Sakura Fever

This is my first time staying more than one year in Japan. And the first time I'm able to watch sakura blooming (both in 2005 and 2007 I arrived during full bloom and some procedures I had to do upon arrival kept me a little busy to really enjoy). Therefore, this year I was taken by sakura fever and went around taking pictures at various places in Kyoto.



Kyoto University is where I'm currently enrolled. One of the major universities in Japan, it also has good places to see sakura. Some clubs organize hanami inside the Yoshida campus itself.

Takanogawa is one of the rivers that run across Kyoto (well, mostly as part of Kamogawa). During sakura season, the path between Demachiyanagi and Shugakuin is very beautiful.


Tetsugaku no Michi, or Philosopher's Walk is one of the free touristic spots in Kyoto, famous for its beauty during sakura season. Its name comes after a Japanese philosopher who used the place to meditate.

Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine located next to the Municipal Art Museum and the National Modern Art Museum. More information can be found in Kazu's blog. The place is also a hot spot during spring, but the sakura there take a little more to bloom. I went a little too early...

Maruyama Koen is one of the most popular places for hanami. Therefore, the place gets crowded. It's not uncommon to find university club members or even company employees "reserving places" before a celebration... sometimes days before the actual event.


Kamogawa is one of the most famous rivers in Kyoto, crossing the city North-South. It's usually possible to find couples along its banks and it has good places for hanami as well.

Kyoto Gosho has guided tours and it opens its doors twice a year, one of them being during spring. Unfortunately, I couldn't enter (went on a different day), but the public place also has beautiful places all around.


Daigo-ji is also one of the famous places to see sakura in Kyoto. And, really, it's well worth the visit!! There's an area that only opens during spring (and maybe fall) and even a place to enjoy sakura while sitting and drinking tea... Be warned that it's a little far away from downtown, though.


Momoyama-jo is more used as a park nowadays as many families from the neighborhood go there. Or that's the impression I had. Another option away from the center, but it's not so easy to find the path from the station... Maybe it's just me...

Ninna-ji is another of the places that weren't in full bloom yet... Pity, because there seems to be a place that looks beautiful in full bloom...

Well, and after going to Momoyama-jo I was missing Himeji-jo. So I decided to go to Himeji for something I hadn't seen yet: Yozakura (night view of cherry blossoms) at the castle. With a group that mixed old and new friends from Himeji and friends from Kyoto (ok, I won't forget Takatsuki... ^^) I went there for the last sakura hunting of the year.


Crowded as expected, but maybe not so crowded as Kyoto might have been on the same day. Still, it was a scene I have never seen, even though I've lived for almost one year in Himeji; and with good company after going solo to all the previous places. Nice ending to the first spring I spent entirely in Japan...

To avoid making this post too large, I limited the number of pictures. Those who want to see some more, check my Picasa album.

100 years ago...

Exactly 100 years ago, in April 28th 1908, the ship Kasato Maru left from the port of Kobe carrying the first Japanese emigrants to Brazil. They arrived in June 18th in Santos. From that point, lots of things happened, both for the good and for the bad. The fact is that currently both countries exert influence onto each other, with Brazil having the largest Japanese community outside Japan and Brazilians being the third largest foreign community in Japan (after Chinese and Koreans).

One of the major concerns now is keeping that part of History alive. Many japanese descendents and Japanese alike don't know about the immigration (or emigration depending on your point of view). Thinking about it I tried to find sources to link to... Actually I could try to write something myself and I've done something like that sometime ago. Still, I wanted sources in all three languages (Portuguese, Japanese and English) or at least two (the former two) to satisfy most who might read this. Don't have time now to do it myself and couldn't find anything that completly satisfied me... I accept suggestions. For now, some sort of "official site" I found:
Nippaku 2008

I'll probably go back to this subject with more informations... hopefully.

As for me, I went to Kobe for this celebration. On the 26th there was a documentary called Mundo Nikkey about the Japanese immigration to Brazil and the immigration of some Japanese descendents to Japan. As it happens, the director of the movie is a relative of mine. So it was a good chance to meet part of the family as well... Including another relative that went there for the same reason; one that I haven't seen in almost 7 years...

The next day there was an event in Meriken Park (organized by CBK) to celebrate the emigration centenary. Among the events, Bossa Nova; some medley between taiko, maracatu and capoeira (yes, it sounds weird... but it was interesting); frevo and, as there seems to always have in events concerning Brazil, samba.

I'm not impressed anymore when I see the sudden crowd (mostly men) with cameras when girls start dancing samba "dressed for the occasion". (Well, check the picture some Japanese newspapers have about the celebration. I have to concede that those dancers were gorgeous and good at it... Well, they're pros.) But I may give some sort of unpolite answer next time someone asks if that's "traditional clothing"...

Away, away...

For those wondering why I haven't wrote anything lately, I can give some reasons:

1- I moved and still don't have internet at home.

2- Classes started and I'm trying to survive.

3- Lots of things happened, some I'll try to write about later, like sakura (cherry blossoms).

So today it'll be just this notification. Hope I'll be back soon with something better for you.