February 2016 - Vikingess Voyages

Monday, February 29, 2016

Elected as Oiran for the Tsubame Sakura Festival! 第74回 分水おいらん道中のおいらん役に!

10:31:00 PM

みんなさん、一つご報告あります。昨日新潟県燕市で行われましたある二次審査に参加させて頂きました。そこで平成28年4月17日のつばめ桜祭り「第74回 分水おいらん道中」で桜太夫のおいらん役として選ばせて頂きました。外国人のおいらん役は歴代初だそうで大変光栄に思います。みんなさん、当日ご都合宜しければ是非見に来てください♪(*^^)

Yesterday I had the honor of getting elected for a position as an Oiran at the Tsubame Sakura Festival in Niigata scheduled to take place on the 17th of April. Among 64 applicants we were three girls who ended up with a position as Oiran in the parade, and in the 74 year long history of the festival it is the first time that a foreigner has been chosen for this role. This sure will be a great chance to experience a Japanese festival and see the Sakura at the same time!! For those of you who are in the vicinity it would be fantastic if you have the chance to come see the parade on April 17th!
分水おいらん道中のおいらん役に選ばれた初の外国人は・・・大使館の元研修生でした! 4月17日の開催です(新潟県燕市)http://bit.ly/1QUQ1t8
Posted by Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo on Thursday, March 3, 2016

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Saturday, February 27, 2016

Sightseeing in Chichibu: The "Power Spot" Mitsumine Shrine (三峰神社)

11:49:00 PM
Just a couple of hours by train from Tokyo lies the historic little village Chichibu (秩父). Referred to by some people (especially if you talk to locals) as “Kanto's Tibet” this place holds an interesting history reaching back more than 2000 years. One of Chichibu’s most famous tourist spots is the Mitsumine Shrine (三峰神社), which is hidden far away up in the mountains behind Chichibu.

Friday, February 26, 2016

【日本・ノルウェー協会 2016年度奨学金】 The Norway-Japan Society StudyGrant 2016

8:11:00 PM
Hi everyone! Today I just wanted to share this information from the Norway-Japan Society about their 2016 Study Grant. For more information about the society please check out their website

日本・ノルウェー協会は、2016学年度に1ヶ月-1年間にわたりノルウェーに留学する20歳以上の日本人、あるいは日本に留学する20歳以上のノルウェー人を対象に、奨学金を給付します。
 専攻科目・資格不問。帰国後、英文の報告書を提出することが求められます。

The Norway-Japan Society Study Grant 2016
The Norway-Japan Society offers up to two study grants of JPY200,000 for the year 2016.
Applicants are to be 20 years old of age and above. Applicants must also be either Japanese who will be studying in Norway or Norwegian staying in Japan to study, for the period of 1 month to 1 year in the study year 2016.

Application papers:
Applicants are requested to make application documents explaining his/her purpose of study, study duration, and what he/she plans to do after studying in Norway/Japan. Applicants should also explain his/her financial sources. These documents must be submitted by email.
Certificate of the last academic qualifications is required either by secure email directly from the issuing educational institution or original by post. Please note we will not accept certificate of academic qualifications by email from the applicant.
Please be reminded that all documents need to be written in English.

Email address:
information@norway-japan.org
Post address:
The Norway-Japan Society
c/o Royal Norwegian Embassy, Information section
5-12-2 Minami Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047

Application deadline:
March 31st, 2016

Application procedure:
Completed applications will be reviewed by The Norway-Japan Society. The result of the evaluation will be notified to applicants in May prior to the General Meeting. The successful applicant will receive the grant money after the start of his/her study is confirmed by The Norway-Japan Society.
The grantee is required to attend our General Meeting in May or alternatively to write a thank you note to be read up at the General Meeting. Upon completion of the studies the grantee is also required to submit a written report.


Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Getting a Cosmetic Tattoo (アートメイク) in Tokyo - ASSU 銀座

10:54:00 AM
Before & after
Have you ever thought about all the time you spend in a year putting on makeup? If, say, you spend just five minutes a day putting on makeup you would be using at least 30 hours a year. 
Although I generally skip doing my makeup simply because I'm lazy I also like to think that I'm doing myself a favour in terms of saved time. To be honest, when I wake up groggy on a Monday morning it's enough of a hassle to find time for breakfast (damn you, snooze button..). As an alternative to the annoying makeup routine I decided to go for a if not permanent than at least long-term alternative; getting a cosmetic tattoo (Artmake - アートメイク- in Japanese).

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Sightseeing in Nagano: Shibu Onsen (渋温泉)

11:09:00 PM
For people taking the trip to Yudanaka to see the bathing monkeys in Jigokudani there are not too many options for other things to do in the area unless you, for instance, go skiing in Shiga-Kogen. Last week during my Nagano trip we were a bigger group, which made it harder to coordinate the sightseeing with skiing, so instead, we spent our leftover day walking around in the area of our ryokan hotel Aburaya Tousen. About 15 minutes away from Yudanaka by foot you can find the historic Shibu-Onsen (渋温泉) area that is mainly famous for its 9 small hot springs. But even if you're not interested in public hot spring baths in the first place you'll find gorgeous old Japanese architecture that will make a stroll in the area well worth your time.

Friday, February 12, 2016

[Hotel Review] Nagano: Aburaya Tousen Ryokan (Yudanaka) - あぶらや燈千

1:00:00 AM
Room with private onsen bath
During my recent trip to see the bathing Snow Monkeys in Jigokudani I had the pleasure of spending a night at the renowned ryokan (traditional Japanese style hotel) Aburaya Tousen (あぶらや燈千) with a group of friends. The ryokan was located only 5 minutes away from Yudanaka Station by foot, but when we arrived at the station a representative of the hotel was already there to pick us up.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Monkey see, monkey do: Visiting Jigokudani's Bathing Snow Monkeys

2:56:00 PM
As the old saying goes; monkey see, monkey do! In Jigokudani - literarily Hell's Valley - the monkeys have learned to enjoy bathing in the hot spring, and if you visit the valley you can see both young and elder monkeys monkeying around or just soaking in the hot water. Although these monkeys belong to a very common Japanese species called macaque, the monkeys living in the snowy areas of the country are more often referred to just as that - “snow monkeys” (スノーモンキー). You can find macaque monkeys all over Japan, but it is only the snow monkeys in Nagano's Jigokudani that are known to take hot spring-baths, a peculiar sight that attracts visitors from all over the world.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

商売繁盛で笹持ってこい!Behind the scene of the Toka Ebisu Festival 2016

5:01:00 PM
The Toka Ebisu festival (十日戎) is one of the largest festivals in Osaka, with a history stretching all the way back to the Edo period (17th-19th Century). 
Every year more than a million people visit the 3-day long festival in order to pray for good fortune in the new year, especially in relation to business.
The festival is held in the honour of the Japanese god Ebisu, locally known as Ebbessan, and the whole shrine area are filled with items that has his face printed on it (A face that might be quite familiar for those of you who enjoy Ebisu beer).

About Me

Adventures ofAnette


A modern day shield-maiden who loves to explore the unbeaten paths of the world. From her base in Tokyo, Anette takes on both rural and urban challenges, and goes by the motto "No challenge too big, no adventure too small"!
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