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'Tis the season for plum blossoms so last week my husband and I headed off to Hyogo Prefecture to visit two famous plum blossom orchards. Sadly, we didn't have much luck because the plum blossoms were only at about 10% - about three weeks behind. However, we enjoyed visiting the Mitsu Roadside Station with its local produce and spectacular view, and Murotsu, the fishing village famous for oysters just down the road. Yes, the weather was miserable but still, we had a great time!  The view from Mitsu Roadside Station  The small fishing village of Murotsu  These were hanging everywhere! The cost? Between 350 and 400 yen per set of four fish. (In Canadian money, that's between $3.50 and $4.00 per set.)  It was cold and drizzling but these young men were busy preparing oysters for sale. They had quite the system set up! (Noisy too!)  We didn't see many people as we walked through Mutsuro but there were boots everywhere!  After visiting the local temple, we wandered down a side path and came across this small temple/lookout. We were welcomed by two elderly locals who had been sitting there chatting, and they pointed out various islands and engaged in small talk. So kind!  The view!
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Viewing the peak fall colors in Japan can be bit tricky as it's not always possible for a free day, good weather, and peak fall foliage to all line up on the same day. This was my frustration this fall—trying to find a day when it all came together. Finally, in late November, I jumped out of bed thinking, "Today is the day!" and off I went. As I sat on the train to Kyoto, I suddenly decided to change my destination. Over-tourism has become a significant problem in Kyoto in recent years, and it was highly likely that my original destination would be overcrowded. Instead, I chose to visit Bishamondo, a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Kyoto. It was my first visit, and I managed to get lost both on the way to the temple and on my return – not all that surprising since I hadn't prepared at all! (I don't have a cellphone so I usually prepare maps and such before my outings.) However, the temple grounds were stunning with the beautiful fall foliage at its peak. There were only a few visitors, most of whom were couples having wedding photos taken or participating in professional photo shoots. I spent a peaceful morning meandering the temple grounds, enjoying the foliage, and watching the various couples. I'm so glad I changed my mind! Bishamondo: www.discoverkyoto.com/places-go/bishamondo/  View of the main temple. (That's not a person on the other side of the fence. It's a stone monument of some sort.)  The trees along the walkway in all their fall glory!  The brilliant red fall foliage!  This couple was on a professional photo shoot. The photographer was quite entertaining! He was very vocal about what he wanted and he let everyone know how proud he was of himself when he got the image he wanted. Quite a few of us watching were chuckling the whole time.  The spectacular fall colours were everywhere! Some time back, Janet Anderson, a Canadian artist from Victoria, BC, painted my photo of a yellow ranunculus in my garden. To say I was pleased is an understatement! (Click here to see the original photo and the painting.) Well, Janet has done it again. This time it's a painting of photo of a weathered rose that I took while visiting the Rose Garden in Hirakata Park. (Most people know this park as a theme park called "Hirapa" but it has a huge rose garden too!) I'm just so honored to have such a talented artist take interest in my photos. I love this one too, Janet! Below is the original photo, the painting (taken from her Instagram page) and a shot of the painting in her home. As far as I know, the painting is not for sale. Janet's Instagram: www.instagram.com/janetspaintedlife/ Janet's Website: www.janetspaintedlife.com/  Weathered Rose (Original Photo)  Janet's Painting (a screenshot of her Instagram page where she posted her progress)  The painting in it's natural habitat. (^.~) The last 2 months have been a whirlwind of activity including the usual Christmas busyness, several unexpected turns of events (all good but they took time), and a one-month visit to Canada to spend time with my parents. Whew! I returned last week expecting to leave Canadian winter behind, only to discover that Japan was experiencing a record-breaking cold spell! For one week Osaka was colder than Vancouver every single day! Yikes! (Keep in mind we don't have central heating so when the temperatures go below freezing, we are COLD!) So, although it's plum blossom season, I wasn't very optimistic when my husband suggested we visit the plum blossom orchard at Yamada Ike Park yesterday. However, to my delight, the plum trees had started to bloom, though they were only at about 30%. Here's some of what I saw yesterday.       The plum blossom orchard in Yamada Ike Park, Hirakata, Japan. Soon this will be a riot of color. After living here for years, I finally visited Shugakuin Imperial Villa in northeastern Kyoto. Last year, friends from Singapore went on a tour of the villa and loved it, but they were surprised that we had never made a visit. We had heard about it, of course, and had walked along the perimeter many times with a friend who lives in the area. However, since you need to apply to visit, it just never happened. Our friends' enthusiasm finally prompted us to make the trip and so on a very cold, windy day in mid-November, off we went. Despite the chilly weather, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit! The gardens were spectacular, and the views were breathtaking. We could even see Harukas, located in southern Osaka, in the far distance! Shugakuin Imperial Villa is known as a "detached palace," which translates to "imperial villa." It covers 133 acres and includes three separate gardens that are considered cultural treasures. There are no large buildings; most of the structures are teahouses. The villa is managed by the Imperial Household Agency, and an application is required to participate in the 90-minute tour. For more information, visit the official webpage: https://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/shugakuin.html (The video on the webpage is the one that visitors watch while they wait for the tour to begin.)  The view from the beginning of the tour. Those are sheaves of rice drying rice in the field, and you can see Kyoto in the distance.  View from the Upper Villa looking out over the hills of Kyoto Prefecture. Apparently, this view has not changed in 400 years.  Boat house, pond and garden, Upper Villa  Garden, pond and teahouse, Upper Villa (The photo of the view from the Upper Villa was taken from the teahouse on the far left.)  Fall foliage, Upper Villa |
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I'm a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I like to share.
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