rikugien
Exploring Plum and Cherry Blossoms in Japanese Gardens: Top Viewing Spots
It is the end of February and we already hit the time of plum blossoms with only one month left until famous cherry blossom season starts! Today I want to introduce some gardens, which hosts great plum and/ or cherry trees! The early plum blossoms in Japanese gardens are often underestimated. When the plums start […]
Yukizuri – 雪吊り
Hamarikyu garden When visiting Japanese gardens in winter, one will recognize some strange ropes and mats around the pine trees and some other plants. These are called Yukizuri 雪吊り and Fuyugakui 冬囲い. Both are meant to protect the trees from the weight of snow. In Tokyo there is seldom so much snow, that the trees need […]
Top Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) in Japanese Gardens
Of course the cherry blossom is very much better known than the plum blossom I mentioned in a previous blog post. And yes, it is really great to stand under a whole sea of pink! I guess most visitors to Japan know the Japanese term for cherry – Sakura – because it is this famous. […]
Hōraijima of Rikugien
The Rikugien garden was initially built by Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu from 1695 until 1702. In 1868 it was purchased by Iwasaki Yataro who remodeled the garden to his needs but kept the heart of the garden – the theme of Waka poetry. However, he added many elements. So also the Hōraijima in the pond. Jima is […]
Stone Lanterns in the Japanese garden
The next garden element on my list is the stone lantern. Everyone knows the beautiful withered lanterns made of natural or hewn rocks. Today I want to talk about their origin and use in the Japanese garden. Origin Lanterns weren‘t always a garden element. They were invented in a religious context during the Tang Dynasty […]
Tokyo’s Admirable Gardens
You might think, real Japanese gardens can be found within Kyoto alone. Today I want to convince you that this is not true. There are also admirable gardens in Japan’s modern capital Tokyo. If you are already on my side, please read anyhow, you will see beautiful garden pictures and might discover the one or […]
New eBook: Stone Arrangement!
This book I wanted to do for a long time and now I was finally able to write it. I am so excited! In the beginning of 2016, I had prescribed bed rest for about a month and during this time I read the Sakuteiki and already wrote down a lot of the text you […]
Good Garden Day 2015 Rikugien visit
On Saturday’s Good Garden Day, I took the chance to visit the gardens of Rikugien in Tokyo. Just as a reminder, this garden was originally created in the Edo period (c. 1603 – 1868), and then recreated in the Meiji period (1868 – 1912). I thought this a prime opportunity to see some beautiful autumnal […]
Rikugien Garden eBook – Discover Tokyo’s Waka Poetry Garden
We are excited to present our new Rikugien Garden eBook, part of the Famous Gardens of Tokyo series. This release brings us close to the completion of the collection! Rikugien – A Garden of Waka Poetry When researching Tokyo’s gardens, one quickly sees that no two are alike, even though most were created in the […]