Hase-Dera (長谷寺)

I'll talk today of a temple very particular for me, the Hase-dera Temple! It's my favorit temple in Japan. It's located in the beautiful city of Kamakura, which is not far from Tokyo by train (my boyfriend live in Kamakura! :D). The legend of this temple said: The monk Tokudo Shonin discovered a large camphor in 721 in the forest near the village of Hase. He realized that the trunk was so large that it allowed to carve two statues of Kannon (she is a goddess) with eight heads. One of them was integrated into the Hase-dera temple in Sakurai, in Nara Prefecture. The other was thrown into the sea, a prayer vowing that the statue reappears to save the people. Fifteen years later, in 736, the statue ran aground on the beach of Nagai, near of Kamakura. The statue was taken to Kamakura, where a temple was built for honor Kannon.
I strongly advice you to go to the temple in June for the flowering of hydrangeas (あじさい), this is absolutely beautiful! It's become my favorite flower after visiting of this temple xD
The photos were not taken at the same time, but they are all of Hase-Dera temple (and these are all pictures of me).

Irises were in bloom when I came in the temple the first time.

At the location of Buddhist temples you will often see this cross, which resembles at the nazi cross... Attention!
It has absolutely nothing to do with the nazi cross (if you look well, the branches are not in the same direction). This kind of cross is called "Swastika" it's a Buddhist symbol that symbolizes eternity. The basin is also shaped swastika.

Hundreds of statues of Jizo, the guardian deity of childrens, and also represents the young dead childrens.

 View of Kamakura from the temple, yes it's a bamboo forest before.

 

 京和傘

 A baby praying mantis (かまきり)

There is a cave in the walls of this temple. In this cave there are many statues of deities with a little place for candles, of course I put my candle for the divinity of love (maybe it worked well because I found the best boyfriend who can exist ^-^).

Sorry I have not written much about this article, but I think it's just a place to admire in silence.
This is certainly not the most famous temple in Japan, but it's a absolutely magnificently temple.

Kawagoe (川越市)

Some "提灯" (chouchin) in the front of the gate.

Second time that I go to Kawagoe! But this time with Yuuki ^-^ We wanted go at a place that we don't know well (although I've been in Kawagoe in the past but Yuuki there has never been there!). I know more places in Japan than Japanese people it's crazy XD. I was happy to leave Tokyo for go a little more far than usual, and it's always funny to be with Yuuki, he is so baka ♪ Finally the main shopping street with the famous houses of the Edo period (called Kurazukuri) was not so easy to find than in my memories. To be honest I've seen anything more in Kawagoe than last time and yet there are other things to see... But I will definitely go back one day, it's not very far (it's in Saitama).

A small shop that sold typical Japanese sweets. The seller outside made ​​us taste a kind of azuki bean cooked in sugar syrup, dried, and then coated with sugar, it's called "Amanattou" (甘名纳糖)... it was very good! o_o '

Manholes in Japan have always a different designs depending of the city,  manholes of Kawagoe have generally the bell tower represent.

Kitty-chan is everywhere in Japan!

The best yaki onigiri of the woooorld! Yaki onigiri are covered of soy sauce and grilled, and they often put dried bonito... It's delicious!

The old bell tower, the symbol of Kawaoge.

After we ate mitarashi dango covered of soy sauce and grilled in the small shop of a Ojiisan . If you don't know what is "dango" I will explain you! Dango are boo-boo made of rice flour , there are full of different varieties, depending on the area, city etc... The more known are the hanami dango , compounds three balls on a stick ( green, white , pink), often found in the anime.Besides you know where the name comes from of the famous drama "Hana Yori Dango"? It means "It's better to have dangos than flowers" because hanamis during the sakura are especially made for eat and drink between friends/family rather than admire the sakura. So basically this expression means "It's better preferred usefel things rather than aesthetics" and not "It is better to explode your belly with dangos rather than thinking about aesthetics" XD At the bottom of the store of the old man , there was another old man who gave me a hand signal " halloooo " ( emphasis English catastrophic) but it made me laugh a lot xD

A kind of taiyaki to the shape of the bell tower of Kawagoe... with sweet potato inside! The sweet potato is the specialty of Kawagoe. Well surprise, it was very very good, maybe better than taiyakis you imagine?! xD The biscuit was softer than the original taiyakis. We spent our day to eat Japanese food with Yuuki actually >_> 'ahah.

 Yes, I started to grow sweet potatoes... Yeah well I admit, it made me think et big poop when I saw it XD

The car very not ashamed for go to work haha.

Then Yuuki then, why you didn't put this picture on your blog? You seem very happy!

 It reminds me mameshiba... haha!

 Oh a shop with my name (arisu) but... it's clothes for grandmother, nooo nandeee!! XD

 We ate lunch at... Mos burger! Okay I admit that in a "historic" city it's a little bit stupid of eating in a fast food, but I really wanted to eat there , so... @-@' (actually, it's very rare that I eat in fast food). For those who do not know, Mos Burger is a fast food chain "Japanese", they make burgers with Japanese ingredients, it's more expensive but so much better than Macdonald, so if you go in Japan and you want to try "macdonald Japanese" it's not so great idea because it's very similar at Madconald of other country... But go to Mos Burger! ;) (I took this burger and it was so good, it collapses under the cheese *o*). Hello kilos.. ♪
What a good idea to eat this before going to the swimming pool! Yes, yes, the pool! This is also why we went to Kawagoe Yuuki and me! In most pools in Japan a bathing cap is required, but not in the pool of nishi Kawagoe (Kawagoe west) and as I have no desire to look like a big condom, so... GO AT NISHI KAWAGOE! XD The most lost place in the world, I even wondered if a gaijin (stranger) had set foot in this place yet, until I see a Indians family close to the pool. The pool is so big! I absolutely was not expecting it in this so lost place XD (it was this pool).
Already I don't like at all to be in swimsuit in normal situation,  but there I had hundreds of eyes on me, I was really uncomfortable... >_>' Especially there was a lot of young people, they said "iina" (waw, great!) and "kawaii" (cute)... Aaaah stop it! XD So I hid myself with giant buoy that Yuuki had took. But except this it was really funny, and it feels good to swim in summer in Japan, the summer in Japan is really hell (hot and humid). In a basin there was a cicada who made so many noise because she was drowning (Japan have so many cicadas in summer, and they are so big and noisy.. ><). I wanted to help the cicada, but no way I touch this disgusting creature, so I have called super Yuuki for the rescue! xD As soon as we pulled her out of the water, this stupid cicada fly again... in the basin T_T.. damn haha. I didn't take pictures at the pool because I had left my camera in the lockers. But this pool is really fun!

 Rods that hold alone it's magiiiic! There is the same thing in Ueno xD

 Japan, the country of the automatic beverage dispensers, there are at every street corner, cold drinks and even hot drinks. This automatic beverage dispensers have the image of bell tower of Kawagoe... and the Kawagoe mascot! The mascot is a sweet potato, why not haha.

 Just before the pool, yes, it's a rice field, it proves it was totally lost in the countryside haha!

 Rain drops on a spider web.

 After the pool Yuuki and me ate at a Thai restaurant in Ikebukuro. Oishii deshita ♪


Ok my article about Kawagoe is finished, I hope you liked it! See you soon! ^-^

Presentation

Hi everyone!
I am a young French of 21 years old who spent 1 year in Japan (and I will be back in Japan soon!).  I have written a blog about my adventures in Japan for some time (my other blog) but... in French! So if you understand French, don't hesitate to click on the link! ^-^ I created this blog mainly for my best friend (Yuuki) and my boyfriend (Yusuke) because... they can't understand French :( It may be difficult to keep this blog updated, but I'll try to post an article as soon as I have free time.
So let's have enjoy together on my blog!