tokugawa
An invitation to Ryugon – one of the most famous guesthouses in Japan
In November, right before the first heavy snowfall, I had the chance to visit the famous ryokan (traditional Japanese guesthouse) Ryugon. The Ryugon opened its doors in 1964, the same year the Olympics took place in Tokyo. However, most of the buildings on the grounds are much older! Utsugi, the founder of this ryokan, saw […]
[New eBook] The Adachi Museum of Art
Being involved in a time-consuming publishing process on Amazon, I am very happy I finally found the time to write a new eBook for Real Japanese Gardens. In July, I wrote two articles about the Adachi Museum of Art for two web magazines, so I chose our new eBook to be about the Museum’s six […]
Kobori Enshu-style gardens in Shizuoka and Aichi prefecture
Kyoto and Tokyo are well known for their density of fine Japanese gardens. What fewer people know is, that also other areas have quite a few reasonable Japanese gardens. One of these I would like to introduce today. Shizuoka Prefecture, former Tōtōmi Province (another name: Enshū) Before the daimyō system was demolished in 1871, the […]
[New eBook] The Teahouses of the Tokyo National Museum
Finally I finished the last book in our “Gardens in Tokyo” series! I am very happy and also a little bit proud. The last book features the secret garden of the Tokyo National Museum, which is only open for the public in spring and autumn. I visited the garden three times, twice in autumn and […]
Shōren-in eBook – Discover Kyoto’s Imperial Temple Garden
We are excited to present our new Shōren-in eBook, a special release alongside our series The Secret Gardens of Tokyo. Shōren-in – An Imperial Temple in Kyoto During a study trip to Kyoto in early winter 2015, we visited several gardens that left a strong impression. Shōren-in fascinated us with its modern fusuma sliding doors […]
Kyoto 2015 Garden Tour – Day 1 | Japanese Garden Travel Blog
A Rainy Start in Kyoto Needless to say, we were very eager to start our garden tour as soon as we arrived in Kyoto. After dropping our bags at the (rather festive!) hotel, we hurried off to catch the bus to our first stop. It was drizzling a little, but honestly — rain in a […]
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 […]
Hamarikyū Garden eBook – Explore Tokyo’s Edo-Period Seaside Garden
I proudly present our new eBook in the “Famous Gardens of Tokyo” series. Hamarikyū Garden – Edo Period Seaside Garden Hamarikyū is not only a Japanese garden but also a large park on the edge of Tokyo Bay. Like many gardens in Tokyo, it dates back to the Edo period. The Southern Garden is a […]
Koishikawa Korakuen eBook – Discover Tokyo’s Historic Garden
From today on, our new eBook about the daimyo garden Koishikawa Kōrakuen is available! This daimyo garden is one of the two most famous Japanese gardens in Tokyo and an outstanding example of an Edo period strolling garden (kaiyū-shiki teien). Edo strolling gardens combined elements from earlier garden styles into a pre-set walking route. Unlike […]