Jun 4, 2013

It’s early summer, time for the irises to bloom and show off their violet, purple and white gorgeous clothes. There are several places to see these summer blessings, and one of them, the best in Yokohama as far as I’m concerned, is at Sankeien Garden. (Continued after the Japanese...

Mar 22, 2013

In Japan there is what is called 桜名所100選の地 Sakura Meisho Hyakusen-no-chi or the One Hundred Best Places for Sakura (cherry blossom) Viewing. If you’re looking for the nicest places for appreciating the beautiful but short-lived cherry blossoms then you can’t go wrong with this list. One of them is Mitsuike-koen in Yokohama, literally...

Mar 21, 2013

千鳥ヶ淵 Chidorigafuchi is perhaps the most famous moat in Japan. It is found north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. In spring throngs of people flock to this spot. The must-see? 夜桜 yozakura or “night sakura”, cherry trees lit up to create an other-worldly atmosphere. Chidorigafuch Ryokudo (“green road”) is a 700m long promenade...

Sep 23, 2012

Once upon a time, at a village in the Nasu highlands, there lived the most beautiful young girl the people had ever laid eyes on. She had the longest, shiniest, smoothest hair; it was her custom to slowly and carefully wash it by the waterfall. Travelers, thirsty for fresh water, would lay eyes on her bathing near the river. They were smitten by her lovely face...

Sep 12, 2012

There are parks with man-made lakes, then there are those natural lakes that are also parks. Usuiko is in the former category, but it’s not just for the sake of pretty. What’s in a lake? We saw this one on the map while driving through Gunma Prefecture in Japan. We were glad we decided to stop by. Totally worth...

Sep 4, 2012

Somewhere, not so far away, is a small Buddhist temple where the flowers bloom year round. The gardens are planned with care, so that regardless of the season everyone who sets foot on the temple grounds are greeted with the beauty of flowers. (Continued after the Japanese...