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!

Use the new KansaiConnect Hotel Finder and find the lowest prices by comparing all the largest hotel sites around the globe like:

• AsiaRooms.com
• Expedia.com
• Hilton.com
• HotelClub.com
• Hotels.com
• OctopusTravel.com
• Priceline.com
• RatesToGo.com
• Travelocity.com
• Venere.com

and many more, just to name the larger ones!

Click here to find your hotel now! Or click the Hotel Finder image above!

The menu features:

The price for the dinner is ¥5775.

Call (075) 351-0111 for more information.

If you wish to experience the Kobe Luminarie, it is best to take the train. Traveling there by car will take much more time out of your day because of heavy traffic. Also, if you visit the area earlier in the month, you will experience less foot traffic, as the event goes on more and more people gather to enjoy it. But if you like crowds, then later in the month is for you.

To get to the Luminarie take the Hanshin Railway line to any of the stations between Motomachi and Sannomiya stations.

NOTE: Illumination area times may change due to weather changes.

A short walk away from Tani House, visitors can enjoy Daitokuji Temple, well-known for its several natural treasures, and typical Japanese surroundings.

Tani House is a place where foreigners can talk with others from around the world and exchange culture. Mrs. Tani and other members of the household try to help foreigners learn Japanese customs and way of thinking during their stay. The Tani Family tries to better its accommodations and atmosphere all the time, and is waiting for you to visit Kyoto.

Address:
8 Daitokujichi, Murasakino
Kita-ku, Kyoto
603-8231, Japan

Phone: 075-492-5489
Annex Phone Number: 090-3262-5138

Tani House

Pomme Cafe is located along the Dainisosui in north eastern Kyoto. To get there, you can take a bus, taxi or walk from Demachiyanagi Keihan station.

For more information contact the owners who speak both Japanese and English or just look for this unique cafe on your next hike along the philosopher’s trail.

144 Shimominamida-cho
Jodoji Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8404

Phone: 075-771-9692

You would expect during a normal autumn season to see thousands upon thousands of people roaming here and there admiring the beautiful autumn leaves, but that is not quite the case this year.

Be it so called global warming or just another side of the way God created the earth, rain is pouring over Japan a little more than usual at this time of year. Usually rain doesn’t start falling this much until the leaves are at the end of the autumn cycle.

Autumn, however it goes, does not wait for man. Man cannot change it or slow the process down. We can only take it as it comes and enjoy the ride.

If people in Japan want to see momiji this year, they are going to have to endure getting wet or put on some rain gear and buy a new waterproof camera because rain is in the forecast off and on for the next week.

The weather right now in the Kansai area is cool to warm. Lately, there has been a little rain off and on, but that shouldn’t be the case during Golden Week. The forecast for Golden Week 2009 is sunny and warm weather.

Go to your local Japan store – yes, that’s the name of the store, not the country – and purchase some charcoal, a grill (if you don’t already have one), some pink starter gel and a lighter. Japan is a good store to buy snacks and drinks also. So you may want to get everything for the BBQ from the Japan store and the vegetables and meats from a market.

A typical BBQ in Japan consists of green peppers, onions, kabocha (pumpkin), shiitake mushrooms, carrots (sometimes), shishito peppers (small long sweet green peppers), sausages, beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, octopus, rice balls dipped in soy sauce and grilled and eggplant.

Don’t forget the yakiniku sauce, beer and bread rolls!

To top off a Japanese BBQ, after you’ve polished off all the food, head over to an onsen somewhere near your house and wash away all the smoke from the BBQ! After a hot soak, you’ll be well relaxed and ready for a nice long sleep to prepare yourself for another two days of Golden Week fun.

Other options for Golden Week that don’t involve lots of travel time include: going to a park near your house, hike somewhere you’ve never been before, take a bicycle ride somewhere you’ve never been before, rent a bunch of videos from Tsutaya, play card games with friends, or if all else doesn’t look like what you want to do, relax around the house and enjoy time off from work!