Why Visit Japan in 2012

http://ciracar.com/beautiful-japan-part-2

Japan has had a rough 2011, with the March earthquake and tsunami disaster hurting tourist numbers, but Japan is the place to visit in 2012.


Why visit Japan in 2012?


The Food – Japan has been named the country with the most restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars.

The Beauty – Spectacular landscapes that include lush mountains, valleys, seascapes, waterfalls, autumn foliage and white powder snow just to mention a few.

The Culture - Japan has a traditional culture that stretches back millennia, and is a country of contrasts with beautiful temples and gardens along with ultra modern and high tech cities.

The Events – The major events in Japan in 2012 are:

Feb. 6-12, the Sapporo Snow Festival attracts more than 2 million people every year, boasting hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures.

Mar-Apr, Cherry Blossoms festivals and hanami held throughout Japan.
June, the Great Japan Beer Festival - takes place at Yebisu Garden Palace in Tokyo.

July. 27-29, Fuji Rock Festival featuring the reformed Stone Roses - Naeba ski resort.

July-Aug, Summer Firework Festivals held all around Japan.

Aug. 15, Obon a traditional Buddhist festival in memory of family ancestors (Festival of the Dead).

I hope this has inspired you to visit Japan in 2012

Japanese Song of the Week Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku by Hello! Project Mobekimasu

This week’s Japanese Song of the Week is Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku by Hello! Project Mobekimasu, which has debuted at number 4 on the Japanese J-Pop Oricon chart.

This is Hello! Project Mobekimasu’s Debut Single, and was released on November 16, 2011, in 7 Editions Regular & Limited A~F.


The group is a collection of the Hello! Project groups and includes Morning Musume (Mo), Berryz Koubou (be), C-ute (ki) Mano Erina (ma) and S/mileage (su) to form “Mobekimasu”.

The title of the song “Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku” means “A Philosophy of Not Becoming Ugly”. The song is very cute and energetic.

Hello! Project Wiki

Watch the music video for the single Busu ni Naranai Tetsugaku by Hello! Project Mobekimasu

Nabana no Sato Mie, Japan

Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) located in Kuwana City in Mie Prefecture, Japan is a must see place if you are ever in the Mie area. Nabana no Sato is a theme park focused on flowers and is part of the Nagashima Onsen (長島温泉) resort area.


The park has a number of different restaurants, some traditional shops, an onsen and one of Japan’s finest winter illuminations. The Illuminations runs for about 4 months from mid November to mid March and are a perfect way to spend the festive season in Japan.

Winter Illumination from Mie Tourism Guide

The Nabana no Sato grounds are home to various sections dedicated to flowers with the flowers changing throughout the year depending on the season.

The Middle of the Park from Mie Tourism Guide

There is a big greenhouse with an amazing range of flowers and the flowers bloom all year round. Sato no Yu is a large garden with an outdoor bath for those who love Japanese onsen (hot springs).

Green House full of flowers from Japan Australia

One of my favourite parts of the park is the full size beer hall, which is a place to relax and enjoy some of the local beer on offer. There are 3 types of local beer plus some tasty izakaya style snack food.

Nabana no Sato

• Location: 270 Komae, Nagashima-chō, Kuwana-shi, Mie-ken, 511-1144
• Opening Hours: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Entry Fee: Standard ¥1500 Winter ¥2000
• Begonia Garden admission: Adults: ¥1,000; Elementary/junior-high students: ¥700; Infants: ¥200

Note: Entry fee includes ¥1000 worth of coupons which can be used within the park

Japanese Song of the Week SPICE by Perfume

This week’s Japanese Song of the Week is SPICE by Perfume which has debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Jpop Oricon chart.

Perfume (パフューム) is a Japanese all girl pop/techno trio from Hiroshima, Japan. They debuted locally in 2001 and made their major label debut in 2005 as an electropop act. SPICE is Perfume's 11th single.

The group formed in 2000 and named themselves Perfume as all three members had the Japanese character for fragrance (香) in their names. In 2011 their song “Polyrhythm” was chosen for the Pixar movie, Cars 2 soundtrack.


Watch the music video for the single SPICE by Perfume