Hanayashiki Maniwa

... can go in as a couple and no one else can enter. Jon`s favourite was a private onsen outside in the grounds right on the lake shore. The bath is on a wooden platform and it is completly private as it is encircled by a wooden fence. You can sit naked in the bath while it rains on the mist shrouded lake around you. Even though it is cold outside, the bath is piping hot. Another quirky thing they have in the grounds - you can ask for an egg from ...

We climbed the extinct volcano of Daisen today. Nearly 3 hours up and a punishing 2 hours down. Sadly it was very misty and drizzley so we saw very little except a few pleasant locals that we passed on the way. I don't think they get very many foreigners in these parts. Legs hurt now.

Visit a Japanese city with an incredible history, cuisine, art, natural beauty, friendly people and a proud tradition ... and you'll be in Kyoto. A four-day stay in this wonderful city is not enough, but it's a start to getting a feel for Old Japan, of samurais and geisha, of castles, of temples and gardens around every corner, of food that is an art form, of narrow alleyways of which each has a story to tell in its cafes and shops and mom-and-pop restaruants.

... to mind to describe the time here: (Always) interesting, challenging, confusing (at times), electrifying, motivating, exciting, tiring, fascinating .. and special. Trips to Hiroshima and Miyajima, Hiratsuka and Atami, Saitama and Chiba and, most recently, Okinawa have given me chances to explore other areas in Nippon. My travel bug never stops ... And so I am off to Osaka and Kyoto next week for four ...

... same was true of the actors' mannerisms -- the bowing, the certain niceties that are unique to nihongo communication, too. The tension between the play's central figures was, well, as authentic as any I'd ever seen. It was a delight to be seated so close to everything. From that vantage point, every subtle action was on full display -- sweat dripping down the ...

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager Trey Hillman was named the Foreign Sports Figure of 2006 by the Foreign Sportswriters Association of Japan. So how did he act during the dinner in his honor a few days ago? He was gracious, answering every question thoroughly, often weaving in small tales of other baseball figures he thought of, or stories that reminded him of something else. He shook each person's hand in the private room at the ...

... if the commercials ever stop, 8 a.m. on Monday Japan time. Me thinks that's as good a reason as any to delay the "work week" for a few hours. ### Baseball fans will enjoy last week's cover story in Metropolis on the gyroball, a still-mysterious pitch to much of the sporting world. In essence, the pitch defies the laws of gravity. Fascinating read. Check it out here: http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/670/featu re.asp

... coaches, fans, sponsors and other writers and journalists who were in Okinawa. In my spare time, I took about 200 photos during my three days on the island. Just walking around with a camera (and a cell-phone camera as backup) is a great feeling: pass the time by documenting the interesting things you see. ### One aspect of my job at The Japan Times that is truly satisfying is the chance to interact with those involved in something they put their ...

... is heart. I like that. The richness of those words' interconnection is special. The bond they share is no accident. For in any language the heart, a human's emotional, yet mirror, is tied to trust, or lack thereof. *** Asashoryu is closing in on his banner 20th Emperor's Cup, a feat reached by only a few great sumo wrestlers. Want to check out video highlights? Access this link and enjoy: http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/hon_basho/tor ikumi/eizo_haishin/ei zo1.html

... World Cup qualifier for Team Japan, which is dubbed the Cherry Blossoms. That found a spot on the back as well. And, oh yeah, some guy named Tiger Woods lost in a playoff at the Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament in Fukuoka. Big news. It competed for space on the back, too. On the same day, college football's game of the year pitted No. 1 Ohio State vs. second-ranked Michigan. And JT sports scribe Stephen Ellsesser happened to be in Columbus for the story. Not to be ...