Category Archives: Japanese Gardens

3 weeks organized

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Orchids @ Phipps

Orchids @ Phipps

I just finished selecting hotels for my first three weeks. I arrive in Tokyo on March 15 and stay for five nights, visiting several gardens in Tokyo and one of the “top three” in Mito, a day trip north and east of Tokyo. March 20, two nights in Atami, then one night in Okayama and on to Fukuoka in Kyushu, for two nights. My next stop is Kumamoto, also in Kyushu, for three nights, which will include a day trip to Kagoshima. My original intention to get to Nagasaki has been scrubbed because the time doesn’t work out and I’m not sure there is a garden I want to see.

From Kumamoto I return to Honshu and stop overnight in Hiroshima to see another garden. Then I will take a ferry across to Shikoku and stay overnight in Matsuyama to see another garden then across Shikoku to Takamatsu for another garden. That will be April 3, my 21-day railpass will be almost finished and my stay in Kyoto will begin.

j map

Six more days organized

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Korakuen, in Okayama

Korakuen, in Okayama

The January thaw ended yesterday without the promised rain or snow. Yesterday and today are more nearly normal; temps in the 30’s, but very pleasant. I’m enjoying walking.

Back to travel plans: I leave Atami by train, using my 21 day railpass, and going to Okayama where I have booked a hotel for three nights. My primary destination will be Korakuen, one of the top three and a garden I visited in 2008 and didn’t love. Maybe spring will be better. Okayama is on the Seto Inland Sea where several islands have become major contemporary art destinations. I plan to go to the art house project and  Benesse House on Naoshima, Inujima Island and an art festival on these islands, which were originally industrial sites that have been recycled.

From Okayama I will go to Fukuoka on the other large island, Kyushu, where there are several interesting destinations. Haven’t booked a hotel yet, so that’s next.

Changing habits

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Taiz0-in, one of my favorite gardens

Taiz0-in, one of my favorite gardens

I live about a half mile from the wonderful Carnegie Library. To drive, you have to go about a mile, parking is expensive and usually not available, so needless to say, I walk. I usually wear my purse with the shoulder strap across my chest and sometimes after I walk the half mile and have started back, I have a backache. Yesterday, I took my phone, some money and my library card and left the purse at home. No backache! Today I ordered a belly bag, practicing for Japan. I don’t know how it will look sitting on my already ample belly, but if it enables me to keep walking, who cares.

Trip planning: I am stuck in Tokyo. I would like my next stop to be Hakone, where there is both an indoor and outdoor museum. Atami, which is supposed to have a great museum, is also nearby. Hotels in the area are very expensive. All of this can be done as day trips from Tokyo, so the question is, do I stay for another two days in the hotel I have already booked in eastern Tokyo or do I move to western Tokyo? If I wasn’t on a budget, all of this would be much easier, but much less challenging.

Happy New Year

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Snow in front of Steve’s house.

I don’t make resolutions any more. I figure if I haven’t gotten it nailed by now, it’s too late. The week between Christmas and New Year’s was more than a little disorganized, with house guests and such. I’m trying to get back on schedule. Yesterday I actually got to the club to exercise. Now I just have to stop eating all the sweets.

I am planning my next trip to Japan, which will begin in the middle of March and go on for six weeks. My previous visits were in Autumn; now I want to see Spring. I will spend three weeks traveling and most of the remaining three weeks in Kyoto. I have plane tickets and reservations in a hotel in Tokyo and in my favorite place in Kyoto. I will post my plans as they take shape and use this blog for my posts from Japan instead of going back to the other one.

Since my frequent flier account grew as I purchased things for my new apartment I will be flying business class both ways. I don’t think my old bones would tolerate another long trip in coach. I will spend the first five nights in Tokyo looking at gardens and making a day-trip to Ibaraki where there is a garden that is listed in the “top three.” I’ve seen the other two and will return to one of them that I probably did not properly appreciate.

I am reading about one of the gardens I visited in Kyoto: Tenryu-ji. The book is an appreciation of the spirit of the garden, the pond and its rocky landscape. I missed it when I was there in 2008; there were too many people and I looked for less crowded spaces.

By this time the crowds had gathered and my experience at Tenryuji Temple was not so profound. It’s a very large garden with the main temple building in the center. It’s also on different levels; there was a lot of climbing involved, which I am proud to report I did. As I began climbing the crowds diminished, inspiring me to continue climbing so I could sit and enjoy the view without too much interruption.

Pond with lotus plants

Pond with lotus plants

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View from above, where I sat and contemplated. The angle of view makes it almost look like a Japanese print

Trying to get back to normal

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I’m still framing and hanging pictures. And I still feel like I’m drowning in paper, most of which I should have sorted and filed before I moved. But the important thing is to get back to work on my books. For the last year or more I’ve been working on a mammoth Japanese garden book. It has all of my pictures and lots of information from the internet about each of the gardens I visited. Because of the move I stopped printing out the pages. It took time to figure out what I needed to do and then I ran out of ink. Now I’m waiting for a new supply. Before I am finished I think this book will cost more than $500, mostly in ink. Too bad I didn’t figure it out before I started printing.

More important, the semi-annual party for my book arts collective is next Sunday. The highlight of each of these parties is the book exchange and I don’t have a book ready. I went to bed thinking about it; woke up still thinking about it; did some research about the type of book I want to make; changed my mind, and finally started working. I want to make a pop-up book. I’ve been wanting to do it for a very long time. The thought overwhelms me, frightens me. I decided to start very small, with a single cut and fold page, then decided on a different pop-up type. All of this has to work with my content. I don’t like making blank books, not even pop-ups. I’ll take pictures and show them after the party next week.