NISHIYAMA RYOKAN

YAKINIKU is one of very popular dishes in Japan . it is japanese grilled beef ! Japanese beef is very different from another beef. Japanese beef include very delicious fat so it is called marbled beef. the fat taste very sweet and delicious ! one of very popular japanese beef is Matsuzaka beef. Matsuzaka beef is very expencive and delicious because When they have no appetite, they are fed beer to stimulate their eating, and they also receive regular massages with straw brushes after being sprayed with japanese whiskey and are taken for daily afternoon walks. They take care Matsuzaka cattle very well to make good quality of beef! I have one favorite YAKINIKU restaurant in Kyoto. The name is HIRO they have own meat shop so it is reasonable price and serve very good quality japanese beef . sometimes hard to reserve seat but I am sure you can enjoy delicious japanese beef !

We've renewed our dining room on 1st floor recently. These are new tables and new chairs. A high dining table or a chair are usually not put on Tatami mat. Japanese style is sitting on tatami and using low dining table for eating. But our guests from foreign countries don't get used to sitting on floor. Then, we thouht that it might be unconfortable for them. Not only for them but also for aged Japanese people. That's why we switched the style like this! This might not be real Japanese style but it is not bad, isn't it? We hope that you enjoy eating dinner or breakfast with our garden! *Dining room is not always 1st floor. If it is full, 2nd floor will be provided.

Gion festival is renowned as one of Japan's three great festivals on 17th of July. There are about 32 floats on the street of downtown. Kyoto's downtown area is closed for pedestrian traffic only on the three nights leading up to the massive parade . These nights are known as Yoiyama (宵山) on July 16th, Yoiyoiyama (宵々山) on July 15th, and Yoiyoiyoiyama (宵々々山) on July 14th. The streets are lined with night stalls selling food and games. I like walking around this area at evening with wearing YUKATA. This festival climax is the procession of 32 floats,held on July 17. Each float is ornately decorated with exquisite tapestries about 12,000kg and height is about 25m. This is very beautiful parade. I went to Yoiyoiyama on 14th of July evening. I could get into one of the float It was my first time! I could really enjoy different view from the float! there are many people walking on the street and I could watch them from there! It is Parade tomorrow. If you are in Kyoto now Please enjo...

July 7 th is Tanabata festival which means the star festival. There is a myth about Vega and Altair. They loved each other even though, they were separated by Vega's father. They were allowed to meet only once a year on July 7th acrossing the Milky way. If you want to know more, please check out wikipedia! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata We write our wishes the card which is called Tanzaku (the photo below) wisihg on a star and hang it on a bamboo. Some our guests wrote their wishes Tanzaku and hung them on. This is the decorated bamboo tree. We decorate it with stars, paper chain, watermelons... The milky way used to be seen on 7th night years ago. But it is hardly seen now a days because of too many lights and worse environment. I wish I could see it on July 7th.

We are Hotel Nishiyama but we are going to change our name NISHIYAMA RYOKAN from 1st of September. Ryokan means Japanese style of Hotel in Japanese. Nishiyama Hotel sounds more like western style of Hotel but we are Japanese style so we are going to change our name. Also we are repairing and painting our outside of wall now. so we are going to be more like Japanese style of Hotel so This is chance to change our name to NISHIYAMA RYOKAN now! See you soon at NISHIYAMA RYOKAN !

We went to small trip to SHiGA prefecture with all of our Hotel staffs. We took train from Kyoto shiyakusyomae station(5minutes by walk from our hotel) to Hamaootsu. It was takes about 20minutes by train to there . Shiga prefecture has largest lake(BIWAKO) in Japan and we visited Biwako lake and enjoyed lunch on the Mishigan Boat . I do not why they named Mishigan for this boat but there are some foreigners staffs there and play music and sing songs. we work together and see each other everyday but there are not so many chance to go out together like this so it was really fun and we could talk a lot without work. I look forward to go out together again next time !