Tuesday Shrine - Ema

Ema - wooden  wishing plaques are a feature at most Shino shrines.  The designs on the small wooden boards, such as these at Nezu Shrine - the azalea shrine- are very pretty and usually in the theme of the shrine.  

Ema at Hie  shrine another Tokyo shrine show images related to love and easy delivery of children which is the shrine is known for.

Ema can be purchased for approx 500 yen ($7 AUD) to write a message on and then tie it to a scaffold at the shrine.

Buddhas X Buddhas

Azalea

Sunday afternoon was spent slowly walking amongst azaleas.  My mother always liked azaleas and they provided a spot of  colour in the garden.  However I'm sure she never envisaged azaleas  planted en masse and on such a scale.  

The Nezu shrine in the Bunkyu- ku area of Tokyois famous for its azaleas and the azalea festival drew a huge crowd.

Charred Boards

The striking black boards of houses and building in Kyoto (and suburban Tokyo) are cedar that have been purposely charred as a means of protection agains the weather and future fire.  The technique know as shou sugi ban or yaki sugi ita is becoming a trend in western countries too. Wonder if I could add a charred feature wall to Finch St???  It does look amazing, but the technique requires specific timber.  I like the vertical run of the boards too.

Torii gates in the forest

Orange torii gates on a path peeking through the green forest of Fushimi Inari shrine.

Maples

View to maples from a bridge over a small creek in the gardens at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto. The brilliant green of the new spring leaves was spectacular.

Zen Gardens

Kyoto is the spiritual centre of Zen Buddhism so it has many karesansui (dry landscape) gardens -commonly known as Zen Gardens.  The Hojo gardens at Tofukuji Temple, right and the Nanzen-ji Temple are examples of the simplicity, elegance and restraint in a garden of only rocks and gravel.

Maple

Loved the rich red of this maple at Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto.

Tuesday Temple Tofuku-ji

Tofuku-ji temple is one of the main temples in Kyoto and has amazing gardens.  The San-mon (gate above) is the oldest Zen gate in Japan.  It belongs to the Reinzai sect of Zen Buddhism.  The maples in the garden were spectacular with brilliant green spring foliage and soft moss covered ground.

Torii Gates

An amazing colour.  The vermillion (bright orange) torii gates at Fushimi Inari was mesmirizing and impressive.  Thousands of the gates extend over trails across the slope of Mount Inari behind the main Shinto shrine.

Confetti in the River

Sakura petals forming a triangle,  floating in a river at Imaihama Beach on the Izu Peninsula.

Sakura Confetti

Petals of sakura were like confetti along this riverside path at Kawazu on the Izu Peninsula last weekend.

Sakura in the wild

Wild Sakura dotted the hills of the Izu peninsula.  

Sakura Ripples

As the blossoms fall, my obsession continues.  Love the ripples of the sakura petals as they drift out to sea on the water of Tajiri River on the Izu Peninsula. 

Tuesday Temples - With Sakura

The Izu Peninsula is a beautiful location and I visited it for the weekend.  Sakura were still blooming, but the peak had passed.

A grove of Sakura were in grave yard of Chorakuji shrine.  It was a used for negotiations leading to the end of Japan's national isolation policy in 1854.  A Russian delegation visited in 1854 and were trapped there when a tsunami destroyed their fleet. The Russian-Japanese treaty was signed at Chorakuji in 1855.

Admiral Perry for the US signed a similar treaty in Shimoda in 1854.

Sakura at Night

Cycling home in the evening along the Sakura lined canal.

Sakura at Election time

 These billboards with numbers on them have been erected throughout the neighborhood this week. I thin they are a tally board. Posters for candidates are also aroun every where. Seriously could you vote for that hairstyle!

Underneath the Cherry Blossom

Sitting under Sakura is a Japanese pass time. Lying under these divine flowers is a relaxing and sublime experience - but it can be crowded.

Sakura Love

No need for comment - Sakura love

More Sakura

Massed Sakura at Showa Kinen Park.  I am developing a serious obsession!

Sakura and Sport

Baseball is the national sport of Japan.  As I was out exploring on Sunday and enjoying the Sun and the Sakura I saw many baseball teams playing on pitches along the river. 

Tuesday Temples - Hanazono Shrine

Bright orange paint work at Hanazono Shinto Shrine.

Sakura Sunday Cycle

Yesterday, Sunday, I set out for an afternoon cycle.  The Tama river was an amazing surprise. It was lined with Sakura in many places.  The locals were out enjoying the spectacular.  Sitting on their blue mats along the embankment. Too many photos to choose just one today - and to spare you unending sakura posts.

 I wasn't the only one on a bicycle. This security guard was short and cute and busy keeping pedestrians, children, runners and cyclists safe.
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Sakura at Lunchtime

This week I have been eating my lunch (onigiri - rice balls with tuna) beside this small canal near school.  

Peaceful and beautiful - a two minute walk from school.  Feeling tired but lucky and appreciative of the fleeting nature and beauty of sakura.

Sakura at Sunset

Soooooo beautiful - especially with the light at dusk.

Locals Enjoying Sakura

 

Cycling along a Sakura lined canal and pathway,  near by neighbourhood, at dusk was amazing! The flowers are so beautiful it was like being surrounded in a pale pink cloud. It wasn't crowded, but others were out enjoying the flowers too.  This man and his son had been playing under the trees and then he was being buckled into his bike seat for the ride home.

Sakura Commute

 

Gorgeous ride to work this morning on roads lined with cherry trees in full blossom. Enjoing the moment!  Three photos one day - a bonus for blog followers -especially as I am taking sooo many photos of the beautiful blossoms.  They truly are gorgeous and fleeting!

Tuesday Temples - Yellow

Yokomeimon Gate at the entrance to Toshogu Shrine (a UNESCO World Heritage site) in Nikko is today's post for Tuesday Temples and the extensive use of gold leaf also makes it a suitable image for the City Daily Photo Community monthly theme of "yellow".
The gate is considered by many to be the most intricate structure in Japan and is also called the "Gate of the Setting Sun" because one could gaze upon it all day and never tire.