February 2012 Archives

Hello.

This is Hisa.

It's Leap Day today.

It's going to be first leap day for us, Backapckers Miyajima hostel.

Enjoy your happy LEAP DAY!!

http://youtu.be/mruCGjmTbKc

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish and one of the fast food foreign tourists also love.

Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is way more famous than Hiroshima ramen, but we still have a few good Hiroshima ramen restaurants!

On the westside of Hiroshima can be found "Hiroshima Ramen", which though not particularly well known. A thick, white tonkotsu shoyu (pork bone broth with soy sauce) soup is Hiroshima style and it is blended with a seafood dashi, resulting in a mixture that is part Kyushu and part Tokyo in nature. Noodles served in this style are relatively medium-thickness, straight, and soft.

On the eastside of Hiroshima can be found "Onomichi Ramen", which is typically a chicken stock, clear soy sauce-based ramen upon which liquid grease and chunks of seabura (lard) are added, making it a bit kotteri in nature. Like the Hiroshima style, it is moderately skinny, straight noodles  Generally. Onomichi ramen also uses seafood in the soup, with small fish species caught from the Seto Inland Sea serving as flavoring.

After you try Hiroshima okonomiyaki, why don't you try Hiroshima ramen?

Kazumi

We will take you to a hanami party everyday for 10 days from April 6th to 15th.

What is a "hanami" party?:"Hanami" literally means viewing flowers, but hanami almost always means a party to be held under cherry trees with blooming flowers in the daytime or at night. Cherry blossoms bloom northwards around March to early May .

We bring boxed lunch, tons of drinks and have a hanami party under cherry trees!! It is what we do!! Make sure to plant to go to see cherry blossoms and join a hanami party, if you are in Japan in time!! If it is with us, we will be VERY happy!

We suggest that you should book a room or extend your stay in advance, so you don't need to worry about the vacancies during the time. If you want to join the party, please mention it when you book a bed!!

Period：Everyday from April 6^th to April 15^th, 2012 for 10 days

In case of rain: Lunch party at Backpackers Miyajima

Time:We leave Backpackers Miyajima at 10:30 and break up on the spot around 15:00. (April 15th:10:30-17:00)
Places to go：It depends on the day.

l         April 6th:Mitaki temple

l         April 7th:Hiroshima castle or Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

l         April 8th:Kintaikyo bridge

l         April 9th:Mitaki temple

l         April 10th:Hiroshima castle or Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

l         April 11th:Kintaikyo bridge

l         April 12th:Mitaki temple

l         April 13th:Hiroshima castle or Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

l         April 14th:Kintaikyo bridge

l         April 15th:Chuo park next to Hiroshima castle

Fee: 1,000 yen with a special koraku (picnic) bento box (lunch box). April 15th:BBQ

Travel expenses: Not included. It should cost 0 yen to 1,120 yen from/to Backpackers Miyajima. It depends on where you go, JR pass if you have and how you go.

What to bring: Your own drinks and a camera of the heart (of course, you also can bring a real camera, if you want to!)

Guide: Volunteers who are looking forward to having fun with you will join you!!

Kintai-kyo Bridge 

Kintai-kyo is a five-arched bridge, which linked the samurai quarters on the west bank of the Nishiki-gawa.

You can enjoy the hanami party under cherry trees along the river against the background of Iwakuni Castle on the top of the hill.

Mitaki

This is a beautiful and inspiring spot, which has three waterfalls, Mitaki temple, hiking routes to the top of the hill. It is also a picturesque spot for the viewing of colorful autumn foliage.

You can enjoy the hanami party surrounded by beautiful quiet waterfalls, a nice pagoda, greenery and cherry trees.

Hiroshima　Castle or Peace Memorial Park

Hiroshima-jo which is also known as Carp Castle was rebuilt and has nothing much to see inside, but the surrounding park is a pleasant place for a stroll and a hanami (cherry blossom) party! You can enjoy the hanami party under cherry trees along the Hiroshima Castle moat in the park while viewing the castle.

Also, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is full of people viewing cherry blossoms along the Motoyasu-gawa in spring.

Kazumi

Hello!  How is it going?

New fellow of BPM has increased today.

Why can we be friend!

Hello.

This is Hisa as Backapckers MIyajima staff.

I recommend to you a great CD.

RH factor / Hard groove

He is a trampetor. And he features many artists, like common, Eryka Badu....

Just listen to it. I know you will LOVE it.

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Hey guys!!

Don't miss Backpackers Miyajima winter campaine.

1800Yen for one night until very end of Feb, 2012!!

And we recommend a CD.

A Tribe Called Quest: The low end theory

I think good hiphop music were released in 90's.

Now it's just junks.

What a Japanese thing restraurant.

This is an amazing place!!

You can go there from Backpackers Miyajima hostel.

Ask our staff!!

Ondo no Seto is a waterway that links Kure Bay and Akinada, an open sea.
Boats run from Miyajima island to Ondo-no-Seto directly during a one-year period!

You can enjoy the view of the Seto Inland Sea from Ondo-no-Seto park, the onsen with the sea view and also you can go to Kure by boat.

Kazumi 

Hello!  How is it going?

The cold day continues.

At such time, hot sake is good.

Drinking it with dry squid.

This combination is very good moreover the body also gets warm！
. 

It should be a wonderful idea to go on a cruise in the Seto Inland Sea while enjoying the view, drinking or eating!!

We have lots of information. Ask us!!

Kazumi

Hey guys!!

How are you doing?

Now it's increasing flu people in Japn.

So you can see many people put on the masks.

Please gargle a lot, otherwise you are going to mess up trip in Japan.

Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day?

In Japan, it is only the women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men. Japanese women are usually too shy to express their love. (Though it might not be true nowadays.) So Valentine's Day was thought to be a great opportunity to let women express their feelings. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called "White Day" (March 14th), a Japanese creation.

Does it sound good to you? Don't get too excited when you get chocolates from Japanese girls! They might be "Giri-choko (obligation chocolate)." Women give chocolates not only to their loved ones ("A true love" chocolate is called "Honmei-choko.") "Giri-choko" is the chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in, just for friendship or gratitude.

How many chocolates did you get or give today?

Me?

The moment I came to work here today, Hisa (the owner) asked me, "Hey Kumachan, Any chocolate for me!?"

I said, "Oh my god, is it the 14th today?"

Kazumi

Have you seen these types of chopstics before?

A guest had these the other day, and I loved them!!

Why don't you bring ones back home from Japan!?

You might feel like you are a cool samurai while eating!!

I want ones.

Kazumi

Hello!  How is it going?

Then, as you know, an oyster is the famous food of Hiroshima in winter.

So, An Oyster Festival is hold in Miyajima island today and tomorrow.

Many kinds of oyster dishes are eaten there.

BBQ style and hot pot style or ・・・ets.

Anyway, try everything and enjoy it!

We are having a Taco Rice party tonight!

Taco Rice Hisa makes is really good!! Why don't you come and join us!?

Kazumi

Hello everybody!!

We're gonna have a NABE for tonight dinner.

It's a tipical winter food in Japan.

There are so many kinds of NABE in Japan!!

For tonight is Motsu NABE which is beef or pork offal.

Sounds like awful, but trust us!!

It's delicious man!!

If you are in Japan, you gotta eat NABE!!

Sanzoku is a must-see place when you visit Hiroshima! It is a colorful maze of inside and outside eateries in true traditional Japanese fashion. You can enjoy the specialties or spend hours lost in the details of the rooms.

I went to the Ono Oyster Festival with guests at noon with guests today.

Then except for me, they went to an onsen!! Some had never been to an onsen before, some had been to an onsen and eagered to go back...

Now they just came back to the hostel, as if they had been to heaven or something!

And we go to Sanzoku restaurant tonight!! When you visit Hiroshima, you should visit Hiroshima peace park and Miyajima island, of course, AND Sanzoku without fail for sure!!

It is a restaurant, but the word "restaurant" is not enough to describe it. They have a castle, waterfalls, gardens, Japanese traditional houses... and they even have a shrine in the area on a hill. It looks like a samurai battle is about to break out!!

Let's go there together, if you have a chance!!

Kazumi

I went to an Izakaya with the guests the other night to show them what an Izakaya was like!

The drunkards showed no sign of going back and went to a Karaoke!!

We drunk a lot, talked a lot, laughed a lot and sang a lot!!

So... the following day, I mean yesterday, all the members of the Karaoke team slept and slept and slept... woke up for dinner and went back to sleep right away.

Guess what!! It was this morning that I saw them in their right senses!! Wow!!

Please join us!!

Kazumi

Hey everybody!!

We have the super discount for one night

during 1st of FEB to 29th of FEB.

2500YEN  →　1800YEN

Don't miss it!!