Kyoto Zen Gardens III (Picture Book)

Nehan-no-niwa at Shinnyo-do

A lifetime would hardly be enough to visit all the temple gardens of Kyoto. But I am happy to visit one or two new ones plus revisit some already known to me in a different season every time we go. So it’s time for another sequel in the Kyoto Zen Gardens Series (see the first and second installments).

The dry landscape part of Yuzen-en at Chion-in

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Things Japanese XXV: Bunnies, Tokyo Style

If you’d be looking for the world’s most fashionable pet rabbit, Tokyo’s hip Roppongi district would not be a bad starting place. This specimen I spotted nibbling on the greenery at Roppongi Hills. We already know that Tokyo dogs are dressed in style, so why would Tokyo’s fierce fashion stop short of our other four-legged friends? No good reason at all for that, really!
Deciphering the label on the bunny’s dress, I was actually able to dig up the website of tortue et lapin. So, yes, rabbit clothing is totally a thing in Japan!

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Tokyo’s Towers – old and new

Tokyo Skytree – seen from the roof of the Asakusa Matsuya department store

Tokyo’s most striking landmark is undoubtedly the Skytree – completed in 2012 and standing 634m tall – overlooking the Megapolis from its outskirts. Its older and much shorter cousin, Tokyo Tower (built in 1958 and 333m tall) on the other hand, dominates the city center. While the Skytree has a sleek modern shape and looks almost fake, the Tokyo Tower has a more classical shape reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, shining in “international orange” and white.

Tokyo Tower, seen from the park of Roppongi Hills

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Kodai-ji and Entoku-in Spring Light-up (Picture Book)

Entrance to Kodai-ji at night

Giving in to the magical pull of Japan’s old capital also during our current stay, we spent once more a (too short!) weekend in Kyoto. If my counting is not off, this has been our tenth visit! (And no, you cannot go too many times.)
Something not to be missed are the various night visits, special openings and Light-ups of Kyoto gardens during spring and autumn time. In spring, most of them are Sakura Light-ups, however the illuminations of Kodai-ji (高台時) and Entoku-in (圓徳院) last until early May.

Dry landscape garden of Entoku-in at night

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Asakusa Yabusame

On the third Saturday in April, traditional Japanese archery demonstrations are held in Asakusa. The road along the Sumida river in the Sumida River Park is roped off, benches for paid seats are put up and in the center of the road, a track is prepared with sand for the horses to run on. Three targets are placed along the road.

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Bessho Onsen

Bessho Onsen, looking down at Ueda in the distance and the Japan Alps on the horizon

Ever since we have left Japan, we’ve been chronically starved for a good soak in a hot spring. So every time we come back, we indulge ourselves and spend a night in a fancy ryokan in a small hot spring resort. We prefer small towns over the heavily commercialized ones and a traditional ryokan over a huge resort hotel. For just one night however, good access from Tokyo is also important. Bessho Onsen (別所温泉) ticks off all the points in the list, thanks to the Nagano Shinkansen line. Bessho is a charming rural town with sulfuric waters, the oldest hot spring of the region. It moreover provides the visitor with just enough sights to see for a one day stay while leaving enough time for bathing and relaxing.

Octogonal Pagoda at Anrakuji

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Ueda-jo Senbon Sakura Matsuri (Picture Book)

While last year the cherry bloom was late in Tokyo and we were super lucky to see all of it during our stay, this year it was early and completely over by the time we arrived in Tokyo. Luckily, this situation could be remedied: in Nagano Prefecture, a mere 80 minutes on the Shinkansen away, the Ueda Castle 1000 Cherry Trees Festival (上田城千本桜祭）is in full swing.

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Four-legged mini-humans, or the Japanese urban dog

Here, your little friend can join you at your table

For Japanese city dwellers, a dog is not merely a dog. It’s more like a little human with fur that walks on all fours. Your little dog companion can sit with you at the dog-cafe in a special high chair and eat with you at the table.
While everyone has already seen a dog that was wearing a cover in rainy or cold weather, in urban Japan, dog-wear is not a matter of temperature, but a matter of fashion. Just like humans don’t go out naked, the four-legged mini-human friends go out dressed and with their hair done. A dog in its natural state is hard to come by in Tokyo. And the choices for the fashion-conscious dog are endless. From a mere T-shirt to a full-blown outfit with several pieces, everything can be found. And, hey, you’re in luck: because it’s dog fashion week!

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Japan with Baby

Our recent stay in Japan was our first with our baby daughter in tow. And even after living for 3 years in Japan, we discovered a new side of the Japanese, and we loved it! Japanese kindness and thoughtfulness gets scaled up to a new level when a baby is concerned. And even more surprisingly: the usually rather reserved Japanese suddenly become chatty!

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Shuzenji Onsen

A stay in Japan would be lacking without a decent soak in a hot spring. An escape to an onsen town with an overnight stay in a traditional ryokan with good bathing facilities and a good kaiseki style dinner is, admittedly, an indulgence, but nothing else gives you this Japanese feeling! With limited time and baby in tow, we were looking for a place within two hours from Tokyo with hassle-free access. The Izu peninsula recommended itself through its easy access via the Tokaido Shinkansen and multitude of hot springs. While we had stayed on the sea shore in spring, we chose a place inland this time: Shuzenji Onsen (修善寺温泉), half an hour by local train away from Mishima which is reached by Shinkansen. Mt. Fuji is looming behind as the local train crawls down the Izu peninsula.

Shuzenji temple

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