2012-07-31

Kugenuma - Mt. Fuji


Went to the beach this afternoon after work. Was glad to see the beaches were still somewhat clean.


An added bonus was to be able to catch a clear view of Mt. Fuji. The grainy shot is a result of taking these shots with an iPhone 4S. Not the best camera for landscape shots. 

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2012-07-22

Sankeien Gardens - Shrine Pagoda


The founder of this garden was also able to salvage some old shrines that were planned for demolition. I am glad that he saved these structures for future generations, and attempted to retain the original details and parts of the structure as much as possible.


We are fortunate now to have fully grown trees surrounding these structures, which now gives them the appearance of having always been here. This may have been what the structures looked like in their original settings. 


I can't resist taking shots of moss covered rocks. I can never get enough.


On the far end of the garden at the top of a small hill is a pagoda. This pagoda has a mixture of both Buddhist motifs and other design features found in Shinto shrines as well. 


Love how the Japanese have incorporated different parts of other traditions and cultures and melded them into something new and different that can now be truly called Japanese. 

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Sankeien Gardens - Farmhouse Upstairs and Interior


Rafters of the old farmhouse interior reveal a method of using straw ropings and various binding techniques to hold the roof secure to the mainframe. No nails used at all!


The dark coloring of the wood is a result of using a hibachi or Japanese-style open grill in the main room downstairs. The smoke from the charcoals rises up and adds a natural resin to the wood and other materials to help harden them, make them a little fire resistant, and acts as a kind of bonding agent.


View from upstairs looking down on the staircase leading the first floor. I seldom see these kinds of homes with hand rails. 


Roof frame and straw rope binding. 


Some parts of the flooring have geometrical designs formed by layering and positioning small pieces of wood in a certain fashion. 


Am really impressed with the binding of this roof!


Downstairs, the walls have also been "cured" by smoke and heat from the open charcoal pit or hibachi.


The hibachi is sunken into the main floor downstairs, where food was cooked, water heated for tea and soup, etc. Also, used to keep warm during winter.


The paper sliding doors and windows must have been somewhat cold during winter, but offer a privacy while allowing sufficient sunshine indoors since they didn't have electric lights back the days of this structure.

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Sankeien Gardens - farmhouse


I could easily picture myself living in the Japanese countryside, relaxing on this kind of back porch drinking some ice-cold barley tea while listening to the cicadas humming all afternoon long!


Upkeep of a thatched roof would require learning new skills that are known among fewer and fewer of the Japanese with each passing generation.


I wonder if I would even be able to afford the insurance premiums if I lived in such a house. They are rather susceptible to fires, although structurally resistant to earthquakes due to the use of joint construction.


Keep coming back to this back porch. Can't quite get it out of my head!

Sankeien Gardens - Doors


One of the nice things of visiting the different buildings in Sankeien is that we can actually go inside some of the building and get up close with the interior.


Not only are the buildings old, but there are also many artifacts from the daily lives of the family's lives from the building's time period.


In this shot, we can see a device used to hold iron pots or kettles over the hot coals of an indoor fireplace called a hibachi, which is a box-shaped, open-topped container designed to hold burning charcoal.

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Sankeien Gardens - Ceilings


One of the buildings in the garden is an old, farmhouse that was disassembled at its original location and reassembled here at the garden.


The interior decorations used throughout the building are exquisite wooden carvings that serve both aesthetic and functional purposes.


Even the heads of nails or steel pegs are decorated with finely detailed motifs! Love the attention to detail that was applied to the construction of this old farmhouse. 

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Sankeien Exteriors Deities


Love the soft carpeting of moss that grows during this time of year!



The ever-present crow is a constant nuisance in urban environments, but seems quite at home in this garden. 


If I could read Japanese, I would be able to understand who was of such significance that his likeness was carved into stone.


Obviously, this is one of thousands different caricatures of the Buddha. The garden includes a few national treasures on its premises.


I like the contrast of a thatched roof with wooden and bamboo eaves below. 


An old-fashioned back porch and the huge stone that one would rest their feet on during a hot and humid summer day.


The design just below the roof is a common motif used in religious buildings of either Buddhist or Shinto traditions.


I could be happy with such a back porch. Winter would be a bit cold however!


The complexity of such a huge and heavy roof is amazing considering it was all hand-made with the aid of modern-day equipment.


Reflections in a small stream running by the old traditional house.


More moss covered rocks and wet stepping stones for the sidewalk -- love the color, light, and texture!

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Sankeien Gardens - Windows


During this time of year, we can look out the windows of the structures in the park and enjoy the greenery and stones in the mini-gardens around the buildings. 


Interestingly, these buildings are so old, they don't have glass windows -- the buildings are dated from a time when glass was not commonly used in buildings in Japan.


Instead of glass, shoji, or paper was used to keep out the elements and insects while allowing a soft light into the room interior. Such paper shutters are still used in modern Japanese homes on the interior for aesthetic purposes instead of using curtains or shutters. 


In Japan, sliding paper window screens are called shoji (障子), while the paper sliding doors are called fusama (ふさま).

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Sankeien Gardens - Pagoda, Bridge, Moss, Shrines


This pagoda was disassembled piece by piece and reconstructed here at Sankeien Gardens using most of if not all of the original components. 


I'm pretty sure these are lilacs. That boat is the brown in the background. 


This tiny shrine was even reconstructed using the same worn stone steps of the original site!



Being so close to the shore line affords the park enough moisture for moss to grow in abundance!


As always, you can expect to see the hard work of craftsmen who know how to assemble this bamboo fences using only rope to tie them together.


Cross the bridge over the pond leads to several small trails that you can take to see other floral attractions or other buildings that were save and rebuilt here.


I don't know what these things are called, but they are common on the corners of most temples, shrines, and homes of wealthy farmers.


This sloping style of roof tends to be more common with Buddhist temples than Buddhist shrines. Of course, some shrines tend to incorporate architectural cues from China, which at the time was primarily Buddhist. 


The park has a few small restaurants and coffee/tea shops where you can get some refreshments if you don't mind pay the premium prices. 

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