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Nara YAMATO

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Spiritual land of Japan

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A full day YAMATO tour with Caitilin.

Akiko

Sep 25, 2019

A full day YAMATO tour with Caitilin.

A full-day tour in YAMATO, Nara with Caitilin from Australia. 🌲 She finished her Yoga retreat in Hokkaido and came down all the way to Nara to join the tour with me. It was a beautiful late summer day✨🌞 Next day, she c my mothe' shop in Naramachi area. 奈良県大和市の日帰りツアーでcaitilinとの室生寺. .🌲 オーストラリアのケイトリンさんと室生寺。彼女は北海道でヨガのリトリートを終え, 自分のツアーに参加しました. お一人で１日大和ツアー。いいお天気でした. #information #Nara

About my tours on a monthly magazine「ならら（NARARA)」

Akiko

Aug 31, 2019

About my tours on a monthly magazine「ならら（NARARA)」

Monthly magazines, "Narara" issue August, 2019 Special feature: "Regeneration" -water of life- I wrote a short report about my Yamato Spirit Tours for this August issue and will write for September and October issues, too. #information #Nara

Heisei era last day!

Akiko

Apr 30, 2019

Heisei era last day!

I just want to share some beautiful photos of the cherry blossoms I took this April. Today is the last day of "Heisei" (平成）era. The cerry blossoms at Hase-dera Temple (by Hozan ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wyEgOVrtec #Nara

Happy New Year 2019!　Japan's new era is going to start!

Akiko

Jan 4, 2019

Happy New Year 2019!　Japan's new era is going to start!

Happy New Year ! ☺️　I hope your life will be full of surprise and joy in the new year that’s about to begin. May You be blessed with everything you want in life.🌏💖 The year 2019 🐗 is the year of the wild bore, the last animal of the Chinese zodiac. It is "the 31st year of Heisei (平成）" in the Japanese calendar. Although we use Western calendar in our daily lives, it is still very common to count years with a specific name of the era related to an Emperor. Please look

Owarai Shinji (Laughter Ritual) at Hiraoka-jinja Shrine on the Year-end party day. vol.1

Akiko

Dec 30, 2018

Owarai Shinji (Laughter Ritual) at Hiraoka-jinja Shrine on the Year-end party day. vol.1

December is the season for the Japanese to enjoy gathering, eating (drinking), chatting over the passed year with friends, business colleges, etc. in the Year-end parties called "Bounenkai (忘年会)". Bonenkai literally means "Forget-the-year party", so it can be a party to release unwanted negative feelings, thoughts, energies, and purify ourselves in a relaxed mood. Even there is a saying, "Owari yokereba subete yoshi (終わりよければ全てよし）”, meaning the same as a famous saying in E

Some of the best autumn shots 2018

Akiko

Nov 26, 2018

Some of the best autumn shots 2018

Tobihino's iconic tree (Nara Park) Ohmiwa Shrine morning steam from cypress(hinoki)bark roof Autumn view from Hasedera Temple's stage Along the ancient road of "Yamanobe no michi" in Sakurai In Hasedera temple ground #Nara

Airbnb

Akiko

Nov 24, 2018

Airbnb

I have started to be a host of tours (experiences) in Nara, YAMATO, through Airbnb. https://www.airbnb.jp/experiences/206999 I am an Airbnb "experience" host, so do not have an accommodation for tourists. but I think it is a wonderful idea to be able to find places to stay at someones' , instead of hotels when we travel abroad. Another good things is, when someone makes online reservation, if the person is a frequent traveler, I can get to know the guest who he/she is in ad

Kofukuji Temple's Central Golden Hall 　The Grand Consecration and Devotion

Akiko

Oct 26, 2018

Kofukuji Temple's Central Golden Hall 　The Grand Consecration and Devotion

Kofukuji Temple was founded at the time of the relocation of the capital to Nara in 710, and marked the 1300 -year anniversary in the year 2010. For the first time in the 3 centuries since its destruction by fire in the early 18th century, the temple's oldest and most important structure, the Central Golden Hall was reconstructed at the center of the Kofukuji precincts. To my surprise, it is the 8th reconstruction after 7 times of destructions !! It is located just within w

Todaiji Temple, a best stage for love and peace through art.

Akiko

Sep 23, 2018

Todaiji Temple, a best stage for love and peace through art.

One early autumn night of 8th of September, Todaiji Temple was re-opened at 6PM for the lucky 2,000 people chosen by a drawing for a special performances of 31st OTOBUTAI (音舞台）. About OTOBUTAI https://www.mbs.jp/oto/about.shtml Todaiji Temple the Great Buddha hall is used for the stages for many kind of artists to perform their arts in front of the Buddha Vairocana. Virocana, in Sanskrit, literally means "Shining Light of the Universe". Just as the sun shines on every corne

TOKA-E 2018

Akiko

Aug 17, 2018

TOKA-E 2018

Kasugano enchi (春日野園地） Kofukuji-temple, Five-story Pagoda　（興福寺・五重塔） Sarusawa pond (猿沢池） in front of the Nara prefectural government office (県庁前） #Nara

"Whisper of the Lotus flowers "

Akiko

Aug 9, 2018

"Whisper of the Lotus flowers "

This is an amazingly beautiful video taken by a freelance documentary maker, Koichi Hozan. on July 30, 2018. I just cannot help sharing this one with more people.. Can you imagine filming this in rain all day long? Such a delicate, fragile, perfect beauty.. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elbe7HtL658 Another one is #Nara

Two days with Suzann

Akiko

Jul 26, 2018

Two days with Suzann

I had such a good time with Suzann from Quebec, Canada touring around Nara for 2 and half days. It started with a sudden Facebook messenger from the owner of Guesthouse Naramachi. Mr. Anzai who knows me well, and when Suzann asked for a local guide, he thought we would make a good match. He was totally right! Good thing was, he provided me the background information on her, what she does. Suzann's carrier can be well described by key words, such as; Sustainability developme

Nara deer (vol. 1)

Akiko

Jun 27, 2018

Nara deer (vol. 1)

Deer have been present on the Japanese archipelago since before man appeared. They are often mentioned in the Man-yo-syu Poems, the oldest Japanese anthology which was compiled in the middle of the 8th century. (Nara period) No matter where you walk in Nara Park (1650 acres), you will encounter the famous Nara deer. Throughout the park, you will see many groups of deer walking freely, and eating grass. Nara deer have co-existed with people in Nara City for over 1,000 years

This year's new baby deer at Rokuen

Akiko

Jun 20, 2018

This year's new baby deer at Rokuen

After the World War II, the number of deer in Nara park decreased to as low as 80. However, thanks to the great efforts of the Nara Deer Protection Organization (鹿愛護会), today there are about 12,00 deer living in Nara park. Every year, we welcome about 200-250 fawns from May through July. The public can see these cute newly born baby deer and mother deer in June at Roku-en. （鹿苑） Roku-en is run by Nara Deer Protection Organization, located within the Kasuga Grand Shrine's com

Origami deer!!

Akiko

Jun 17, 2018

Origami deer!!

Nara is getting increasingly popular and famous as a city with cute deer. I suppose, for many one day visitors, freely roaming deer in Nara park are more memorable than old temples and shrines.. Recently, I have met ORIGAMI DEER specialists here and there in Nara city; ・Naramachi Koushino ie (奈良町格子の家）・Nara Visitor Center & Inn (located next to Sarusawa pond) ・Noborioji Hotel Nara (登大路ホテル） I took the above photo at Naramachi Koshino ie. The lady at the reception was maki

Very cute & informative website on Nara!

Akiko

May 16, 2018

Very cute & informative website on Nara!

I've found one of the best online information source on Nara created by the local Nara company. So well made, and I was super impressed! Here, Nara does not mean Nara city only, but a larger scale "Nara prefecture". (similar idea, ... small scale NYC vs NY state) . So you can find information on Asuka, Sakurai, Yoshino, etc.. Voice cream http://voicecream.jp/en/ I can see many locals' point of views and their choices of locations, people, pictures really represent today's N

TENPYO SAI festival is coming soon (May 3-5) in Nara

Akiko

Apr 30, 2018

TENPYO SAI festival is coming soon (May 3-5) in Nara

"TENPYO SAI " , a new annual spring festival in Nara to commemorate the Tenpyo era, or Nara period (8th century) when Nara was the capital of Japan is coming soon! http://www.tenpyosai.jp/index.html These women are dressed in Tenpyo style costume. To my surprise, they were not the ones who joined the Tenpyo parade, they were purely citizens who enjoy the style with their own creativity. All the small and big items from head to toes were hand-made by them! Just like Anim

Kasuga grand Shrine and wisteria

Akiko

Apr 27, 2018

Kasuga grand Shrine and wisteria

Kasuga grand Shrine is located at the foot of Mt. Mikasa with a history of 1250 years. Walking around the Kasuga Shrine complex, along the path surrounded by the moss-covering stone lanterns in the early morning is a peaceful pastime for me. It is lovely to find freely roaming innocent cute deer, here and there. If you have an extra time to spend in Nara, I'd like to recommend you to visit the sacred garden for the gods, Man'yo -Shokubutsu-en, located about 50 meters before

Sakura, sakura in Nara

Akiko

Apr 2, 2018

Sakura, sakura in Nara

Well, actually, I have hundreds of pictures of sakura.... as I accumulate every year... !! #Nara

How do we know SAKURA season?

Akiko

Mar 28, 2018

How do we know SAKURA season?

Many foreign travelers express their wish to come back to Japan during SAKURA (桜）, or cherry blossom season．However, the blooming season is very short, and it changes slightly each year. How do Japanese know the right timing to see sakura? Every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen (桜前線　cherry blossom front) as it moves northward up the Japanese archipelago with the approach of warmer weather via nightly forecasts following the weath

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