TRAVEL

A replica of a statue of the ancient monk Ganjin has been shown to the media before being put on public display. (NHK)

NARA--A nearly completed replica of the national treasure-designated statue of a seated Ganjin Wajo (688-763) was unveiled to the press Thursday at Toshodaiji temple in Nara. (Yomiuri)

Michelin awarded three stars to 12 restaurants in western Japan, dropping from 15 last year, when the Asian nation amassed a total of 32 top-rated establishments. Another 51 venues garnered two stars, with 24 in Kyoto, 14 in Osaka, 10 in Kobe and three in Nara, plus one ryokan, or inn, in Kyoto. (Bloomberg)

Visitors are sure to find beauty and pleasure in this year's Shoso-in treasures exhibition, which includes elaborate pieces that embody the essence of design during the periods they were crafted in. (Yomiuri)

One could spend 30 days exploring Kyoto and never get bored. However, being this was our first trip to Japan, there were a few day trips from Kyoto we simply couldn't pass up. The two that we decided would be most meaningful were Nara and Hiroshima. Both were incredible experiences and definitely worth the trip. (USA Today)

Korea's low-cost airlines are girding for fierce competition in the skies as Japan's Peach Aviation is racing to launch a new route to Seoul, seeking a slice of a budget travel boom in Asia's fourth largest economy. With the number of cost-conscious tourists surging, budget carriers are increasingly steering abroad in a bid to offset high jet oil prices and prop up their balance sheets. Osaka-based Peach is the latest in a string of no-frills airlines venturing into Korea's aviation market. (China Post)

Shuni-e, a ceremony consisting of a series of rituals that have celebrated the coming of spring for over 1,000 years, will take place at Nara's Todai-ji Temple this month. The rituals are performed to bring good fortune to all of those who visit. During the two-week-long event, the Otaimatsu (fire ceremony) will be performed. Visitors gather in the temple's Nigatsu-do Hall after sunset and wait for a priest to emerge on the balcony above. The priest then holds out torches over the crowd, who touch the sparks that fall from those torches to receive good luck. On the final day, the last ritual to take place is the Omizutori (water ceremony). The temple's priest draws water from a well in the temple that only fills up during this time of year and passes it to visitors. (Japan Times)