The opening ceremony was supposed to be held yesterday, Sunday, but because of heavy and wind from the typhoon, the opening ceremony and first games were postponed to today.

This morning, 49 teams marched onto the field, each one representing one prefecture from Japan. Koshien stadium is packed completely with fans and teams bussed in from all of Japan.

After the ceremony, the field was dragged and set up for the first game. Beginning the process of elimination to determine the best Japanese high school baseball team, Heian and Kyoei began warming up.

Let the battles begin! Play ball! Ikimasu!

Halong has already hit Okinawa and is currently in the Kyushu area headed our way. Wakayama, Nara, Mie, Kyoto and Osaka are all getting tons of rain.

Areas are expected to receive between 80 and 120 milliliters of rain an hour and up to 700ml in all. Warnings of this high amount of rain falling is unusual. Average rainfall is 150 to 200ml at a time. Occasional warnings coming in with numbers as high as 450ml. For a warning of 700ml to be expected means there will definitely be damage afterwards.

Travel safely, if you are in Japan. Watch for flash flooding nearby rivers and streams.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has predicted both regions to be directly in the a path of the typhoon. We will of course have to wait and see what happens.

The current weather in the Kyoto area of Kansai is cloudy, but no rain just yet. The air is also very calm and muggy. This is typical weather before a typhoon approaches. Later on this evening and tomorrow morning, winds are expected to pick up if the typhoon does come this way.

Visitors to the region need not be too alarmed. If the typhoon does come this way, the rain should be the only major problem. The wind should not be that powerful by the time it reaches Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto. Just make sure you bring a strong umbrella just in case and a change of clothes in case you get drenched by the rain.

Last year in September, this area saw another typhoon come directly over us. It left the area flooded as the rain in the mountains poured down and rain into the Kyoto and Osaka basins. Because there are many rivers running through the Kyoto area, the rivers rose to the point they overflowed their banks into city and town areas. Many homes and businesses incurred damage from the flooding.

This typhoon is not expected to leave as much rain behind.

Sewari is a peninsula that stretches between the Uji and Kizu rivers. 15 years ago, most people in Japan had never heard of Sewari. Sewari peninsula is over 1.5 kilometers long. There is green grass on either side of the main walkway that goes down the center of the peninsula. The main walkway is lined with over 250 sakura trees that create a beautiful cherry blossom tunnel when the trees are bloomed. On both sides of the trees there are walkways along the grass and large spacious grassy areas where visitors can sit and enjoy the blossoms, eat bento lunch boxes and drink sake to celebrate the coming of spring. It is open to the public for free. Parking nearby Yawata station is 100 yen per hour, but very small. A very large parking area west of the Sewari can accommodate a hundred or so cars and is currently 1000 yen for the day during hanami, cherry blossom season.

This year, not surprisingly, Sewari has been deemed the #1 Hanami Spot in the Kansai region according to the many visitors. Many have also reported seeing news about Sewari on TV, which would explain for the all the helicopters hovering over the park this week. Everyday this week, thousands of people have flocked to the park, most arriving after 11am.

Tip: If you wish to see the cherry blossoms at this park, you’d better get up early in the morning and arrive before everyone else. After 11am, it becomes very crowded.

That all changed in 2004 when the mall was closed down for remodeling. It reopened in April of 2005 and has since been a shopping hub for people traveling in between Osaka and Kyoto. Kuzuha Mall sits about halfway between Osaka and Kyoto cities, roughly 25 minutes from either direction.

In recent months, Kuzuha has been undergoing a new facelift adding many new buildings for more shops, a much needed cinema as well as many more parking structures. Shops like Uniqlo that moved out during reconstruction have moved back. Visitors will no longer need to travel into Kyoto or Osaka, but will be able to get all their shopping needs taken care of in Kuzuha. Kuzuha Mall just got better!

Kuzuha Mall will open the newly built areas officially on March 12, 2014.

The Red Bull X-Fighters will perform at Osaka Castle May 24th and 25th.

Japan’s most famous castle is located in the heart of Osaka closest to the Kyobashi Keihan and Kyobashi JR train stations. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at Lawson’s convenient store.

Schedule
Qualifier Event – Saturday 24th May 2014
Japanese Qualifier: 14:00 – 14:45
Red Bull X-Fighters Qualifier: 15.00 – 17.00
Main Event – Sunday 25th May 2014
Doors Open: 12:00
Event Start: 15:00 (approx. – depends on pre-show)

Start Web-TV: 15:00
Start Live-TV: 15:30
End Event/TV: 17:00

Tickets can be purchased at convenient stores in advance or at the castle. But be aware that there is only one entrance into the castle during this event and the line can be very long. If you have pre-purchased tickets you won’t have to wait quite as long as others standing in line to buy their tickets.

The 3D mapping show is displayed on the castle building as beautifully orchestrated music is played over loud speakers. It is similar to being at a concert, but no live bands. Food can be purchased outside and within the castle walls. But if you are hungry before you enter, you are better off eating beforehand as prices are much higher inside Osaka Castle walls.

Ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week, holidays and other designated days.

Adult ticket prices are 1,600 to 2,000 yen
Children (4-year old – Elementary school student) 950 to 1,200 yen

Both of the places have all kinds of different trees located on the premises. One is lit up at night during autumn and the other isn’t…although it should be. One has a tall pagoda and a veranda overlooking Kyoto. The other has a small ravine filled with maples and a bridge where people can walk above them and look down into the ravine of maples. Do you know what places I’m referring to yet?

The first one is Kiyomizudera and the other is Tofukuji. Go to either one of these places during autumn and you’ll be joined by half of Japan. They are so popular that during momiji season, you will most likely be viewing the maples shoulder to shoulder with someone else you don’t know…on both sides of you.

Kiyomizudera is the most popular of the two and larger. There are tons of maple trees around the temple grounds along the backside of the temple, in front to the left, if you are looking back at Kyoto Tower, and further to the left up along the mountain. If you really want to see it in its full-on beauty, visit the temple at night when the spotlight is shining brightly in the sky like a Batman beacon. Stand along the little pond to the left, again if you are facing Kyoto Tower, and look back at the temple and beacon for a great reflection shot of the temple, beacon and trees. See the photo pictured in this article for reference to what I’m talking about.

Tofukuji on the other hand is smaller in scale, but nonetheless beautiful. It may even be more beautiful depending on what you like. The bridge overlooking the ravine of colorful red maples and the small grove of yellow maples just before the ravine are amazing. If you happen to go on a partly cloudy day, you will surely know what I’m talking about. The contrast in colors against a blue and white sky make for picturesque photos; ones you will never forget. But unfortunately for anyone who loves this place, it is not lit up at night even though the website created by those who run this temple say it is. They close down the temple just before dark in autumn. So get there early enough to see it all before they kick you out. It’s a breathtaking maple viewing place! See the photo in this article.

Momiji viewing involves Japanese maples. And they don’t just grow everywhere. It takes a little planning to find places with many maple trees on the grounds. Some local parks scattered around Kyoto have them. Some shrines and temples have them. But not all places have Japanese maples.

So here are some of the best places around the Kyoto area to see Japanese maple trees in the splendor:

• Kiyomizudera
• Kinkakuji
• Fushimiinari
• Nagaoka Tenmangu
• Komyoji
• Arashiyama
• Tofukuji
• Nanzenji
• Takaragaike
• Kibune