Blossom and Maple

Cherry Blossom and Modern Architecture

Pink Blossoms

Beautiful!

Old blossoms

 The tree  and branches for these blossoms almost looked like an old vine.

Buddha and Buds

The Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha of Kamakura), with cherry blossoms about to bloom.  If I was able to visit next week instead of this week, during our spring break, this photo would have a mass of pale pink blooms in the foreground.  Nonetheless the colossal (121tons) copper image of Buddha, dating from 1252 was very impressive.

Tuesday Temple - Car Blessing

Sakura Sunday

Yesterday (Sunday) was my first Sakura (Cherry Blossom) tourist day.  The Meguro River in Nakamegura is lined with cherry trees and hence is a mecca for cherry blossom tourists. Even though the blossoms are not yet in full bloom they were gorgeous, delicate and beautiful and the focus of many selfies.

Stalls lined the side walk selling pink treats, eg fairy floss, strawberry and cream sandwiches (yes its a thing) and rose wines- inlcuding Jacob's Creek sparkling rosé - then of course you take a photo of the wine and blossoms or of you and the wine and the blossom.

Winter Flowers - Camellia

Growing up  camellias flowered at the end of winter - spring was next.  At home the camelias, (two large trees - one pink and one white) in my mind, were linked to family as the were a connection to my grandparents. They were  big, old and bushy  and planted by past generations.  Hence I love seeing the fragile blooms here, but am constantly surprised by the intricate and controlled pruning of the bushes here, but love the blooms such as these seen near my apartment.

Camellia japonica

Orange Gates

Shinto shrines have tori gates at the entrance.  I was happily surprised to find this, but others obviously knew of their existence.  There were two German tourists who had been waiting at the top of the stairs to take a photo of the gates without someone taking selfies at the bottom or walking up.  - Where are their problem solving skills?  I walked down, asked people to wait and then signalled them that the coast was clear to take a photo.

The series of 90 bright orange gates were at Hei Shrine near Nagatacho (the government district) in Tokyo.

Kawazu-zakura

Early blooming cherry blossom - Kawazu-zakura.

Warning - there will be more cherry blossom posts!!

Tuesday Temples - Kannushi

Last weekend I visitied Hanazno shrine in Shinjuku.  This fellow was conducting a ceremony.  Wikipedia tells me he is "A kannushi, also called shinshoku, (meaning god's employee) -the person responsible for the maintenance of a Shinto shrine as well as for leading worship of a given kami - the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, as well as beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the spirits of venerated dead persons. 

In Shinto, kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, and good and evil characteristics. 

Though the word kami is translated multiple ways into English, no one English word expresses its full meaning. The ambiguity of the meaning of kami is necessary, as it conveys the ambiguous nature of kami themselves.

Kimonos

Kimonos will undoubtably become a theme in the blog.  Today I went to an antique market and enjoyed the many second hand kimono stalls.  The colours  of the beautiful silks were brilliant and also subtle.

Kimono in the Park

This girl was in the park last weekend with her family.  The bright colours suited the spring day.

The Neighbourhood- Spots and windows

This is the childcare centre near where I live.   I like the spotty/dotty  facade and windows.

Not in Laos Now

Another " I am not in Laos now" moment. How many men does it take to paint a sign on the road?  Wow they are in white - and have hard hats.  So not Laos to even have signs on the road or for them to be freshly painted.

Taxi!

Or three!  Space is limited in Tokyo so Taxis are stored on racks.

Plum Blossom

Plum blossom at Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens.

Tuesday Temples - Temple Gate

Zenkoji Temple in Nagano has been destroyed by fire and rebuilt over the centuries a number of times and the present main hall (hondo) of the temple was built in 1707. The temple is approached through two impressive, wooden gates. Niomon (Deva Gate) houses two fierce, guardian dieties (deva) and the this gate -  Sanmon Gate holds five, wooden, Buddhist statues.

Zenkoji is a non-sectarian temple. A high-priest and priestess also share the duties of the temple's ecumenical services. In an ancient ceremony, the high priest or priestess prays for the salvation of visitors every morning.

Cherry blossom has started

Spring in the Park

Saturday was a sunny spring day so I cycled to Shinjuku Gyoen,   a lovely public park.  The open space amongst the hectic life of Tokyo was being enjoyed by many.

The Tokyu De-en-toshi Line

My transport hub! The entrance to the Sakurashinmachi Train station on the Tokyu de-en-toshi line.  The line (its green) ends in the north at Shibuya, a major transport hub, four stops away, it then becomes the Hanzamon Line (purple).  In the west it terminates at Chuorinkan.

Packaging - Another Rant

Does garlic need to be wrapped in a net - especially when it is a single clove?  Why would you wrap A onion in a plastic bag??? or a carrot!!! Doing my head in!!!!!

The Neighbourhood

Typical street scene in my neighbourhood.  People walking and cycling, few cars, grey, beige and brown buildings.

Shinjuku Gyoen

Tokyo residents enjoy making the most of open spaces on a sunny Sunday.  Shinjuku-gyoen National Garden is 53 hectare park in a densely populated, neon light, bustling area of Shinjuku.

The extensive gardens feature glades of maples and cherry and plum blossom trees along with a greenhouse, an English landscape garden, a Japanese Traditional garden and a French formal garden.  The pruning (Sue) in the French gardens with both exact and extreme.  The branches on the tall sycamores were loped, the azaleas and camellias were trimmed into balls, the hedges were straight and the roses neatly pruned for spring flowering.

Baby Snow Monkey

Snow monkey families were enjoying the hot springs and the snow.

Tuesday Temples - The Return

Temples, temples and temples.  Not as many as Laos, but I have been visiting some temples in Japan.

Zenko-ji Temple in Nagano is a National Treasure.  It is home to a statue the Ikko-Sanzon, the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan.  However no one has ever seen it, although millions of visitors arrive every seven years to view a replica image.

This lion incense burner is in the foreground of the temple.  People were rubbing the base of the burner and wafting the incense into their face and hair and over their body to ward off bad luck.

Snow Monkey 3

A rather sad looking snow monkey contemplating bathing in the hot springs.

Snow Monkey 2

Jumping Monkey!

Snow Monkeys

Last week on the way to Myoko I made a side trip to visit the snow monkeys.

From Wikipedia The Japanese macaque Macaca fuscata), also known as the snow monkey, is a terrestrial Old World monkey species that is native to Japan. They get their name "snow monkey" because they live in areas where snow covers the ground for months each year – no other nonhuman primate is more northern-living, nor lives in a colder climate.  Individuals have brown-grey fur, red faces, and short tails.

Japanese macaques live in matrilineal societies, and females stay in their natal groups for life, while males move out before they are sexually mature. Many males spend ample time away from any group and may leave and join several groups