Chrythanthemum Exhibition at Sankei-en Garden

Hello, dear followers of my blogsite! I went to Sankei-en Garden to see Chrysanthemum Exhibition and enjoyed it very much. So, I'd like to post some pictures for you to share them.

These are all made of chrysanthemums.

These two are miniature chrysanthemums.

I also enjoyed Japanese pampas grass.

Water birds are comfortably floating.

Three storied pagoda in the garden.
Posted by Mitsutoshi Masunari
mitch68canada@yahoo.co.jp

Yokohama Honmoku Pier

This tower was built in 1986 and has a function of a lighthouse. It is named Yokohama Port Symbol Tower which stands at Honmoku 'D' Pier of Yokohama Port. Its height is 58.5 meter. It sends messages and signals to passenger ships and cargo boats which enter and leave Yokohama Port for their safety. I went up to its observatory.

It was Friday afternoon.

You can see Yokohama Bay Bridge in the middle of this picture.

Another picture from the ovservatory.

Then I went down to the foot of the tower. This is a cargo boat APL. It stands for American President Lines.

Admiral Togo and Flagship Mikasa

I had a chance to visit Mikasa Park for the first time since April 2011, so I took many pictures there.

Mikasa was a battleship which was built in the United Kingdom and brought to Japan in 1902.

People who engaged in the construction of Mikasa in England.



Launching Ceremony

Heihachiro Togo(1848-1934) was an Admiral who led Japanese Navy at Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905). At the time of the war Mikasa was used as a flagship.

Admiral Togo

The stem of Mikasa

I posted only a few pictures which I enjoyed at Mikasa Museum in Yokosuka. You will be able to enjoy more if you go to the museum.



Finally, Tokyo Station was unveiled!

Tokyo Station was built in 1914.

Because of rain and wind the station building had been eroded, so it underwent a cosmetic surgery. Tourists who came to Tokyo couldn't see the building during the surgery.
Then Tokyo Station was unveiled.

I hope you to enjoy the station building. In the vicinity of the station, there is Tokyo Central Post Office.

Your airmails to Japan are collected here and distributed from this post office.

Then, I saw a colorful bus, parking near Tokyo Station. 
What do we believe? Yes. We believe Japanese atheletes to win as many gold medals as possible in London.

A temple full of flowers in Kamakura

Meigetsu-in Temple aka Hydrangea Temple is in North Kamakura. This temple is usually quiet but at this time of a year there are full of visiters.Do you know why?

It is because we can enjoy hydrangeas at this temple.

At the backyard of this temple there are irises. 

A stone statue of Jizo with red costume.

A dry landscape garden and Mitsutoshi

British House Yokohama & Rose Garden

This structure was built in 1937 and used as an official residence for British Consulate General. In 1969　it was sold to Yokohama City prior to the closure of British Consulate of Yokohama in 1972.
Now it is used as a public hall for Yokohama citizens.

This was a bedroom of the second floor.

This is a backyard of the house.

In front of the house we can enjoy beautiful roses.

A Dharma-doll and Kencho-ji Temple in Kamakura

I went to Kencho-ji Temple to buy a Dharma-doll and return an old one. I had my second lumbar fractured on January 31 and sufferred from the injury and its aftereffect. In Japan, when we have a wish, we sometimes buy a Dharma-doll which has an eye already painted black. When our wish is satisfied, we draw another eye by ourselves. I bought this to pray for the full recovery of my back injury.  

Kencho-ji Temple is the highest ranking zen-temple in Kamakura. It was founded by the 6th regent of the Kamakura Government Tokiyori of the Hojo clan in 1253. The first head priest was Daigaku Zenshi who came from China and introduced Zen-Buddhism to Japan for the first time.

This is a bell which has been designated as a national treasure.

In the building 'Hatto' there is a ascetic statue of Buddha which was presented by Pakistan

This is a gate to Hojo where Head Priest lives. This gate was repaired last year and has recovered the original figure which was damaged by the Kanto Big Earthquake. 

Beyond the gate there is a dwelling of the head priest.

We can enjoy the beautiful garden there.

Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore(1856-1928)

Have you heard of a story about an American woman who introduced cherry blossoms to the United States more than a hundred years ago?

I have already introduced her story in my yahoo blog. But this time, I 'd like to introduce her here in this google blog.

Her brother - George Hawthorne Scidmore - was a diplomat who served in the far east from 1884 to 1922. This was a big advantage for her. She frequently visited and travelled Japan. Eliza was so impressed by the beauty of cherry blossoms that she wrote a letter to the then first lady Helen Taft and advised to plant to cherry trees in Washington DC. This year is the 100th anniversary of the transplanting  sapplings of cherry trees along the Polomac.

Scidmore family's tomb stone is at Yokohama Foreign General Cemetary. George was a consul general of Yokohama when he passed away as an incumbent. He was single and lived with their mother Eliza Catherine Scidmore. Both were buried here. Eliza Ruhamah was in Switzerland when she passed away, but her ashes and bones were brought here according as her will.  Sapplings were made from a cherry tree along the Potomac and planted around the family grave.  Then, from a cherry tree near this tomb, a sappling was made and planted near the entrance of Motomachi Shopping Street  with her monument.

Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Sankei-en Garden

It was Saturday today. Although it was cloudy, there was no wind and rain. So, it was a nice day for cherry blossom viewing.

Accommodation is only 500 yen. Sankei-en Garden is owned and operated by Yokohama City. People who live in Yokohama and who are over 64 years old are allowed to enter the garden for nothing.

I saw some couples who held their wedding ceremonies on this day.

Here is another.