2010-04

I just received some information from the Ise City government about parking and driving near Naiku and Geku during the coming Golden Week (4/29 ~ 5/5). Getting impending driving restrictions within Ise City is a pretty clear indication of what’s to come—lots of people and lots of cars! If you are traveling to Ise during the upcoming Golden Week, I highly recommend you use public transportation. But if you are traveling by car, please make sure to heed the traffic information found at the linked HP below. Many roads are going to be closed during the week within Ise-city and you need to expect long lines for parking. Here is the detailed information about traffic and parking situation during this GW week in Ise city (sorry, Japanese only):

http://www.city.ise.mie.jp/icity/browser?ActionCode=content&ContentID=1238380132496&SiteID=0000000000000

Also, I am really happy to share that some of my friends will have an open house at an atelier (Neo Umeda, a picture above) in the Kawasaki area during Golden Week. They will be welcoming anyone who is looking for more information about Ise and the surrounding area. They describe themselves as a kind of unofficial Ise tourism information spot where they will be looking forward to meeting some travelers and locals alike to share and exchange local knowledge about what they feel are some of the underrated local spots in Ise. Food and drinks won’t be served, but you are welcome to take along your own food and drinks if you like. Some local souvenirs and goods will be sold. And I just bet you will encounter some of very interesting people, which would be the ultimate souvenir when visiting Ise.

Place: Neo Umeda, Kawasaki, Ise-city
Open: April 29 & 30, and May 1 through 4
Time: 10:00~17:00 (.. though, we may not be around all the time.)
Map:

For more detailed information, click here (Sorry, Japanese Only):
http://takeshinakatani.jp/umeda/newsplan/sakasa.html

This shot was taken this morning (April 6) looking toward the Oharai-dori and Okage-yoko areas, near Naiku. The Sakura (cherry blossom) is a day or two past peak but are still very beautiful! I personally like this part of the season because the blossom petals fall from the trees like snowflakes.

If you are visiting the Naiku area and if you have time, I recommend going after sunset since some of the area is illuminated and very pretty. Nighttime offers viewers a cozier and more festive experience, since at night, the area is a bit livelier with many vendors selling drinks and snacks.

If the weather is nice in the coming days, some of the blossoms might last another week or so.  Wherever you are in Japan, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful season.