On sunny beautiful day of early summer, one of the biggest festival in
The AOI-matsuri-festival. Those Heian costume is so gorgeous and impressed many people on the street. I was moved by horse riding ceremony in Kamigamo-shrine .
Green Green May! The Iris Laevigata”Kakitsubata” is fully blooming silently at Ota shrine near the Kamigamo-shrine. Reina
Yesterday, one of our guests showed me a nice photo and what she bought. I saw many many man-like-shape things on the wall in the photos. She told me they were all pencil cases!! She also told me a person, Bruce, makes them in Arashiyama, Kyoto. At that moment, I didn't know Bruce is Japanese!! Bruce is Japanese and he makes a lot of interesting pencil cases and sells them at his store in talking with the visitors. The pencil cases are called 'People' and there are more or less 500 people made with different textiles. She said that she had bought one of them before and it lasts for more than 10 years!! The price is 3000 yen and I don't think it's very cheap, but it's so special and cute. 
Have you got a small problem in choosing the souvenirs from Japan? When you come (and stay at J-Hoppers Kyoto), I do recommend you to go to Matsuhiro Shoten!! They sell many kinds of Japanese style coin purse and also small bags. You can use them as coin purse, or to put your digital camera etc. etc... They sell things usually made with Japanese style textiles. Even though you buy a lot of them, it would still be light to carry, so that it would be an ideal presents for your family or for your friends. The small purses are available from 600 yen. Every time you pay from the purse in your country, people will ask you ' Where did you buy it?' Think about it and please ask me how to get there at the reception!