RYOKAN 旅館

If you travel in Japan, you cannot miss traditional Japanese-style inns: “ryokans”. Of course, many different styles of ryokans exist and you will find them everywhere in Japan. Click on the link below so as to find the ryokans of your dreams!!!!

http://www.ryokan.or.jp/index_en.html

Sakura

Typical room

Outdoor onsen

Indoor onsen

Here below a first glimpse of different styles of ryokans...

Ryokans have been an important part of Japanese culture for centuries. Historically, they were built for travelers who traveled from the capital city of Edo (current capital: Tokyo) to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. Samurais were ones of the travelers who rested before continuing their difficult and long journey.

A samurai fighting a ninja in front of a ryokan...

Enjoy your lunch!!! 

If you wish to live a wonderful experience in a typical Japanese atmosphere, do not hesitate!

You will sleep on “futons” put on “tatamis” mat flooring, wear traditional clothes as "yukatas" (garments made of cotton for both men and women : different from “kimonos” made by silk), “obis” (sashes), “getas” (sandals)... take a bath in an “onsen”...

Yutakas for men and women

Enjoy it!! 

ONSEN 温泉

Feel so good!!!

Feeling stress?? Why not going taking a rest in an « Onsen »? In Japan, you will find beautiful places with Onsens and Ryokans, but you will ask me, what is an onsen?

Onsens are natural hot springs coming from volcanoes; you take your bath with water coming from natural hot springs. They are very famous and popular and Japanese enjoy taking a rest in those hot baths, once a day. Onsen water is so good for your skin and provides health benefits. You will forget about all your troubles when you will be there and relax, and feel so good... onsens are also known to provide relaxing effects on your body but also on your mind.

Tsurunoyu, Nyuto onsen

Togo onsen Yozyoka

Indoor onsen

Outdoor onsen

Historically, men and women took their bath together in onsens but do not worry if you are shy, nowadays you can find gender separated onsens. Onsens are numerous in Japan, and it is easy to find a beautiful one to go to. So do not hesitate!! Try to discover indoors but also outdoors baths.

Warning: do not forget that you will not enter the bath if you have not cleaned your all body before, using soap of course. Some indications on “How to take a bath” will be necessary if you want to do well, look at the link below:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2292_how.html

Another piece of advice on "How to enjoy hot springs":

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2292_ryokan.html

BENTO 味噌汁

Japan is famous for its cuisine but do you know that you can be creative, using “bentos”? A bento is a lunch, compact, packed in a box. Of course it is popular in Japan, you will see many students, pupils and even salarymans bringing their bentos. Lunch boxes tend to become very popular in Europe but also in North America. Nowadays you can purchase them on the Internet, or even in Asian stores. Different types and sizes are available.

Be ecologic with a simple gesture!!!! You do not have to use plastic baggies and cutleries, everything is in the box (we do not need bins)!!! Even shops sticks… it is very practical because it is divided in small organized containers for your rice, vegetables, fruits or whatever else you want to eat. You create your lunch so it is healthier and you do not spend all your money in restaurant or in a fast-food.

Salary-man bento

Pupils bentos

Many people are creative and have fun preparing their lunch. As you will see below, everyone can have an artist soul J. Of course you will need time if you are ambitious by cooking several dishes or even want to decorate your lunch but do not worry; you can also prepare speed bentos.

 Hummmmmmm...

FOOD FOOD FOOD 栄養

Traditional Japanese cuisine is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes. Many of you may think that Japanese only eat seafood because of the sushis, which are popular all over the world but this is only a part of their cuisine.

Do you know noodles? If you have ever watched mangas, you should have seen the characters eating noodles, such as soba, “udon” and “Naruto”. “Naruto” is a sliced fish cake which shape is a pink spiral. The name comes from the famous whirpool in the Japanese city of Naruto. It is also the name of a famous manga series known in all Europe. If you do not know this anime, I am pretty sure some members of your families know (especially teenagers). Naruto is the principal character who likes eating noodles with naruto.

Naruto

Noodles with Naruto

Whirpool in Naruto

Naruto manga

So, like I wrote above, Japanese cuisine offered a very large variety of dishes. I post some pictures of different Japanese dishes...

...and if you are interested in one or several of them, do not hesitate to go the link below, you will find a large list of recipes. You will become a real Japanese cooker!!!

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/japanese+recipes

Look at my own creation :

 My creation!!!

Tartare with rice, salmon and avocado

  

Have you seen my cute bento box?? Let’s see what are "bentos" in an later post.

TRAVELLING WITH THE NEW SHINKANSEN 新幹線

SHIN – KAN – SEN

You may have heard about the new Shinkansen which leads into North of Japan, from Tokyo to Akita, or maybe you even used this train to travel.

Also known as “Super Komachi” or “Japan Red”, this very fast train can reach 300kms/h and even a bust of speed of 320kms/h. It is the 6th generation of high speed trains that succeeds.

Did you know that its shape and red color evokes the demon Namahage, which is one symbol of Akita’s prefecture that you can see in local festivals? The design is also very surprising if you look at the 7 meters “nose” shape: it reminds me of Pinocchio’s! 

But it is above all practical because it helps to reduce the noise when the train enters a tunnel. The Shinkansen use advanced technologies that achieve not only high speed but also a high standard of safety and comfort, as you can see on the pictures below.

Nowadays, it is a great success that has influenced other railways in the world. So be ready when you travel in Japan...

E6 Series

E5 Series

ROBOTIC IN JAPAN ロボット

As you may know, Japan is one of the most advanced countries in the world to innovate in scientific research and technology.
Different kind of robots but here we are going to talk about a revolution in Robotics with Humanoid robots. Yes, fiction tends to become reality!!!

They have the ability of reproducing feelings like anger, timidity, embarrassment or others feelings to finally acting and talking like Humans...

Robotic scientist Hiroshi Ishiguro and hid Germanoid, in 2010

Humanoids are used to do different tasks. For instance, they can be used to replace mannequins in Japanese store front and interact with customers entering the store. They can also replace receptionist jobs. Japanese are more and more interested in these robots because they do not get old, they are efficient comparing to workers in general.

Their dreams become true and we can ask what will be tomorrow inventions??

 Look at the videos coming next and build up your own ideas of this futurist world...