Yokosuka Shobuen

Yokosuka Shobuen

On May 2, 2017

In Flowers, Google Map, Hooptie, Japan, Wisteria, Yokosuka, Yokosuka Shobuen

I had one more garden on my list to view wisteria, Yokosuka Shobuen. Yokosuka Shobuen is actually known for being one of the largest iris gardens in Japan. The wisteria is an added bonus. The garden has over 140,000 iris. They were beginning to sprout but, not yet in bloom. Guess, I will be returning next month!

The garden opened at 9:00am. I decided to drive because my research told me there was plenty of parking. I arrived 9:30 and was ahead of the crowds. Here was my route.

The funniest part was the Japanese parking attendant coming over to my car after I parked. Following the protocol, I backed into the spot. However, I parked the Hooptie a little crooked. The attendant came over and asked me to re-park with her assistant, of course. Haha! If she only knew crooked parking is pretty much how I roll. Or stop rolling for that matter.

Moving on to the garden. The entry ticket was self-service. Fortunately, there was English.

Also, remember yesterday I mentioned the carp streamers being hung for Children’s Day. There were some at the garden entrance.

The wisteria was delightful. The garden wasn’t very large, I was able to walk around the entire garden in about an hour. I took a lot of pictures. I’ll share my favorites. Hopefully, not too many.

Here is the view when entering the garden. The beds in the foreground are the iris.

The first stop was the wisteria arbor.

The path then led to the wisteria garden. There were so many different colors. The scent was intoxicating!

The path then took me through a wisteria tunnel. So much pink and purple! It was magical.

The next area was the trellis of Japanese wisteria. There were actually several trellises. One was set up for hanami.

The others were a little lower and beautiful as well. More pink and purple!

I couldn’t resist a wisteria selfie.

My other favorite thing to do was to literally stand under / inside the wisteria.

In closing, a few close-up shots of the blooms. Do you have a favorite? Pink or purple?

Ashikaga Flower Park

By wabisabisole

On April 27, 2017

In Ashikaga Flower Park, Google Map, Japan, Wisteria

Sonia and I took an ITT tour up to visit the Ashikaga Flower Park. The park is well known for the wisteria trees. Here is a picture of the Google Maps of our trip.

This time of year, when the wisteria is blooming, the park becomes very crowded. We arrived promptly at 9:00am, when the park opened. By the time we were leaving at 11:00am, the park was significantly more crowded than when we arrived.

The park had several different types of wisteria. There were purple(early blooms) pink(full bloom), and white(not blooming yet). Also, there was a species of double blooming wisteria. We were a little early to see the large wisteria trellis in full bloom. It was beautiful none the less. The smaller trees were at their peak bloom and absolutely stunning.

There was an area set up for hanami under the light pink wisteria. The light pink was reaching peak bloom and very serene. The bottoms of the wisteria are a little blurry because they were blowing in the gentle breeze.

There are two large trees that together make the Large Wisteria Trellis. It was stunning even though it wasn’t in full bloom yet.

There was also a large screen of purple wisteria. It blocked the view of the parking lot. Trees were planted behind the screen and attached in an espalier style.

I didn’t edit the wire holding up the structure. I thought it provided good perspective of how massive the structure was.

The Light Pink Bridge might have been my favorite spot in the park. The wisteria was in full bloom and the scene was truly picturesque.

Another amazing feature was the Wisteria Dome. It was also set up for visitors to enjoy hamani.

There was another large wisteria tree also supported by a huge trellis.

Another beautiful section was off in a smaller side garden. Poppies were planted around the edge of the bed. The contrast between the colors was stunning.

A few more pictures- because it was just so beautiful with so many different colors.

And now for the funny story of the day. I first realized people were watching me / staring at me / taking my picture when we were on the bridge. I mentioned something to Sonia and she said because they think you’re a model. Haha. Jokingly, I posed for her to snap a few pictures. While we were doing this, people waited for her to stop and simultaneously, took my picture as well. Here is the funny shot.

The flattery continued. When we were shopping at the gift shop, one of the workers came up to me and asked where I was from. Chicago is always my response. It’s the last place we lived and it is a place most people have heard of. Anyways, she tells me, “you’re so pretty. You’re hair pretty.” Arigatōgozaimas! But wait, there’s more. We were asked to have our picture taken and to return the favor by a single man. Sure. As he taking our picture, he says, “beautiful! You and the flowers!” Ha! Arigatōgozaimas! The pictures he took.

I felt like a celebrity or to quote Melissa, “Blondzilla.” The compliments were delightful and sweet. However, the sweetest part of the day was the wisteria soft cream.

Next year, I think I will be more bold and potentially drive myself to the Flower Park. I would really love to see the wisteria tree trellises in full bloom. The drive and the crowds would be worth it!

Kameido Tenjin Shrine

By wabisabisole

On April 26, 2017

In Chu-Hai, Google Map, Japan, Kameido Tenjin Shrine, Tokyo, Tokyo Skytree, Train, Wisteria

Spring in Japan means one blooming session after another. Right now, the wisteria is about to reach full bloom. Having a free day, with no adulting obligations, I decided to travel to Tokyo and visit the Kameido Tenjin Shrine to view the wisteria. It was a schlep, 1.5 hours one way. Far enough for me not to impose the trip on my husband or friends. Here was my route.

The Shrine is located near the Tokyo Skytree. It provided a delightful backdrop to several pictures.

I wish I could share the scent of the wisteria with you. It might be the one thing I will never have much luck sharing with you. It was truly delightful.

I decided to venture up today because next week is Golden Week. I’ll tell you more about the meaning of Golden Week later. For now, it means Japanese holiday and lots of crowds. I was glad to have smaller crowds today. Occasionally, I was able to snap a picture without people. First, a few of the crowds.

Flying solo, I could take my time and wait for the perfect shot. And I did. I waited and I was totally ok with it. Because the shots were worth it. Here are my favorites. The red bridge is in most of them – #becausejapan

Have you noticed the structures supporting the wisteria? Some are wood others are artificial. All are strong.

According to my research, Kameido Tenjin Shrine was founded in the 1660s to honor the memory of the ninth-century scholar, Sugawara no Michizane. The temple was just as beautiful as the wisteria.

While at the temple, I enjoyed my own miniature hanami. Japanese yam and a chu-hai. Life is as sweet as these roasted yams with sugary topping.

When you’re planning your springtime visit, we will see as many flowers as possible. You will need to be willing to travel. As my friend Jen reminded me, seeing stuff requires a little bit of effort. Just a few more pictures….