I was all dressed up and ready to go for the Diefenbooker bike race when it started raining. So instead, I will post a few more pictures from Japan.
Hibiya Park is a western style park in a busy business area of Tokyo. Chris and I were relaxing by this fountain watching several dozens of suits have a cigarette break before running off to work.
It was raining at Aichi Expo, but the evergreen mascots were still funny.
Me doing my best wire-fu in the bamboo forest next to the Nara National Museum. (Chris just realised that he’s seen every single movie listed in IMDB.com under category wire-fu, except for one that appears to be a Swedish comedy)
Nara National Museum has an outside display of a traditional Japanese house and garden. Here are some more pictures of it:
This giant tree at Nara Botanical Garden is remarkable because, apart from being a gigantic tree, it had fallen down and then started growing again.
Rice Paddy at the botanical garden
On to the famous Zen temple Ryoanji
Ryoanji Rock Garden was quite an experience. It is difficult to describe since it really depends on the imagination of the viewer rather than its own absolute design. It reminded me of the sea and islands on a steadily windy day.
The moss garden at the same temple.
Funny Trees at the Ryoanji Temple
Blossom Umbrella at the Ryoanji Temple
The last stop on our garden tour of Japan was the Nishi-Oyasiki-Ato Garden adjoining the Himeji Castle. The garden was built in 1992 based on archaeological excavations in the area. The location was the settlement of samurai families during the Edo times. There are nine different gardens, separated by walls that are at the location of the walls separating samurai properties. Each garden represents some essence of the Edo period. In concept this is similar to the Cloisters garden we’ve visited while in New York.
View from the restaurant
Chris and I enjoyed some nice eel in a pretty lunch box and watched the garden animals hang around the waterfall in this area of the garden. The orange spots are the koi fish.