Animated "THERMAE ROMAE"

I found animated version of popular bathing culture MANGA (cartoons), "Thermae Romae" with English subtitle on YouTube. Below is first episode aired in mid January this year.

Lucius, main character is an architect of Roman baths in ancient Roman Empire and accidentally time warps to present Japan. You can see how SENTO (public bath) in Japan looks like.




A movie version starring Hiroshi Abe will be released on 28 April, 2012. 

Related post: Bathing Culture MANGA "THERMAE ROMAE" (Mar 30 2010)

Tourists coming back to Asakusa

[This post isn't related to onsen.]
As I wrote in the previous post, Asakusa is a major tourist spot in downtown Tokyo, and tourists are gradually coming back after the Tohoku Earthquake.

The Kaminari-mon is the first gate of the Senso-ji temple. Originally built in 942, the present gate was rebuilt in  1960 after the big fire. The balloon like paper lantern is 3.9 meter high.

The Nakamise, shopping area between the Kaminari-mon and the main hall of the Senso-ji. 

The main hall of the Senso-ji temple.

The new TV Tower, the Tokyo Sky Tree near Asakusa will open on May 22, 2012.

The Tokyo Sky Tree and other buildings on the other side of the Sumida-gawa, or the River Sumida. The building with the golden object on the top is headquarter of the Asahi Beer.

If you want to know about Senso-ji more, check the official website of the Senso-ji in English.

Blog Renewal

Looks totally different blog doesn't it?　The new template introduced, the profile photo changed, and the top right message and the profile rewritten. The "Share Buttons" below each post and "Popular Posts for last 30 days" at right sidebar are newly installed.

I needed some change. I lost some working contracts after the Tohoku Earthquake, also suffered from chronic insomnia. But visiting Fuji last month was nice change and great relief, even I spent only five days there. Now I feel passion for onsen came back to me.

If you need language help after the earthquake

If you are in Japan and need an interpreter to cope with trouble caused by the strong earthquake, a company called Bricks offer intepretation service for free. Just call 050-5814-7230. They provide English, Chinese and Korean services round the clock, and  from 9:00AM till 8:00PM for Spanish and Portuguese.

[update] As of March 14, more than 90 countries in the world offer aid to Japan. Thank you very much for your care. I really appreciate it. We'll overcome this tremendous disaster for sure. Please pray for us.

Useful Site: FREESPOT MAP

This post is unrelated to onsen. Finding free Wi-Fi spots is sometimes big hustle when I go abroad, especially in countries not often visit. I'll visit Mexico next month after more than 10 years blank and know nothing about Wi-FI services there now.

Some people coming to Japan have same problem as mine, I guess. You can search free Wi-Fi spots in Japan with this FREESPOT MAP.

If you already know where to go in Japan, this map might be helpful. Just click one of 47 prefectures you'll visit on the map, and search further with pull-down menu on upper right. One problem is ...well, my map displayed in Japanese. Hope yours are not.

HOT SPOT is a charging service run by different company, and One DAY Passport costs ¥500.

Bathing Culture MANGA "THERMAE ROMAE"

[update] A movie version of "Thermae Romae" starring Hiroshi Abe, Aya Ueto, Masachika Ichimura and others will be released in April 2012. I'm not sure if you can see this movie outside of Japan.

Japan is getting more famous for its subculture than manufacturing products among younger generations recently. One of them is MANGA. The word "MANGA" stands for cartoons, but it's different from American cartoons as many of you already knows.

I bought a MANGA book worth mentioning in this blog last week. The title is "THERMAE ROMAE", staged in ancient Roman Empire under the emperor Hadrianus. Lucius, the main character of the MANGA is an architect of Roman baths, accidentally time warps to present Japan.

He doesn't know what happened to him, and recognizes the Japanese in 21st century as "flat faced slaves with very high level of bathing culture". He comes and goes between Roman Empire and present Japan several times, and makes success by building Japanese style bath houses in Roman Empire.

The vol.1 of the serial MANGA books came out in last Dec. and is to continue. It was awarded "Cartoon Grand Prize 2010" this month. Mari Yamazaki, creator of the MANGA has studied in Italy, and lives in Portugal now.

[Related post] Animated "THERMAE ROMAE" (Feb 26 2012)

Snow Monkeys, Jigokudani Yaen-koen, Nagano Pref.

I visited the Jigokudani Yaen-koen（地獄谷野猿公苑, the Jigokudani wild monkeys park） in Nagano Prefecture to see the world famous snow monkeys on the other day. You can see onsen bathing monkeys in the winter. About 200 wild monkeys are said to live around the area (They are wild monkeys but I saw a park worker feeding them). Usually you can see their onsen bathing from Dec. through Mar. But it depends on the temperature and I can't assure you.


They just ignore visitors and relax in the bath, so visitors can watch them closely.


My husband asked me "Hey, how did you take this self-portrait?"


Temperature of the bath around here was 38.8°C.


Probably boss of the school. When this monkey stepped in the bath, other monkeys gave space and walked away.

◆Jigokudani Yaen-koen (地獄谷野猿公苑）

Type: An open-air bath exclusively for monkeys.

Address: 6845 Yamanouchi-machi Shimotakai-gun, Nagano Pref.

Location: 36.732745,138.462775

Business hour: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the winter (Nov. to Mar.)

Holiday: None

Admission fee: ¥500 for adult, ¥250 for child

Access: From Yudanaka Station of Nagano Dentestu Line(for the access from Nagano to Yudanaka Station, see related post), take a bus to Kanbashi Onsen （上林温泉）taking 15 minutes and costing ¥250. For bus timetable see below. You have to walk about 30 minutes from the Kanbayashi Onsen to the park (Ask the bus driver which way to walk). There is no direct transportation to the park. Even if you take a taxi, you have to get off at the entrance point of the walk pass and walk for 25 minutes. The taxi ride costs about ¥1800 one way.

Bus timetable (as of Dec. 2009):
From Yudanaka Station:(* not operated on weekends & holidays)
7:10*
8:10
9:31
10:56*
11:56
13:16
14:41
15:41
19:40*

From Kanbayashi Onsen: (* not operated on weekends & holidays)
7:25*
8:25
9:46
11:11*
12:11
13:31
14:56
15:56
19:55*

If you stay overnight at the Yudanaka Onsen or Shibu Onsen or other neibouring onsens on weekend or holiday season, you have a chance to ride the "Snow Monkey Holiday Mini Bus". It cost ¥800 one way,  return ticket is ¥1700 including the admission fee of the park. This bus takes you to the closer to the park, and just 10 minutes walk will take you to the park. Advance booking is necessary, but you can book and buy the ticket just the day before (not earlier). Ask about the bus service to the ryokan you'll stay. If you are a day visitor, you can ride the bus if seat is availble on the day.

Tips:
You need appropriate shoes to walk snowy or slippy or muddy foot path for 30 minutes one way. Although I saw many visitors in sneakers and leather shoes, I think it's difficult to walk in these shoes after fresh snow falls.


The walk pass to the park as of late Dec. 2009. It was a warm day for the winter and the snow was melting partly.

Links:
Official website of the Jigokudani Yaen-koen in English
Live Webcam of the Snow Monkeys

Related Post:
Kaede no Yu, Yudanaka Onsen, Nagano Pref.

500 yen rice bowls at the Hakodate Morning Market

This post is unrelated to onsen.

If you travel Hakodate, Hokkaido on a tight budget, why don't you try one of the "500 yen don" or 500 yen rice bowls at the morning market just next to the Hakodate Railway Station?

There are many restaurants to serve fresh seafood at the market, and I found a place serving a bowl of rice topped with fresh seafood for just 500 yen among other places charging nearly or more than 2000 yen.



Gomoku or Mix don (upper left); Salmon roe don (upper right); Crab meat don (lower left); the restaurant, Ekini Shijo located upper floor (lower right)

I think you'll like them if you like sushi. There is no menu in English, but Japanese menu carries pictures of each rice bowl, so you can order just pointing a picture. Served with miso soup and pickles. Opens 6:30 AM till 2:30 PM everyday.

UNIQLO CALENDAR

This post is unrelated to onsen.


Uniqlo, the Japanese leading clothing retailer released new blog parts "UNIQLO CALENDAR" last month. If you want the music on, point your mouse lower right of the picture and move the volume level. To see the full size picture, click the calendar (music is on).

If you input your address, you can make your own calendar for your blogs or websites (It covers all over the world, but big cities only for many countries). I will add smaller one to this blog's right side later.

Sakura is Blooming

This post is unrelated to onsen. I love SAKURA (cherry blossoms) as much as onsen. They are nearly in full bloom at my neighbourhood in Tokyo right now. It seems I can enjoy SAKURA longer this year than usual as it has been rather cold for past 10 days or so. (^^)

Sakura trees along Syakujii-gawa(River Syakujii), northern Tokyo.

A closer look.