Maishima Incineration Plant Osaka City

" Is this a waste service facility?" I was very surprising at the outward appearance of the building when I reached to Maishima Island in Osaka city near Universal Studio Japan. I could not understand that it was just garbage incinerator. A chimney with tear shape roof like the Klemlin and so many abstract arts on the wall. 

You can get an inside tour of this facility with reservation. I have attended this real cool activity for 7 years ago. As same as exterior, the interior of the incinerators was very impressive. That was designed by Austrian designer Mr. Hundertwasser and built by Osaka city. So this means that it was built by citizen's tax and the expense was 80 billion yen for one facility. But the tour fee is free!

Because Mr. Hundertwasser thought this facility as the nature forest, there is no same format in the building. The every passage has the different curve and the size of all windows is not same each other. I think that this building is very symbolical meaning of Osaka trait because of its chaos. They like it and cultivate it. When you visit downtown of Osaka, especially in Minami area, you can feel it precisely. 

Anyway, when you visit Osaka, this is the "must to go" to place. I strongly recommend.

sakakibara Dai- Kannon Temple (Mie Pref.)

It's like a fantasy theme park for elder. You can see a tall Goddess of mercy in gold. There is an orchestra of little green frogs at the entrance of the temple. When you go inside of it, you could feel some strange atmosphere compered with an ordinary, old style temple, like in Kyoto. Yes, this temple is NOT at all. They don't have supporters, usually a supporter of its temple have a tombstone of his ancestors, so there is no real tombstone in the temple. 

    

Then you can enjoy your touring inside of the temple if you are not the Buddhist. But, at first you should pay the entrance fee, 800 yen (there is discount coupon of their web site). The temple calls it "dedication", but I think it may be "entrance fee" for attraction. After the entrance gate, you can see tiny statures of Daikoku and Ebisu who are member of Japanese Gods. For the statues were made by pure gold, you can touch them. Surprisingly, one touch makes improvement your fortune, especially for a luck of money! Never miss to touch them.

Next, cats orchestra will be waiting for you with a huge pair of clogs to welcome to throw coins into an offertory box. Of course this monetary offering improves your money luck too. Then you must go inside a pilgrim room for Sikoku-Singon sect Buddhists. A pious Buddhist should go on a pilgrim to visit 88 temples all around Shikoku island by his foot. But in this room there are 88 boxes which contain sand from each temple, so you can pilgrim all temples about ten minutes or so. 

OK, after your religious austerities, go out to a courtyard. Thirty-three meter of golden Kannnon is looking down at you from center of the garden. In this courtyard you can find so many funny statures around the Kannnon. Teng, Kappa, Hakutaku and singing kannon with her microphone of Karaoke set! I could not tell all attraction in the temple. So try to  search yourself.

If you want to have some souvenir of this place, I reccomend you to get " Goshuin" of this temple. This is like a hand made stamp written by Japanese brush. This is real cool. Originally we must dedicate our own hand-copying of sutras, then the temple gives us the Goshuin as proof of the prayer. But now it is a mere certificate of visiting. So you can purchase it for 300yen without sutras. Please try it.

 

sakakibara hot spa

http://www.sawasdee-japan.com/sightseeing-spot/chubu-region/mie.html#Sakakibara%20Spa

nika's page

Hotel Kawakyu (Wakayama Pref. Kinki)

I have stayed here only once at almost five years before. The shape of the building was very strange and cute.
 
 This hotel was constructed in luxury during the Japanese bubble economy term. So you can imagine the interior of the hotel from its outside.
 
 Now the room charge is not so cheap compared with an ordinary hotel, but you will be satisfied with their hospitality that is the mixture of Western and Modern Japanese style.

 
 I strongly recommend to stay here for every odd place lovers. Here is the reservation web site. Of course, you can use English there.

nika's page: 39-6 Hotel Kawakyu (Sorry Japanese only)

Reference (Sorry Japanese Only)