Oyada Maple Valley in Mino City, Gifu

The Oyada Maple Valley in Mino City is considered one of the best locations in Gifu to appreciate the beautiful autumn leaves. The viewing of Autumn leaves in Japan is called momijigari (紅葉狩り), and is an annual event in which thousands of people visit locations all over Japan seeking out the best spots to see the spectacular colours. This time of the year almost rivals the famous cherry blossom season in spring and is very beautiful.

Oyada Shrine is surrounded by around 3,000 Japanese maple trees (yama momiji) that set the valley around the shrine ablaze in Autumn with brilliant colours. The area is filled with vermillion reds, apricot oranges and golden yellows of the season. Some of the trees are more than 1000 years old. The contrast between the colourful leaves and the traditional carvings of the shrine is magnificent and make this place a sight not to be missed during the fall season in Japan.

There is also a festival vibe to the area during the season with many local food vendors selling all types of festival food and local Gohei-mochi.

The Oyada Maple Valley was designated a National Natural Monument of Japan in 1930.

The Autumn colours are usually at their best in mid to late November.

Oyada Maple Valley in Mino

The Starting Point at the Entrance to the Shrine

Stone Lantern at Oyada Shrine

The Main Shrine Entrance

Komainu at Oyada Shrine

Autumn Leaves at Oyada Shrine

Food Vendors at Oyada Shrine

More Food Vendors at Oyada Shrine

The Steep path to the Main Shrine at the Top

Autumn Leaves around one of the smaller Shrines

Access:
The valley is tucked away in a rural part of Mino City with parking available for cars. Parking is 300 yen. Public Transportation is also available with buses from Mino Station. Take the Gifu Bus on the Takami Line (高美線) to Oyada Jinja Mae bus stop (大矢田神社前) which is a 30 minute bus ride.

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Autumn Leaves at Gujo Hachiman Castle

Gujo Hachiman Castle (郡上八幡城) is a mountain castle located on top of Mount Hachiman in Gujo Hachiman, Gifu Prefecture. The original castle was built in 1559 by Endo Morikazu, but torn down during the Meiji Restoration in 1870. The current castle was reconstructed in 1933 and this year 2013 celebrates its 80th anniversary. It is one of the best reconstructed castles in Japan and unlike most of Japan’s modern day reconstructions is not made of concrete but wood, so is more true to its original form. The castle offers amazing views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and the view from the top of the castle is breathtaking. The castle is accessible via car or on foot and is only a short hike of around 15 minutes from the base to the top of Mount Hachiman where the castle is located.

Gujo Hachiman Castle is surrounded by maple trees which make the area really beautiful during the autumn in Japan. It is considered one of the best spots in Gifu Prefecture for momiji or autumn leaf viewing. The white structure of the castle is contrast brilliantly by the fiery red colours of the autumn foliage. The best time to see the colourful leaves is usually early to late November. There is also a night time display where the trees and castle are lit from sunset until 9 pm. This year it ran from November 9 – 17.

There is also a Momiji (Autumn Leaves) Festival that runs from November 2 – 24.

Momiji Festival

Gujo Hachiman Castle

The approach to Gujo Hachiman Castle

Autumn Leaves over the Watch Tower

Momiji at Gujo Hachiman Castle

View from Gujo Hachiman castle

Beautiful Autumn Colours at Gujo Hachiman

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Gratin Croquette Burger at McDonald’s Japan

The Gratin Croquette Burger or Gurakoro (グラコロ) in Japanese is a winter tradition at McDonald’s in Japan. The popular seasonal burger is always a tell time sign that winter and the colder months are approaching in Japan. It is now back on the menu, so Japan Australia went to check it out!

What is the Gratin Croquette Burger? A gratin is a Western inspired dish in Japan that is like a pasta bake with creamy white sauce and a crispy topping. The Gratin Croquette Burger features a shrimp and macaroni creamy gratin inside a fried croquette, which is then sandwiched between two soft fluffy buns. It is served on a bed of shredded cabbage and topped with croquette sauce.

Gratin Croquette Burger

This winter the Gratin Croquette Burger comes in two forms; The traditional Gratin Croquette described above, and a new Demi Cheese Gratin Croquette. The Demi Cheese Gratin Croquette Burger features the addition of creamy cheddar cheese and a beef packed demi glaze sauce.

Demi Cheese Gratin Croquette Burger

The Gratin Croquette is available for 330 yen ($USD3.30) for just the burger or 620 yen ($USD6.20) for a M-size set. The Demi Cheese Gratin Croquette is available for 360 yen ($USD3.60) for just the burger or 650 yen ($USD6.50) for a M-size set.

How does it taste? It is very different from your usual burger with no beef patty to speak of but still very tasty with a soft fluffy bun and creamy oozy gratin inside a fried crispy croquette. We finished this burger off in no time and it was really good!

The Gratin Croquette Burger at McDonald's Japan

The Gratin Croquette Burger with M-size-set

McDonald’s Japan Website

Shichi-Go-San 2013

Shichi-Go-San (Seven-Five-Three) is a Japanese festival in honour of girls aged three and seven, and boys aged five. The actual date of Shichi-Go-San is November 15th, but it is not a national holiday in Japan and is usually celebrated on the nearest weekend to the actual date.

Children dress in their finest clothes, typically a Japanese kimono and visit a shrine with their parents. It is a day to pray for the good fortune and healthy growth of children and hope for a successful future.

Why the ages Seven-Five-Three? 

These ages are odd numbers and are considered lucky in East Asian numerology. This year you can expect a lot of young children dressed in kimono at shrines on the weekend of November 16-17. I recommend a visit to a shrine if you want to see this event and it is also a good opportunity for all those photographers out there to capture a wonderful photo.

Traditional Clothing

It is tradition on Shichi-Go-San for children to dress up in traditional Japanese clothing such as a kimino and hakama and visit a shrine to celebrate and be blessed. It is usually the first time for many to wear such traditional clothing and is a popular time for formal pictures to be taken at a professional photo studio. In more recent times, many children are increasingly wearing Western style clothing such as dresses and suits. 

Origins of Shichi-Go-San

The celebration is said to have started during the Heian period (794-1185) when nobles celebrated the growth of their children. Over time, this tradition passed to the samurai class who added a number of their own rituals. Children who up until the age of three were required by Japanese custom to have shaved heads were allowed to grow their hair. Boys of age five could wear a hakama (袴) for the first time, while girls of age seven could tie their kimono with the traditional obi instead of simple cords. The practice became popular among commoners during the Edo period (1603-1868) with families visiting shrines to offer their prayers, and evolved to what it is today during the Meiji era (1868-1912).

Chitose-ame

After the visit to the shrine, parents usually buy special candy for the children called chitose-ame (longevity candy). Chitose-ame is long, thin, red and white candy. The character for chitose-ame is 千歳飴 and it literally means thousand year candy. Not that it is a thousand years old, but it symbolizes healthy growth and longevity. The candy is shaped like a stick and comes in a bag decorated with cranes and turtles, which both symbolize long life.

Chitose-ame from Gifu Gokoku Shrine

Milky Chitose-ame

Gifu Park Chrysanthemum Flower Show

During Autumn in Japan Gifu Park comes alive with red and yellow leaves as well as chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemum or “kiku” in Japanese is one of the flowers that are considered to be an unofficial national flower, the other is the “sakura” or cherry blossom. Japan does not have an official national flower, but the chrysanthemum is used as the official seal of the Japanese Imperial Family.

Every Autumn the Chrysanthemum Flower Show is held at Gifu Park in the center of Gifu City. Gifu Park is located at the foot of Mt Kinka, and is where the samurai warlord Oda Nobunaga made his home on his mission to unify Japan. The Chrysanthemum Flower Show features around 3000 pots of various chrysanthemums that are put on display. They include species such as the “Minogiku” which is known for its multi-coloured pedals and originated here in Gifu, as well as “Yamagiku” and “Ogiku” species.

Chrysanthemums at Gifu Park

Chrysanthemum Flower Display

A cool shape created with Chrysanthemum

There is also a Chrysanthemum Doll Show featuring Oda Nobunaga as well as soldiers guarding the huge door to his magnificent palace. The Chrysanthemum garden is also very spectacular and full of bright vibrant colours.

Oda Nobunaga with his court

The Chrysanthemum Garden with lots of colours

Nobunaga's guards at the watch tower

Guards at the entrance to Lord Nobunaga's Palace

Lord Nobunaga with Nohime at Gifu Park

There are also several bonsai flower displays to see through-out the park.

Bonsai Display

Event Details:

Address: Omiya-cho, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture
Admission: FREE
Hours: The park is open 24 hours
Show Period: Late October to Late November

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The New Improved GaijinPot

GaijinPot recently underwent a complete renovation and the site is now looking fresh and totally new. GaijinPot which launched in 1999 has long been known as the place to visit for jobs in Japan. It is the leading employment and life resource website for foreigners living or interested in coming to Japan. The new improved website has expanded to include sections on study and travel, which further improve the services and resources offered by GaijinPot. The new layout is a big improvement over the old site and is a lot easier to use and navigate.

Study in Japan

The study section includes language schools in Japan for Japanese study as well as study material and lessons. The study material such as Japan National Holidays and Yamanote line allow you to learn about Japan while picking useful Japanese phrases and words.

Travel in Japan

The travel section allows you to search for hotels in Japan and offers packages, such as airline tickets, hotels and trains.

Work in Japan

GaijinPot also has a wide variety of jobs listed in their Work section to assist you in finding work in Japan. They have expanded from just English teaching jobs to include more fields such as Business, IT and Human Resources just to mention a few. You can also search for jobs, submit a resume, apply for jobs or just read through the career resources that contain helpful information on working in Japan.

Click on the link below to visit the website to check it all out for yourself. Let your journey in Japan start on GaijinPot.

GaijinPot Website

Bistro SMAP X Seven Eleven

You can now try specially designed Bistro SMAP menu items at Seven Eleven convenience stores across Japan. SMAP are a popular boy band here in Japan that have been around since the early 1990s. They are known as singers, actors, comedians, entertainers and cooks and host their own cooking segment called “Bistro SMAP” on their weekly TV variety program.

Bistro SMAP features four members of the band cooking for celebrity guests. Guests are able to order anything they want and the boys battle it out in two teams. SMAP leader Masahiro Nakai is the owner and hosts the segment.

This series of food items at Seven Eleven have been originally developed by the SMAP boys specifically for sale at the convenience store. The menu items went on sale on October 15th and include the following:

Shogayaki Omusubi (Onigiri) by Masahiro Nakai 158 yen 

Shogayaki Omusubi (Onigiri)

Meat Sauce Wafu Style Omuraisu by Takuya Kimura 550 yen 

Meat Sauce Wafu Style Omuraisu

Smoked Salmon and Lemon Cream Pasta by Tsuyoshi Kusanagi 480 yen

Smoked Salmon and Lemon Cream Pasta

Handy Wrap (chicken & bacon) by Goro Inagaki 350 yen

Handy Wrap

Ichigo Milk Daifuku 120 yen / Caramel Mousse Coffee Jelly 220 yen by Shingo Katori

Ichigo Milk Daifuku

Caramel Mousse Coffee Jelly

Japan Australia being a big SMAP fan had to give these a try, so we headed down to our local Seven Eleven to check them out. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the Smoked Salmon and Lemon Cream Pasta and Shogayaki Omusubi (onigiri), but we managed to find the rest. Here is what we thought of them.

Meat Sauce Wafu Style Omuraisu 

This was really tasty and more like a good restaurant meal than a convenience store bento. The meat sauce was rich, sweat and tasty. It was a little more expensive than your regular conbini meals but worth the extra for the taste. 

Meat Sauce Wafu Style Omuraisu

Handy Wrap (chicken & bacon) 

The Chicken Handy Wrap was really good with a nice herby dressing/sauce and lots of salad. We thought the Bacon Wrap was a little plain in comparison. 

Handy Wrap ~ Chicken and Bacon

Ichigo Milk Daifuku 

This was delicious and the strawberry milk filling sweet and morish. This is a traditional Japanese dessert that anyone would love. 

Ichigo Milk Daifuku

Caramel Mousse Coffee Jelly 

Shingo Katori is definitely the dessert master with another tasty winner here. This wasn’t as sweet as I was expecting (that’s a good thing) with a bitter coffee jelly well balanced with a caramel mousse and whipped cream topping. 

Caramel Mousse Coffee Jelly

There you go! If you are in Japan and want to give these a try head down to a Seven Eleven near you.

Seven Eleven Japan Website