Winter Delights
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WINTER DEC–MAR 2018/19 No. 220 Free WESTERN JAPAN’S PREMIER VISITOR’S GUIDE Winter Delights Sake, skiing, spas and snowcrab Plus Inside… WHAT’S ON Explore Sights Food & Drink Discover EAT & DRINK A PERFECT LONG BEST SPOTS HOW SAKE IS KINOSAKI’S SEVEN SIGHTSEEING WEEKEND IN NARA FOR WINTER MAKING ITS HEALING SPRINGS SNOWSCAPES COMEBACK MAPS Discover Hiroshima’s Scenic Beauty YOICHI SHIDAREZAKURA CHERRY BLOSSOM A stunning 12m tall weeping cherry sitting atop a small in Akiota-cho hillock is lit up during its brief, but spectacular spring bloom OSORAKAN SNOW PARK Japan’s southernmost ski resort, offering long runs for all Breathtaking views, fabulous levels of skiers and snowboarders, as well as snow trekking and igloo building hiking, exciting snow sports and relaxing hot spring accommodation await SANDANKYO GORGE A stunning 13km river gorge, awarded 3 stars by the French travel guide Blue Guide and selected as one of the top 100 scenic beauty spots in Japan INI TANADA Picture-perfect terraced paddy fi elds, offering stunning photo opportunities year-round Nukui Springs Hotel Offers traditional outdoor hot spring baths overlooking Lake Ryuki in Kyoto Hiroshima’s Akiota-cho. Relax in comfortable western style or Japanese Himeji Okayama Osaka tatami mat rooms and enjoy our award-winning French dining. Akiota-cho Kobe Hiroshima Address: 4692-7, Kake, Akiotacho, Yamgatagun, Hiroshima 731-3501, Japan Tel: +81 (0)826-22-1200 Access: 1 hour by car from Hiroshima IC RESERVATIONS www.nukui-sp.com CONTENTS 26 Winter Dec / Jan / Feb 10 30 Features KANSAI FINDER 08 23 32 Events & Festivals Kansai’s Snowy Vistas Nara’s Cocktail Kings Where to experience the best of the region’s RASTA MUSICK winter snowscapes. 36 Insider tips on Nara’s best cocktails from a 10 master mixologist. Sights & Attractions 24 38 Sake on the Rise On Guide What’s Art & Exhibitions JULIAN HOUSEMAN Discovering Sake Thinking outside the box is paying off for Sake Sensei visits the Kurakucho brewery this Osaka brewery. in Shiga. 40 16 26 Live Music 42 Hitting the Kansai Slopes Hot-spring Hopping RANDY POEHLMAN CELIA POLKINGHORNE Clubs & Nightlife Alpine skiing options right on our doorstep. Exploring Hyogo’s quaint onsen town of Kinosaki. 44 20 30 Food & Drink A Perfect Long Weekend in Nara 48 Business Talk Onsen, caves, shrines, temples, and of course, hungry deer. An interview with Koichi Kimura, founder of Getting Around / Maps global fashion brand MIKI House. ON THE COVER: KINOSAKI ONSEN, TOYOOKA TOURISM INNOVATION INNOVATION TOURISM TOYOOKA ONSEN, KINOSAKI COVER: THE ON INNOVATION TOURISM TOYOOKA KINOSAKI, AT ONSEN YANAGIYU 26 LEE; DANIEL KIMURA, KOICHI CEO HOUSE MIKI 30 TAPIA; ARTURO ROBERTO BREWERY, DAIMON 10 PAGE: THIS AND MUCH MORE… CHECK OUT KANSAISCENE.COM FOR MORE FEATURES AND KANSAI TRAVEL INFO Kansai Scene | WINTER 2018/19 | kansaiscene.com 3 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR s we prepare for year- this season, we’ve outlined activi- ABOUT KANSAI SCENE end and New Year ties for a perfect long weekend KANSAI SCENE PROVIDES ENGLISH- celebrations, the time in the prefecture (p.20) as well as LANGUAGE ARTICLES, INFORMATION has come to pull on insider tips on where to get the AND LISTINGS FOR VISITORS AND A the winter woolies, head out- best cocktails in Nara City (p.23). RESIDENTS OF THE KANSAI AREA. doors, and get amongst all that Now is also sake-brewing time KANSAI SCENE IS PUBLISHED BY the chilly season in Kansai has throughout Kansai, and we have a MOJOWORKS KK, WITH SUPPORT FROM CELIA to offer. Whether it’s getting out special feature this issue on moves CB, LTD. POLKINGHORNE to Nakanoshima Island or Osaka a local Osaka brewery is making editor@ kansaiscene.com Publisher ...............................Daniel Lee Castle Park for winter illumina- to tap into new markets and boost Managing Editor ......Celia Polkinghorne tions (p.33), or really braving the the understanding and appeal of Editor ................................ Jason Haidar chill and heading to the moun- premium sake locally and inter- Art Director............................Daniel Lee tains for a spot of skiing (p.16) nationally (p.10). Stay up-to-date Production .......................Mojoworks KK or a snowy hike to take in some throughout the season with a full Listings Contributors magnificent frozen snowscapes list of events and festivals on the Art ...................................Brooke Larsen Cinema ............................. Miyoko Morita (p.08), we’re certain we’ll have Kansai Finder page of our website, Events .................................Tomoko Ishii something to pique your interest. and for weekly lists of what’s hap- Live Music ...................... Phillip Jackson Hot springs are a key part of my pening around the region, sign up Club ................................. Saiko Fujiwara winter regime, and this time we for our e-newsletters at kansais- take you to the charming onsen cene.com. Wishing you a merry ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES town of Kinosaki for a dip in its Christmas and a happy New Year CB, Ltd seven renowned bathhouses and from the KS team—we hope you Email ............... [email protected] Tel. ....................................03-6260-9125 a taste of its famed crab cuisine have a wonderful start to 2019. (p.26). If you’re heading to Nara GENERAL ENQUIRIES General ...... [email protected] Editorial ......... [email protected] NEW YEAR EXTRAVAGANZA Tel. ....................................06-6539-1717 COUNTING DOWN TO THE NEW Fax. ...................................06-7635-4791 YEAR WITH LIVE MUSIC AND Address ................. Osaka-shi, Nishi-ku, FIREWORKS AT WAKAYAMA .....................................Shinmachi 3-5-7, MARINA CITY ............................................Eiko Bldg. 2F ..........................................Mojoworks KK Website .......................kansaiscene.com WRITE FOR KANSAI SCENE If you would like to write for KS, please contact [email protected] after reviewing our writers’ guidelines: kansaiscene.com/write-for-us DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. We take no responsibility for the quality or content of advertisements. Public and private parties approached by those claiming to work for or on behalf of Kansai Scene should call this office to confirm the truth of any such claim, FEDERATION TOURISM WAKAYAMA PHOTO: especially where money may be involved. Connect with us FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM MEETUP kansaiscene @kansaiscene kansaiscene Kansai-Scene Kansai Scene | WINTER 2018/19 | kansaiscene.com 5 CALENDAR Seasonal Highlights ABOVE: REENACTING THE HISTORICAL SAGA OF THE 47 RONIN AT THE AKO GISHIKI FESTIVAL IN HYOGO ABOVE: PARTICPANTS ATTEMPT TO LIFT ENORMOUS DEC 31 meters away in this Osaka MOCHI RICE Dec NEW YEAR’S Shinto ceremony. See The streets of Minami CAKES COUNTDOWN & p.32 for details. (south Osaka) come STARLIGHT ILLUSION alive as brightly DEC 14–25 decorated palanquins BELOW: 2019 UNTIL JAN 14 COLORFUL OSAKA HIKARI- called hoe-kago parade Wakayama MIRACLE ESCHER to Imamiya Ebisu PALANQUINS RENAISSANCE 2018 Celebrate New Year’s WORKS FROM THE Shrine. The parade ARE CARRIED Osaka starts at Soemon- AROUND OSAKA Eve and welcome 2019 ISRAEL MUSEUM Mesmerising with an exciting live cho and travels along IN THE HOE- projection-mapped music show and the Osaka Dotonbori, Ebisubashi, KAGO GYORETSU graphics, seasonal “Starlight Illusion” Dutch graphic Sennichimae-suji, and PARADE illuminations and fireworks display held artist Maurits Takashimaya on its way paper lanterns provide annually at Wakayama Cornelis Escher’s to the shrine. See p.32 a winter spectacle Marina City. See p.35 mathematically for details. in and around the for details. inspired works have Nakanoshima area. See wowed audiences p.33 for details. around the world for JAN 12 decades. Take this KATSUBE FIRE Jan chance to view some FESTIVAL DEC 14 150 of his works, Shiga 47 RONIN FESTIVAL including some of his JAN 2 earliest pieces and Young men dance Hyogo autographed drawings wildly around A colorful period NEW YEAR ARCHERY at the Abeno Harukas bonfires to pray costume parade that CEREMONY Art Museum. See p. 38 for good health at this marks the anniversary Osaka for details. 800-year-old festival of the now legendary held simultaneously 47 samurai heroes who Watch masters of kyudo at two shrines a took revenge on the (Japanese archery) JAN 10 15-minute walk from clad in colorful death of their lord in HOE-KAGO one other. See p.35 the Edo period. See p.15 traditional costumes, for details. for details. aim at a target 60 GYORETSU PARADE 6 Kansai Scene | WINTER 2018/19 | kansaiscene.com TOP: NEW YEAR ARCHERY CEREMONY AT MOZU HACHIMANGU SHRINE IN OSAKA BOTTOM LEFT: THOUSANDS OF TORCH- BEARING MEN RUSH DOWN THE STEPS OF KAMIKURA SHRINE IN WAKAYAMA IN THIS FRANTIC CEREMONY BOTTOM RIGHT: KYOGEN PLAYS PERFORMED AS PART OF THIS SETSUBUN FESTIVAL TO WARD OFF CELESTIAL SPIRITS UNTIL JAN 14 Hundreds of semi- DESIGN FOR A NEW FEB 6 THE ART OF naked male students WAY OF LIFE OTO MATSURI (FIRE PORTRAITURE scramble to get their FESTIVAL) LOOKING hands on religious Kyoto FOR MORE IN THE LOUVRE objects said to bring An exhibition of Wakayama COLLECTIONS good luck at this Viennese turn-of-the- Two thousand men run THINGS Osaka Buddhist event held at century graphic design, down the 538 stone TO DO? Shitennoji Temple. See including pieces by steps from the peak COMPLETE EVENT This exhibition p.18 for details. Gustav Klimt and Josef of Kamikura mountain features some 110 Hoffmann. See p.39 in this frantic torch LISTINGS CAN BE portraits borrowed for details. ceremony. See p.35 FOUND ONLINE AT from the Louvre JAN 26 for details. KANSAIFINDER. Museum collection, WAKAKUSA COM including 3,000-year- FEB 2 & 3 old masks excavated YAMAYAKI SETSUBUN MIBU FEB 23 from Ancient Egyptian Nara coffins, paintings KYOGEN GODAIRIKI-SAN and sculptures 33 hectares of (WEIGHT-LIFTING grassland on Mt. Kyoto representing ancient CONTEST) figures like Marie Wakakusa is turned Short non-verbal, but Antoinette, and into a sea of flames often comical kyogen Kyoto numerous other to herald the coming plays are performed As part of the masterpieces.