John's Japan

Friday 14 August 2015

鴨川： A short slide show of pictures of the Kamo river in Kyoto

If you are looking for a holiday home in Kyoto, please check the links below:

Beautiful apartment by the river on Nijo, suitable for families or groups.

Beautiful family apartment in Gojo Karasuma.

Wonderful spacious studio apartment for a couple in Sanjo

Thursday 2 July 2015

神泉苑: Shinsenen Garden

神泉苑はすごく古い庭です。多分京都の一番古い庭です。　今より昔の方が広いです。でもまだ奇麗で生き物が多いです。たくさん鴨とトンボを見ました。行ったことがないけど、凄く美味しそうな日本料理の店があります。本当に京都神泉苑平八に行きたいです。もし店の事を見たかったら、リンクを使ってください。　でもその日池の近くにいる蚊は和食より洋食のほうが食べたかった！

Shinsenen garden is really old, maybe the oldest in Kyoto. In the past it was much larger, but it is still beautiful, with a lot of creatures. I saw ducks and dragonflies, I have not been to it, but there is a Japanese restaurant there that looks wonderful. I really want to go there. If you are interested in that restaurant follow the link. But on that day the mosquitoes by the pond prefered Western food to Japanese!

京都神泉苑平八　Kyoto Shinsenen Heihachi
　

下賀茂神社: Shimogamo Shrine

最近下賀茂神社に行きました。　本当に美しくて自然的な場所です。木が多いので、空気はすごく新鮮です。　梅雨なのであまり人がいません。だから、とても静かでした。葉は本当に新鮮な緑、だから非常に美しいです。建物のオレンジと葉っぱの緑は良く似合います。

Recently I went to Shimogamo Shine. It really is a beautiful and natural place. There are so many trees, so the air is really fresh. Because it is now the rainy season there were not so many people there, so it was very quiet. The leaves were such a fresh beautiful green. The orange of the buildings and the green of the leaves, really went well together.

Thursday 18 June 2015

Cao Cafe

最近、友達と一緒に初めてCao Cafeに行きました。その店は三条西洞院にあります。その店の雰囲気はカジュアルで心地いいです。二つ場所があります、カウンターとテーブル。窓のターブルで昼御飯を食べました。私はからあげセットを食べました。本当に美味しかったです。友達はトマト玉ねぎパスタを食べました。それも美味しかったです。あまり高くなったです。おすすめです。

Recently, with a friend for the first time I went to Cao Cafe. It is situated in Sanjo-Nishinotoin. The cafe's atmosphere is very casual and comfortable. It is split into two areas, a counter and an area with tables. We ate lunch at a window seat. I ate the chicken karage set, which was really good and my friend ate the tomato onion pasta, which was also delicious. It was not so expensive and I highly recommend the cafe.

Follow this link to Cao Cafe's web page.

二条城: Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle is of great importance both culturally

and historically in Japan. It is designated as a

world heritage site. In 1601, the Tokugawa

Shogunate’s, Tokugawa Iyasu, ordered it's

construction. Forcing all the feudal lords,

Daimyo, in western Japan to contribute to the

construction costs. It was not completed until

1625 in the rein of Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Although the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled

Japan from Edo (present day Tokyo), the

Imperial Family still resided in the old Capital,

Kyoto. So Nijo Castle had a very important strategic

role, to have a strong influence on the Imperial family

and the feudal lords of the west.

日本では二条城は文化的で歴史的にとても大切な建物です。その上世界遺産です。1601年徳川将軍家の徳川家康は二条城を作る指令を出しました。徳川家康は西日本の大名たちに二条城の費用を払うように指令しました。1625年徳川家光の時代に二条城は完成しました。徳川将軍家は江戸「今の東京」で日本を治めました。でも皇室は昔の都、京都に住んでいました。だから、二条城はとても大切で戦略的な建物となりました。徳川将軍家から皇室と大名たちに強い影響がありました。

The castle has Nightingale floors, uguisubari,

floors that sound like Japanese bush warblers,

when you walk　on them. A very ingenious

way of keeping security. The gardens are

beautiful in all seasons. But the cherry

blossom in the spring is especially beautiful.

二条城では鴬張りがあります。もしその床を歩いたら、鶯の声が聞こえます。安全を守ための天才的な作りです。いつも庭は美しいですが、春の桜は特に綺麗です。