Pix4Japan

2012-07-22

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.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sankeien Gardens - Brooks, Stones, Roof, Pond

A reconstructed religious building (temple or shrine) located in a green corner of the gardens.

A small creek with tiny waterfalls feeds the pond at the bottom of the small valley where the gardens are located.

There's that boat again. Can't quite get enough of it. Love how it reflects on the water.

Some of the pine trees are "trained" to grow in a certain way like huge bonsai trees.

Wonder if there is a specific reason for directing the branches close to the water surface besides how graceful it looks.

This time of year the hydrangeas were blossoming.

There are different shades of these blossoms, with the purplish ones being my favorite.

Love the moss covered rocks and the babbling brook.

As to be expected, we can see huge lanterns and other objects carved from stone.

Having a huge rock with a carved out center to catch water is nice. Some people even put tiny fish in these or plants.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sankeien - Around the Pond

It rained this morning, but by noon, the skies and somewhat cleared. Left beautiful drops of water everywhere, and greens were greener!

Tourists feed the school of various colored carp in the large pond in the garden.

This boat is simply for display, but does a evoke a kind of romantic image.

The trees around the pond are immaculately trimmed and well shaped to give them that "Japanese" look.

The park also acts as a kind of refuge for wild birds who happen to be flying over and looking for a place to rest.

From the shores of the pond, you can see the roofs of old buildings that were meticulously broken apart and reassembled in the garden grounds.

The park is planned out in such a way that no matter what time of year you visit, you can be sure to enjoy some floral attractions.

Love the red paint on the boat.

Unlike some of the older buildings with their thatched roofs, some of the other historical buildings are actually old shrines or temples that were to be destroyed and saved by the original builder of the garden.

Red bridges are found all over Japan, whether it is at a garden, a shrine, or a temple.

I think that these might lilacs.

Depending on the lighting the boat looks more brown than red.

A very old tree that needs actual bamboo supports to keep it from falling over and killing itself.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Yokohama Sankeien Garden - Southern Entrance

The southern entrance to Sankeien Garden is part of a Yokohama City Public Park built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay.

There is a small pond in the park with some beautiful vegetation growing that reflects on the water when the pond is calm.

Don't understand why they built a replica of a Chinese garden here, but maybe it has something to do with the close proximity to Yokohama's China Town.

Although the architecture looks authentic, a closer look reveals lots of formed cement.

Still, this is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing a Chinese garden.

Ironically, there are some typical, traditional Japanese structures in the "Chinese" garden.

The water was surprisingly clear and as long as you don't look south, you won't notice the huge oil refineries churning away.

I think this might be a water lily or a lotus plant.

Depending on the angle, you'd never guess I was only 20 minutes from home in urban Yokohama.

No matter where you go, the abundance of bamboo makes for a nice building material that ages gracefully and withstands the elements quite well.

Crossing this bridge will take you to the southern entrance of Sankeien Garden, which is not a public park, but a private park built for posterity by a Japanese business tycoon who has long passed away.

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

2012-07-16

Yamashita Park

Yokohama Marine Tower was renovated several years ago. Although there is a lighthouse at the top of the tower, it is only for display and is simply a symbol of Yokohama.

Minato Mirai is an urban development project using reclaimed land in the Port of Yokohama in Tokyo Bay. Several hotels, many offices, and places to enjoy dining and shopping. If you are wealthy enough, you can buy a condo in this area, too!

Pix4Japan by R.D.S. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.