From Arima Onsen station, you can take the cable car to go up Mount Rokkosan (Rokko Sancho Station). From the top of Rokkosan, you can see a panoramic view of Kobe and Osaka. There is a Japanese version of Peter Rabbit mascot at the garden. and you can find him at the bus as well!…
Author: Karen E. Young
Sharing the journey of fumbling my way to pleasing Jesus as His follower, as a wife, mother, businesswoman/ entrepreneur, cook/baker, employer, writer, occasional singer, lifelong learner, and aspiring dancer.
Arima Onsen 3: River and Yumotozaka street
Arima Onsen, very easily accessible by public transport from Kobe Sannomiya Station, famous for its hot springs. You are close to the city yet close to this pocket of historic preserved district that takes you back in time. Nearby is the Arima Toys & Automata Museum, restaurants, and from here you can access the cable…
Arima Onsen 2: Initiation to the Onsen
“Could I put a paper bag over my head or wear a bathing suit?” “If the people with illness go to onsen and become well, does illness remain in the water?” “Is the brown water safe?” “What’s the use of a face towel if it’s my body I want to cover?” Those were some questions…
Arima Onsen 1: The Lodge Arima Resort
After surviving the fast-paced crowd walks in train stations and shopping hallways in nearby busy cities, Japan also has these sweet blissful havens surrounded by nature where you can detoxify and chillax 🙂 Case in point… Kobe is the sixth largest city in Japan but behind its famed Mount Rokko, the historical hot spring town…
Grape-Picking at Kobe Fruit Flower Park
Kobe Fruit Flower Park is a lovely family destination with a ride park, go-kart, farm circus, fairy tale amusement park, Monkeys Theater, Forest of Horse Land, farm bus, putter golf, onsen, pool plaza, restaurants, farm circus market, plant factory, greenhouse, agricultural product processing plant, souvenir shop, and my favorite— gardens and fruit picking! The garden landscape…
An Entrepreneur, A Painter, A Museum
From the time my Kurashiki guide, Hisako Kashihara, and I started our walk towards the Bikan Historical Quarter, she mentioned the names “Kojima” and “Ohara” many times. Throughout Kurashiki, there was a trail of buildings linked with Ohara-san. Ohara Museum of Art Then, I could hear the excitement in Hisako-san’s voice whenever she said “Torajiro…
Rickshaw Experience
With the urgency to get back to my city base, I didn’t want to walk to the Kurashiki Train Station (where a Shinkansen to Kobe/ Osaka is available). Hisako-san and I had been seeing rickshaws around the Bikan Historical Quarter. I thought perhaps one of the rickshaw (rikisha) drivers would agree. Momo-san did! And he…
Clean Street Innards at Kurashiki
Touring the streets of Kurashiki, it was notably praiseworthy to find that not only were the “front of the house” tourist paths clean, so were out of the way “corridors.” It was so refreshing and admirable. It’s the same feeling I get when I go to a restaurant’s powder room and it has been cleaned…
Peach Parfait: Must Try In Kurashiki
Cream and blueberry top plump firm extra sweet slices of local white peach above peach sorbet and peach yogurt within strawberry syrup and chunks of peach at Momoko (Momo = peach; Ko is a suffix for girls’ names). Hisako-san joined me for this perfect end to our lovely walking tour, adjourning early before the typhoon…
Grace at Ryokan Kurashiki
After I booked my Voyagin Tour (Thank you for the recommendation Talltaleboe.wordpress.com) to Kurashiki, I got an email introducing me to my tour guide, Hisako Kashihara. Hisako-san was very helpful; we started coordinating our plan for my visit; upon my request, she recommended a lunch place… Ryokan Kurashiki. I was able to reserve my choice…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 