-0250

Ogahara Kogen Ski Resort
284-26Kojinbara Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-35-0952

Utopia Saioto
Saioto 144, Kitahiroshima-cho, Yamaga-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture

TEL: 0826-35-1234(Rep.)

Ski Park Kanbiki
820 Oasa Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-82-3939

Ringo Kyowakoku Ski Resort
59-184 Takano-cho Shimonde Shobara City
Phone:0824-86-3000

Takano -kogen Ski Resort
Takano-cho-Minami Shobara City
Phone:0824-86-3004

Takanochominami, Shoba City
156-14 Saijocho-yuki Shobara City
Phone:0824-84-2011

Snow Resort Nekoyama
190-50 Misaka Saijo-cho Shoba City
Phone:0824-84-2311

Dogoyama Kogen Ski Resort
Misaka Saijo-cho Shoba City
Phone:0824-84-2105

Megahira Onsen Kuvere Yoshiwa

4291 Yoshiwa Hatsukaichi City
Phone:0829-77-2277

Yoshiwa Miwakunosato

132 Yoshiwa Hatsukaichi City
Phone:0829-77-2110

Ushiobara Onsen Matsukawa

391-3 Yoshiwa Hatsukaichi City
Phone:0829-77-2224

Tsutsuga Onsen Green Spa Tsutsuga

280 Oaza-naka-tsutsuga
Akiota-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-32-2880

Ryuzukyo Onsen
842-4 Naka-tsutsuga Akiota-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-32-2100

Nukui Onsen Nukui Springs

4692-7 Oaza-kake Akiota-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-22-1200

Geihoku Onsen Geihoku Oark Garden
145-104 Hosomi Kitahiroshima -choYamagata-gun
Phone:0826-35-1230

Tawara Onsen 5000-nen-buro

665 Twara Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-82-3888

Oasa Kanbiki Onsen
820 Oasa Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-82-3939

Oasa Narutaki Roten Onsen

5111 Oasa Kitahiroshima-cho Yamagata-gun
Phone:0826-82-3773

Midori Onsen kagura-monzen Touji-mura
4627 Hongo Midori-cho Akitakada City
Phone:0826-54-0888（代）

Takamiya Onsen Takamiya Yu-no-mori

1787-1 Harada Takamiya-cho Aki-takata City
Phone:0826-59-0059

Kimita Onsen Mori-no-izumi

311-3 Izumi-yoshida Kimita-cho Miyoshi City
Phone:0824-53-7021

Shobara-sakura Onsen Kanpo-no-sato

281-1 Shinjo-cho Shobara City
Phone:0824-73-1800

Hiwa Onsen

535 Oaza-hiwa Hiwa-cho Shobara City
Phone:0824-85-2528

Hibayama Onsen
890-2 Yuki Saijo-cho Shobara City
Phone:0824-84-2334

Tojo Onsen Refresh House Tojo

2538-1 Kurita Tojo-cho Shobara City
Phone:08477-2-1288

Many ski resorts dot the Geihoku and Bihoku areas in Hiroshima Prefecture and are easy to get to by expressway! Rental services for sleds and snowsuits are now available at resorts, so you don’t have to bring a lot baggage
(booking equipment in advance is advisable).
After enjoying the snow, relax at a nearby spa and warm up before
* Tire chains or snow tires must be used when driving in the snow. Check the weather forecast and road information carefully before going out.