nararing

Paper fortune, Omikuji

2009-09-06T13:08:00.011+09:00

Although paper fortune telling is one of the features at shrines and temples, there are many people beliving a Japanese saying that says, "No one can tell whether the prediction will come true or not." I hadn't found any special meaning for drawing a sacred lot more than a common practice, either. However, one day, a person who worked at Nigatsudo (二月堂) said that paper fortune is not the one that predicts your future, but tells how your present status is. Then, I changed my mind. Now I draw a sacred lot to learn my present status whenever I visit my favorite place, Nigatsudo.

If you have a chance to visit Nigatsudo, please draw a sacred lot after praying. All you have to do is just drawing a number from a cylindrical box by shaking it. (200 yen) According to the number you have drawn, a fortune telling agent takes out a sheet of fortune paper from an old drawer and gives it to you. Nigatsudo's paper fortune tells your fortune with a picture, Chinese poems, and explanation in archaic Japanese. It also shows your fotune with six to seven variations from 大吉,中吉,小吉,吉,凶,大凶, etc. 大吉 means "Excellent" and 大凶 means "Extremely unlucky".

If you want to enjoy another paper fortune telling, please visit Kasuga Grand Shrine. Kasuga offers paper fortune with a deer-shaped, wooden figure. (500 yen) They have paper fortune in English, too.

Tea Ceremony Style Dishes at Mrs. K

2009-08-15T00:14:00.010+09:00

A restaurant Mrs. K located on Ichijyo Dori (Ichijyo Street), Nara, offers tea ceremony style dishes. Although Nara city is a historical place, few restaurants offer traditional Japanese style dishes. You can enjoy Japanese tea ceremony style dishes inside the store with western antique furniture. It may sound mismatched at first, but actually Japanese traditional dishes and western antique furniture get along well with each other, probably because of the hostess's good sense of mixing different culture.

I often take my friends to the restaurant, and have lunch priced from 1000 yen to 1300 yen. Fried shrimp, which is not a tea ceremony dish but a home-style dish, is the most popular dish. If you want to have tea ceremony dishes (3500yen), reservation is required at least one day prior to your desired day. The price 3500 yen is reasonable compared with long-established restaurants in Osaka, Kyoto or Tokyo.

Also, concerts such as Jazz, classic, and folk, take place at the restaurant.

Event in August: Candle festival, Tokae "燈火会"

2009-08-12T16:51:00.000+09:00

燈火会は毎年8月上旬から約1週間、奈良で開かれるイベントです。

2009年は8月5日（水）から14日（金）まで。

奈良公園内にキャンドルやキャンドルモニュメントが置かれ、電気ではないキャンドルの明かりで演出された公園はかなりいい感じです。燈火会期間中に公園内の会場で色々なイベントも開かれてます。私は今年は近鉄奈良駅近くの漢國神社で開かれた鎮守の森コンサート（野外）に浴衣を着て見に行きました！夏の夕方の空気の中で音楽を聴くのはとっても気持ちよかったです。漢國神社自体、こじんまりとしたとてもいい雰囲気の神社なので穴場です。今年は8月8日（土）、9日（日）とありました。（9日は雨のため屋内）是非次回いってみてください。

燈火会は会場はとても広いので、全部回るためにはかなり歩かなくてはなりません。浴衣で行かれる場合も、足元は歩きやすいビーチサンダルなどで行かれたほうが良いです。私は一度、良い草履を履いていったら、裏側を傷めてしまいました。小石とかがいっぱい公園にありますので。。

Every year, a candle festival called "Tokae (燈火会)" is held in Nara Park, Nara city. During the event, people can enjoy walking in Nara Park with many candles. It's free of charge. My favorite places are: Sarusawaike, Ukimido and Ukigumoenchi. Along with the Tokae, Mantoro (万燈籠）” is held on Aug. 14 and 15. Mantoro is Kasuga Grand Shrine's traditional event in which tens of thousands of lamps are lit. All lamps displayed were donated by historic, politically-powerful families in Nara and general people in Japan. Entrance fee 500 yen is required.

I also recommend you to visit Mantoro at Todaiji Temple, which is held on Aug 13, 14, and 15. At nights during those days, no entrance fee is required. (Day time/ordinary entrance fee is 500 yen.)

Tokae: http://www.toukae.jp/tokae_e/index.html

Mantoro: http://www.kasugano.com/kankou/mantourou/

In August, it is very humid and hot in Nara. (Around 33 degrees C)

Kango Shrine 漢國神社

2009-08-11T23:25:00.011+09:00

Kasuga Grand Shrine is a famous, world heritage shrine in Nara. Kango Shrine is smaller than Kasuga Grand Shrine, but it is a cozy and nice place to visit. It is located within an one-minute distance from Kintetsu Nara Station.

One of shrines inside Kango Shrine, Rin shrine, which enshrines God of Japanese cakes and steamed buns, is famous.

A cafe near Todaiji Temple, nice place to rest

2009-08-09T00:06:00.004+09:00

I went to a cafe near Todaiji Temple, named "Ban 幡", with my friends from Tokyo and Kobe. The cafe is located within a complex "夢しるべ風しるべ" which is located near Todaiji Temple and in front of National Museum. The cafe also displays and sells many different bags and goods made of hemp which feature Japanese design. The cafe is the newest and third shop Ban opens in Nara and Kyoto.

One of my friend and I ordered Matcha float (iced green tea with ice cream), and the other friend ate Warabi Mochi (bracken-starch dampling) with soybean flour. Unfortunately, it was rainy when we visited the cafe, and we stayed inside, but on a sunny day, you can enjoy eating at the terrace.

Matcha float is 500 yen.

The white-themed cafe is a comfortable and cozy place.

Note: The websites ran by the cafe and complex are in Japanese only.