Euro Travel & More

Truth be told I wasn’t too keen in going to the Todaiji Temple in Nara – afterall, it is another temple and shrine right?  but we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of cherry blossom that was in bloom at that time.  The Todaiji Temple is one of the more well known temple for historical reasons – it also has one of the largest bronze Buddha.

A giant statue that guards the temple – they are known as the Nio Guardian Kings.   These are said to be national treasures.

Some deers found outside the temple – they were friendly too.

A Shrine

Kasuga Taisha

Cherry blossomsssss!!!  awesomeness!

This pillar is said to grant enlightenment in your next reincarnation – if you can squeeze thru’ the opening – hahah! not us – that’s for sure.

Massive destruction in Japan and many dead and lost their homes – in the aftermath of the Tsunami earlier today.  My heart goes out to the people in Japan.  Japan is such a beautiful place and to think that disaster struck just like that.  Japan is known for many earthquakes in fact i experienced it myself when I lived in Japan for 6 months  – but nothing compare to this – it was only a tremor – nothing up to this magnitude.   I cannot imagine going thru’ something like this – such helplessness if you watch some of the videos.  I’m praying for Japan and all the people affected by the earthquakes and Tsunami.  And for those planning a trip to Japan – now is not the time – but I’m sure common sense will prevail.

One event you shouldn’t missed out on is sumo wrestling when you are in Tokyo – it is a very interesting sport and people travel from all over the world just to see the Sumo in action.  Sumo wrestling is said to have started out as being a religious event – dedicated to the Gods with prayers for a good harvest.  But today the Sumo are trained hard and they are governed by ancient traditions.  It is fun to watch a ceremony performed and then the sport after.   One can have hear the tournament in English for an extra 2000 yen – but the admission fee is about $75 is I remembered correctly.    The Sumo are so huge – I asked my friend who lived in Japan if they take any special food or any muscle building supplements ?   to keep their shape and size.  So remember – don’t forget the Sumo Wrestling while you are in Tokyo.

I do love Japan, the people are nice.. although they don’t speak alot in English at all… but if you can speak a little Japanese, they are delighted. There are so much to talk about in Japan .. but the famous Harajuku is a street you must not missed when you are in Japan.

Harajuku is an area between Shinjuku and Shibuya. This place is international known for its very bold youth style and fashion. Seeing kids with multi-colored hair here is not uncommon. Lined with many trendy and fashionable store and boutiques, you will find many fast food outlets, crepe stands and just about anything a young adult would love. If you can’t find anything to eat, you can always rely on Macdonald’s.

It is an extraordinary experience for teens dressed up in the most outrageous costume that represent their famous anime or even rock stars. And if you are with kids, don’t forget to get to Snoopy Town, right across the train station. Of course, you will noticed that the 100 Yen store is also bustling with people and everything is just at 100 Yen.