Roses are Red

Roses are starting to bloom all over Japan. Through my research, I found a small out of the way western rose garden in Tokyo. The Kyu-Furukawa Gardens on the north side of Tokyo. It was a trek on the train, about an hour and 20 minutes. I asked my kindred flower chasing spirit, Dina, if she was interested in going with me. And off we went! Having Dina to explore Japan with is a highlight. I find little out of the way places and ask if she wants to go with me and 97% of the time the answer is – yes! Today, we went to Tokyo for roses!

The western-style house was designed in the early 1900s by a British architect. The gardens were designed by a Japanese architect from Kyoto around the same time. It was designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty of Japan on January 26, 2006. Looking at the pictures, the British influence is apparent in the building and the Japanese influence is apparent in the gardens.

The roses were spectacular! Every color and size. I took a couple pictures with my hand for perspective.

I want to provide you with a true picture of the gardens. A picture or two with all the people! The bottom picture is the rose maze. Keep in mind, this was on a cloudy random Wednesday!

By playing with the angle, I could capture people free pictures and a selfie!

The rest of the gardens were so green, lush, and beautiful. They also had a definitive Japanese flair. The focal pieces were large stone lanterns, a stone pagoda, a dry river bed, and a waterfall.

The “wild stone wall” had us both laughing! Use cation, these rocks aren’t domesticated.

The only thing I couldn’t capture today was the intoxicating scent of the roses. I guess we need to make our smart phones a little smarter to capture odors! Or maybe not…