This weekend☆Kyoto Festival !!April 17th

At Fushimi inari shrine

The biggest festival of the shrine in a year is held on this weekend April 17th!!

The festival is for moving the god of Fushimi inari shrine to the another place for the certain period.
The portable shrine will be moved to the TOJI temple (which is the one near by the Kyoto station)by a lot of men from the local kyoto city.

The god of fushimi inari will be carried back to his original place on Mar 3rd as "OKAERI festival"="Welcome back"

Place: fushimi inari shrine

Schedule: starts at 11:ooam,
carrying the potable shrine from 14:00

Acess: Take JR Nara line from Kyoto st. and get off at Inari station

The Japanese Yellow Rose has bloomed

ACCESS: Kyoto → Shijo → Karasuma → Katsura → Matsuo

KyotoCity Karasuma Line → Hankyu Kyoto Line Ltd.Exp. → Hankyu Arashiyama Line

Time duraion: 24 mins, Transfer: 2 times, Total yen: 430 yen (even with JR Pass)

Inoue Takehiko's "Shinran" @ Higashi Honganji Temple

Inoue Takehiko is a Japanese manga artist, best known for the basketball manga Slam Dunk, which has become a success both in Japan and overseas. He created a portrait of Shinran who is the founder of Jodo Shinshu sect on a folding screen by request from Higashi Honganji Temple.

The folding screen is on exhibit as follows;

Term: 4/4 - 4/17

Place: Ooshinden in Hgashi Honganji Temple

Fee: FREE, numbered tickets are given from 8:50 in every morning.

It takes only a minute walk to Higashi Honganji Temple from Kyoto Hana Hostel.

Both female and mixed dorm rooms cost 2,500 yen per person per night.

Twin and double ensuite rooms cost 3,900 yen per person per night.

Why don't stay with us after watching the folding screen?

Yasurai Matsuri- Yasurai Festival

It is almost the time for cherry blossoms full-blown.

There is a festival called 'Yasurai matsuri' which is one of the Kyoto-sandai-kisai (Kyoto three strange festival).
It was originated to appease plague which become epidemic in springs.
People believed that the spirits of flowers will help to keep away these plague.
This ceremonial event is passed to generations, now it became a famous festival in Kyoto.
People who dressed up with traditional cloth and 'oni style (ogre)'will stroll around the area.
It is believed that if you get into underneath of a umbrella, state of perfect health is promised for the year.

Time:10th of April, 2011 11：00～16：00
Place: Imamiya shrine, Genbu shrine, Kawakamidaijingu-shrine
Access:Imamiya shrine city bus 206, off at 『Funaokayama』,Genbu shrine city bus 206, off at『Daitokujimae』, Kawakamidaijingu-shrine city bus 9, off at『Nishigamoshakomae』

For more information↓↓
Imamiya shrine
http://www.imamiyajinja.org/eng/imamiya_ENG/TOP.html