Japan IV - Attack of the Gardens

DAY 5

My sister and my aunt A are both horticulturists, so it was inevitable that a minimum of one day would be devoted to seeing Japanese gardens. This was that day. We took the train around Tokyo and saw three different gardens.

They were all very cool. Of course, since every garden we saw had tons of trees in bloom, how could they not be cool? Seriously, if there was such a thing as death by flowers, I'd have been doomed to it.

I'd like to point out that there are four different kinds of flowering trees in this last shot. That's right, count 'em, FOUR (4) layers of flowering trees in one shot. White, pink, red, and yellow. Talk about flower overload.

Okay, I release you from my clutches. I'll stop being your flower displaying overlord, trying to numb your sense of wonder and beauty with the flowers -- OH! The flowers!!! We shall move on to non-flowered photos (at least until my next installment -- bwahahaha!).

In case you were worried, you DEFINITELY haven't seen the last of the cool roof photos out of me:

There. That should give you enough of a cool roof dose to get you through until my write up about DAY 6

Now let's see. There were cool boats.

How about cool koi ponds? (Try to remain calm Shauna!)



Cool bridges.

Is there anyway I can work a bridge with grass actually growing on it into my backyard plan? I'll have to run that one by my designer.

And my personal fave: cool imposing doors on the gate into the Imperial Palace gardens

Seriously, how do I get those things installed on the front of my house? I bet they're a great deterrent of solicitors. Kristi, this may be the answer to your front door woes.

And then to wrap everything up, I leave you with the one thing that no Japanese garden is complete without. Some bamboo:

That was some serious bamboo.

Oh yah, and we mustn't forget the food report.
We found a random sushi restaurant for lunch. It was okay.
We got to go out to Shabu-shabu for dinner. It was to die for. *sigh* (My eyes are glazing over as I relive the scrumptiousness...)