Wabi-Sabi Sole

Finding Beauty with Imperfection

Author: wabisabisole Page 13 of 58

Flower Church

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On April 9, 2018

In Japan, Tulips, Yokohama

For the past three Sundays, Dave and I have spent Sunday morning exploring blooming flowers. Two weeks ago we went to Gumyoji to see the Sakura. Last weekend on our way to Shinjuku Gyoen with the Thompson Family, the phrase “Flower Church” was used to describe our mission to see the Sakura. I enjoyed the phrase and decided to make “Flower Church” part of our Sunday routine. Especially, when there are so many beautiful gardens and parks to explore.

This weekend, we went to Yokohama Park. The park is located in Yokohama by the Baystars Stadium. It was a quick train ride to a beautiful garden full of tulips.

There were so many different colors. We soaked up the beauty as we walked through the park.

We stopped for a Flower Church selfie.

Besides so many different colors of tulips, there were so many varieties.

Walking through the parks is also very entertaining. There are so many people to watch. My favorites are the people photographing their dogs. I can appreciate their dedication and their love of their puppies. This time we also saw people photographing their anime dolls. Simply proving, everyone has a hobby.

Adjacent to the tulips was a more traditional Japanese garden. I noticed right away the wabi-sabi of the garden. The peaceful and serene garden contrasted with the giant orange and white antenna. Ahhh, the beauty of the imperfections.

We left the park and walked around the area before deciding on a lunch spot. As we were walking we found a street lined with Sakura. What a lucky bonus.

We decided on Charcoal Green Grill. It was still just as delicious as it was over a year ago! Clearly, we need to go back more frequently.

Yokohama Afternoon

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On April 8, 2018

In Beer, Cup Noodle, Japan, Yokohama

After we got Danny off to Haneda Airport on Friday morning, the girls and I headed to Cup Noodle Museum. This stop on the Julia Tour was especially for Chase-Chan. The little one loves ramen. First step, stand in line to buy your cup to decorate.

Next, we spent time decorating our Cup Noodle.

Then we added our noodles, seasoning, and flavors.

Finally, our perfect, made-to-order Cup Noodle is packaged and sealed.

After making our personalized Cup Noodle, we spent time exploring the Cup Noodle Museum. The museum encourages innovation and persistence in pursuing your dreams.

The Cup Noodle Museum is on top of my list of places for kids in Japan. However, it might be one of the loudest places in Japan. Therefore, I like to incorporate a beer stop before or after for the adults. This time, we choose the KIRIN City restaurant in Yokohama. Jennifer and I ordered a frozen beer. After our adventures in Miyajima and seeing the sign missed labeled for beers as bears, we decided they should be calling the frozen beers “polar bears.” Haha! The foam was completely frozen. It was a little different, but nonetheless refreshing.

We finished up the afternoon with a little shopping before heading home for a relaxing night before their flight on Saturday.

Saturday morning, Jen and I enjoyed one more walk to Zushi Beach. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji. It was our lucky day.

A few hours later we were saying our goodbyes as they waited for the Narita Express.

Dave and I enjoyed a wonderful week sharing Japan with the Thompsons. I still can’t believe how quickly the week passed. We enjoyed so many laughs and created so many memories. We will see you soon, friend-family aka fri-amily. Ja Matane

Kamakura Highlights

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On April 7, 2018

In Great Buddha, Japan, Kamakura, Owl, Puppy Cafe, Shiba Inu, Sushi, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū

We gave ourselves time to relax and recharge after our trip home from Hiroshima Wednesday night. Thursday was dedicated to exploring Kamakura. Dave and I really enjoy walking around and shopping in Kamakura. We were excited to share our favorite spots with our friends. The first stop was at the Great Buddha of Kamakura. We were again lucky to see Sakura still blooming.

By the time we left the Great Buddha, we were ready for some ice cream. Not a problem. In fact, we enjoyed ice cream and croquettes.

We took the train back to Kamakura from Hase and stopped for lunch. We went to the conveyor sushi restaurant Dave and I visited a few weeks ago. We made quite the stack of plates. Strong work for a party of six!

Next up on the itinerary was a stop at the Owl Forest.

During our visit, we found Jennifer’s Patronus (Reference: Harry Potter – aka spirit animal).

Speaking of Harry Potter… We found Hedwig!

We walked up Komachi Dori, the main shopping street, and made our way to The Hachiman-gu Shrine.

We had fun posing by the sake barrels.

Our visit at the Shrine was cut a little short because we had reservations at 5:00pm at the newly opened Shiba inu cafe. Yes, a puppy cafe. In Kamakura. We were beyond excited and it was even more amazing than we imagined. I might need to make a stop here on Friday afternoons after my English class. Because puppies.

After the puppy cafe, we worked our way back home. We stopped for one last picture of Chase and a huge teddy bear at Tully’s Coffee. So, cute!

Hiroshima Day 3

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On April 5, 2018

In Hiroshima, Japan, Sakura, Shinkansen

The tickets for our return trip on the Shinkansen didn’t depart Hiroshima until 1700. That gave us time to do a bit more exploring and shopping in Hiroshima. We gave the girls a chance to sleep in and have a little down time. Meanwhile, Danny, Jenn, and I went for a morning walk. There was a long green way trail stretching along the river. The best part was the Sakura lining the path.

After breakfast, we headed out to explore more of Hiroshima. The next area on our visit list was a stop at the Gokoku Shrine.

The double fish statue at the Shrine represents family happiness. Happy family indeed!

Especially, when our next stop is for ice cream! Ice cream makes everything better and everyone happy.

Finally, after all that we got down to business. We made our way to the Hiroshima Castle.

I’ll just cut to the “Chase” and summarize our visit to the castle. The highlight was obviously dressing up these two as a Samurai and a Lord.

I’m still giggling when I look at those pictures. We managed to climb to the fifth floor of the castle and enjoy a spectacular view.

By the time we finished exploring the castle, we were ready for an American lunch. A beer, cheeseburger, and fries filled the need. The crane and driftwood were an added bonus.

The remainder of the afternoon we shopped and prepped for our Shinkansen trip home. We had plenty of food to keep us happy. Cheers!

We had such an amazing trip to Hiroshima. We made it home safely and with so many memories.

Miyajima Day Trip

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On April 4, 2018

In Hiroshima, Japan, Miyajima Island, Shrine, Train

Our second day in Hiroshima was spent on Miyajima Island. When Dave and I visited last May, we didn’t have much time to explore the island. We only had time to visit the Itsukushima Shrine and enjoy lunch.

As I planned the Thompson’s visit, I wanted to include time to explore the entire island and see the giant Torii at both high and low tide. We took a couple trains to Miyajimaguchi Station to catch the ferry to the island. Inevitably, with every Julia tour, sooner or later we will hop on the wrong train. It happened yesterday. We got on the street car instead of the subway.

Fortunately, I noticed after the first stop and we exited at the second. While on the crowded streetcar, Chase snapped a selfie. I guess being on the wrong train wasn’t a complete waste.

The rest of the trip to the island was smooth sailing. We found the right trains and boarded the ferry.

We arrived on the island at high tide. As we walked to the Itsukushima Shrine, we stopped for a few tourist photos.

The Torii at high tide is beautiful. The Shrine and Torii both appear to be floating.

After our visit to the Shrine, we began our walk up to Mt. Misen. The walk was enjoyable and we felt lucky to see even more Sakura.

Along the way, we stopped at a nice restaurant for lunch. It was delicious Japanese cuisine.

We continued our walk and came to an area with a few Sakura trees. As the wind blew, the Sakura petals scattered. It was definitely a highlight.

Our favorite part of this little park was the opportunity for refreshments. Including Bears. Yes, please. I would love a Bear!

Up and up we went. No Julia Tour is complete without a hill to climb.

We made it to the Ropeway and took two trams to the overlook.

The view from the lookout was amazing!!

From the lookout point, we started our way down the mountain. It would take about an hour and we wanted to be down in time for low tide around the Torii. We thought walking down would be easy… But, everyone’s legs were shaking by the end.

We made a quick stop at the five-story pagoda as we walked past.

Our timing was perfect for catching the Torii at low tide. It was even more beautiful than I expected.

We made one last stop for ice cream before leaving the island.

We crossed back on the ferry and took a train back to our hotel. We were all pretty tired from a fun day exploring and hiking.

Hiroshima

By

On April 3, 2018

In Hiroshima, Japan, Kawaii, Peace, Rilakkuma, Sakura, Shinkansen, Train

Monday morning we caught the Keikyu line train to Shinagawa. I know I already mentioned the Keikyu Line and Rilakkuma campaign. I must mention it again because we have enjoyed spotting cute trains and bears. Check out the giant Rilakkuma in Shinagawa Station. So, cute.

From Shinagawa we caught the 10:07 Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Again, I was so excited.

I took a video as we waited for our train.

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The train ride was about four hours. We bought lunch for the trip – bento boxes and Japanese sandwiches.

Plus, kawaii company with the adorable Rilakkuma characters dressed as Keikyu Train Conductors.

Our train arrived four hours later. We caught a taxi to our hotel, dropped our bags and headed to the Hiroshima Peace Park. Our first stop was to see the Atomic Bomb Dome.

We were pleasantly surprised to still see Sakura in bloom. The girls stopped and rang the Peace Bell. As all the tourist ring the bell, the sound brings a calling for peace. It’s beautiful.

Our next stop was at the Cenotaph. The Eternal Flame ignited us with hope for peace.

After visiting the museum, we walked to the fountain. Danny snapped this picture of the girls. To me it symbolizes the power of peace. He has also taken many other pictures I’ve used in sharing their story. I appreciate having an extra shutterbug and an iPhone 8 Plus.

We made our way out of the park and enjoyed more Sakura and tulips.

Time Out Tokyo

By

On April 2, 2018

In Cherry Blossoms, Gumyoji, Harajuku, Japan, Sakura, Shibuya, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo

Jet lag worked in our favor for our Sunday plans. We planned to get out of the house early Sunday morning and begin our day at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. I wanted to share the beautiful Sakura in the National Garden with both Dave and the Thompsons. I also knew the garden would become very busy. We arrived about a half hour after it opened and there were already many people prepped for Hanami.

We enjoyed walking through the garden. Yet again, we were lucky with more beautiful weather.

As we walked, we enjoyed the opportunity to view so many Sakura still in bloom.

After leaving the gardens, we stopped for lunch and then caught the train to Harajuku. As many times as we have been to Harajuku, I have never it seen it so crowded. This was the train ride to Harajuku.

The girls made a brief stop to purchase cat ears. Because, Japan.

At one point, about half way down Takeshita Street, the crowd came to a complete standstill. We ended up having to push our way out and slip down a side street.

The crowd left us weary and in need of a break from the crowd. We decided to walk to Shibuya instead of riding another crowded train. It was actually an enjoyable and somewhat entertaining walk.

After the crowd at Harajuku, Shibuya didn’t seem too crazy!

From Shibuya Crossing, we took the train to Gumyoji. I wanted Jennifer (and everyone else) to experience Yozakura. It was yet again, a beautiful evening.

These two! Candy covered strawberries dipped in sugar.

We caught one last train home. It was a long day for the first day of a Julia tour. For the record, I think the kids won this round.

The Thompson’s Arrival

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On March 31, 2018

In Japan, Ramen, Zushi

Saturday afternoon I had the delightful pleasure to meet the Thompson Family at Haneda Airport. All smiles even after the long flights.

Their flight arrived early afternoon and we made our way back home. We had the red carpet staged for their arrival.

We needed to keep everyone awake for a few more hours. We took the train to Zushi and then walked down to Zushi beach.

Keeping things simple and traditional, we enjoyed ramen and fried rice for dinner.

Plus, a cookie surprise for dessert.

We managed to keep everyone awake until about 7:30. By then, eyelids were drooping and exhaustion was taking over. A good night sleep was what everyone needed to prep for Sunday’s Tokyo adventures!

Sakura School Trip

By

On March 31, 2018

In Imperial Palace, Japan, Rikugien Garden, Sakura, Tokyo

On Friday, group of students and teachers from my English school attended a day trip to Tokyo to view Sakura. Our first stop was at Komatsugawa Senbonzakura, a park on the east side of Tokyo. I have never been to this area of Tokyo. I took a screenshot of Google Maps and the dropped pin. The park is saved with the pink heart on the right side of the photo.

To return to this spot would take about two hours from our house and at least three trains. I was glad it was part of the tour because, I definitely wouldn’t have gone on my own. As we walked around the park, one of my students told me the park was only about 15 years old. So, the trees were not very big.

Size certainly didn’t matter in this case. The trees were beautiful. The weeping Sakura was my favorite in this park. In the picture with me are two of my English students who attended the school trip.

It was fun to see so many people out enjoying Hanami.

Now that’s a playground! Complete with a net to climb and a roller slide!

The second stop was at Rikugien Garden. I visited Rikugien Garden this past November. We were a little too late to view the main Sakura attraction. The large Sakura tree had already dropped its petals.

There was still plenty to see in the garden. It was so quiet and peaceful. It’s always hard for me to believe I’m in the middle of a huge city when I visit gardens in Tokyo. There is very little city noise.

Our third stop of the afternoon was at the State Guest House of The Asakusa Imperial Property. The State Guest House is where national dignitaries are hosted when they visit Japan. We toured the inside of the property, but were prohibited from taking photos. The building was beautiful. Again, I was glad it was part of the tour because I probably wouldn’t have gone otherwise. I was able to take a few pictures of the garden. The fountain reminded me of the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.

Our final stop was at Chidori-ga-Fuchi. Chidori-ga-Fuchi is a large moat surrounding the Imperial Palace. Visitors are permitted to rent row boats and paddle around the moat. The row boats and Sakura made for beautiful pictures in the afternoon sun.

The trip was planned in early March. There was no guarantee the Sakura would be blooming or the weather would cooperate. I think we were very fortunate to have beautiful weather and blooming Sakura.

Zushi & Shomyoji

By

On March 30, 2018

In Japan, Sakura, Zushi

A short post to share two of my favorite local Sakura spots. The first is Zushi Highlands. I drove through here on Thursday morning on my way to Costco. As you watch the video, please remember – I’m not a bad driver. We drive on the left in Japan. Please enjoy the trip driving through the Sakura tunnel.

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Thursday afternoon I went to Shomyoji Temple. The restored garden and temple is a beautiful setting for Sakura viewing.

The garden is about a 15 minute walk from the closest train station. On such a beautiful day, it was effortless.

One of my favorite views is of the Sakura trees and the bridge. So lovely.

After my visit, I headed back to the station. I was lucky to ride home on a kawaii train. Rilakkuma is a fictional Japanese character. His name means “relax bear” and he is celebrating his 15th birthday this year. The Keikyu Line is celebrating a 120th Anniversary this year. They are celebrating together and many of the trains have been decorated with large stickers. Just when I thought train riding in Japan couldn’t get any more fun – it becomes even cuter!

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