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Blog Spot introduction 6ページ目
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Genkyu-en Garden
With the cherry blossom festival now over, Hikone Castle has returned to a state of tranquillity. From Genkyu-en Garden, situated to the east, the castle keep serves as a backdrop, lending the scene a sense of grandeur. Genkyu-en is a strolling garden centred around a vast pond, where visitors can enjoy a variety of scenery, including nine bridges spanning the inlets and islands within the pond. Due in part to the destruction caused by the Second World War, only 12 castle keep towers remain in Japan today. Of these, five castles, including Hikone Castle, have been designated as National Treasures…
- Hikone
- Spot introduction
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Kōko-en
Kōko-en is a garden that has even been used as a filming location for period dramas. Although it tends to be overshadowed by Himeji Castle—one of Japan’s most iconic World Heritage Sites—it is one of my favourite Japanese gardens. It is a pity that tours tend to spend so much time at Himeji Castle, leaving little opportunity to visit Koko-en. Gardens that make use of ponds and flowing water are known as ‘strolling pond-and-stream gardens’, and they developed as daimyō (feudal lords who are subordinate to the shogun) gardens during the Edo period. The scenery changes as you move through…
- Himeji
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Double-flowered cherry blossoms
Double-flowered cherry blossoms (Yaezakura in Japanese), which bloom about one to two weeks later than the Somei-Yoshino variety, are now in full bloom all over Kyoto. The sight of the petals layered upon one another is particularly elegant at night. In Japanese, ‘yaezakura’ literally means ‘double-flowered cherry’, referring to the eight petals that overlap. The number ‘eight’ is considered auspicious in Japanese culture and is often used to signify many. Whereas the Somei-Yoshino cherry has five petals, the double-flowered variety typically has ten or more, with some specimens exceeding 100 petals.
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Namako Walls
Namako walls (sea cucumber wall) are a defining feature of Kurashiki’s landscape. This technique, which involves laying flat roof tiles on the exterior walls and applying plaster to the joints in a raised is said to have originated in the Edo period. The name ‘namako wall’ is derived from the resemblance of the raised plaster to a sea cucumber. As they provide protection from the wind and rain whilst also being visually appealing, they are used in modern Japanese-style restaurants and houses; in the Bikan Historical Quarter, there is even a Tully’s Coffee with a Namako Wall. However, as they…
- Kurashiki
- Spot introduction
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Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter is renowned as a prime example of preserved traditional streetscapes in Japan. The term ‘Bikan’ refers to a magnificent view or a pleasant landscape. This aesthetic has been preserved through a townscape conservation campaign in which the local authorities and residents have worked together. The banks of the Kurashiki River flourished as a rice trading hub, and the area is popular with French visitors due to its rows of mansions and storehouses belonging to wealthy merchants. The fruit parfaits here are highly recommended, but my personal favourite is Chaya Ohashi, located near the car park. Their…
- Kurashiki
- Spot introduction
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Arashiyama at the Weekend
The weather in Kyoto this weekend has been fine; although the cherry blossoms are beginning to fall, the streets are bustling with foreign tourists everywhere you look. The path through the bamboo grove, in particular, is absolutely teeming with people. It is not clear exactly when this bamboo grove was established. The bamboo is of the species mōsō bamboo, native to China. Although it is said that monks brought it back from Tang China in either the 9th or 13th century, it is believed that the species was not introduced on a large scale until the 18th century, so it is…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Great Buddha Adorned with Flowers
The Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara was adorned with a profusion of flowers. Apparently, the entrance ceremony for Tōdai-ji Gakuen school took place yesterday. It is said that new students and their parents are allowed to ascend the pedestal, an area normally off-limits to the public. This is a special place accessible only to those associated with Tōdai-ji. The Great Buddha was cast over a period of three years in the mid-8th century, but its head fell off during a major earthquake in the mid-9th century. Although it was restored, it was destroyed by fire during the wars…
- Nara
- Spot introduction
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Yaebenishidare Weeping Cherry at Ryōan-ji
The Yaebenishidare Weeping Cherry begins to bloom slightly later than the Somei-Yoshino cherry. At this time of year, in the rock garden of Ryōan-ji, one can enjoy the striking contrast between the deep crimson petals and the white sand. It is said that the rock garden at Ryōan-ji was created by a Zen monk in the mid-15th century, but the identity of the gardener remains unknown to this day. There are 15 stones arranged in the garden. As it is impossible to see all 15 stones at once from any single vantage point, it is said to represent an imperfect…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Kameyama: A Traditional Confectionery Shop
In Kyoto, there are small traditional confectionery shops known as ‘oman-ya-san’, which are beloved by locals as places to buy everyday sweets. Kameyama is situated on Gojo Street—where it is said the tragic warlords Yoshitsune and Benkei met in the 12th century—and is now located within the Matsubara Kyogoku Shopping Arcade. It is a shop recommended by Rakucho Nakaoka-ya, the makers of the ‘ojami’ zabuton cushions used at our guesthouse. It is said to have been in business for over 200 years. Their anmochi, filled with sweet red bean paste, has a gentle sweetness. It is a shop we highly…
- Food
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Mokko Bridge on Shirakawa Canal
The forecast for Kyoto is rain from tomorrow evening. The rain looks set to scatter the cherry blossoms. In the city, the blossoms are already in full bloom in the northern areas such as Kurama, and it feels as though they’ve come a little early this year. A spot I recommend for next year’s cherry blossom season is the bridge commonly known as Mokko Bridge, which spans on Shirakawa canal. Until 1980, there was an ice factory here, and the bridge was named ‘Mokko’ because it was used to transport sawdust—used to preserve the ice—via ‘mokko’, a net-like carrying device…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Takase-bune
The Takase River flows to the east of the Hotel Okura Kyoto. It is a canal opened in 1614 by Suminokura Ryōi—who amassed his fortune through the Red Seal trade, primarily with Vietnam—and his eldest son. Drawing water from the Kamo River at Nijo-ohashi Bridge, it extends to Fushimi, covering a total length of just over 10 kilometres. It is said that the river was named Takase-gawa because the shallow water required the use of flat-bottomed boats known as Takase-bune. Although the water intake from the Kamo River is now an underground channel, boats are moored at the shallow stretch known…
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction
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Carpet of Cherry Blossoms on the Philosopher’s Path
The Somei-Yoshino cherry trees along the Philosopher’s Path are gradually beginning to shed their blossoms. Near the Ginkaku-ji police box, fallen petals have gathered to form a magnificent carpet of cherry blossoms. This stunning carpet, with its striking contrast of pink and white petals, is a sight to be seen only at this time of year. Even visitors who were feeling a little tired after walking the approximately 2-kilometre stretch from Nanzen-ji couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
- Kyoto
- Spot introduction