Peony Huts

 The Winter Peony Garden at Toshogu Shrine Ueno Park was a highlight last winter so I visited again on Sunday.  Peonies are truly beautiful and regal flowers - no wonder the Imperial Court of Japan  and the Shoguns valued them as Royal flowers and symbols of good fortune.

The peonies are covered with straw snow fences -yuki gakoi - in a traditional Japanese garden.  In one section there was a zen gravel garden as well - Japanese at there best!!

Peony Love

Close up of a beautiful pink peony. Peony is Botan in Japanese and they feature in art work - paintings, fabric, screens, ceramics. Botan are symbols of wealth, beauty and fortune.

On the Yellow Line

The bright yellow carriages of the Ginza Line make it one of my favourite lines in the Tokyo metro. It is the oldest subway in Tokyo and therefore the oldest metro in Asia and 14.3 km long - starting from Shibuya, G01,  and heading north through Ginza and Ueno to Asakusa, G19.

Wet days

Winter in Tokyo varies between cold and wet and cold and clear.  I am hoping for cold and snow.

Happy New Year for 2020

Happy New Year - the Blog ReturnsJapanese welcome the New Year with a big clean out and with New Year ornaments or charms -  shimekazari and kadomatsu - on their doors.  They usually have straw rope, oranges and some fern or greeney.  Here is one on my neighbour's door and one at a nearby hair salon.

Sunday Kimono 10 - Crane

Blue Indigo

A large pot of indigo leaves, stewing for over three weeks to produce indigo dye for textiles at the Laos Textile Museum.