Shitaya Shrine Matsuri

Shitaya Shrine Matsuri was held on May 7 and 8 in Ueno.　Beginning of the Matsuri season.

Wine the Exhibition

"Wine the Exhibition"

Wine the Exhibition is held at National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno. The wine bottle, found from a wreck deep in the Baltic Sea, is worth seeing. It was bottled before 1840. The building is also beautiful to see.

October 31, 2015 thru February 21, 2016
9:00 to 17:00 (20:00 on Fridays)
close on Mondays (also December 28 thru January 1)
1,600 yen/adult

http://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/exhibitions/ueno/special/2015/wine/

shop#194 Usagiya

Usagiya is a Japanese sweets shop in Ueno, famous for Dorayaki. Japanese sweets go well with Matcha.

shop#184 Ueno Fugetsudo

Though there are many companies which has a name of Fugetsudo such as Ginza Fugetsudo or Kobe Fugetsudo, this Ueno Fugetsudo is the only direct heir of the founder. At this sweets shop, you will find panda illustrated Dorayaki, limited products at Ueno shop, and Matcha Gaufres, limited products at this season only.

Check "12 Rules for Sakura Ohanami"

Please check the rules before you go to Ohanami, in order to enjoy beautiful Sakura. :-)

http://oldtowntokyo.blogspot.jp/p/sakura-ohanami-rules.html

Setsubun Event on February 3 in 2015

On February 3, the event Setsubun will be held at many temples and shrines.

Sensoji 13:30～
Shitaya shrine 14:00～
Torigoe Shrine 15:40～18:30
Kameido Tenjin 17:30～

Get lucky beans!

http://oldtowntokyo.blogspot.jp/p/setsubun.html

Winter poenies in Ueno

You can see big and beautiful peonies in bloom at the Peony Garden in Ueno Park until late February. I didn't know that there are so many colors in peonies. The garden is in the Ueno Toshogu Shrine.

entrance fee 700 yen
open 9:30 - 16:30

shop#167 Takumi-no-hako

Takumi-no-hako means the box of Artisans. There are two shops located at 2k540, Nihon-no-Kogei (Japanese Crafts) and Kisetsu-no-Kogei (Seasonal Crafts). Nihon-no-Kogei was operated by five young Japanese artisans from Hokkaido to Kagoshima, making boxwood comb in Beppu, bamboo craft in Kagoshima, Kimono fabrics in Fukuoka, wood craft in Hokkaido and Mizuhiki (paper art) in Kagawa.

The photos are artworks of Mizuhiki. 

The photos are artworks of Mizuhiki. Mizuhiki is traditionally used on an envelope, which is used at a wedding ceremony. When we attend a wedding, we bring the envelope with money inside. These artworks are hair ornaments or earrings, innovated by the craftsmen, which are compleately different from the image of Mizuhiki . You may actually see an artisan making products at the store.

Schedule
http://2k540.1no1.jp/schedule/l1.html

shop#101 Hacoa at 2k540

You will feel a real craftsmanship when you visit this shop, selling wooden crafts such as various kind of cases, clocks, flash drives and keyboards. You can put a seal on these products in 20 minutes if no one is waiting in line.

Extra fee for putting a name will be from 1,800 yen and a illustration from 1,620 yen. Kanji as well as alphabets available.

http://www.hacoa.com/

shop#100 Kiriya Tanaka at 2k540

A memorial 100th shop is Kiriya Tanaka at 2k540 (street#16). This is a specialty store for crafts made of paulownia wood, from cutting boards to chests. As a Japanese tradition, a bride used to prepare a set of chests made of paulownia wood, when she got married. The chests are expensive but can be used for many generations.

http://kiriya2k540.com/itemlist.html

shop#96 UNIQLO Okachimachi

UNIQLO Okachimachi has opened next to JR Okachimachi station at the end of this April, where you can check every product of UNIQLO. One third of the staffs can speak English, Chinese or Korean.