Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus starts running from 19th July 2014!!

(The bus can be different colour than the picture above.)

For you who wanted to discover Tango pensinsula by taking public transportation, it will be much easier from 19th July 2014! :D

The hop-on hop off bus is called "Gurutan bus(ぐるたんバス)".

There is a pass called "Gurutan pass(ぐるたんパス)" available for 1000yen, you can ride on the Gurutan bus(you can't take ordinal public buses with the pass) as many times as you want include one way KTR local train ride from Amino station to Amanohashidate station(If you take an express train you need to pay extra, you can't take opposite direction train by the pass.). Valid 1 day. You can purchase at Amanohashidate station. From Amino station to Amanohashidate station costs:570yen. The pass makes sence for you to purchse or not is depends on where you are heading to and how many stops you are interested to hop-off!

Period:Every Sat&Sun&public holidays from 19th July 2014 to 30th Nov 2014.

Time table:
This is an estimated time table for now, so please check the actual time table at the bus stop.
Basically every 1hr, hop-on hop off comes to the each bus stops. There is no opposite way round. From Amino station(網野駅), you can take KTR train back to Amanohashidate, Miyazu and so on.

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
A	Amanohashidate station 天橋立駅	8:40	9:40	10:40	11:40	12:40	13:40	14:40	15:40
B	Kono shrine&Kasamatsu Park 籠神社＆傘松公園	8:58	9:58	10:58	11:58	12:58	13:58	14:58	15:58
C	Ine-wan-meguri Hide (Ine sightseeing boat pier) 伊根湾めぐり日出	9:17	10:17	11:17	12:17	13:17	14:17	15:17	16:17
D	Ine(central) 伊根	9:21	10:21	11:21	12:21	13:21	14:21	15:21	16:21
E	Kyogamisaki lookout spot (The northest point of Kansai region, Lighthouse) 経ヶ岬展望所	9:53	10:53	11:53	12:53	13:53	14:53	15:53	16:53
F	Ukawa-onsen Yoshinonosato (Hot spring) 宇川温泉よし野の里	10:03	11:03	12:03	13:03	14:03	15:03	16:03	17:03
G	Ukawa-onsen Yoshinonosato (Hot spring) 宇川温泉よし野の里	10:18	11:18	12:18	13:18	14:18	15:18	16:18	17:18
H	Byoubuiwa(rock) 屏風岩	10:29	11:29	12:29	13:29	14:29	15:29	16:29	17:29
I	Byoubuiwa(rock) 屏風岩	10:34	11:34	12:34	13:34	14:34	15:34	16:34	17:34
J	Tenki-tenki mura(camping site)& Tateiwa(rock)& Kodainosato museum てんきてんき村＆ 立岩＆古代の里資料館	10:37	11:37	12:37	13:37	14:37	15:37	16:37	17:37
K	Kotobikihama (singing sand beach) 琴引浜	10:49	11:49	12:49	13:49	14:49	15:49	16:49	17:49
L	Amino station 網野駅	11:00	12:00	13:00	14:00	15:00	16:00	17:00	18:00
M	Hamazume&Yuuhigaura 浜詰＆夕日ヶ浦					15:11	16:11	17:11	18:11

Bus fare:From 150yen up to 600yen/ride.(I just used A-M to easy to show, so there is no such a fare table officially published, so please don't remember the bus stop by name of A-M letter.)

										M
									L	200
								K	200	200
							J	200	200	200
						I	150	200	200	200
					H	200	200	200	200	200
				E	200	200	200	200	200	200
			D	200	400	400	400	400	400	400
		C	150	200	400	400	400	400	400	400
	B	200	200	200	400	400	400	400	400	400
A	400	400	400	400	600	600	600	600	600	600

Special experience in Kimono fabric producing town: Let's make your own lantern with Kimono strings bobbin!

I wanted to introcude this place for long time but somehow I always forgot...:P

http://blogs.c.yimg.jp/res/blog-ba-2f/kitsukan/folder/330299/99/46401099/img_0?1349358343

http://www.tango.jibasan.jp/sb/img/img632_08-103.jpg

 

Place: Hirose Sousaku Kougei(広瀬創作工芸)

OPEN:10:00-17:00

Time: About 2.5hrs

Price:3240yen/each for Lantern with strings

         3780yen/each for Lantern with Washi-paper

         2700yen/each for Wind Bell with strings(this offer is available during June to Aug)

The experinces can offer from two people.

Reservation necessary.

TEL:0772-42-5609(From Japanese phone) or +81 772 42 5609(From foreign number)

FAX:0772-42-0480(From Japanese phone) or +81 772 42 0480(From foreign number)

If you can't speak Japanese, ask tourist information or your inn staff to help you to book.

 

Access:

From Nodagawa station(野田川駅) go to a bus stop called Nodagawa-ekimae(野田川駅前) and take a bus(Fukuchiyama line(福知山線) or Yosa line(与謝線) and get off at Kounokouminkan nishi(後野公民館西) and walk 1min(130m).

Bus fare:200yen/single.

 

Bus Time schedule:

From Nodagawa-ekimae depart at ①9:45②11:46③13:29④15:04(④runs except weekends, public holidays and 30th Dec to 3rd Jan), arrive at Kounokouminkan nishi①10:14②12:15③13:58④15:33.

From Kounokouminkan nishi depart at ①12:51②13:46③15:52④17:16,arrive at Nodagawa ekimae①13:20②14:15③16:21④17:36.

 

If you are staying or visiting Kasamatsu Park area, the bus start running from Kasamatsu keburu shita(傘松ケーブル下) bus stop as well. 

Hirose Sousaku Kougei(広瀬創作工芸)

 

 

 

Hydrangea garden in Maizuru! (This garden has the most number of hydrangea in Japan???)

50000 hydrangea with 60 different species is planted in the garden.

I went there last year(2013) and I was too late to see full blooming. So I think, to see the best is around end of June in generally. Some people discribed the garden as "Sea of Hydrangea". My pictures are from 11/07-2013.

TIPS: Visiting this place can take up to a whole day so be careful for planning, unless you have car. And take an insects repellent spray is recommended.

 

Season 2014:18th June-9th July 2014

Time:9:00-17:00(Last admission 16:30)

Admission:300yen/person

Place:Maizuru Natural Cultural Garden(Maizuru Shizen Bunka en　舞鶴自然文化園)

Access:

(Weekday)From Higashi-Maizuru station(東舞鶴駅) take a Mihama line bus(三浜線) and get off at Shizen-bunka-en(自然文化園). Bus fare:600yen/single.

Timetable:

From Higashi-Maizuru station ①10:50②12:50 and arrive at Shizen-bunka-en ①11:18②13:18.

From Shizen-bunka-en depart at ①11:49②13:49③17:04 and arrive at Higashi-Maizuru station①12:16②14:16③17:31.

 

There is one day bus ticket for 1000yen called Kamaboko-tegata(かまぼこ手形)and that will be include the admission fee to the garden as well. You can't buy from bus driver, you need to purchase at bus ticket office located outside of Nishi-Maizuru station or Higashi Maizuru station or tourist information.

If you already have any of Kyoto Sea Area Pass, your pass should covers the bus fare. Although I think almost no foreign tourists in this area so make sure to ask bus driver and show the pass before the bus departs, because maybe they never seen it before....since the pass started selling from April 2014.

 

 

Swimming season

I met many foreign tourists wondered about when is our swimming season.
The answer is officially, from 1st July until around mid August.

Although of course, you will see people who is swimming not only in this period.

For example, this weekend(31st May 2014), I saw some people in the water but they only put their legs. The temperature was around 34degree.

(Picture from 31st May 2014 at Amanohashidate)

Lantern&Fireworks festival 2014:The biggest event of the year!!

Every year 16th August, in Miyazu city, there is a lantern&fireworks festival.
Compared with big cities fireworks festival, duration of the festival time is shorter.
BUT this one is less crowded and enough space to watch :)
And this festival has history about 400years, that's why you will see lanterns floating in the sea and boats which decorated specially to send off soul of dead people of the year( you don't need to be scare). So this is a traditional festival not like fireworks festivals which you can see most of big cities in Japan.

Schedule 2014
From 19:00 Official time for let lantern flow on the sea. (If you would like to join, around 1000yen for white&red lantern, usually you get them as a pair.) Usually locals let the lantern flow from around 17:00.
From 19:30-20:30 Fireworks festival
From 20:30- Bon Odori-dance(Japanese traditional dance) of Miyazu, anyone can participate.

Place
Mainly, people watch at Shimasaki Park(島崎公園) where is about 10mins walk from Miyazu station.

http://www.city.miyazu.kyoto.jp/open_imgs/event/0000001476l.jpg

http://blogs.c.yimg.jp/res/blog-6d-5b/mimatyu2000/folder/696363/49/62754149/img_1?1375387216

http://blogs.c.yimg.jp/res/blog-6d-5b/mimatyu2000/folder/696363/49/62754149/img_2?137538721

http://ekitan.com/mamo/sp/hanabi/images/photo/94645_1.jpg

 

Enjoy watching Sea sparkles!

What to do in the night in small seaside town of Japan?

Why not go to the sea and look for sea sparkles? :D

 

Sea sparkles is called "Yakou-cyu(夜光虫)" in Japanese.

http://ine-kankou.jp/blog/medias/uploads/2014.05.09_02.jpg

[Sea sparkles watching tour]
Date: 30th May 2014
Time: 19:50 at Ine-wan meguri Hide(a sightseeing boat pier in Ine) end by 21:00
Fee:1500yen/person
Reservation necessary:0772-32-0277(From Japan)+772 32 0277(From the other countries)
The tour is max 50 people.
The tour can't guarantee on you can watch sea sparkles.

*caution*There is no public transportation runs at this time.

Even you are not join in this tour, if you staying over night in Tango region, you can try it on your own!

Mamma's lunch for season 2014 started!

Please find out details from the link below.
Mamma's lunch by the sea in Kamanyu.

This lunch is getting more and more popular among Japanese tourists.
Following days are already booked out.
26th May, 28th May, 30th May, 4th June, 11th June.

They have new webpage now(only in Japanese).
Kamanyu Suisan(蒲入水産).