KIX uses the screen to display videos introducing visitors to the airport giving them guidance how to get around the airport along with information on sightseeing spots in the Kansai area.

May God bless and comfort those who are directly effected by this tragedy.

The sakura cherry blossoms were only at about 20% open on Monday. But it was still a beautiful day to be out doing hanami even with the crazy weather.

The sky was bright blue. The clouds were mostly white with patches of gray and dark gray-blue. The contrast between the clouds and the sky made for some good photography.

By Thursday, the sakura blossoms should be around 50% opened. But the weatherman said it might rain that day. If so, take an umbrella or rain jacket and brave the elements. If you take lots of battery power, you’ll have a good opportunity for some wonderful shots of sakura using your camera flash.

Rain has been falling every other day or so here in the Kansai region of Japan this spring. Those braving the elements to sightsee or do hanami, cherry blossom viewing in Japanese, should take an umbrella or at least wear a jacket that repells rain.

If you don’t have a jacket that at least resists water, have no fear. There are tons of cheap umbrellas for sale that visitors can easily buy at convenient stores, and convenient stores can be found within a few hundred yards of almost any train station.

As for the cherry blooms, they are just starting to show. Trees in the Kyoto area are at about 20%.

The best time to see cherry blossoms in Kyoto should be this coming weekend. Saturday and Sunday, of rain doesn’t fall, should be prime cherry blossom time. From this coming weekend to next weekend will be the best week for viewing sakura flowers.

The cherry blossoms should be fully bloomed, mankai, by the end of next week.

Another update will be written in another day or two.

The first online classified website in the Kansai region or for that matter in Japan was KansaiConnect. Since then, the website has focused on other areas and other classified websites have popped up. However, last week, KansaiConnect bought a new domain and opened Kansai Classifieds on that domain, appropriately called KansaiClassifieds.com.

People who post ads to this site usually are associated with Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama and Shiga. There are categories to post ads for electronics, household things, English and Japanese, housing and more. If you have a suggestion, send them a request and they will consider adding it to the site.

If you are an English or Japanese teacher, there is also a section to post an ad about yourself to promote your service!

There are only a few ads listed right now, but traffic to the site has begun to increase now that the domain has been listed in Google.

If you have something to buy or sell, go to KansaiClassifieds, register and post your classified ad now! It is easy to do, fast and of course free!

Just stopped by the park to check out the cherry trees and saw the buds are already out. Some of them are even green with a little pink showing.

It’s time to start cherry blossom watching! Cherry trees this spring could bloom a little earlier this year.

If you care about seeing the cherry blossoms in full-bloom, you had better start keeping an eye on the news.

Cherry blossoms come and go in a matter of weeks. Depending on your idea of the most beautiful cherry blossoms, whether it is when the blossoms are at the beginning, middle or end of their lives, to catch them at the right time takes planning.

Stay tuned into Kansai News and get up-to-date news on cherry blossoms around Kyoto and Osaka.

Users can post ads with up to 4 photos for free. For more than 4 photos, they may soon offer a paid service, mostly for those who wish to save time and energy posting a lot of images.

The site is simple and easy to use, and most importantly, it’s free!

At Akamanma in Arashiyama, a cafe gallery along the Nagatsuji Dori, sakura are in bloom! Kyoka Okumura is showing her fine sakura art and sakura goods on the 2nd floor of Akamanma.

Sakura Kyoka art and goods will be on display and for sale at Akamanma in Arashiyama until March 18th. The cafe restaurant gallery is open from 10am to 10pm, but the gallery will only be open until 6pm.

For more information on Sakura Kyoka, visit her website: SakuraKyoka.com or stop by the gallery!

Sakura Tapestry

Akamanma Cafe Restaurant Arashiyama

Daisuke Takahashi Wins Bronze!

Daisuke performed well enough to get the bronze medal in the 2010 Olympics even after falling on his quad attempt at the beginning of his last program giving Japan its first Olympic medal in a men’s singles figure skating event.

Learn to Skate Faster!

Takahashi is a student at Kansai University in Osaka. In Osaka, Japan, he trains under coach Utako Nagamitsu.

Way to go Daisuke! Everyone in the Kansai area of Japan is proud of you, foreign and Japanese alike!