SEOUL, S. KOREA: Half-Day DIY Seoul Experience Tour

KTO's Suggested Itineraries for Independent Travelers

Course - Jongmyo Royal Shrine – Changgyeonggung Palace – Nolbujip (restaurant) – Daehangno

Experience the past and present of Korea through Seoul Experience Tour which covers Jongmyo Royal Shrine, registered as World Cultural Heritage, and Changgyeonggung Palace which is one of the five major palaces in Seoul, as well as traditional restaurant, Nolbujip and the youthful, cultural streets of Daehangno.

Introduction and Links to Detailed Info.

■ Jongmyo Royal Shrine
1:00 p.m.
Registered as World Cultural Heritage in 1995, Jongmyo Royal Shrine enshrines the spirit tablets of Joseon Kings and Queens. The simple layout of the construction creates a grave and divine atmosphere. Jongmyo Jere, the Royal Ancestral Rite, takes place on the forth Sunday of May every year. This ritual is accompanied by Jongmyojereak, which includes ritual music and solemn dance. Jongmyo Jere and Jongmyo Jereak were designated intangible cultural assets in 2001. The full tour without the ritual rites takes about 20 minutes.
>> View Detailed Info.

Walk 1 minute

■ Changgyeonggung Palace

1:20 p.m.
Changgyeonggung Palace can be reached just across the bridge from Jongmyo Royal Shrine. Changdeokgung Palace also stands nearby adjoined by a wall. Myeongjeongjeon is a national treasure and Tongmyeongjeon, Pungidae, and Gwancheondae are designated treasures. Completed in 1909, Changgyeonggung Botanical Garden is a great area to take pictures of trees. With plenty of resting areas to take short walks, a full tour may take about 40-50 minutes.
>> View Detailed Info.

Walk 10 minutes

■ Nolbujip

2:30 p.m.
Korean traditional restaurant, Nolbujip is located in Daehangno street. There are no tables and instead, while you sit in one of the big rooms, waiters dressed as Joseon servants bring in the tables with fully prepared meals. 18 different dishes are served just for 1,2000 wonLive flute and guitar performances are held every day from 12:20 p.m. to 2:30p.m., and traditional performance is held from 6:30p.m. to 8:30p.m.
*Phone no. +82-2- 3675-9990~2
*Hours : 11:30a.m.~10:00p.m. (Delivery available until 9p.m.)
*Closed : Chuseok, New Year’s Day, and Lunar New Year’s Day.
*How to get there : From exit 1 of Hyehwa Subway Station (Seoul Subway line no. 4) walk straight ahead for 2 minutes until arrival at Pizza Hut building. The restaurant is located on its basement floor. (Please see the map below)

Walk 3 minutes

■ Daehangno

4:00 p.m
It takes only 3 minutes from Nolbujip to Maronnier Park, which is the center of Daehangno. It had transformed into a bustling cultural area since Seoul National University was replaced by Maronnier Park and all kinds of art organizations. Variety of performances are held in up to 300 small theatres. Numerous beautifully designed cafes, unique restaurants and bars are plentiful in Daehangno. With the main road at the center, Daehangno is divided into performance and restaurant area in the Maronnier Park direction and shopping area toward the Sungyungwan Univerisity direction.
>> View detailed info
>> Daehangno Column

■ Course Map

■ Total Fee as of March 2005

• Admission fee for Jongmyo Royal Shrine : 1,000 won (ages 19 to 64)
• Nolbujip lunch fee : 12,000 won
  Total : 13,000 won

■ TIPS

* As most tourist attractions are free of charge for the elderly over age 65, Jongmyo Royal Shrine has been a resting area for many of the elderly. Jongmyo Royal Shrine and Pagoda Park are such places.

* To reach Nolbujip from Changyeonggung Palace, cross the road from the palace, turn left and walk straight ahead until the road intersection at Hyehwa-dong Rotary. Cross the road and walk to the right for a minute where you will find the Pizza Hut building. There is a large sign on front of Pizza Hut. (Please see the map above)

View Article on the Korea Tourism Organization’s Website.

RUSSIA AT THE OLYMPICS: Russians point fingers over Olympic losses

Wednesday's men's hockey loss to Canada caps a string of embarrassing failures for the country. The players, the Olympic committee, the entire post-Soviet era all take heat from angry fans.

February 27, 2010

By Megan K. Stack

Reporting from Moscow - Day after painful day, the failures have been piling up: The Russians couldn't catch any Olympic gold in figure skating, fumbled the early biathlon races and, most crushing of all, got trounced at ice hockey.

And, for once, this country of stoical nationalism and deep, black humor is showing signs of rage and a rare flash of public humility. From the penniless to the powerful, Russians lashed out against officials this week over the country's performance in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics with a vitriol seldom seen, even amid pervasive graft and lawlessness.

In bitter Internet forums and smoky pubs, fans cursed the corruption that they believe has seeped into Russian athletics, accusing sports officials of growing fat and rich even as impoverished players are forced to seek better lives abroad.
They bemoaned the bygone days of Soviet athletic glory, which was underpinned by a vast complex of sports schools and training complexes before the collapse of the USSR.

Most of all, they demanded quick, decisive change lest they be shamed at home when the Winter Games come to the city of Sochi in 2014.

"Our leaders are to blame. They should be kicked out," snarled Yuri Sinyov, a 62-year-old pensioner who stayed up all night to watch Russia's hockey team lose to Canada. "They've been at the trough for so long, and they haven't done anything."

Wednesday's hockey loss, fans here agreed, was the coup de grace in a humiliating string of failures. With just three gold medals to boast for the country, Russian spectators were giving up on the Olympics and returning home early, local news reports said.

On Friday, reports circulated that President Dmitry Medvedev would not go to Vancouver for the closing ceremony. The president had said that he planned to go and that he hoped to watch the hockey finals.

About a third of the Russian players are members of the Kontinental Hockey League, their nation's recently formed professional league that aims to be a world-class rival to the North American National Hockey League. The team was expected to help Russia bring home a fistful of gold medals.

"It's a disaster," said goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov after their devastating 7-3 loss to Canada, the team they were supposed to challenge for gold. "End of the world."

In a front-page diatribe in the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, famed Russian figure skater Irina Rodnina took harsh aim at the sports bureaucrats who, she wrote, were shamelessly corrupt.

"The highest level of sports can raise the prestige of the nation, unite it. Yes, we need victories," wrote Rodnina, who won three successive Olympic gold medals during Soviet times. "But how can we get them if the Olympic team is not in the mood?"

From her perch in Vancouver, Rodnina described her indignation at the sight of Leonid Tyagachev, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, eating with gusto in a restaurant, his appetite apparently undented by repeated loss.

"All of Russia is in shock," she wrote. "And do you think those responsible for the results are really so worried?"

Politicians also swung into action. Boris Gryzlov, head of the ruling United Russia party and a figure close to the Kremlin, said that both Tyagachev and the sports minister would be summoned before parliament to justify their failings.

Imperious sports officials, perhaps sensing a whiff of their own vulnerability, were quick to blame the athletes.

"Their slightest whim was catered to. They lacked only breakfast in bed, and they could have had that, if they had asked," Russia's Olympic spokesman, Gennady Svets, said of the hockey team. "They proved they couldn't play against real professionals."

Men's hockey coach Vyacheslav Bykov was openly enraged by the first stirrings of anger at his players.

"Let's get the guillotine or the gallows out, yeah?" he snapped to Russian reporters in Vancouver. "We have 35 people on the squad. Let's cut them all up on Red Square."

Beneath the anger, there was a sense of true dismay. In a country that has been lavishly encouraged to think of itself as the latter-day heir to Soviet might, the losses are hard to swallow.

The Soviet Union's collapse was followed by the shuttering of hundreds of sports schools; the flight of the country's strongest coaches and trainers; and the loss of sports facilities in Soviet states beyond Russian borders.

Today's Russia is an oil- and gas-rich place where, theoretically, people accept the curtailing of democratic freedoms because they are compensated with a rising standard of living and a sense of restored national pride.

But this year's Games have drawn dramatic attention to the failure to translate massive oil profits into the effective reconstruction of the sports infrastructure, sports historian Oleg Milshtein said.

"It has already resulted in a huge public discussion," he said of the Olympics. "It's a huge stimulus to change the system, and I think it will be done."

Related

• Complete Winter Olympics coverage from Vancouver

• U.S. heads for gold-medal game in men's hockey after 6-1 rout of Finland

• No trips on this night fantastic

• Multimedia

• Evgeni Plushenko: Men's figure skating

• Women's hockey: Lopsided result

• Bracket: Men's hockey tournament

• See more multimedia »

  • X

    Interactive: Interactive: U.S. Olympic medal tally

    Interactive: Interactive: 2010 medal standings

• Stories

• Kim Yuna coasts to gold medal in women's figure skating

• Canada defeats U.S., 2-0, to win gold in women's hockey

• It's Kim Yuna and everyone else in women's figure skating

View LA Times Article

JAPAN & US: U.S. is cast as villain in Japan

Some believe Toyota is being treated unfairly by regulators and lawmakers.

A TV in Tokyo shows Toyota President Akio Toyoda testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. (Shizuo Kambayashi, Associated Press / February 25, 2010)

February 27, 2010

By Jerry Hirsch and John M. Glionna

Reporting from Seoul and Los Angeles - A series of aggressive federal probes into the recalls of Toyota autos are looking at whether the automaker has been less than forthcoming about the safety defects in some of its vehicles.

But in Japan many believe it's the U.S. government that has something to hide. Congressional hearings on the recalls, they say, are part of conspiracy to help prop up Toyota's largest American rival, General Motors Co., which the government bailed out of bankruptcy last year, becoming the majority shareholder.

The evidence suggests otherwise, and top Toyota executives have sought to debunk such speculation. Even so, "the conspiracy theory on these Toyota hearings is alive and well in Japan," said Jeffrey Kingston, a professor at Temple University in Japan.

"Conspiracy theories don't deal with the facts, but there's a comfort factor among the Japanese public in believing that Japan is being made the scapegoat for U.S. economic problems."

In the case of Toyota, however, the theory that it has been singled out for criticism fails to take into account that U.S. corporations regularly come in for beatings by Congress -- with Wall Street banks being just the most recent examples.

And in granting GM and Chrysler tens of billions of dollars of aid, Congress for years blamed the companies' leaders for poor management and lousy products.

What's more, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles years before the government took its controlling interest in GM and a 10% stake in the post-bankruptcy Chrysler Group. Indeed, NHTSA is now under fire for not acting more quickly and more forcefully in demanding that Toyota take action to address sudden acceleration.

"It's not about politics, it's about safety," said Kurt Bardella, spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), the ranking minority on a House committee that organized one of the Capitol Hill hearings this week.

The view that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee efforts to review Toyota's safety defects and recalls to assist U.S. companies is "idiotic" considering that Issa was an ardent opponent of the automaker bailouts, Bardella said.

Even Toyota's president, Akio Toyoda, and his top U.S. executive rejected the notion when queried during congressional hearings this week.

"I don't believe that's true. I think the government's acting fairly," Jim Lentz, Toyota's top U.S. sales executive, told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.

Lentz also apologized for a series of missteps that allowed the sudden-acceleration problem to go unchecked for years, ultimately leading Toyota to issue nearly 10 million recall notices and temporarily halt sales of eight models.

At least 34 deaths have been blamed on sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles, according to complaints filed with NHTSA, which the agency said is more than all other automakers combined.

Still, to some in Japan, the congressional hearings are reminiscent of the anti-Japanese hysteria of the 1980s, when Japanese investments in high-profile properties such as the Rockefeller Center in New York set off a political firestorm.

One Japanese customer, who bought her fourth Toyota car in June but declined to give her name, said she felt safe driving her Toyota. "I think things are being exaggerated in the U.S.," she said.

Even some Japanese analysts, while acknowledging problems in Toyota's handling of its recall, said they thought Congress has been a bit too opportunistic in its pursuit of a solution.

"It does seem that emotions are a factor at these hearings," said Masahiro Fukuda, manager of Fourin Inc., a research and publishing company specializing in the auto industry.

"Many Japanese see these hearings as an effective way for the U.S. to beat up Toyota and allow General Motors and Chrysler to recover and grab a bigger share of the market," said Koji Endo, an analyst at Advanced Research Japan, an independent research house.

While acknowledging the safety problems that prompted the recalls, some in the United States also wonder whether the passion with which Congress has gone after Toyota during the hearings isn't partially fueled by economic self-interest.

It "can't be ignored," said Mark Zupan, dean of the University of Rochester's School of Business. Zupan said that if lawmakers applied the same standard to all auto companies, the hearings would never end. "This is not an unbiased jury."

Toyota has made things worse by not addressing its problems more aggressively, he said.

• Related

• Toyota 'deliberately withheld' evidence in safety lawsuits, House panel says

• Toyota: Road to Recall

• Toyota's perception in Japan

View LA Times Article

S. KOREA: Jeon Ji-hyun to Star in Chinese Movie

Jeon Ji-hyun

DATE 02/11/2010

Jeon Ji-hyun, star of the hit movie "My Sassy Girl," has been cast as one of the leads in the Chinese film "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," and began shooting on Tuesday. She will star alongside top Chinese actress Li Bingbing and "Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman.

The movie is an adaptation of a novel of the same title by Chinese-American author Lisa See. It is being directed by Wayne Wang, an American filmmaker originally from Hong Kong known for his 1993 movie "The Joy Luck Club."

Jeon's management agency said, "Wang had expressed interest in working with Jeon several times since first seeing her in 'My Sassy Girl', but there was no opportunity to do so until now. Both Jeon and Wang are very excited about this project."

With "The Joy Luck Club," Wayne proved himself as a director capable of achieving both commercial and artistic success. In 1995 he won the Silver Bear trophy at the Berlin International Film Festival for his movie "Smoke."

View Article in The Chosun Ilbo

View Article on the Korea Tourism Organization’s

CHINA AT THE OLYMPICS: Curling: China crush Switzerland to claim bronze

Feb 26, 2010

Vancouver (AFP) - China won their first Olympic Games curling medal on Friday with a crushing 12-6 victory over Switzerland in the women's bronze medal match.

The world champions delivered China's 10th medal of the Vancouver Olympics, one less so far than their total at Turin in 2006.

"I just waited all week for them to show up and they did today. They did everything we told them to do and more," said China's Canadian coach Dan Rafael.

"That's why I'm emotional. It's been two-and-a-half years, what can I say?

"They can do anything they want. They just aren't consistent and, for whatever reason, they shut it on and off. It drives the coaches mad but with more experience and this kind of event, we'll be okay."

Canada and Sweden meet later Friday in the gold medal match.

View AFP Article on NBC Olympics

JAPAN: Magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off Japan's coast

February 26, 2010 | 2:03 p.m.

From the Associated Press

Tokyo - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off Japan's southern coast early Saturday, shaking Okinawa and nearby islands, where a tsunami warning was briefly issued, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

The quake occurred off the coast of the island of Okinawa at a depth of 6.2 miles at 5:31 a.m. Saturday (2031 GMT Friday), the agency said.

There have been no reports of major damage or casualties so far, except for reports of ruptured water pipes in two locations, Okinawa police official Noritomi Kikuzato said.

The Meteorological Agency had initially predicted a tsunami up to 6 feet near the Okinawan coast, warning nearby residents to stay away from the coastline. The agency later lifted the warning within two hours after observing only a small swelling of tide.

Ryota Ueno, a town official in the Nishihara district of Okinawa, said, "I was fast asleep when the quake hit, and I jumped out of bed. It felt like the shaking lasted forever."

There was no major damage in his house, and he then rushed to the town office to meet up with his colleagues and stand by in case of reports of damage from residents, Ueno told a telephone interview with public broadcaster NHK.

So far, only one resident in the town reported a ruptured water pipe, but no other damage reported, he said.

Masaaki Nakasone, another official at he Nanjo town, said his house shook violently but all furniture and other objects stayed intact.

"First there was a vertical shaking, then the house swayed sideways," Nakasone said.

Okinawa is about 1,000 miles southwest of Tokyo.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the western port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people.

• Related

• USGS: Ryukyu Islands, Japan earthquake

• Map: Japan quake

• USGS: Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900

RUSSIA AT THE OLYMPICS: Russia should lick its wounds and properly prepare for the Sochi Olympics - PM

Published 26 February, 2010, 23:26

Vladimir Putin says Russia's Olympic team has time to recover and prepare for the next Winter Games, which will be held in the country's resort city of Sochi.

Russia is currently fifth in the medals ranking, but has endured a series of blows when it comes to collecting gold medals.

The Olympic squad has failed to shine in sports which Russia has dominated for decades, such as figure skating, cross-country skiing and ice hockey.

With the Games about to close, Prime Minister Putin says the team should now polish up its performance for when the Olympics reach Russia.

“Of course we expected more from our team, but this is still no reason to lose heart, wear sackcloth and ashes and self-flagellate,” Vladimir Putin said. “Of course it's a call for some serious critical analysis and some conclusions. However, this critical analysis should be aimed at fixing the situation and creating all the necessary conditions for our team to train and to perform properly at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.”

View RT Article

CHINA: 15 places worth visiting in China: Lugu Lake

Lugu Lake is located on the border of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. 
It is a high mountain plateau lake 2,685 meters above sea level. 
With the deepest point at 93.5 meters below the ground, the lake is
surrounded by mountains and has eight islands and many bays and 
beaches.

2009-12-01 17:02 BJT

Editor: Jin Lin | Source: China.org.cn

View Article on CCTV

BEIJING, CHINA: Hi-jinx – Lonely Planet Travel Video

VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA: “Green corner” (“Zelyony ugol”) car market

This place had been named “Green corner” long before the first Japanese car appeared in Primorye. Since 1950s the plot of land had belonged to a forestry of the Pacific Fleet. In 1993 the area passed from the forestry hands to tenant auto dealers. Nowadays, the largest Russian market of second hand cars is situated here. At times of the highest demand the amount of cars offered here exceeded 17, 000. A car expert can wander across the “Zelyonka” market in a couple of hours. A novice can get lost there for a whole week.

Source:  Google and Russian Railways

S. KOREA AT THE OLYMPICS: Figure Skating: Flawless Kim wins Olympic women's title

Feb 25, 2010

Vancouver (AFP) - Favourite Kim Yu-Na lived up to her star billing as she gave South Korea their first ever Olympic figure skating title with a stunning performance here on Thursday.

The reigning world champion wiped the tears from her eyes after her spellbinding free skate at the Pacific Coliseum which gave her gold by a massive 23-point margin on her nearest challenger Mao Asada of Japan.

Canada's Joannie Rochette claimed bronze as she bravely competed just four days after the death of her mother Therese from a heart attack in Vancouver.

"I can't believe this day has finally come for me," said Kim.

"I still can't believe the score that I received, I'm really surprised. It's almost as close as the men's score."

Wearing royal blue, the 19-year-old Kim, known to her fans as 'Queen Yu-Na,' sealed victory with her performance to Gershwin's "Concerto in F" which she opened with a triple-triple combination.

She nailed six triples and a total of 11 jumps in her four minute routine which had the 11,000-plus crowd on their feet.

"In the past, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do what I wanted, but I am really happy that I was able to show everything I did in training," said Kim.

"Watching previous figure skaters, I always wondered why they cried after their performance. Crying for the first time today, I still don't know why I did."

After already setting a world record in the short programme, she demolished her own free skate and overall record marks, achieving 150.06 points for the routine and an overall total of 228.56.

Asada, the 2008 world champion, had the difficult task of performing her routine to Rachmaninov's "Bells of Moscow" just after her rival.

But the fiesty Asada, 19, came out fighting, landing two back-to-back triple axels, the second combined with a double toeloop.

But halfway through her routine she ran into trouble, double footing a triple flip and singling the following attempted triple toeloop.

She scored 131.72 for an overall 205.50, and it was enough to take silver.

"I did everything I could," she said.

"To complete both triple-axels well at the Olympics was one good thing about my performance. But I am not happy with the rest of my performance. I do feel regretful."

Rochette, 24, skated to Camille St. Saens' "Samson and Delilah."

She two-footed two of her jumps but it was enough for the world silver medallist to stand on the podium.

She had the crowd on their feet for her gutsy performance which put Canada back on the women's podium for the first time since Elizabeth Manley took silver at the 1988 Calgary Games.

She scored 131.28 and an overall 202.64.

CHINA: 15 places worth visiting in China: Miao village

Also known as China's Miao village of 1,000 households, is 
surrounded by green mountains, crystal-clear rivers and has a 
picturesque landscape. Moreover, visitors can learn about the 
culture of the Miao people, including their songs and dances.

2009-12-01 17:02 BJT

Editor: Jin Lin | Source: China.org.cn

View Article on CCTV

KYOTO, JAPAN: An intoxicating temple in Kyoto

Boozy reverie: Kanga-an, a temple established in Kyoto by the retired Emperor Go Mizuno, now includes a one-of-a-kind bar. NICHOLAS COLDICOTT PHOTOS

Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

By NICHOLAS COLDICOTT

Evil cometh from the north, they say. Maybe it was sunlight streaming from the south that gave ancient theologians such a notion. Or perhaps the Arctic is gushing malevolence (compare and contrast: Australians and Scandinavians). Regardless, it was a fear of southbound evil that prompted the construction of Kanga-an, a small but majestic temple north of the old Imperial Palace in Kyoto.

In the 17th century, retired Emperor Go Mizuno asked the chief priest of Manpuku-ji, an Obaku sect Zen temple in nearby Uji, to open Kanga-an and enshrine the Holy Spirit of Residential Protection, Chintakurefushin. Chintaku is thought to bear the impressive burden of controlling the movements of the universe, guarding the zodiac, expelling evil spirits and "protecting people from the wrong direction."

For just shy of two centuries, Chin's holy barricade safeguarded Japan's royals until, in 1869, the reigning Meiji Emperor shuffled off to Tokyo. Losing its principal raison d'e^tre, Kanga-an became just another freckle on the map of Kyoto's 1,600 temples. Monks from Manpuku-ji hung there when they visited Kyoto, but it's not big, central or quite historic enough to crack tourists' hit lists. It has some treasures, such as the crown of Go Mizuno, now plonked on the head of a 1,000-year-old Buddha, but it doesn't shout about them.

Obaku sect Buddhists do have one ace up their robes, though: fucha ryori, a Chinese-influenced vegetarian food that's more flamboyant than shojin ryori, its better-known Zen cousin.

Go Mizuno reportedly loved fucha ryori, and likely partook of it at Kanga-an as he gazed at the enchanting green and gravel garden. Almost three decades ago, Kanga-an began serving fucha meals to the public, offering visitors the chance to sate their empty souls and stomachs in a Zen setting fit for a monarch.

And pardon the hyperbole, but it's some of the best food in Kyoto. Dinner arrives course after course after course after course after course after course after green tea, until every last ascetic connotation has been expunged. Perhaps because Kanga-an's chief priest is currently a priestess, the food has a playful and feminine touch. The winter dishes include tart green plums garnished with gold leaf, a tempura of edible flowers in a thumb-size basket of woven kelp, mock eel made from pounded tofu and taro, and sweet chestnuts resting in imitation husks made from tofu and wheat noodles that are so realistic many diners surely leave them uneaten.

Clearly nobody ever told the priestess not to play with her food.

Unusually for this kind of multicourse grande cuisine, the food arrives not in small bowls placed under your nostrils but on communal platters at the center of the table. The intention is to make the meal more communicative, though the extra dialogue at my table was along the lines of: "I think the eel thing is yours," and, "Are you sure I'm supposed to eat this?" Still, it's nice to share.

So the food's great — but the venue's better. Bamboo flutes serenade you up the lantern-lit approach to the main hall. Either side of the path are private dining rooms, one with a view of Go-Mizuno's old cushion seat, another with calligraphy from his Imperial hand, and all of them subtly decorated with the 16-petal chrysanthemum insignia of the Japanese monarchy. You're sitting in the Emperor's holiday house, eating his food.

And here's where we get to the drinks.

Last April Kanga-an revealed a room it had kept secret for years: the bar.

It used to be a private salon in which the priestess would entertain her friends. Now it's open to all, every night of the week, but Kanga-an doesn't shout about this either. It's not mentioned on its Web site, and there's no sign on the door. You'd need to be a very nosy parker to stumble across it. News of its existence is trickling through Kyoto by word of mouth, beginning with dinner guests who turn up early and are invited in for an aperitif. The bar attracts many career women, according to bartender Hideki Yamada. After a hard day in the office, he supposes, it's nice to unwind in a Zen temple, with your back to the Buddha hall, eyes to the garden and fingers around a whisky.

Tippler's temple: At Kanga-an, bar views look out on Go Mizuno's gardens.

"The pace is slow here so it calms you down," says Yamada. "It's not the drinks, it's the garden that relaxes you."

It's the drinks too. And they've got some good ones. Though the selection is tiny, it includes draft Kohaku Yebisu, easily the best of Japan's big-brewery beers, and an elegant, floral junmai sake called Jubei after the celebrated 17th-century samurai Yagyu Jubei. If you're eating at Kanga-an, Jubei is the perfect companion for that fancy food.

If you're just there for the booze, perhaps a draft Guinness offers a more entertaining clash of concepts. If you're expecting me to explain the rules pertaining to temples and intoxicating business ventures, I'm afraid I'm going to let you down. I intended to ask, but the problem with this job is that the more you drink, the less you delve.

I did learn that women are increasingly ordering Scotch on the rocks and that some tea ceremonies use sencha rather than macha. If you want to know anything else, go there and ask.

278 Karasuma Dori, Kuramaguchi Higashi Iru, Kita-ku, Kyoto; open 5 p.m.-1 a.m. daily; to reach Kanga-an, take a right out of Exit 1 of Kuramaguchi Station, then take the first right and walk 200 meters. It's on your left, the second temple on the street, with a blue sign. The bar is at the end of the cobblestone footpath, to the left of the main hall. For more information, call (075) 256-2480 or visit www.kangaan.jp

---

A duty to drink

Fans of religion and alcohol might also enjoy Matsuo-taisha shrine in Arashiyama, Kyoto Prefecture. It's dedicated to the god of sake, and is a place of pilgrimage for sake brewers praying for good fortune. The priests can reportedly outdrink most people, arguing that it's their sacred duty to imbibe.

(075) 871-5016; www1.neweb.ne.jp/wa/matsuo/index-1/

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View Article in The Japan Times

KAMAKURA, JAPAN: Kamakura Photo Walk

DALIAN, CHINA: Xinghai Square Park

Xinghai Square, with a total of 45,000 square meters, is located in the commercial center of Xinghai Bay.  It is the largest square for public use in Dalian since the founding of the city.

In the center stands a 19.97 meter-high, 1.997-meter-in-diameter white marble ornamental column.  It was erected in 1997 to commemorate the return of Hong Kong.  The ground of the square is laid with red marble decorated with five-pointed stars.  Some 500 meters northward is the Convention and Exhibition Center; and some 500 meters southwards is the vast sea.  As night falls, lamps on the stone pillars lighten the main street.  The lamps, every 20 meters each, are in the shape of the navigation light.

RUSSIA: On this day: 26 February

Manifestation of revolutionary troops in front of the State Duma building during February 1917 Revolution (RIA Novosti)

On February 26, 1917, the Emperor Nicholas II dissolved the fourth and the last State Duma of Russian Empire.

The State Duma was a representative legislative organ, equivalent to a lower house of parliament, while the State Council played the role of upper house. Nicholas II was the first of the Russian emperors to establish a parliament in Russia, and it was a concession made to the people after a series of strikes in February 1905.

On August 6, 1905, Nicholas issued the manifest declaring the establishment of the State Duma and granting it the right to develop and discuss laws and the state budget. However, this manifest only caused another tide of riots, because the rules of election to this Duma, written by the minister of internal affairs, Aleksandr Bulygin, included a paragraph about property qualification, allowing only the rich to vote. Popular uprisings started here and there, and soon the whole country was involved in the All-Russian Political Strike.

Seeing this, Nicholas resolved to change the regime to a constitutional monarchy. On October 17 the same year, the first Russian constitution, which included new election laws, was issued. This constitution, “The October 17 Manifest” proclaimed freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the right to personal privacy and other civil rights. Under this document, all the citizens of Russian Empire received the right to vote.

The first State Duma’s lifetime was only 72 days. Its first meeting took place on April 27, 1906 and discussed giving lands to the peasantry, deciding to share soil belonging to the state, the church and landowners - the latter to be compulsorily acquired. The other question raised was political amnesty.

On May 13, the government declared that the compulsory disposal of land was inadmissible, refused to carry out the amnesty and to empower the Duma. The Duma answered with “Project 33”, a bill in which all the lands, water and the minerals in Russia were proclaimed to be public, not private property. On July 8, an anxious Nicholas II dissolved the first Duma. Its now-former members started to call the people to uprising and were arrested.

The second Duma was in operation from February to June 1907. Though the deputies tried not to confront the government, in May 1907 they rejected a bill about punitive measures for antigovernment activities. The government charged 55 deputies with alleged treason against the Emperor, and this Duma was dissolved too.

The third Duma started its work on June 3, 1907, and lasted five years without any serious trouble. In due time it was dissolved, and the last, fourth Duma of the Russian Empire started its meetings. According to a now-traditional scenario, the Duma opposed the government, so when in February 1917 the bourgeois-democratic revolution began, the Tsar’s order again called for the dissolution of the lower house.

In spite of the Emperor’s decree, the former members of Duma continued their meetings. On March 2, they established the Provisional Government and headed the country in the heat of the revolution. When, on March 17, Nicholas II abdicated, the Provisional Government published its first political program. This government held power until October 25, 1917 (Julian Calendar), when the Bolsheviks overthrew it.

View RT Article

BEIJING, CHINA: Online video stars changing the face of China's media

Ren Yueli is on the verge of stardom after pedestrians filmed her performing in a Beijing subway station.

February 11, 2010 10:57 p.m. EST

By Lara Farrar, for CNN

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• China's video-sharing Web sites have become a place for creative talent to bloom
• Represents a "fundamental shift" in China's media scene, according to analyst
• Video ranges from singers in subways to creative critiques on modern life in China
• Video sharing sites Youku.com, Tudou.com form partnerships with traditional media outlets

Beijing, China (CNN) -- No one would have ever known about the homemade submarine Tao Xiangli was testing in a reservoir just outside Beijing if a passerby had not filmed it and posted the video online.

The footage was an instant hit. And Tao, an amateur inventor who works as a technician in a karaoke bar, was instantly a star.

"I never thought I would become famous in China because this kind of activity is considered crazy," Tao said.

There are countless others here like Tao who are turning into overnight sensations on Chinese video-sharing Web sites like Youku.com and Tudou.com.

The portals are becoming repositories for pent-up creativity that otherwise might go unnoticed in a country where state-controlled media offers few channels for artistic expression outside the mainstream.

"It is an unleashing of creativity like the world has never seen," Thomas Crampton, Asia-Pacific director of 360 Digital Influence, a blog of the Ogilvy Public Relations firm, said. "It is a very exciting time."

While the bulk of the content on popular Chinese video sites consists of domestic and foreign movies and television programs, a growing share of material is coming from Chinese who are picking up cameras, filming the world around them and sharing it with others for the very first time.

This may not seem extraordinary elsewhere, yet the growth of user-generated content represents a major shift in the way China watches itself and the way the world watches China.

"You have gone from a situation of no channel to a situation where there is this much more open channel."
--Thomas Crampton, media analyst

"This is a fundamental shift in China's media scene. There is now the ability for people to share their interests and their talents. You have gone from a situation of no channel to a situation where there is this much more open channel," Crampton said.

"People are demonstrating their homemade airplanes and these sorts of things. It is allowing creative expression on multiple levels that has never been there before," Crampton told CNN.

"Before for somebody who was highly creative, that creativity would not get beyond their own town and now it can reach the world."

Quirky inventors aren't the only ones finding fame online.

Ren Yueli is now on the verge of stardom after pedestrians filmed the 21-year-old performing in a Beijing subway station and shared the clips on the Internet. The videos have been viewed over 3 million times.

RELATED TOPICS

• Internet
• Internet Broadcasting
• Science and Technology
• China

Ren sang in the station for four years, sending most of the money she collected back to her disabled parents in the nearby province of Hebei. She is now working on signing a record contract and makes regular appearances on local TV shows.

Aspiring actors, filmmakers and animators are also uploading their work.

Kang Guanxu, for example, produced a six minute animated film that has been viewed more than 400,000 times on Youku.com. The movie, titled "Talk to Another Me," raises awareness for disabled children and the loneliness experienced by a generation raised in single-child families.

"It is a story that strikes a chord with people," said Kang, a 23-year-old who just lost his job at an advertising company in Beijing.

Part of the mass appeal of Kang's work and other similar productions is the subject matter the films address. While there are still limits to what can go on the Internet in China, online video producers often find innovative ways to discuss sensitive themes that would never have the chance of airing in the mainstream media here.

A 64-minute animated movie titled The War of Internet Addiction is one example. The film, using footage from virtual game World of Warcraft, criticizes Internet censorship in China among other themes. Since it was posted on Youku.com on January 21, more than 10 million have watched.

"Online, people can express their ideas more freely," said Yi Zhenxing, 26, a civil engineer in the southern province of Hunan who produces comedic films for the web. "The Internet is an honest recorder of social reality."

Yi, who wears a garish mask in his videos to conceal his identity, produced a 23-part series incorporating action figures and other imaginative characters to metaphorically discuss political issues and other current events. Two million people have watched the clips on Tudou.com.

Advertisers have taken notice. Many of Yi's videos include short commercials for shampoo and other products. While Yi collects a small share of the revenue generated from ad sales, he said he is not concerned about making money from his work, which will remain just a hobby for now.

Yet for online video producers who hope to make a career from their online films, it remains unclear whether their success on the Internet will ever materialize into anything substantial offline.

Video-sharing Web sites, like Youku.com, have established partnerships with traditional media outlets, encouraging them to utilize the grassroots talent emerging on the site.

The company is also working on creating its own original productions, which would be at least partly developed by amateur filmmakers discovered on the Internet. It also pays top-performing video producers for their films and holds an annual awards ceremony for the most popular content creators.

"While the Chinese video culture is developing, we are talking about a country with a population of 1.3 billion people. So there are a lot of interesting people and a lot of interesting events that are happening at this phase of history in China," said Victor Koo, founder of Youku.com.

"We are working with different partners to put these stories and these people onto television programs. Traditional media are very interested," he said.

Youku.com declined to disclose revenues it earns from user-generated content. Other video sites are finding it more difficult to attract advertisers and interest from broadcasters and film studios.

"The biggest problem is timing," Liu Yan, founder of the video sharing site 6Rooms (6.cn), said. "Even though a video may have a huge number of hits, it is very hard to generate revenue."

Like Youku.com, 6Rooms also pays its most popular contributors to continue to put their content on its site.

Liu said it is something he will continue to do while he waits for advertisers and traditional media to become fully aware of the deepening talent pool that is emerging online.

"It is a gamble," Liu said. "But you never worry about those people giving up. Their energy and enthusiasm will sustain them."

View Article on CNN

CRUISING: Considering a Cruise? Tag Along With a Pal for a Day

February 11, 2010

Once upon a time, cruise travelers were able to invite friends and relatives to visit them onboard before sailaway and see them off on their grand voyage. Then, increased security measures prompted the lines to prohibit the practice (with just a few exceptions, such as organized tours and weddings).
Until today. Princess Cruises has announced that it will be the first line to bring back the "ye olde" tradition -- after some 20 years -- with a new program called the "Bon Voyage Experience," in which passengers' guests can join them onboard for approximately four hours, including lunch and a tour.

Of course, Princess isn't doing this just for nostalgia's sake or to give you a few extra hours with your best friend or grandmother before they set sail on dream cruise without you. The line is charging $39 per person -- and banking on the fact that you will get enough of a taste that you'll come back for a real cruise (with or without grandma). If you bite, Princess is willing to apply the $39 toward a future cruise booking.

Here's what you get with the "Bon Voyage Experience":

Priority embarkation (for passengers and their guests)
A four-course dining room lunch, with wine
A guided ship tour
A souvenir photo

The program will debut in March onboard ships departing from Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, and will roll out to New York, San Francisco and Seattle beginning in May. The maximum number of "Bon Voyage" guests allowed onboard any particular voyage is approximately 50. Guests must be invited and accompanied by a booked, sailing passenger.

Bottom line: It's a clever idea, one we're surprised hasn't been implemented in the industry sooner. Princess gets to promote its product in a very hands-on way, and folks -- especially those who are new to cruising -- can see firsthand what the hype's all about and if a Princess trip might be right for them.

As Cruise Critic member Shifra posts on our Princess forum,

"I have friends and family that have never been on a cruise ship and are not sure if they would like it. This would be a great way for them to look around and have a nice lunch also."

However, others are not thrilled with the idea; bigeagle12 writes,

"Just what the embarkation process needs: more people."

What do you think about Princess' move? Are there other cruise traditions you'd like to see make a comeback, from dockside brass bands to colorful streamers for tossing from the lido (environmentally safe ones, of course)? Tell us!

--by Melissa Paloti, Managing Editor

View Article on Cruise Critic

SEOUL, S. KOREA: Korean Presidential Museum Cheongwadae Sarangchae

The Cheongwadae Sarangchae is a Korean presidential exhibition center, newly opened as of January 2010. The term Sarangchae refers to a place designated to receive guests in a traditional Korean home. Normally, ‘Sarangchae’ stands as a separate building from Anchae where owners of the house stay. As the name ‘Cheongwadae Saranchae’ indicates, it is a separate building located in front of Cheongwadae, Korea’s White House. People may visit the center freely and enjoy a hands-on presidential office experience. If you are not sure what to do in Korea, or where to go for sightseeing in Seoul, Cheongwadae Sarangchae is surely worth visiting. The Korea Exhibition Center and Hi Seoul Center located on the 1st floor present both representative cultural heritage of the Korea, and famous tourist spots in Seoul.

Korea Exhibition Center

Korea Exhibition Center tells you about Korea and the culture of the nation. Korea Exhibition Center (F1), a starting point of Sarangchae tour, so to speak, clearly gives you the idea what are the things you must see in Korea. The center displays and introduces various aspects of Korea: Korean history, great figures in Korea, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, the historic figures printed on banknotes, global Koreans, and creative culture of Korea.

Hi Seoul Center

Hi Seoul Center introduces everything about the Capital city of Seoul – from the history to the symbol, major tourist attraction sites, and things to enjoy. This can also be an excellent guide for those who are about to start exploring Seoul since all the items are categorized for easy access on touch screens allowing visitors to get detailed information on Seoul’s many palaces, temples, art galleries, museums, performance halls, and restaurants.

** Things To Experience
1. Visit Seoul’s famous places virtually as you take pictures in the photo zone.
2. Leave a message on the e-log. Write your name in front of a flat screen equipped with a camera, and take a picture of yourself. Instantly, your message and the picture will appear on the flat screen hanging on the wall.

Presidential Center

Going up to the 2nd floor, you will see The Presidential Center, a major exhibition place of Cheongwadae Sarangchae. The center displays scenes from the 60-year history of Korea. By viewing the photos, you can get an excellent sense of the modern history of the nation. The black-and-white photos of major events and historic moments of the modern days will help you gain a deep appreciation as to how dramatically the nation has grown. The center also introduces the Presidents of Korea since the start of the nation (Aug 15th, 1948) and transcripts of each of their inauguration speeches, from the First President Rhee Syng-man to the current 17th President Lee Myung-Bak. The place exhibits gifts received by the presidents from various international heads of state. It is interesting to see such invaluable and characteristic items symbolizing countries worldwide, including a special gift received from US President Barack Obama.

** Things to Experience
1. Take photos with Korean President Lee Myung Bak and the First Lady. On a touch screen in the chromakey photo studio, select a backdrop and the subject you would like to take a picture with. Take your photo and send them to your email account for safe keeping!.
2. What does Guksae, Korea’s state seal look like? If you’d like to know, the Presidential Center is the place to visit. You may make your own stamp of Guksae with “Daehanminguk (Korea)” imprinted on.
3. It’s also fun to sit on a Presidential chair in a mock Presidential Office and pretend to be a Korean President a moment.

Green Growth Center & G20 Lounge

Green Growth Center provides visitors an opportunity to learn about global climate change issues such as desertification, global warming and extreme weather events. The center also introduces Four River Restoration Project currently being conducted by the Korean government. At G20 Lounge, there’s mock conference hall of the G20 Summit to be held in Korea this November. This allows visitors to have a little preview of the Summit. You may take pictures or have a seat at any of the delegation’s spots.

Other facilities

1st Floor: Korean Traditional Art Craft Table (open from 13:00-18:00). A professional artist shows how to make traditional arts and crafts such as Hanji paper craft, woodcraft, metalwork, natural dyeing or embroidery. Daily program: http://www.cwdsarangchae.kr/info/gong.php (in Korean)   At The Bang souvenir shop, you may purchase a range of diverse Korean traditional items designed with modern sense. You may also want to visit café Charim and refresh yourself with a cup of tea. There are other beverages such as coffee or fresh juice.

2nd Floor: In the lobby, there’s a special exhibition section displaying public campaign photos and children’s work. The area is spacious enough to have tables and chairs for visitors. You may take a rest while appreciating the beautiful scenery of Bugaksan Mountain out the window. On the wall, there are computers with free Internet access for visitors.

●● Info

• Location: Fountain Square in front of Cheongwadae, 152 Hyoja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Office Hour: 9:00~18:00 (closes on Mondays)
• Admission Fee: Free
• Foreign language commentator service: 4 times a day – 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00
• Available Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese
• How to get there: Take subway line 1 or 2 to City Hall Station Exit #7 -> Take a bus #8000 at the bus stop in front of City Hall -> Take off at Cheongwadae Fountain
  Or take a subway line 3 to Gyeongbokgung station Exit #4. Walk for about 15 min.
• Contact Cheongwadae Sarangchae: +82-2-723-0300
• Tourist Information Line: +82-2-1330
• Website: www.cwdsarangchae.kr (in Korean)
  
• ☞ Cheongwadae Sarangchae

☞ Nearby tourist attractions:
Gyeongbokgung Palace, National Palace Museum of Korea, The National Folk Museum of Korea, Bukchon Hanok Village

View more on the Korea Tourism Organization’s website.

S. KOREA: Han Hye-jin Embraces Challenge of Historical Role

Han Hye-jin

DATE 02/11/2010

The actress Han Hye-jin looked beautiful in Korean traditional dress or hanbok on the set of TV series "Jejungwon." Set in the final years of the Chosun Dynasty in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the clothes she wears for the drama are not completely traditional in their flamboyant colors and patterns, but they suited the actress to a T.

Han plays a role of the first woman doctor of Western medicine in Korea. Costume is essential for the character, so Han has to get changed at least five times a day during shooting. Although she is happy with the hanbok, she confessed that the clothes could be inconvenient.

"Because I have to wear heavily wired and layered petticoat, it is very uncomfortable every time I go to the toilet. It takes such a long time for just one trip," she said. "Another difficulty is that a lot of the shooting takes place outdoors. But it's still very fun process when you shoot a TV series together with many people and carry the story forward. Because the script is so interesting, I get totally immersed in the story rather than thinking about how hard it is. I'm a bit scared because I'm least confident in historical drama, but I go to work every day in the hope that I'll be able to see that I've made some progress."

Han made her comeback to both TV and cinema early January with "Jejungwon" and the film "No Mercy," her first starring role on the big screen. "Many people ask me why I hadn't starred in a film after all these years, but I still think it's a huge honor," she said. "There are many talented actors and actresses who are forced to rest for prolonged periods because there aren't many opportunities. I'm very grateful that I was able to do both the TV series and the film at the same time."

Han has been in an open relationship with the singer Naul for five years. "Many people tell me that things get harder when you have a long-term romance, and encourage me to get married soon. But we are so comfortable the way we are now. As I've worked hard in my career, I want to let my boyfriend work as he wishes," she said.

View Article on The Chosun Ilbo

View Article on the Korea Tourism Organization’s website.

JAPAN AT THE OLYMPICS: Days 10 to 12

(AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

February 24, 8:30 PM

By Joshua Williams

Japan in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, February 21st, 22nd, and 23rd.

The tenth to twelfth days of the Vancouver Winter Olympics (February 21st, 22nd, and 23rd) brought little for Japan to boast about up until the woman’s figure skating short program, but that has not kept the nation from cheering on its athletes.

Japan in the 2010 Olympics on February 21st

February 21st started off well when Japan’s women’s curling team edged past Russia in an exciting match that went into an extra end. Unfortunately, the team would then go on to lose later that night in a close match against Germany, and get swept away by Switzerland on the 22nd.

In Woman’s 1,500m Speed Skating, Nao Kodaira took 5th – she had also taken 5th place in the 1,000m three days earlier. Three other Japanese athletes place 19th, 23rd, and 26th.

Japan’s two-man bobsled team barely missed competing in all four heats, placing 21st overall. Japan also did not get past the 1/8th finals in Men’s Ski Cross.

The American-born ice dance brother and sister pair competing for Japan placed 16th after the original dance on February 21st, and went on to take 17th overall after the free dance on the 22nd. Despite their ranking, they scored a personal best.

Japan in the 2010 Olympics on February 22nd

On February 22nd, Japan had high hopes for the team ski jump. However, they fell short of the podium in 5th place overall, despite a massive 140m effort by 37-year old veteran jumper Noriaki Kansai.

Both Japanese men’s and women’s team sprint free cross country skiing did not advance past the semi-finals.

Japan in the 2010 Olympics on February 23rd

The 23rd started off slow for Japan. Japan’s women’s curling team lost against top medal contender Sweden in a morning match, losing out on their last chance to advance to the semi-finals. They went on to lose against Denmark in the evening as well. Japan finished the round robin tournament with a score of 3 wins and 6 losses overall.

Japan’s Nordic Combined 5km team was in fourth place after the ski jump, but slipped to sixth by the end of the cross country relay, finishing a little over a minute behind the gold.

Japan took 11th place in the men’s 10,000m speed skating race, and 22nd in women’s ski cross.

The true highlight over days ten to twelve was the short program of women’s figure skating. Mao Asada, the athlete with highest expectations from her nation, came in 2nd. Also, Miki Ando ranked 4th, Japanese-American Mirai Nagasu 6th, and Akiko Suzuki 11th. Japan is looking forward to the potential for multiple medals after the free program on the 25th.

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View Japan Headline Examiner Article

KYOTO & OSAKA, JAPAN: Top Rated Michelin Restaurants

Michelin recently released its inaugural guide to restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka.  Information on the top rated restaurants can be found below:

 

 

 

"Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

Chihana

• Japanese cuisine
• 584, Gionmachi Minamigawa
• Higashiyama-ku Kyoto
• lunch 12:00-14:00, ¥ 10,000-36,750
• dinner 17:00-22:00, ¥ 13,650-36,750
• Service charge 10%
• Closed early January and Tuesday
• tel 075-561-2741
• fax 075-541-6758
• http://www.kyotochihana.com

Hyo-tei

• Japanese cuisine
• 35 Kusakawacho, Nanzenji
• Sakyo-ku Kyoto
• 11:00-19:30 (L.O.)
• lunch ¥ 20,000-42,000
• dinner ¥ 23,479-42,000
• Service charge 15%
• Closed late December, 2nd and 4th Tuesday
• tel 075-771-4116
• fax 075-771-8262
• http://www.hyotei.co.jp

 

Kikunoi Honten

• Japanese cuisine
• 459 Shimokawaracho
• Shimokawara-dori Yasakatoriimae
• Sagaru, Higashiyama-ku Kyoto
• lunch 12:00-14:00 (L.O.), ¥ 4,200-26,250
• dinner 17:00-20:00 (L.O.), ¥ 15,750-26,250
• Service charge 15%
• Closed late December-early January
• tel 075-561-0015
• fax 075-561-1013
• http://www.kikunoi.jp/honten.htm

 

Kitcho Arashiyama Honten

• Japanese cuisine
• 58 Susukinobabacho
• Sagatenryuji, Ukyo-ku Kyoto
• lunch 11:30-15:30 (L.O. 13:00), ¥ 30,917-53,000
• dinner 16:30-22:00 (L.O. 19:00), ¥ 35,334-57,417
• Service charge 20%
• Closed December 26-31, January 4-9, Wednesday
• tel 075-881-1101
• fax 075-881-5298
• http://www.kitcho.com/kyoto/tenpo/arasiyama.htm

 

Mizai

• Japanese cuisine
• Maruyama Koen
• Higashiyama-ku Kyoto
• dinner 17:30-22:00 (L.O. 18:00), ¥ 25,000
• Closed early September, late December-early January, Wednesday, last day of month
• tel 075-551-3310

 

Tsuruya

• Japanese cuisine
• 30 Higashtennocho, Okazaki
• Sakyo-ku Kyoto
• lunch 11:30-15:00 (L.O. 13:00), ¥ 15,000-21,000
• dinner 17:00-21:00 (L.O. 19:00), ¥ 31,150-52,500
• Service charge 15% lunch; 20% dinner
• Closed late December-early January
• tel 075-761-0171
• fax 075-752-0354
•  http://www.kyoto-tsuruya.co.jp

 

"Excellent cuisine, worth a detour."

 

Gion Maruyama

• Japanese cuisine
• Gionmachi Minamigawa Higashiyama-ku Kyoto
• lunch 11:00-14:00, ¥ 8,400-42,000
• dinner 17:00-21:00, ¥ 15,750-42,000
• Service charge 15%
• Closed late December-early January, Wednesday
• tel 075-525-0009

 

Gion Sasaki

• Japanese cuisine
• Yamatooji Higashi iru
• Yasaka-dori
• Higashiyama-ku Kyoto
• lunch 12:00-14:00, ¥ 5,500
• dinner 18:30-22:00, ¥ 17,850-18,900
• Service charge 10% dinner
• Closed Sunday, 2nd Monday
• tel 075-551-5000

 

Kanamean Nishitomiya (Ryokan)

• Japanese cuisine
• Tominokoji-dori Rokkaku Sagaru
• Nakagyo-ku Kyoto
• room + dinner per person ¥ 31,500-63,000 menu ¥ 10,000-20,000
• Service charge 10%
• 9 rooms
• tel 075-211-2411
• fax 075-211-2415
• http://www.kanamean.co.jp

 

Kennenji Gion Maruyama

• Japanese cuisine
• Kenninji Minamigawa
• Higashiyama-ku Kyoto
• lunch 11:00-14:00, ¥ 8,400-42,000
• dinner 17:00-21:00, ¥ 10,500-42,000
• Service charge 15%
• Closed late December-early January
• tel 075-561-9990

 

Kichisen

• Japanese cuisine
• 5 Morimotocho, Shimogamo
• Sakyo-ku Kyoto
• lunch 12:00-15:00 (L.O. 13:30), ¥ 8,400-23,100
• dinner 16:30-22:00 (L.O. 19:30), ¥ 14,700-31,500
• Service charge 15%
• seat charge ¥ 1,000 per person
• Closed late January, late August
• tel 075-711-6121
• fax 075-711-8993

http://www.kichisen-kyoto.com

 

Kikunoi Roan

• Japanese cuisine
• lunch 12:00-13:30 (L.O.), ¥ 4,200-18,900
• dinner 17:00-20:00 (L.O.), ¥ 10,500-18,900
• Private room fee 10% lunch, 15% dinner
• Service charge 10% dinner
• Closed late December-early January, Wednesday
• tel 075-361-5580
• fax 075-351-2431
• 118 Saitomachi, Kiyamachi Shijo
• Sagaru, Shimogyo-ku Kyoto
• http://www.kikunoi.jp/kiyamachi.htm

 

Nakamura

• Japanese cuisine
• lunch 12:00-13:00 (L.O.), ¥ 15,750-21,000
• dinner 17:00-19:30 (L.O.), ¥ 21,000-26,250
• Service charge 15%
• Closed late December-early January, Sunday
• tel 075-221-5511
• fax 075-221-4411
• Tominokoji Oike
• Sagaru Nakagyo-ku Kyoto
• http://www.kyoryori-nakamura.com

 

Ogata

• Japanese cuisine
• dinner 18:00-23:00 (L.O. 21:00), ¥ 20,000-25,000
• Closed Monday
• tel 075-344-8000
• Ayanokoji-dori Nishinotoin Higashiru
• Shimogyo-ku Kyoto

 

Ryozanpaku

• Japanese cuisine
• lunch 12:00-14:00 (L.O. 13:30), ¥ 5,250-13,650
• dinner 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:00), ¥ 12,600-26,250 carte ¥ 10,000-20,000
• Service charge 10%
• Closed late December-early January, Sunday
• tel 075-771-4447
• fax 075-751-2933
• 5 Izumidonocho, Yoshida
• Sakyo-ku Kyoto
• http://www.ryozanpaku.net

 

Sakurada

• Japanese cuisine
• lunch 11:30-14:30 (L.O. 13:30), ¥ 5,239-18,858
• dinner 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:00), ¥ 10,477-18,858
• private room fee ¥ 1,000 per person dinner
• Service charge 5%
• Closed January 1, mid-January, late August, late December, Tuesday
• tel 075-371-2552
• fax 075-371-4864
• Nioitenjincho, Karasuma Bukkoji Higash iru
• Hitosujime Sagaru
• Shimogyo-ku Kyoto

 

Sushi Matsumoto

• Japanese sushi
• lunch 12:00-14:00 (L.O. 13:30), ¥ 5,000-8,000
• dinner 17:30-22:30 (L.O. 21:00), ¥ 15,750-21,000
• Closed mid-May, mid-August, late December-early January, Tuesday
• tel 075-531-2031
• fax 075-531-2031 570-123
• Gionmachi Minamigawa
• Higashiyama-ku Kyoto

 

Tankuma Honke

• Japanese cuisine
• lunch 11:30-15:00 (L.O. 13:30), ¥ 10,500-21,000
• dinner 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 20:00), ¥ 15,750-42,000
• private room fee ¥ 1,000 per person dinner
• Service charge 15%
• Closed December 28, January 4
• tel 075-351-1645
• Kiyamachi-dori Bukkoji Sagaru
• Shimogyo-ku Kyoto

 

Uosaburo

• Japanese cuisine
• Kyomachi Fushimi-ku Kyoto
• lunch 11:30-14:00 (L.O.), ¥ 3,150-26,250
• dinner 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 19:30), ¥ 10,500-26,250
• Service charge 15%
• Closed late December-early January
• tel 075-601-0061 3-187
• http://www.uosaburo.com

 

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RUSSIA AT THE OLYMPICS: Biathlon: Have babies to win gold, says Russians

Whistler (AFP) - Russia's biathlon relay team revealed the secret weapon behind Tuesday's gold medal success at the Olympic Winter Games and recommended their rivals do the same: have babies. Olga Zaitseva, who anchored the Russian team and leaves Vancouver with a gold and silver medal from Sunday's mass start, said giving birth to her son Alexander in 2007 has helped her as an athlete. After France took silver while Germany claimed bronze in the relay, the 31-year-old told her rivals to get themselves pregnant if they want to win gold at Sochi in four years time when Russia hosts the Games. "My child is my greatest happiness and he is my best little gold medal," said Ziatseva. "It has made me calmer. "I would recommend to the French and German team as well, don't be afraid, go ahead and have babies -- and get better in sports." Three of the Russian team are mothers and Anna Boulygina put her gold medal into perspective. "No medal compares to having a child," said the 30-year-old. "I think children are the main thing women are designed to do. "Having a family is an enormous help to me and it is due to their support that I am able to achieve this result, so the answer is yes, it helps." And their teammate Olga Medvedtseva recommended aspiring medallists should not be afraid that having children may effect their performance. "I would say it is a very stimulating experience and I would recommend having kids, don't be afraid of it, you will only get better as you are all so young," the 34-year-old told her rivals. Russia shrugged off recent controversies to win the relay gold with compatriots Yekaterina Yurieva and Albina Akhatova serving two-year bans for doping offences. The Russian team came home to a sea of their flags at Whistler Olympic Park. "We were overwhelmed that the entire stadium was covered with Russian flags and that was definitely helpful for us," said Boulygina. The Russian team's winning time was 1hr 9min 36.3sec as France's Sandrine Bailly produced a brilliant effort on the final leg to beat Germany to the silver.

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