Sensō-ji, The Red Beauty in Asakusa

18 Maret, Tahun 628

March 18, 628 AD

Hinokuma dan Takenari Hamanari, dua bersaudara sedang mencari ikan di Sungai Sumida. Dua nelayan ini merasakan hal yang janggal dan tergerak untuk menebarkan jaring di salah satu sisi sungai.

Hinokuma and Takenari Hamanari are siblings looking for fish in Sumida River. The two fishermen had a hunch, and decided to throw their fishing nets at one side of the river.

Jaring terasa berat dan mereka segera menarik ke atas perahu dan terkaget-kaget saat menemukan patung Bodhisattva Kannon, salah satu dewa Budha.

The net felt heavy, and they pulled the net up unto the boat and was in awe to find a Bodhisattva Kannon statue, one of the Gods in Buddhism.

Kabar ini segera tersiar dan kepala desa Asakusa, Haji No Nakamoto langsung mendatangi patung tersebut. Saat tersadar bahwa patung Bodhisattva Kannon secara misterius muncul di sungai, Nakamoto langsung bersumpah untuk hidup sebagai biksu dan mendedikasikan dirinya untuk Bodhisattva Kannon.

The news was spread quickly, and Haji No Nakamoto, Asakusa village head hurriedly went to see the statue. When he realized that the Bodhisattva Kannon statue mysteriously appeared in the river, Nakamoto made a life commitment to be a monk and to dedicate himself to Bodhisattva Kannon.

Ia mengubah rumahnya menjadi kuil, yang kini bernama Sensō-ji.

He turned his home into a temple, which is now known as Sensō-ji. 

10 Februari 2015

February 10, 2015

Saya turun dari bus. Cuaca saat itu cukup dingin, kami harus menggunakan jaket tebal. Meski dikelilingi berbagai bangunan, angin di area Asakusa ini bertiup cukup kencang dan dingin tentunya.

I got off the bus. The weather was quite cold, and we had to use a thick jacket. Even if we were surrounded by many buildings, the wind in Asakusa area still blew quite hard.

Namun udara dingin tidak membuat Sensō-ji sepi. Kuil Buddha tertua di Jepang ini dipenuhi ratusan, atau mungkin ribuan orang.

Even with the cold weather, Sensō-ji remained crowded as ever. The oldest Buddhist temple in Japan is filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands of people.

Sensō-ji itu merah, setidaknya itu yang paling saya perhatikan sejak tiba di area kuil ini. Bangunan kuil utama, gerbang dengan "lampion" merah besar dan menara merah. Warna cerah ini menjadi ciri utama Sensō-ji, termasuk membuat kuil di Asakusa ini semakin indah, bahkan di saat cuaca begitu dingin.

Sensō-ji is red, at least that’s what I’ve noticed since arriving in the temple area. In the main temple building, there is a big red lantern and a red tower. The bright red color is Sensō-ji ‘s main feature - it is also what makes the Asakusa temple more beautiful, even in this cold weather.

Cukup sulit mencari spot foto tanpa ditutupi manusia. Area tengah sangat padat, saya perlu menunggu untuk menemukan lokasi dimana saya dapat melihat beberapa sisi tanpa "disesaki" orang di depan saya.

It’s quite hard to find a photography spot without it being covered by people. The middle part is so crowded. I had to wait for a location where I can cover quite a few spots without it being jammed by someone in front of me.

all cute stuffs

Meski sesak, Sensō-ji tetap cantik dengan warna merahnya. Dan saat berjalan ke area luar, jalanan penuh dengan berbagai toko menarik membuat mata saya sulit melihat lurus. Nakamise market di area dekat Sensō-ji ini dipenuhi berbagai barang menarik khas Jepang, dan tentunya dipenuhi turis yang memadati jalanan.

Even though the place was so cramped, Sensō-ji is still gorgeous with its red color. And when walking to the outer area, the streets were full of a lot of very interesting stores, making it hard for my eyes to look straight ahead. Nakamise market, located nearby Sensō-ji is full of many things you can find only in Japan. And of course, tourists swarm the streets.

the red tower

Bodhisattva Kannon dipercaya sebagai dewa yang paling penuh dengan kasih sayang, menghilangkan penderitaan dan mendengarkan doa.

Bodhisattva Kannon is known as a God that is full of love, able to remove pain and hear our prayers.

Mereka yang penuh kasih sayang biasanya seringkali dikelilingi banyak orang yang senang dengan kehadiran mereka. Saya anggap saja semua manusia yang berdesakan ini, juga karena kasih sayang Bodhisattva Kannon :)

People full of love are usually surrounded by happy people that are delighted by their presence. Let’s just say that all the people crammed in this place are here because of Bodhisattva Kannon’s abundant love :)

@marischkaprue - her blood is red and she hopes that she can be more compassionate

NOTES:

• Sensō-ji temple terletak di 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku
• Sensō-ji Temple is located at 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku
• Saya datang ke Asakusa dalam bagian dari Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour dari Sunrise Tour JTB. Selain berkunjung ke Asakusa, melalui tour ini saya pun dapat menikmati Tokyo City Tour dengan bus hingga naik ke Tokyo Skytree. Biaya Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour adalah sekitar 6.600 Yen per orang. Lihat keterangan lengkap di sini
• I came to Asakusa as a part of the Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour from Sunrise Tour JTB. Aside from visiting Asakusa, by using this tour I got to enjoy Tokyo City Tour via bus and got on the Tokyo Skytree also. The Tokyo Skytree & Asakusa Tour is around 6600 Yen per person. Click here for the full info  
• Jika khusus ingin melihat beberapa kuil, ada opsi tour Cityrama Tokyo Morning, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace Gardens dan Sensō-ji Temple (Asakusa) dengan harga 5.000 Yen per orang. Lihat keterangan lengkap di sini
• If you wanted to specifically see temples, you can choose to explore these places: Cityrama Tokyo Morning, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace Gardens and  Sensō-ji Temple (Asakusa) with 5000 Yen per person. The full info is here  

 Location map: 

 

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• Hotel Recommendation: Tokyo

Transformer Night: Dinner With The Robots in Shinjuku

Random mungkin kata yang tepat untuk mendeskripsikan satu malam yang aneh di Shinjuku, Jepang ini.

‘Random’ is perhaps the perfect word to describe one weird night in Shinjuku, Japan.

Bagi saya area Kabuki-cho sudah cukup hingar bingar. Lampu-lampu bangunan, banner dan plang besar serta warna-warni cahaya memenuhi jalanan di Shinjuku ini. Saya tiba di depan plang berwarna-warni dengan tulisan Jepang yang ramai. Hampir saja saya tidak melihat tulisan "Robot Restaurant" karena tulisan warna-warni yang begitu meriah.

For me, Kabuki-cho area is quite hectic. The building lights, banners and gigantic signs with colorful lights fill the streets in Shinjuku. I arrive in front of the colorful sign with a lot of Japanese characters written on it. I almost missed seeing the words “Robot Restaurant” because of the merry and colorful words.

Saya tidak terlalu lapar karena saat itu sudah pukul 9 malam. Kalimat "Dinner with the robots," "One of the best attraction in Tokyo" membuat saya bersemangat malam itu.

I wasn’t too hungry, as it was already 9 o’clock at night. The sentences “Dinner with the robots” and “One of the best attractions in Tokyo” made me excited that evening.

the glowing waiting lounge

Area pendaftaran dan area masuk ke lokasi atraksi berada di jalan yang berbeda, meski letaknya berdekatan. Sejak masuk dinding penuh ornamen bercahaya memenuhi semua sudut mata saya, mulai dari lift, tangga hingga ruang tunggu.

 The registration area and the entrance to the attraction area is on a different path, even though they are located close to each other. From when I entered, the walls are full of shiny ornaments everywhere I look, starting from the lift, the staircase, and all the way to the waiting room.

Saat waktu perform dimulai, saya masuk ke area dengan deretan kursi di sisi berseberangan dan area kosong di tengah. Dibandingkan restoran, area ini lebih mirip lokasi mini teater atau konser.

When performances started, I went to an area where there were rows of chairs across each other and an empty area in the middle. Instead of a restaurant, this place looks more like a mini theater or a concert hall.

Bento box disajikan, ada juga opsi membeli popcorn yang bagi saya lebih cocok untuk atraksi semacam ini. Tidak lama mulai terdengar suara musik dan tokoh-tokoh ala Jepang mulai muncul sambil memainkan musik. Sebagian dengan gitar listrik, drum dan sebagian penari dengan kimono beraksi di panggung dengan roda yang memutari area di antara deretan kursi.

Bento boxes were served, but there is also another option of buying popcorns (of which I feel is more appropriate for this kind of attraction). It wasn’t long until I start to hear the sound of music. Japanese characters soon appeared while playing music. Some had electric guitars, and some had drums. Some dancers donning kimonos went in action on stage using wheels, circling the area with the rows of chairs.

Saya terus menantikan si robot ini muncul. Pertama-tama hanya manusia berpakaian ala robot yang melakukan duel di tengah, sebelumnya petugas memagari area kursi dengan rantai untuk menjaga tamu. Kemudian robot asli ini akhirnya menyapa kami. Ada yang berbentuk seperti tokoh di film Transformer, robot dengan ornamen sayap dan layar LCD di bagian dadanya, serta robot ular yang sangat besar yang memutari area di depan deretan kursi pengunjung.

I eagerly waited for the robot to appear. First, it was just some people wearing a robot costume dueling in the middle. Before that happened, the staff restricted the chair area from the guests using a chain. Then the real robot finally came and greeted us. There is one that looks like that character in Transformers, there was one with wing-shaped ornaments with an LCD monitor on its chest, as well as a huge snake robot circling the area in front of the chairs where the audience were sitting.

Yang menarik robot-robot asli ini menari, diatur dengan remote control oleh petugas, yang dapat kita lihat saat mereka mengatur robot-robot ini "pulang" usai menari.

The interesting part, is that these robots dance by being controlled from a remote control by the staff. We can see this when they were marching the robots home as they finish their dance.

Kemudian hal-hal aneh terjadi. Mulai dari tiba-tiba laba-laba besar datang, "hiu" besar yang menabrak rantai yang melindungi penonton serta "memakan" lawannya dan semua keanehan lainnya. Sulit bagi saya mencerna semua bentuk, tokoh, figur dan apapun yang seakan-akan dicampur tanpa perlu ada benang merah di cerita "teater" ini. Robot Restoran seakan mencampur apapun yang terlintas di benak pengatur alur cerita tanpa melogika-kan fiksi sekalipun.

Then odd things started to happen. Starting from a gigantic spider suddenly appearing, a huge shark crashing into the chain that protected the audience from it and eating its opponents, as well as other oddities. It was hard for me to digest all the shapes, characters, and figures as if everything was mixed together without anything summing up the whole story in this theater. It’s as if Robot Restaurant combines anything that enters the story-teller’s mind without even once logicizing fiction.

Random and Mind F*ck, itu bahasa yang tepat mendeskripsikan 90 menit yang aneh di Shinjuku ini. Robot Restoran mungkin aneh, mungkin memberikan sensasi terbelalak sambil terus berpikir "what the f just happened?" tapi saya setuju ini adalah salah satu atraksi super seru yang akan membuat anda tersenyum dan tertawa meski pikiran berkata "where the hell am I?"

‘Random’ and ‘mindf*ck’. Those are the perfect words to describe my 90-minute experience in Shinjuku. Robot Restaurant may be weird - it may give a jaw-dropping sensation while thinking “what the f just happened?”. But I must say, this is one of the best attractions that will make you smile and laugh, even while thinking “where the hell am I?”

Ready for Japan randomness?

@marischkaprue - some things or some shows are just more absurd than her life

NOTES:

• Robot Restaurant terletak di 1-7-1 Kabuki-cho, B2F, Shinjuku, 160-0021, Tokyo Prefecture.
• Robot Restaurant is located in 1-7-1 Kabuki-cho, B2F, Shinjuku, 160-0021, Tokyo Prefecture. Open from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. (last show starts at 9 p.m.)
• Contact Robot Restaurant di +81 332005500
• Contact Robot Restaurant at +81 332005500
• Harga tiket untuk mengikuti satu sesi (90 menit) atraksi termasuk makan malam di Robot Restaurant adalah 7.000 Yen, saya sarankan booking melalui tour karena jauh lebih murah (mereka menawarkan diskon khusus jika booking melalui tour). Harga melalui tour (Sunrise Tour JTB) adalah 4.500 Yen. Cek lengkapnya di sini
• The ticket price to attend a session (90 minutes) that includes dinner at Robot Restaurant is 7000 Yen. I suggest booking through a tour because it’s way cheaper (they offer a special discount if you book using a tour). The tour price (Sunrise Tour JTB) is 4500 Yen. Check out the full info here  

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A Trip to Fuji-San, The Famous Mountain in Japan

Gunung Fuji, saya rasa kita semua tahu nama ini. Gunung tertinggi dan paling terkenal di Jepang. Gunung Fuji menarik karena bentuknya yang benar benar simetris dan gunung ini seringkali digambarkan dalam berbagai foto, grafis dan komik serta bahkan emoticon di smartphone saya pun memiliki gambaran Gunung Fuji.

Mount Fuji. I think we all know this name. The tallest and the most famous mountain in Japan. Mount Fuji is interesting because of it’s symmetrical shape. This mountain is seen in all kind of pictures, graphics, and comics - even as a Mount Fuji emoticon in my smartphone.

Otw to Fuji, book a seat on a tour with Sunrise Tour JTB so no worries about getting there

Dalam trip saya yang singkat di Jepang (satu minggu sangat singkat bagi saya karena masih banyak destinasi-destinasi lain di Jepang yang ingin saya eksplorasi), Gunung Fuji menjadi salah satu bucket list untuk dilihat langsung. Meski dari Tokyo kita dapat melihat Gunung Fuji dari kejauhan, saya tetap ingin melihat dan memotret gunung ini dari dekat.

In my short trip in Japan (one very short week for me, because I have other destinations in Japan that I want to explore), Mount Fuji is on my bucket list, something that I have to see with my own eyes. From Tokyo, we can see Mount Fuji from afar. But I still wanted to see and take pictures of this mountain from up close.

enjoying the view and the weather :)

Saya naik bus sekitar dua setengah jam dari Odaiba hingga tiba di Yamanashi, area di dekat Danau Kawaguchi. Saat itu jalanan menuju ke atas untuk semakin mendekati Gunung Fuji tertutup salju sehingga akses jalan ditutup. Namun dari area ini kami sudah dapat melihat Fuji-San dengan salju putih yang menutupi puncaknya, snow-capped.

I hopped on a bus for around 2.5 hours from Odaiba and arrived in Yamanashi, an area near Kawaguchi Lake. At that time, the road toward Mount Fuji was covered in snow, so the there was no access. Even so, from this area we can see its peak covered in snow, the snow-capped Fuji San.

the beautiful Fuji-San

Udara saat itu sangat dingin namun saya sangat bersemangat dapat melihat Gunung iconic di Jepang ini. Guide kami, Nanako meminta maaf berkali-kali karena bus tidak dapat maju lebih jauh lagi. Namun sebelum tiba di Yamanashi, kami telah berhenti di Fuji Visitor Center dan di lantai dua gedung inilah saya bisa mendapatkan view Fuji yang bahkan lebih jelas.

The weather was very cold, but I was still eager to be able to see this iconic Japanese mountain. Our guide, Nanako, apologized many times because the bus couldn’t go any further towards the mountain. But before we arrived in Yamanashi, we dropped by Fuji Visitor Center, and on the second floor of this very building is where I got a better look at Fuji.

"Gunung Fuji masih aktif," ujar Nanako. Namun terakhir kali Fuji-San menunjukkan kekuatan erupsinya adalah di tahun 1707, waktu yang sudah sangat lama sehingga kami sama sekali tidak khawatir untuk mendekati Gunung Fuji. 

“Mount Fuji is still active,” says Nanako. But the last time Fuji San displayed its powerful eruption is back in 1707, such a long time ago that we don’t even have a slight worry when approaching Mount Fuji.

Dengan tinggi 3.776 meter, cara mencapai ketinggian yang paling nyaman tentunya dengan cable car. Saya naik hingga ke Owakudani di ketinggian 1.044 meter dengan cable car yang berseberangan dengan Gunung Fuji. Sambil menuju ke atas kita dapat melihat Fuji-San yang diselimuti salju putih, sangat cantik :)

Being 3,776 meters tall, the best way to reach such altitude is via cable car. I went up to Owokudani at an altitude of 1,044 meters with a cable car that is right across Mount Fuji. On the way up, we got to see Fuji San enveloped by white snow. Very beautiful :)

Hari itu matahari bersinar cerah dan langit membiru, cuaca yang sangat bersahabat untuk mengambil foto, namun angin sangat tidak bersahabat dengan kami. Di Owakudani viewing platform angin dingin berhembus sangat kencang, namun bahkan angin yang membekukan tangan ini tidak dapat menutupi keindahan suasana di Owakudani.

That day, the sun was shining bright accompanied by blue skies. Such a great weather to take pictures, even if the wind wasn’t being very friendly. At Owakudani viewing platform, the cold wind blew hard. But even the harsh hand-freezing wind can’t cover the beauty of Owakudani.

Tanpa sadar beberapa kali tangan saya terasa dingin membeku sehingga saya berulang kali keluar masuk bangunan hanya untuk menghangatkan diri sebentar, sebelum kembali keluar menikmati pemandangan.

Without knowing, my hands froze up a couple of times. So I went in and out of buildings just so I can warm up a bit, before coming out to enjoy the view.

Fuji-San mungkin mentertawakan saya yang tidak kuat dengan udara dingin. Ia sudah terbiasa diselimuti salju hampir sepanjang tahun.

Fuji-San may be laughing at myself who can’t bear the cold weather. The mountain is accustomed to being enveloped by snow for nearly the whole year.

@marischkaprue - she loves warm weather but is always fascinated by snow mountains 

NOTES:

• Untuk menikmati trip ke Fuji, salah satu cara nyaman dan mudah adalah mengikuti open trip yang disediakan tour di Jepang. Sunrise Tour JTB menyediakan berbagai tour ke Fuji, mulai dari one day tour, hingga paket tour termasuk menginap di Hakone (saya ikut dalam tour Fuji-Hakone).
• To enjoy the trip to Fuji, one of the most comfortable and easiest ways is to join an open trip arranged by one of the tour companies in Japan. Sunrise Tour JTB provides a few tours going to Fuji, starting from a one-day tour, to a package that includes staying for a night in Hakone (I chose the Fuji-Hakone tour).
• Opsi tour menyediakan pilihan untuk kembali ke tokyo dengan kereta super cepat Shinkansen, dengan bus atau bahkan jika anda ingin melanjutkan sendiri dapat booking dengan berhenti di Hakone atau Odawara, terdapat juga paket Ski Trip (seasonal).
• The tour gives the option to return to Tokyo with the express train Shinkansen, or using a bus. If you want to continue further on your own, you can stop at Hakone or Odawara for a Ski Trip package (seasonal).
• Harga tour bervariasi, mulai dari 7900 Yen per orang, cek harga paket tour di sini sesuai keinginan eksplorasi Fuji.  
• Tour prices vary, starting from 7900 Yen per person. Check the tour package prices here and adjust with what you want to explore in Fuji.
• Cek musim pada kunjungan anda, saat winter tentu dapat menikmati salju yang melimpah dan bisa mencoba ski di area Gunung Fuji.
• Check the season of your visit, as in winter you can enjoy the abundant snow and ski in the area around Mount Fuji.  

RELATED STORIES:

Where to go Tokyo & Around

• Dinner With The Robot: Robot Restaurant
• Sensō-ji, Red Beauty in Asakusa
• Doraemon Museum: Fujiko F Fujio Museum
• ShinYokohama Ramen Museum

Where to Stay in Tokyo

• Hotel Recommendation: Tokyo