Even after several years here in the Land of the Rising Sun, I keep realizing that there are still so many places I want to visit. I haven't even heard of most places, and yet I'm sure that I absolutely have to go there one day. With almost every article I read about Japan, the list gets longer and I feel confirmed that I didn't make a bad decision when choosing my current home. At the beginning, I couldn't foresee that it would one day be Japan, but over the course of time and during my travels, it just turned out that way. I have been a guest here in the Far East for some time now and have been able to experience and explore quite a lot. Sure, from time to time I wish I lived a little more centrally and had better access to the south of the country, but even here in the northwest on the Sea of Japan I usually feel pretty comfortable. The summers are similar almost everywhere in Japan and our area is no exception when it comes to fighting the big heat. But the winters here are a lot harsher than in the east and south, where it snows a lot less. However, you also get used to that a little and you learn to live with it and deal with it.
Spring and fall, however, are extremely pleasant seasons, not only in our part of the country This is when we try to get out of the house as often as possible and see something of the region. And since we've been quite successful at this, I've already been able to discover and explore some wonderful places during my time here in Japan. And I was always fascinated by all the beauty and the special atmosphere that Japan still has to offer in the 21st century. Of course, Japan has entered the modern age a long time ago, but has preserved very special islands and oases everywhere, where you can feel the aura of times gone by. These include not only castles and historic city districts, but also the many excellent and charming parks that will quickly inspire and enchant you.
I don't even want to know how many of these wonderful parks there are throughout the whole country and I am simply delighted that I have already been able to visit so many of them. And since a joy shared is a joy doubled, I would like to introduce you today to a park that we visited in autumn at the very time when the trees and bushes were putting on their colorful dress. The autumn colors, which are called Kouyou çŽ è here, had not yet reached their peak, but what we saw was already enough to captivate and impress us.
Please join us on a walk where we will get to know autumn from its colorful and inviting side and which will surely enchant you a little too.
We were in a small town called Shibata, which in Edo times once had a castle from which the local daimyo ruled and controlled his samurai and the surrounding area. All that remains of the castle are a few walls and towers, but they are well worth a visit. Also dating back to that time is Shimizuen Park, which is now registered as a national natural monument due to its magnificent views. Shimizu-en was created by the 4th Daimyo of Shibata, Mizoguchi Shigekatsu, who invited the tea master Agata Souchi and asked him to design the garden for him. It is a Japanese garden in the Kyoto style, typically laid out around a pond with several tea houses, each offering a different view. The pond is said to represent the Japanese character for water æ°Ž (misu), which with a little imagination and good will may even be true.
But we weren't quite there yet, we are just standing in front of the gates and taking a look at the facility from the outside. Even here, in front of the closed doors, I could feel that I was once again exactly where I was supposed to be. I was really looking forward to finding out what was hiding behind these walls.
Of course, it wasn't completely hidden, even if you couldn't see much from the outside. But the public was now invited to drop by at any time and discover this place, which was previously only accessible to the chosen few. The charm of times gone by was omnipresent and had fortunately survived to the present day
We were now approaching the entrance, to which we needed to cross this small bridge. In earlier times, many samurai quarters were located by a small stream, which was probably also for security reasons. Here at Shimizu-en, this sight added a lot to the charm that this place already exuded from the outside.
Not that anyone would think we were all alone in this wonderful place that day. It was quite busy at first and a tour group had entered the park right in front of us. But luckily it all calmed down a bit soon and most of the visitors hurried ahead of us so we often had the most amazing sights to ourselves. And luckily I always manage to keep other unwanted people out of my pictures. This time, too, I managed it quite well.
Even the toilets looked like they were from another era and were perfectly suited to this place. And as we were used to in Japan, fortunately it doesn't take much courage to go and do your business here. One of the country's big selling points.
Off we went. But before we took a tour of the garden, we first went inside one of the buildings. There were a few exhibits to see in some places, and we didn't want to miss out on culture and history either.
As befits an old samurai town, there were also a few samurai suits of armor on display. I like looking at them, but putting them on and perhaps even having to fight in them was surely going to be quite a challenge.
This is a scroll painting depicting a Japanese pine tree. The art of kakemono (æãç©) or kakejiku (æã軞) was introduced to Japan during the Heian period from China, where it still exists today as well.
Here we see a large, colorfully designed kite that probably requires more than one person to fly it. Seems to be a lot of fun that even the samurai were likely to have enjoyed.
And here we see are some painted shells, which once again show that art and culture were already pretty important and advanced in early Japan. And that even back then you often needed a steady hand.
But now we're heading towards the garden. Through an open window we could already see the pond, where we really wanted to go. The view was already promising and we were ready to step closer.
No sooner said than done. Now we were outside again and there was a fairly large landscaped garden spread out before our eyes. Around the lake there was a lot of greenery and luckily there was also a path where we could explore the grounds.
Here we see one of the teahouses, which stands directly on the banks of the pond and where with a reservation you can even take part in an official tea ceremony. Right next to it we can already see the first play of colors, of which we would still get to see a little more soon.
We continued over this small footbridge, under which we encountered a few koi, which seemed to be living a very relaxed life here. They must have been enjoying the warm sunshine that day as well. Well, who can blame them?
From the other side you could see a few more koi, including a few with the typical orange tones. A really great splash of color for any garden pond, as long as you have enough space and money.
All around the pond, we could enjoy great views across to the other side, on which the dominant shades of green were interspersed with red and orange. Here in the foreground we have a TÅrÅ ç¯ç± , a stone lantern, which is a stylistic element that belongs in every proper Japanese garden.
Here is the view from the other side of the pound back to the main building. The sun wasn't quite so low yet and was still charming us a little with its warm rays. Unfortunately, the sun sets far too early in the fall, especially when you're walking under the trees.
I couldn't stop raving as I was walking around. I would have given a prize to almost every sight, as it looked so enchanting everywhere and this garden was so lovingly maintained.
The paths were also very well laid out and it was great fun to walk on these large stones and discover the magnificent scenery around you.
There was something to discover everywhere, especially if you left the main path here or there. We are standing now in front of another TÅrÅ, a little more hidden but no less charming than the others. Next to the slender cedar trees, it simply fits perfectly in this exact spot.
From time to time we found some other structures, but they also blended beautifully into this garden. There must have been experts at work here, and we could feel their class in every meter we walked.
Another wonderful view over the pond. I was particularly taken with the small baby pine tree here, which was just perfect for this spot. Nature always manages to inspire, even when man provides the framework.
Behind this small waterfall there are already a few red maple leaves next to the still quite fresh-looking green. Quite soon there will probably a lot more of them to see here, what means that the spectacle will be even more intense.
But even on that day, everything looked so extraordinary and enchanting. Who wouldn't fall in love with such a sight? I, for one, was only too happy to let myself be carried away.
In some places, autumn had already swung its brush quite actively and brought out some pretty intense colors. Red and green are a fabulous combination.
As always, I like to change the perspective and look at everything from several sides. That's simply the best way for me to experience things.
That's why we take another look back, which is no less charming. By the way, looking back is very important, because otherwise you might miss out on a lot.
I absolutely had to follow this path too. I simply couldn't resist, these steps were laid out before me so invitingly and literally drew me up the small hill.
The sun had now partially disappeared behind the trees, but that didn't hurt the atmosphere at all. I would have loved to stay there forever, I wanted so much to enjoy and soak up the vibe around me so that I would never forget it.
The autumnal scenery was just too magnificent and I simply couldn't resist taking more and more photos. I was only too happy to let myself drift along and kept going back a few meters to take a closer look.
And if you look closely, you won't miss such sights, which quickly stop me in my tracks and make the smile on my face grow even bigger. Despite all the irresistible charms around me, I like to be seduced again and again and again.
Our walk around the pond was now almost over and we were almost back where we had started from. The sun had really disappeared behind the trees, but the scenery in front of me hadn't lost any of its magic. This was exactly where I wanted to be, and I wanted it to last forever.
Our visit to Shimizu-en was slowly coming to an end and my head was full of colorful images and impressions. Autumn had once again managed to captivate us, and here in this magnificent park it really didn't take much to get a hold of me. But we had come for precisely this reason and of course I didn't offer any resistance and was only too happy to be led and seduced.
All the many pictures and all the feelings that accompanied me that day will stay in my head for a long time. I also have my photos so that I can refresh my memories whenever I want. And because all those moments are unfortunately so fleeting, it is important to keep these memories alive and to reassure yourself of the wonderful experience we have had. The energy I brought back from our visit to Shimizu-en will stay with me for a long time.
Fortunately, I always find places like this where I can recharge my batteries and refresh myself physically and mentally. I am extremely grateful for every opportunity to discover and explore a new oasis on our wonderful planet. And I am happy to share these experiences with you at this place here. Hopefully I will continue to have the opportunity to do so more often, so please keep checking back here for new pictures and impressions from the Land of the Rising Sun.
[//]:# (!pinmapple 37.94349 lat 139.32839 long Shimizu-en - A wonderful oasis with a colorful splash of autumn ð¹ð£ð Wonderful Japan d3scr)