Discoveries from around the archipelago
Iris gardens seem to be a dime a dozen in the Tokyo area but that doesn't mean I love them any less. Purple being one of my favorite colors, I get a particular thrill to see these delicate-stalked blooms begin to appear in late May and throughout the month of June. One of my favorite... Continue Reading →
It's foliage season, my favorite time of year, and I am stuck in 87*F southern California. Not that palm trees aren't pretty mind you ... 😉  I'm just very excited to head back to Japan in two weeks to catch the autumn leaves in their splendor. (I'm hoping at least. It's been a bit colder... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, wisteria wasn't even on my radar. Sure, it's a historical and hugely popular flower here in Japan, but having spent so much time in Okinawa up to that point, my flower knowledge mostly comprised hibiscus ... and that's it. Alright, and cherry blossoms. Everybody knows cherry blossoms. 🙂 Then I moved to... Continue Reading →
Japan is known for its love of rankings. Top 10, Top 50 and Top 100 lists abound but some of the oldest rankings related to this country are the Top 3 designations. The Top 3 night views, the Top 3 waterfalls, the Top 3 Castles ... that's just a start. I've always been a garden... Continue Reading →
Most of the gardens I've profiled in this category (and on this site in general) have been traditional Japanese style gardens or gardens dedicated to a particular bloom (like the iris garden outside Beppu). I'm going to break with "protocol" and write up a modern garden I discovered only a short walk from my home... Continue Reading →
Last year, my friend Felicity (constant travel companion and fabulous videoegrapher at Where Next Japan) invited my daughter and I to Kyoto for a visit to a rather special garden. Her Osaka-based photography club had gotten permission to visit a private garden in northern Kyoto and she wanted to know if I would like to... Continue Reading →
Aomori, on the northern part of the Japan's main island of Honshu, is not the most likely locale for one of Japan's top 50 traditional gardens. The Tohoku region is more known for its exuberant festivals and its wild ruggedness than any carefully cultivated beauty. Perhaps that makes a visit to the Fujita Teien in... Continue Reading →
The small town of Tsuwano at the edge of Shimane prefecture has a host of interesting sights - a stunning hilltop Inari shrine, a lovely old samurai district crisscrossed by canals, and a handful of unique museums. But far and away the best sight in town is one that didn't even have a sign. Or... Continue Reading →
Being an avowed garden lover, it is surprising to me that I had yet to come across (until last week that is) a list of the 50 most beautiful gardens of Japan as rated by the Journal of Japanese Gardens (an American-based magazine). I knew that such a list existed and I knew that the Adachi... Continue Reading →
It's rainy season this month in Japan, which means that part of me wants to stay in my house curled up on my couch with a book, while the other part of me wants to take advantage of the lack of humidity and go out exploring. Luckily, this past weekend was a bit of a... Continue Reading →
