IN JAPAN

It was surprising for me one of my guest don't know this game as I wrote on pastpost  : Couchsurfing experience 8th guest from France

So, I would like to show you the way to share if someone don't know this game because it's really fun! When I was high-school student, my friends and I were always playing this game in almost all of our idle time, for example each break times between class and class, after lunch, or sometimes after the school etc.  Try it with your family  friends if you have cards in your house!

How to play

This game is played by two people and compete " the speed " that which one loses all the cards faster.There are 2 cards on the battlefield which are put by you and enemy, and you and enemy have 4 cards on the table of each side. You can put out the next number the card both " one plus " and "one minus" to the number on battlefield from your 4 cards, then, put out the new card from cards handed and add as one of 4 cards.
Continuing this task and if you lose all cards faster than enemy, you win.

• Separate the cards to Black team and Led team.

• Hold the card with face down on your hand. Put out the 4 cards from the top of cords on your hand in front of you while face up. These 4 pieces are own cards.

• Firstly, put a card on the Battlefield from the top on your hand while face up to start the game but, you and enemy have to say something to make the timing is completely same when you put the card first , like " ready go!" or " 1,2,3", something like that.

• Put the cards QUICKLY if you have next number card against the battlefield one's in your 4 cards (available both "one more" and " one less" ) , then put out a new card to add as a new peace of 4 cards from handed one also very quickly. In this case, “King” is on Battlefield so you can put “ A” because it’s next number from “King”. Also, enemy can put “Queen” at same time. Faster one is prioritized.

• If you put the "A" faster than enemy's "Queen", you add the new card as one of your 4 cards on your side.

• Continuing this competition until you or enemy lost all of own cards in cluding 4 cards.

• When you lost all of cards handed, you can use cards already put on battlefield. leave the top of one of them.

He is Hideyoshi Toyotomi the important samurai in Japanese history. He is the first Daimyo( top of samurai) who succeed to rule all of Japan about 500 years ago. Arima Onsen is known well as the place he loved so much.

In 1580's, he visited Arima Onsen for the first time to relax after a big war to rule Japan, since then he loves this Onsen and he visited very often. Many of very famous people as same as Hideyoshi in each period love this Onsen and visited a lot.

Tosen-shrine is the guardian of Arima says that this Onsen was found by 2 Japanese Gods in ancient. The injured 3 crows were bathing in the puddle when 2 Gods visited Arima, then, they also found the 3 crows healed their injury with this water just in few days. It is said that this water was the Onsen.

Also we can see about Arima Onsen in the oldest Japanese history book, Nihon-shoki. This book says that two emperors visited this onsen in around 600's. This thing also made Arima famous in that period.

The Onsen

Arima has 2 unique onsen called "Kin-sen" meaning golden onsen and "Gin-sen" meaning silver onsen ( actually it means normal color) . Both have some effects for body and mind like skin beauty also good for skin troubles, heal your stress both mind and body, further to treat and improve some organ symptoms and some blood conditions by their materials included in onsen. The materials included onsen are, carbon dioxide spring, hydrogen carbonate spring (we aware it is soda), chloride spring, sulfate spring, iron spring, sulfur spring, acidity spring, radium spring, and simple spring consist of some low level materials. Most of hotels in Arima provide kind of the one day bath is meaning you can just take onsen for few hours without staying. Also, Arima has a free bath just for feet, we call it " foot bath ", it's one of "Kin-sen". You can have a bite the onsen feeling even only using this foot bath. Please note, you need a towel prepared by your self at here.


My recommendation one is GOSHOBO is a hotel. This is "Kin-sen" golden one. It has an atmosphere of Meiji period, it's about 100 years ago, you can feel like you were in that time. I don't have any pictures of inside of this hotel but I have visited once. At this onsen,  You can see a kind of tunnel with onsen first, then you can go to main onsen through this interesting tunnel. The main onsen is like in a cave with some rocks, but half one is like on outside. I have visited various onsen in Japan a lot, but I think GOSHOBO style is not common so it's very interesting. This interesting Onsen is located close to enter side of Arima onsen town and it takes just 5 minute from the train station by walk.

Nature, Sakura

In my case, we always visit in the night to see them and the temperature is also good to walk around.

Nature, Koyo

Also, the "Ochakai", means to play old Japanese tea party with wearing Kimono in this case, will open usually between in November. You can feel the old Japan at here but this party is always full and crowded by older Japanese, in my imagine.

There are some temples and shrines as same as other sightseeing places of Japan. I am not interested in Japanese temples and shrines anymore, but each one has rich history so I think you would be able to enjoy them:) The most famous one is Tosen-shrine I mentioned in history category, this picture is not Tosen-shrine though. This shrine is the guardian of Arima onsen as the 2 Gods who find Arima onsen out and 3 crows they appeared in " the story of finding"  are enshrined. 

Arima onsen is located in middle of Mt.Rokko so you can go to top of this mountain using Ropeway. There are some activity spots on top of Rokko like hotels, farm, play ground, restaurantes, cafes. From the top, you can see all of Kobe center. 

Speaking of Mt.Rokko, here is famous for wild boars are living. I have seen them couple of times while I am driving, so if you visit there you might see wild boars there, even in Arima onsen town.

There are 2 main route to get Arima onsen, from south or from north. From south, you take the subway bound to Tanigami from JR Sannomiya station which is central Kobe. At Tanigami station, change the train named Kobe dentetsu line bound for Sanda, further again change the train at Arima guchi station bound for Arima onsen.  It takes 30 min totaly from Snnomiya station ,about.

From north, take the train , it's also Kobe dentetsu line bound for Shin-kaichi to the Arima guchi station, then transfer the train at there to Arima onsen station.  It takes also 30 min in total. I think this one is easier if you come from Osaka, go to JR Sanda station first, then use this way.

Unfortunately, a violent crime happened in Japan recently.

The details is still not clearly right now, but a Korean lady said she got violence by Japanese guy who hosted her in Japan. She was renting the room with her female friend through Airbnb and the crime happened in this room. She told this crime to Korean consulate, then Japanese police caught the perpetrator.  I'm so sad to think of her. She have been given huge terrible experience by him despite she didn't want it at all, and this experience will go to stay in her for long time. I don't know why she chose the Airbnb, but I think that she just wanted to enjoy her holidays with her friend, plus maybe she wanted to enjoy international exchanging with some Japanese through this trip with believing Japanese is very nice and kind people, not wanted just cheep staying place. However crime happened, very unfortunately....This is the most terrible betrayal. Both Airbnb and Couchsurfing are made up by trust, but if someone do the terrible thing the trust will make sure be broken and these kind systems are going to death.

I heard that the number of people to start Airbnb is increasing in Japan. It's good thing.Yes, I like Airbnb, I have used this great site couple for my family trip, it's the great way definitely, especially for big family who can't find the big room of hotel out like us, it was great help and we had really great weekend at that time. However, the number of people is increasing means that it might include people who don't understand well the way to do that.It depends average always.

In saying Airbnb, it might include people who don't understand the true meaning of the kind of share rooms, and also might include people who think this site as just a business without much care around people, and it might include people who don't know how to welcome to other countries people and to keep good relationships with neighbors while hosting. Even though those are very few, it makes trouble sometimes because usually, Japanese people, especially older generation is very sensitive to strangers so if there are some older person around own house, we have to care of the neighbors to continue the hosting. I don't want say that but in fact, there are already some troubles with that even these are not crime level though, and often showed through the news. Generally, it needs the more rules when the organization is getting bigger. Airbnb is getting bigger now in Japan so it might be needed more rules and the host might be needed kind of licence issued by Airbnb in the future.