Kumano was declared a world heritage site in 2004 by the UNESCO. The region is home to the only on water pilgrimage route in the world. There are other terms such as Kii Hanto and the Kii no Kuni applied to the city.

Kumano is situated at the southern part of the Kii Peninsula. The region was once quite powerful. It included the Mie, Nara and the Wakayama prefectures. During the Meiji Era, the region was split up into three prefectures and many temples and other heritage sites related to Buddhism were destroyed so that the spiritual influence of the region may be diminished a bit and that the power of the region may be restored back to the Emperor of Japan.

In olden times, Kumano was visited by pilgrims from the length and breadth of Japan. They mainly visited the “Kumano Nachi Taisha”, “Kumano Hayatama Taisha”, “Kumano Hongu Taisha”, which was part of the ‘Kumano Sanzan’ pilgrimage. “Fudaraku san-ji” and “Seiganto-ji” are two temples part of the pilgrimage.

The stunning nature at Kumano is another reason to visit the city. The beauty of this region can be best enjoyed by hiking through the forests, valleys, hills and waterfalls here.

You might still find a good amount of greenery.  The terrain has now become more desolate. When you get to a corner, you may find yourself right above the tree line. This is where Mount Fuji is. Fuji – san, as is called locally; is a revered mountain which has been famous and beloved to the Japanese people.

He snow capped splendor here is quite customary. It is also quite a beautiful sight.  When you reach on top the least you would do, is giving out a victory cry. You can also share your achievement with your family members of friends, or if you are here by your own then there re many local folks who must already be at the summit and they are sure to give you a nice warm welcome.

The Japanese men also do a variety of Japanese poses for you to click pictures of.

When you savor the moment to the full, you would actually get a very elaborate and scenic view of the mountain.

There are many legends that proclaim that Fuji used to be the home of a powerful fire goddess. This goddess would usually be quite jealous of other women in her area.  And because of this, the goddess would express her displeasure every now and then.  She would in fact do this by having lava molten and red, gush out from the mountain, with large clouds of ash come out as well. The last eruption that took place here was in the year seventeen hundred and seven. The volcano was quite devastating as it covered the streets of Tokyo right up to as far as sixty miles away.

The volcano has also been connected to the sacred Shinto shrine. And because of this the sheer combination of power and perfection is something which works well along side the rising sun.

Check back here to find out more about what happens in this beautiful place.

Sultan Mahmud gifted the island to his wife, Raja Hamidah in the year eighteen hundred and four. This place was an important center for the working government and the Malay culture.

You could even hire a motorcycle rickshaw which would zip you through tiny roads which are more like zig zag pathways that pass through the island.  When you stop at the palace building which is an old citadel, there is a renovated performance hall which is along side a grave of a famous Malay scholar called sultan Hajji.

When the westerners came across this island, it almost felt like a new discovery to them.

A lot of guests get very attached to the place, which could be because of the friendly staff, or the charming beach houses or even the local food.

If ask to see the pets of the locals, you might get to meet a few spiders or may be even a monitor lizard.

You could shack up at the one bedroom beach house in Nikoi which is at 6596 351950. You get a good fresh shrimp pasta and fresh salad which is made from local ingredients.  There are an additional eighty dollars for three meals through the day.

A less expensive option could be the eco resort Loola at Bintan. This place is a lovely rustic bungalow with stilts on the water.

Nikoi is a forty two acre resort island which is located about five miles off the eastern coast of Bintan, Indonesia. It also lies about eighty five kilometers southeast of Singapore.  This island was initially purchased by Andrew and Julia Dixon.

These were an Australian couple who came to visit Bintan in the year two thousand and five.  The couple along with a group of financiers built the island in a large boutique resort.  As of two thousand and ten, this place consists of about fifteen beach houses.

The maximum height on the island is about thirty meters. It has white sand beached and large white granite boulders on the sands. There are lovely coral reef shores on these too.

Most of the island is a Banyan forest. This place is home to many bird species and it is said to be an important located where turtles are said to come and nest.

The Amazing Magical Island of Nikoi

The Amazing Magical Island of Nikoi part 2

There are specialist bars here offering you different types of domestically made whiskeys. If you really are a whiskey enthusiast then you should go and take a look at these spots unfailingly.

The Shot bar Zoetrope which is located at Nishi Shinjuku (813 3363 0162) is perhaps the only bar here within the twenty three wards of Tokyo which is dedicated to exploring the produce of japans distilleries.

This place has opened in the year two thousand and six by Atushi Honigami. This plays is essentially a cinephile which screens many silent movies on the back wall of the structure.

Zoetrope also offers you a wide array of local Libations.  A good place to actually start would be the Yoichi Single Malt from nineteen ninety eight.

More exclusive than all this is the snifter of Ichiros Malt shot bar called the Zoetrope which has the third anniversary edition single malt which costs about thirteen hundred yen.  There are about twenty six bottles that are limited in quantity made up of two hundred and sixty three bottles. There is an independent Ichiro’s Malt. This is actually softer than the Yoichi eighty eight. The specialty of this is you get a nice unique warm feeling that rolls up the tongue and then the whiskey just disappears in the ether.

Nikka Whiskeys have a Head quarters in the Aoyama neighborhood which is highly fashionable. The Nikka Blenders bar which is located in the Minami Aoyama district of Minato. You could reach them at 813 3498 3338.

This bar usually offers only whiskeys of Nikka, however the visitors can try at creating their own blend based on a combination of about five of the many single malts and the one grained whiskey.

The blending set which costs about three thousand yen, includes six small glasses on a matt wooden tray, these are each paired with description like sweet and sherry, and salty and peaty. There are also ones called woody mellow.

Also , if you feel like what you are doing isn’t really going with what exactly it is you want then don’t worry the bar itself has its range of blends to magically cook up something amazing for you with the six available blends.

Coming to one of the richest countries in a variety of tradition and culture, we talk about Japan. The Kyoto city in the country is famous for its culturally rich district, Gion. It is a development of the Middle Ages and was originally built to comfort the traveling and visiting people, with their needs. Eventually, it started being known as a well- known geisha district in Japan. The term Geisha refers to ‘artist’. They are Japanese females well versed with traditional art and entertainment. They possess skills including various performing arts and classical music and dance that are native to Japan. The district of the Geisha, i.e. Gion, consists of roads which are narrow, aligned on both sides by teahouses, restaurants and residences, each having a front of bamboo sticks.

Geisha is a noun with no different plural. The Gion Geisha, locally, preferred to be called Geiko. They play traditional music in the ochayas, dressed in colorful attires and are elaborately garmented. They line up the streets, entertaining with their art. In case of misconceptions, Geisha are not prostitutes. They are primarily just entertainers. Gion and many other districts with Geisha are of the same kind as the red-light districts. The count of Geisha in the district of Gion has reduced to a considerably small number, over hundred years from the past. But as a preventive measure, the preservation of the area and respect for their traditional skills is highly practiced. In earlier times, Geisha used to perform for Samurais or Generals. But in current times, they perform for business executives, instead. Their performance compensations are against accompanying the people who hire them, teach them to sing and dance, tell them jokes for lightening the stressful business atmosphere, serve them with tea and alcohol in graceful ways, and so on. The costs, good in amount, are justified.

Geisha dances are famous all over the country through Gion and other Geisha districts. The most famous of all is the Miyako Odori, held in Gion, also known as ‘Dances of the Old Capital’ or ‘Cherry Blossom Dances’, which is held in honor of the cherry blossom season that occurs in April. This is a good time to see the Geisha dance, with ticket price beginning at affordable 2,000 yen. Also, along with Geisha and Maiko attractions, there are events like the tea ceremony, traditional music and dance, which is held daily around the Gion Corner.

This road was an inspiration for many artists and poets for the kind of beauty that can be found here. They said that the elation received here when they felt inspired was just amazing hen you look at the series of these paintings. The fifty three stations of the Tokaido. This place has a lot of people who come here traveling for pleasure. This is also considered to be one of the world’s most famous touring routes. These fifty three stations were all built all in one day.

Today this place has a lot of things to look at. This traveling route has many opportunities to experience an ultra Japanese experience. The Shinkanses and the walking postman style are some of the ways that you can actually go around exploring the place. When you actually do try to travel this way, you would then be able to complete this entire trip in ten days.

When you are at Tokyo

A lot of roads in Japan; start at Nihonbashi. This place is actually called as the Japanese bridge. Ni-Hon Bashi is also considered to be the center of Tokyo. This place is usually where most of the journeys begin. Before you actually set out on your journey it is best to get to know a few places here and check them out as Tokyo has a lot of beautiful things to see and experience. If you want to get in the imperial palace then you better pre- book and make a reservation a few days in advance. This place has lovely garden and it is right beside the imperial palace east garden.

A tribute to the people who died in the war is the Yasukuni shrine. This place also lies close by to the temple. You will later come across the Tokyo booksellers district here you can come across a lot of cheap books about Japanese history.

The Tokyo museum and the sumo stadium are some of the most popular places here; this museum has some wonderful artifacts. These reconstructed models of the old wood blocks have a large printing shop and a wooden theater here as well.

The shrine and temple here in local temples are in regular use. you could also go and visit the Senso-Ji temple, the Hanse Kannon temple and the Meiji Jingo.

The side of Japan which is filled with neon lights and glitzy shops are in Ginza and Harajuku. There are lots of electrical goods that you could find at Shibuya. Mitsukoski is also a good place to shop. This place has green patches or gardens every few meters. After a few temples there is the Tokyo city hall.

You should definitely check out the local fish market. The fish market is said to leave a lasting impression on all the people that come here.

After you get done with Tokyo, get on the Shinkanses and go to Odawara. This is the official gateway to the Hakone national park. This apparently is one of the most famous parks in the entire region.

It would be preferable if get a Japanese rail pass before you actually begin your journey. Once you get your rail-pass you could get around the place quite easily.

There is a Fuji pilgrimage that takes you to the spiritual places in the region giving you an authentic Japanese temple experience. Hakone is famous for its black eggs which are cooked in the valley water. This apparently adds about seven years to your life.

Golden route

On the way to Kyoto, you could try boarding a slower train. Kyoto is a beautiful place and it is the actual heart of Japanese culture. For example Gions famous floating world streets. These mysterious floating streets have different smells and colors. The hotels here are very abundant and precious in the local market region of Kyoto. Try taking a walk on the philosophers path, this path is what would bring you to wonder about a lot with regard to your life.

This path apparently passes some of the most beautiful houses, temples, shrines, and along this beautiful path you will also find a willow trees and cherry trees. Once you are done with this entire step into a local restaurant and treat yourself to one of the many amazing local food stalls here. You might want a take a short walk a while after your dinner before to you head out to the famous moss garden of Ginkaki-Ji . Make sure you pick up a map from the local travel shops. If you ever have a doubt about where you are headed and you need help, don’t hesitate to ask any of the local friendly people who will be more than glad to assist you.

Now, because of the contemporary architecture, most of these are hidden or mostly fall in the background. Unless of course you know what you are looking for and you know where to look. In Japan, there are many small complexes which have many temples and gardens. Like a mini vile in the city.

The ginkakuji temples is about two storys. This place is also called the temple of the silver pavilion. The design was perfected for meditative strolling. There is a beautiful cherry tree nearby which follows a mile long path; this path is quite distinct as it has tablets of philosophy lined through the stretch of it. .

This entire concept was originaly influenced by the original temple of the golden pavilion. Although that temple was destroyed because of arsonists.  However today there is an exact same three storey replica in the same place as the earlier original temple.  If you walk about half an hour from here, you would reach the ryoanji temple.  This temple has golden and white gravel with fifteen rocks surrounded it. This became the symbol of the entire Zen wisdom.

This temple was built in the kiyomizu era. Located on a steep hillside, the temple gives off a spectacular view of the city of Kyoto.  Earlier, entire neighborhoods used to be built around specific crafts. The country has many artisans working in this city. Most of them served the imperial count, palaces and even sometimes the feudal lords.  If you take a walk today in the back districts of Kyoto, you will be able to find artisan workshops; even today!

Here many of the city’s crafts are available, like silk, woodblock prints, textile goods, lacqureware, paperwork’s and of course dolls. The people making these are still that famous for their crafts and work. And apparently Kyoto is synonymous for fine work.

If you could manage to visit Kyoto during one of its festivals then that would be awesome. The masturi, jidai, the aoi and the gion are the most amazing festivals here in Japan.  These are so good that is it almost worth rearranging your itinerary so that you could witness and enjoy the celebrations that happen during this festival.

During the festivals, the locals, display costumes that were around from the early eight century all the way till the present. During spring, the people wear costumes of the imperial costumes to celebrate and pray for the country’s prosperity.

The aio dates back to Kyoto’s history and is probably the oldest celebrated festival.  In May the aio festival floats through the city on the floats. Approximately thirty floats that come around on July sixteenth and seventieth make up the very popular gion festival.

Each festival has its own meaning, its own significance and the people here in Kyoto are proud of their culture and rich heritage. They usually are very active during the festivals and even otherwise quite aware of what is happening in their city.

Gion festival is celebrated by the people of Kyoto to pray for the protection and well being of their city.  This festival came into being during the ninth century when the city of Kyoto was first almost destroyed by the plague.

Kyoto is otherwise also quite charming and exuberant. It has lovely places to go to, the food here is quite pleasant and the people here are very and friendly. Don’t hesitate to stop and ask for any kind of help or directions or in fact even places to visit.

There are a series of paintings called ‘the fifty three stations of the Tokaido’.  People gradually started traveling along these roads for sheer pleasure.

This place is also an amazing spot for tourists. There are about fifty three stations and inn stops. The road gained a lot in popularity over the seventeenth century.

Japan is a beautiful place with a lot of contrasts and diversity. If you are traveling on this road, you are sure to experience a Japanese ultra modern feel. Also you will get a chance to explore ancient Japan. For all this you can use either the Shinkanses or walking pilgrimage style or the postman style.

Tokyo

The roads here that start from Nihonbashi (which means Japanese bridge) are the starting points for most of the journeys here.  And remember, before you start on your big journey; get a little acquainted with some amazing places in Tokyo.

The Tokyo imperial palace needs to be booked in advance if you want to stroll around.

Check out right next to the palace are the imperial palace gardens. This is on the sight of the old Edo palace.

The shoguns have the yasukuni shrine that is built for them. And around this area, lie the dead soldiers from the Japanese armies.

Then, once you are done, go visit the Edo Tokyo museum which is just beside the sumo stadium.

The museum is filled with artifacts and models of wooden theaters and block printing workshops.

Tokyo has many shrines and temples. The senso-ji temple and the hase kannon temple along with meji jingo are some of Japans most memorable sites for temples.

Shop for clothes. Shibuya is a great place for electronics. Go up the Tokyo city hall and get a bird’s eye view of the street of the city.

And mostly don’t miss the Tsukiji fish markets. This place is very famous in the region.

Hakone

To come here the easy way is to board the shinkansen from Tokyo to odawara. Over here the hakone Nation Park and Mount Fuji are definitely worth visiting.

In fact if you get a railway pass, you can move around the place more easily and go where you would like to go and if there is a place that tickles your fancy then go right ahead and spend more time at the spot of your choice. Hakone is especially famous as a place for Fuji pilgrimage.

Lake Ashi has amazing sights. Later, come o the hakone open air museum and see the old buildings and artifacts.

The black eggs cooked in valley water; is said to add seven years to your life.

Check out this area again in some time for the continuation into part two of the amazing golden route in Japan.

Akita is a prefecture in Japan. A prefecture is a governmental body which is made of about four cities and has a capital. Unlike the rest of japan, Akita was; quite to its own. This was mostly because of the Dewa mountains that lie in between. Akita was mainly an uncivilized land that was inhabited by hunters and tribesmen.

Later on when one governor of one of the Japanese provinces decided to build fort in the Akita region, Japan then, made it officially; a part of them.

Akita is almost rectangular in shape with the Ou mountains to one side and the Dewa mountains in the center of it; both fairly parallel to each other.

Tourists come here to enjoy the culture and tropical magnificence of the region. Also, at lake Tazawa , the local Hot Springs are a big hit.

Facilities like hiking, jet skiing and other such activities are available.

Traditionally the Japanese are known for their traditional festivities like; Yokete Kamakura Festival, Akita Kanto and the Omagari fireworks festival.

A Korean Drama called Iris has a few scenes from the Akita prefecture and because of that, this place is usually visited a lot by Korean tourists.

While you are in Akita, be sure to check out the following places! You could travel around by the bus, taxi, bike or car. Akita has most buses starting from its station.

• Walk around in the beautiful Senshu Park. Watch the cherry blossoms blooming during the spring season.

• Get to know more about the rich Japanese culture. Pay a visit to the Akarenga-kan Museum. This museum was built in 1912. It hosts various exhibitions of arts, crafts, and historical materials.
• Got kids ? Take them on a wild adventure at Round One. Open 24 hours, Round One is one of its kind- indoor amusement park. Bring out that inner child in you by shooting some baskets at basketball court. There are lots of other fun things to do like roller skate, soccer, lots of video games and a variety of entertainment.
• Kakunodate is one of Japan’s last true historical towns. Here you will find quite a lot of Samurai houses.

At the end of the day, all this fun is sure to spark a roaring appetite.

Here, The most well-known Akita dish is Kiritanpo. Kiritanpo is essentially a tube made of rice, generally served around a disposable chopstick. It is often roasted after being dipped into Miso paste. It can also be eaten in ‘Kiritanpo Nabe’, a stew of sliced Kiritanpo, vegetables, and chicken or fish, most commonly eaten during the winter.

Some of the restaurants you can check out, are :

• Peacock is One of the top Indian restaurants in Akita. Here you can get a variety of famous Indian delicacies including a vegetarian or a non vegetarian cuisine, whichever floats your boat!
• Taisho – the ‘Tsukemen’ at this restaurant is awesome. Something you definitely should try out.
• Ebiya is famous for its Tantanmen. Japanese magazines rank Ebiya as the second best Ramen restaurant in Akita.
• Akita is famous for itsrice. Thats is why some of the best local sake is made here.

If you are looking for a true Asian experience and culture, then look no further!!Come to Akita where you will find a variety of beautiful sights and do try the local food. It has a reputation for tantalizing taste-buds!!

The Zen Garden

The Zen Garden is located in northwestern Kyoto at Kitaoji-dori. It is a gathering of magnificent temples, which includes the Ninnaji, Kinkakuji, Daitokuji and Ryoanji Temples. Roaming through the entire complexes of these temples will take an entire day. The distance between two temples is around  20-30 mins.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (commonly Kinkaku-ji)

This is one of the numerous popular tourist attractions in Kyoto; previously it was known as Rokuonji. This temple was constructed during the early twelfth century. In the beginning it was planned as the retirement villa of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. His son afterward converted that structure into this magnificent temple. Possessed with the temple’s pavilion, an immature monk burned the whole structure to the ground in the year 1950. Later that particular event encouraged the prominent novel “The
Temple of the Golden Pavilion” written by Yukio Mishima.

Ryoan-ji Temple

Ryoan-ji Temple is located within a short distance from the renowned Temple of the Golden Pavilion. This temple is an image of the dry landscaping. The most notable feature of Ryoan-ji Temple is a structure of 15 different rocks located over a bed of white colored gravel and bordered by low leveled walls. The image is outstanding since there is nothing other than the, here you will come across no trees, no ponds, no hills or any amount of water, this site has only rocks.

Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle is located within Central Kyoto. This castle is extremely popular among the locals and the overseas tourists. The Ninomaru complex has marvelously decorated reception rooms along with that are the self-styled nightingale floors, which are made out of timber. The layout of the entire castle is outstanding and you can have the best views of the nearby areas from the donjon that is located inside this castle.

The Imperial Castle and Park

The Imperial Castle and Park is located in the city center of Kyoto. It is a peaceful and delicately decorated park with more than 50,000 trees and houses the renowned Imperial Palace. Since Imperial Palace is open for the guided tours only, so be sure to book your tickets for this tour quite early at website of the Imperial Household Agency.

Gion District

If you are willing to spot a real-life geisha, in that case the Gion District is the place to be. They are a bit difficult to spot but one can get a glimpse of them when they move hurriedly between buildings or hopping into the waiting taxis. Also don’t be dissatisfied if you cannot see any geishas, since the Yasaka Shrine along with its neighboring area are particularly photogenic, so you can polish your photography skills here.