Ota City Tourist Center's Ota City Tour

An awesome day to enjoy the beginning of spring in Tokyo when sakura flowers bloom everywhere!! Many thanks to the Ota City Tourist Information Center and its friendly and knowledgable tour guides for the wonderful time and explanations to every tourist site we visited in Ota city (web: https://tokyoactivity.com/)

The tour started from the Ota City Tourist Information Center office in Keikyu Kamata station with a brief introduction of the tour guides and the tour program. Then, we briefly stopped by a Budhist shrine, located just accross from the Keikyu Kamata station.

Kamata Hachiman Shrine, Ota City

Kamata Hachiman Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated for Inari (The Japanese God of foxes). The shrine was founded in 1600 and partially destroyed during the Second World War. It was rebuilt to look like the original 17th century structure soon after the war. The tall gate with a large rope keeps evil out of the shrine. According to our tour guide, visitors should not walk at the center of a walkway path towards the shrine because the center of the walkway is only for God. 

More information: https://tokyoactivity.com/

Link to photo album: https://goo.gl/photos/SvtnxoP7fdtdzrKZ6

Ikegami Honmonji Temple in Ota City

Ikegami Honmonji Temple was founded between 1274 and 1284 by Nichiren Shonin in Ikegami neighborhood of Ota - ku, Tokyo.The exact time when the temple was founded is unknown. However, it is believed that the temple was completed shortly before Nichiren Shonin’s death on October 1284. The temple was destroyed during an air raid in March and April 1945. However, it was immediately reconstructed soon after the Second World War. The temple marks the location where Nichiren Shonin died and cremated. Ikegami Munenaka, the landlord of Ikegami and a devout follower of Nicheren Shonin, ordered the construction Ikegami Honmonji Temple.

The entrance to Honmonji Temple in Ikegami, Ota City, Tokyo.

Photo album of Ikegami Honmonji Temple: https://goo.gl/photos/WPzwkNW6rJAS4PmS6

For location, see: https://goo.gl/maps/xuN73nF5ToK2 

Manga Workshop

Manga is basically Japanese comic. Manga character appearance is distinctly different from many other comic / animation characters such as Disney's "Frozen". Manga has been internationally famous for ages. Manga's fans and artists consist of various nationalities. 

Today, at OTA City Tourist Information Center (Keikyu Kamata Station - M2), I learned a few tricks about making a Manga art. Sensei Uriya Syaga, a professional Manga artist, shared her knowledge in this 1 hour - Manga workshop. 

Manga - making is a long and laborious process. In this workshop, we covered the "Betanuri" and the "Tonhari" phases. 

Betanuri consists of "Mabeta" and "Tsuyabeta". Mabeta is the black - coloring of Manga. For example, the Manga character's hair, shadow, etc. Tsuyabeta is the shiny effect addition on the Manga character such as the character's hair.