Exploring Kansai - Nara

A short distance from Hirakata, Nara makes for an excellent day trip on a weekend offering plenty to see and do. Home to a beautiful Buddhist temple, a popular deer park where you can literally feed and pet wild deer, myriad of fantastic little Japanese shops, Nara is definitely one city you will want to visit when you find yourself passing through Osaka either as a traveler, or a student of KGU.

Tōdai-ji (東大寺)

Perhaps one of the main reasons tourists and world travelers alike flock to Nara. This grand
Buddhist temple was found in the early 8th century (around 751 AD), and is home to the largest statue of Buddha Vairocana. Measuring in at nearly 15 meters or almost 50 feet, believe me when I say, this statue is HUGE. Pictures really just don't do its size any justice, which is why this temple is an absolute must-see to truly appreciate its magnificence.

As you enter and all throughout the temple, there are several other amazing statues including two of my favourites known as Niō. I like to just call them Gate Guardians as they're typically found protecting the entrances of Buddhist temples. They're often very difficult to photograph as they're hidden behind a mesh screen.

If you're interested in reading more about Todai-ji, click here.

Nara Deer Park

Something you'll come across on your way to Tōdai-ji is the Nara Deer Park. Coming from Canada, we have PLENTY of deer here, but none as docile and friendly as the deer you'll find here. They can actually become quite pesky when they realize you have food, so be careful! In the park, there are some small street vendors who sell I guess what you would call deer crackers/cookies (Shika Senbei)? Basically they're just a hand full of crackers for ¥200 that you can feed to the deer. I have to admit I had a bit of fun with it. After running out, they would sometimes nip at your clothes but don't worry, they're harmless.

Within the deer park there's several paths you can follow leading you around the park along some incredibly beautiful ponds, waterfalls, and even a few pagodas.

Sanjo Dori

After spending a long day exploring Todai-ji and hanging out with the deer, I highly suggest heading over to Sanjo Dori (Street). Here, you'll find plenty of restaurants to refuel at and a ton cool small Japanese stores for souvenirs. The street itself is really interesting, it's brick layered shopping district, with a lot discover. In fact, one of the most famous mochi shops in Japan is located on the corner of Sanjo Dori Street and Mochiido-No-Center-Gai (Map below). If you're lucky and your timings right, you might come across the store Nakatanidou when the Master is preparing a fresh batch of mochi. It's such a cool experience!

A traditional Japanese activity for many families during New Years, the term for this ritual is known as Mochitsuki (餅つき) or "Mochi Pounding" in English. These guys are national champions in Japan and rightly deserve it.

Resources:

• Sight-seeing map of Nara

The Beer Park.. Err... Katahoko Park

Whether you've already started your first week at Kansai Gaidai or you're about to, there's no doubt you will receive a lecture and warning about the infamous Beer Park. Located centrally between all the seminar houses and behind the Hirakata Library, every year the Beer Park attracts the seminar house students in the masses. I must admit, many, if not most of my friendships at Kansai Gaidai were started over a beer here.

Due to its prime location and convenient "amenities", the Beer Park no doubt quickly becomes a popular social hub. What could be better than a beer vending machine and a liquor store in walking distance, right? However, while it may be a great place to meet up with your friends from the other dorms for a casual drink, it's important to remember that you are not the only ones living in the area.

The Beer Park is surrounded on nearly all sides by residents of Hirakata, and if you've ever spent a winter in Japan, you'll know just how paper thin their walls are. I have to admit, I've personally spent many evenings hanging out in the Beer Park, whether it be just myself and a couple of friends, or often a group of 10 or more. Either way, one thing I noticed irregardless of how many people there are, North Americans are loud when we start drinking. We may not notice it as we're having a good time, conversating with friends, but between the alcohol and being outside, the level of our voices tend to quadruple. This creates two problems you will frequently encountered:

1. A visit from the Keisatsu (Japanese Police). While they're normally polite and understanding, they will kick out of the park if you're too loud, or even if you're congregating in too large of groups. Remember, you're a guest in Japan and here on a temporary student visa. You don't want to jeopardize this.
2. And then there's the frequent mandatory lectures from the Dean on Campus. You will be chastised for consistent loud behavior reports from the locals. These meetings are made mandatory for all students, as such, you will be scolded by the non-beer park goers. Nobody wants to spend their evenings on campus getting lectured.

Now that I've given you your fair warning, go out and have fun! It's a perfect place for a quick rendezvous and pregame before heading out to your favourite local bar or for karaoke. Some students choose to use it to unwind after a long day, grabbing a beer or two after studying. Most nights, you can usually find one or two people chilling here, if you feel like just getting out for a bit.

Tips:

• The liquor store tends to close around 9:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. unless their hours have changed. So grab your specialty booze early if you prefer something other than beer, chuu-hai, or sake.
• The liquor vending machine shuts down about 12:15 a.m. so make sure you buy your nights worth before then.
• You need a TASPO card to purchase cigarettes from vending machines in Japan. If you need smokes, buy them from the liquor store before it closes, or may have to walk to the nearest Konbini.
• My advice is, keep your gatherings small (or at least spread out) and relatively quiet and you won't have any trouble. For some of you, this will become a regular nightly hangout, it's a great place, let's keep it that way!

This is the liquor store and infamous beer vending machine. Located directly in front of the Beer Park and just around the corner from Seminar House 1. There are plenty of trash/recycle bins around so there's no excuse for not cleaning up after yourselves.


There's a few other hidden spots close to the Beer Park I can recommend, message me if you'd like to know. Contact Here

Wild Japanese Snow Monkeys

 Japan is home to one of few places where you can actually see and interact with wild monkeys! Though, while this may already sound exciting, how many of you have ever seen a monkey taking a bath in a hot spring (Onsen)? The place is called Jigokudani, a world famous national park visited by thousands of tourists every year in the heart of the Nagano prefecture.

The Japanese Macaques, or more commonly referred to as Snow Monkeys, live in the surrounding forests of Jigokudani Park. They descend during the day to lounge in the hot springs, literally appearing just as if humans were to be taking a bath. I can say personally, it's one of the weirdest though exhilarating feeling to witness this. Depending on the day, there can be as many as 100 or more seen gathered around the pools. Due to the growing popularity, the Snow Monkeys have become very use to their human visitors. This close relationship allows for plenty of interaction and awesome up-close photo shoots.

Getting to Jigokudani can be a bit of a challenge but is well worth the effort. There are several options to get there from Osaka area, so depending on how much you're willing to spend will determine your travelling time.


Here's my recommended route from Osaka:

• Book a day bus from Osaka (or Kyoto if available) to JR Nagano station. I suggest using Willer Express but ask an RA for help with this.
  Approximate Cost: ¥2500-¥3000 ($25-$30)
  Approximate Travel Time: 3 Hours
  Take the earliest bus possible if you're planning on returning the same day.

• From JR Nagano Station, catch the Limited Express Line to Yudanaka Station.
  Approximate Cost: ¥1160 ($12)
  Approximate Time: 47 Minutes

• From there, catch the NagaDen, (Nagano Dentetsu bus) to Kanbayashi. This is kind of like your base camp. This bus is bound for Shiga Kogen, exit at the Kanbayashi stop.
  Approximate Cost: ¥1300
  Approximate Time: 30 Minutes

Once you've reached Kanbayashi, there is only about a half hour scenic walk through the forest to reach the hot springs in Jigokudani Park. Entrance fee to the park is costs only ¥500. Arriving early gives you plenty of time to spend in the park and catch the return buses if you don't plan on spending the night in the area.

Useful Links:

• http://www.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/english/html/top_e.htm
• http://willerexpress.com/en/
• http://www.hyperdia.com