NISHIYAMA RYOKAN Established in 1953

We are going to have Japanese tea ceremony on 9th of February and 23rd of February. If you still have not decide yet when you are coming to our hotel. please come these night! last time when we have a japanese tea ceremony it was really fun and all our guests enjoy the event. we look forward to see you at our hotel.

On 13th Of January we had 26th Inter prefectural Women's EKIDEN in Kyoto. Ekiden is originally started in Kyoto and AICHI team stayed in our hotel for few days . we have one very famous runner. she is Hiromi Ominami is a Japanese long-distance runner. Her twin sister is Takami ominami, also a world class marathon runner with a personal best of 2:23:43. Kyoto is first and Aichi was 13th. We took photoes with her she was really nice . I was born in kyoto and grow up here but I did not know Kyoto has many famous EKIDEN like this I start to interest to watch Ekiden because I start to work here. Its start to snow now !!! (Photo) Left side Ms. Ominami

we had a Japanese tea ceremony at our hotel yesterday. we serve sweet and green tea and our guest learn how to make green tea and drink green tea . The Japanese tea ceremony is one of the quintessential expressions of Japanese esthetics. It is a comprehensive art encompassing not just the serving and drinking of tea, but the protocol of tea preparation, tea implements, the decoration of the tea room with objects of beauty, and more. The tea ceremony is a discipline for sharing time with one’s guest and fostering communication with one’s own soul. Kyoto is famous for green tea . many of temple you can experience making green tea. Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) was build for japanese tea ceremony. when you come to kyoto please try japanese tea ceremony.

On 2nd Of January, Japanese people practiced chirography. this is One Of the New Year’s Japanese Costume called Kakizome. The calligrapher comes to our hotel and performance of chirography. He wrote huge letter on 3meter paper by big brush. the letter means Rat in Kanji (chinese charactor) because this is the year of the rat in chinese astrology. after he finish write his chirograph he and Our Guests try to practice chirography. and we really enjoy doing that .almost Our guests are non japanese so this was first experience for them to do this. the calligrapher wrote kanji for sample and our guests copy the ward they could write really well and they tried to write their name in japanese on it. it was really fun and good time for us too. Happy new Yea and have a prosperous year!

We are fully booked by high school students for national election of Ekiden for a week. there are 3 school students stayed with us one is NASUTAKUYO high school come from Tochigi ,OOITANISHI high school from Oita and ISAHAYA high school from Nagasaki. they come to Kyoto for practice and try to run the route for a week. They control their meal for their weight. I went to watch the race. This is my first time to go to watch the race. It was so excitting and I was in tough because I know they practice hard everyday and run a lot everyday. The Nasutakuyo high school took 7th place!!!!

I went to small trip to FUKUI prefecture last weekend. for Fukui I leave Kyoto at 11am I arrive there about 2pm by car. I have never been there before this is my first time. I live in kyoto city so I do not have so many chance to watch sea so I really enjoy driving the sea front . Fukui is very famous for sea food and hot spring. The weather is very cold when I was there so hot spring was really nice to keep me warm after the hot spring I had seafood. on the way hope I still feel warm because of the hot spring . I could really enjoy and relax on this small trip. From Kyoto station to Fukui station is 1hour and half by Shinkansen.

Autumn is almost finished and all red leaves are gone and winter is Coming in Kyoto now . We have one big christmas tree at kyoto station. when you arrive at kyoto station please go to see them its very beautiful. There are many Night time illuminations for Christmas in kyoto now. I wanna go to visit the light up at the Botanical garden . When Christmas is coming I feel really excitting and feel very happy even I can not get any present from my parents like when I was small. Tomorrow I gonna go to travel for FUKUI to eat sea food and for hot spring. If I can take some photos at Fukui I will post here. have a nice weekend!!!! This photo is kyoto station christmas tree , Illuminations at ROME companey and charch at front of our hotel.