Shoryudo — Rising Dragon of Japan

Rachelc Updated November 1, 2017

Cafés Fruit Castles Shrines Museum Historical Site World Heritage Festivals Handicrafts Art Gallery Ukiyo-e Accommodation Gardens Mountains Ryokan Tour Kabuki Japanese Countryside Temples & Shrines Shoryudo Nagoya Aichi Gifu Ishikawa Nagano Shizuoka Chubu Hokuriku Koshinetsu Tokai Region Undiscovered Japan

Shinhotaka Ropeway & Mino Kabuki Museum

Shinhotaka Ropeway (Gifu)

Although we tried to arrive in time to catch the first ride up, there were already crowds of tourists lining up.

Moving up the mountain, we could see the very start of the season's autumn leaves. Because it is a colder area, the leaves start to change earlier than in other parts of Japan.

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The beautiful views from the top were definitely worth queuing up for! Being at eye level with the clouds meant we could see the tops of the mountains peeking out above them.

- shinhotaka-ropeway.jp.e.uk.hp.transer.com

Mino Kabuki Museum Aioiza

When I first heard of kabuki, it brought up images in my mind of dramatic, white makeup and elaborate costumes. At the Mino Kabuki Museum Aioiza in rural Gifu Prefecture, I got to look around the theater and watch the makeup being applied up close.

I could see both female and male makeup being applied. The female makeup was for a beautiful woman, as was signified by the round makeup around the eyes and the heart-shaped lips. The male makeup was for a hero-type role, as could be seen with the strong red lines. Something I found interesting was how the makeup artist explained that he deliberately used rough lines, as they are seen as more expressive from a distance.

- www.nakasendou.jp (Japanese)

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