いい庭の日 – Good Garden Day
On 11/28 is Ii Niwa no Hi – Good Garden Day!
Japanese people love playing on dates and words which results in very interesting days (like Good Tooth Day..)
On 28th we now have the Good Garden Day.
Lets take a look on the numbers in this date:
1 – ichi = i
1 – ichi = i
2 – ni = ni
8 – this is a bit complicated, but let me explain.
8 is hachi or ya. In this situation, we use the ha.
Maybe, some of you already know basic Japanese?
A common phrase is こんにちは – kon’nichi wa, which means ”hello“. The は is normally written and spoken as „ha“. Like in はな – hana „flower“.
Only when it is used as a particle (は,の,で..), it will be pronounced as „wa“, (は is a particle for showing the topic of a sentence).
With our 8 in the date, we now pronounce its „ha“ as „wa“.
This irregularity often occurs in Japanese. Mostly it is a connection to older forms of Japanese. As well as European languages changed over time, so did Japanese.
Together with „ni“ the „wa“ of the 8 will be „niwa“ which means garden.
„Ii“ means good. So we get the Good Garden Day!
Of course, the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association uses this date as promotion for Tokyos gardens!
The Association welcomes all to visit them on this special day. And luckily, it is also a very good time of year for autumn foliage.
If you are around Tokyo during November, please plan a visit to one of the gardens.
You can also participate in the „X Metropolitan Autumnal Garden Photo Gallery“ until the 4th of December when you took nice pictures.
The hashtag is: #いいにわ Please add the name of the garden!
If you want to let the Park Association know about your post, add @ParksTeien
Don’t forget to use our Garden Guide Books during the visit ^_-
With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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With twelve years of professional landscaping experience under her belt, Anika Ogusu is your perfect guide to the world of Japanese gardens. Her love of nature began early, in the woods near her childhood home and the garden of her grandmother’s house. During her teenage years she developed a strong interest in Japanese culture, and after university she decided to combine her love of Japan and gardens into a profession. Anika started her career as chief gardener in charge of the perennial valley at the Botanical Garden in Hamburg, Germany, then moved to Tokyo in pursuit of her dream. For two years she apprenticed under local landscape designers and learned the art of Japanese garden design, construction and maintenance. Now, in partnership with Real Japanese Gardens (www.japanesegardens.jp), her wish is to spread the magic of Japanese gardens to the rest of the world. Her in-depth guide books on gardens throughout Japan are available in eBook format or paperback. In her free time, Anika enjoys exploring her adopted country (especially green moss gardens), and soaking up nature and any details that interest her.
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