MINOSUKE's VirtualTourist Home Page

Oji Zoo in Kobe is one of my most favorite places to visit. There are many lovely animals there, but the giant panda bears are the loveliest! They walk, play, eat bamboo grass and sometimes take a nap just in front of us. I could stay there for hours!
I have posted 21 pictures of lovely animals in my travelogues, 'Oji Zoo in Kobe' (in my front page) and ' Meeting The Animals At Oji Zoo' (in my Kobe page) and my Kobe Things To Do Tip.

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What Is New in my homepage:(Please click the colored lines)
Zhuhai Pages renewed with 2 Restaurant Tips and 1 Things To Do Tip
Japan Page with the photos of cherry blossoms and my parents
Kobe Pages with 2 Things To Do Tips and 1 Travelogue
Nara Things To Do Tips
Pusan Pages
Taipei Pages

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I will visit...

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I visited Himuro Shrine on March 31st. The blossoms of weeping cherry trees were at their best then. I stayed there for a while enjoying their beauty.
Himuro Shrine is located almost in the center of Nara CIty and close to Todaiji Temple, which is famous for its 'Big Budda'. If you happen to visit Nara at the end of March, you should go and see the cherry blossoms.

I made a short trip to Macau, Zhuhai and Hong Kong at the end of March. This was my third or fourth visit to those cities. These three cities are so closely located but they are so different. Now they all belong to China, but Honk Kong used to belong to the Great Britain and Macau to Portugal. Even now, we need to go through separate immigration procedure when we travel from one of the cities to another, like we are travelling around three different countries.
I like to make a trip to this area very much. Each city has its own charm. How many times I visit there, I will never be bored.

I was born in the suburbs of Osaka Prefecture and now I live in Osaka City.
The shape of Japan is like a long strip in which four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu are located from north to south. Osaka is almost in the middle of the strip. There is Osaka Bay to the west and we can go to Kyoto, Nara and Kobe within 1 hour from Osaka.
Since Japan is a long country, each district has its own characteristics: we have very different climate, tradition, history, dialect and food. Our way of life and way of thinking are so different from district to district. If you come to Osaka after visiting Tokyo, you will be surprised at how we are different from Tokyoites. I am sure you will like Osaka and Osaka people.

My VT name MINOSUKE is one of the nicknames of a cat who had lived with me for 16 years and loved me with all her heart. I thank her for dedicating her whole life to me. I love you, Miichan.

Enjoy pictures of lovely animals. Oji Zoo in Kobe

I like growing flowers and vegetables in containers.
From winter to spring the very small front garden of my house is filled with pansies. In early summer I pick sweet mulberries and make them into jam. In summer I grow sweet basils and parsleys. In autumn the tiny berries of murasakisikibu (japanese beautyberry) turn purple as the temperature lowers day by day.
Please visit my album. Flowers, Berries, Herbs and a Cat.

In Japan, we expect tutelary of our local shrine. On New Year's Day we go to the shrine to pray for good luck, good health, protection and so on. When we build a house we ask for the shrine to purify the soil.
This is the float which passed my house on the day of the festival of the shrine.

at an izakaya in Kyobashi with Mr. Sparkle from Kanazawa, Akihito&Masako from Osaka