Laguna has a total of 86 Catholic churches with 26 of them being built between the 16th and 19th centuries. This Holy Week, we have visited few of these churches to do the “Station of the Cross”.
Nagasaki Lantern Festival
The Nagasaki Lantern Festival begun just as a celebration of the Chinese New Year in Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown by the resident Chinese merchants. It has expanded in 1994 to be a winter staple event throughout the city taking place in the first 15 days of the Chinese lunar new year.
Busy… Crazy… Busy.
It’s been a long while since my last entry here in my blog. I’ve been so busy since I have moved back to the Philippines.
“No Shopping”
It was my first time to use the LCC airline Jetstar internationally. During checking in, the lady at the counter asked me to weigh my handcarry bags. They only allow 7kg, mine weighed 6.5kg. Then, the lady asked me not to shop anymore as it might exceed the allowed weight. The funny thing is that she wrote “No Shopping” on my boarding pass.
Bits & Pieces: The Cement of Hokkaido
It was on our way when we saw a restaurant called “The Cement of Hokkaido”. For a restaurant with a name like that, it doesn’t sound appetizing.
Ue O Muite Aruko! (My Japan Journey Ends 2009-2017)
Kyu Sakamoto’s 1961 song “Ue O Muite Aruko” means “Let’s look up and walk” and is a song with lyrics about sadness and isolation. I think this is my farewell song for Japan, as I still need to look up and continue walking even if it’s sad to leave. The song was about encouraging people not to look back at the sad past of World War 2 and its aftermath, but to be positive and have hope for the future. Of course, that will not be the case for me. Japan will always be a big part of my past and contributed a lot on my present and future.
Cosmos in Engaru
From mid-August to late September, the Niji-no Hiroba in Taiyo no Oka Engaru Park, Monbetsu, Hokkaido becomes one of the largest cosmos garden park in Japan. Planted in about 10 hectares of land are about 10 million cosmos flowers. There are 16 types of cosmos in the park including the Tetra Versailles Red Cosmos and Double Click Cosmos.
Takino Suzuran Hillside Park
The Takino Suzuran Hillside Park is a national government park in Sapporo, Hokkaido and the only national park in Hokkaido. The park is massive a it covers 396.7 hectares of hilly land. The park is popular in spring and autumn for the flower garden, large playground and waterfalls; and in winter for different outdoor activities.
Rose Garden in Chippubetsu
The outdoor recreational spot with the Rose Garden in Chippubetsu was established in 1999. About 3,000 roses in different colors and 300 varieties are planted in the 5.4 hectare garden park. The roses are in full bloom from early July until early September.
Iris Festival In Memuro
The irises or ayame in Japanese go full bloom every July, the month of the Memuro Iris Festival. Although it was a small event as compared to the massive flower parks in Hokkaido, the festival boasts a number of irises in different types and colors.
Himawari in Hokuryu
In Hokkaido, a sunflower field is considered the largest planted area in Japan. The 23.1 hectares Himawari no Sato is located in Hokuryu town, southwest of Asahikawa City. The residents of Hokuryu started cultivating sunflowers in 1979. With its fertile land and favorable weather, about 1.5 million of 30 types of sunflowers grow in Himawari no Sato annually, The first sunflower festival was held in 1987.
Zerubu No Oka
Zerubu no Oka is open from late April to late October. Colorful seasonal flowers are planted on the hill including lavender, pansy and sunflower. It is a smaller version and less famous than Shikisai no Oka but what sets it apart are the mountain backdrops of Asahidake and Tokachidake Mountain Range.
Amoj In Wanderland 