Japan Travel Note I : Tannonwa, Wakayama Pref

My best Australian friends - Margie & Chris were staying @Tannowa, Wakayama for some time in April and May, and I had the pleasure to visit them twice during the cherry & azalea blossom season.

They are now upsailing along the Nihon Kai (Japan Sea) and on their way to Russia with their sailing boat - Stormbay...

Hope that everything is going well with them!

BTW, Tannonwa has a beautiful white sandy beach and is supposed to be the most beautiful beach in Wakayama! Too bad that it ws still a bit chilling to jump into the sea while I was there...

Kisses from Japan!

Prelude of Japan Travel Note

ALOHA!
LONG TIME NO SEE, my dear friends!

Sorry for a long silence.

I've been roaring and wandering all over Japan - twice to Kaisai Area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Tannonwa @ Wakayama Pref. etc.), and a trip to the southernest tip of Japan: Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Pref, incl. Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island and Taketomi Island etc.

Have done list:
- Hanami (Cherry blossom appreciation)
- Tourism (museums, parks, castles, temples, shrines etc)
- Night life (Salsa clubbing, Karaoke, hanging out in fishy bars@Namba, Osaka...)
- Swimming, snorkeling, hiking, trekking, canoeing...

Of course, photographing too!

Lots of stories to tell and many pictures to share, so please be patient with my snail-crawling speed!

In addition, I'll be absent again from 24th May until 12th June. The destination this time is far far away: the country of Himalaya - Nepal!

Princess Rose@Tokyo, Japan

070401_Hanami@Asukayama Park, Tokyo

Waiting with impatience, sakuras finally blossomed in Tokyo in full power. With weather's cooperation we had a sunny/cloudy Sunday with a bit wind from time to time but no rain, which iwas perfect for a "hanami" (cherry blossom appreciation) "takai" (gathering).

Hanami gathering is a multi-functional event in Japan:
it's the ritual to welcome the arrival of spring and to reiterate the philosophy of savouring the beauty in life; an occasion to get out of the office for the round o'clock Japanese salary class; an opportunity to build a sense of "solidarity" between bosses and their employees or between colleagues; a chance to make a perfect eating-drinking-laughing-fulling around party among friends... In short, it's PARTY TIME, and you'd not want to miss it!

MORE PHOTOs:

070401_飛鳥山公園花見大會/Hanami@Asukayama Park, Tokyo

070330_Night Sakura@Meguro River Bank, Tokyo

Meguro river bank is situated on the edge of center Tokyo (close to Meguro St. of the Yamanote line) and is popular for sakura viewing in its neighbourhood.

The river bank has been well designed into a "pedestrian's promenade", and special lightening (old-fashioned lantern light) is sponsored by shops in the area during the sakura season for community feedback.

The lit sakura and quiet river bank have provided lovers the best place for a romantic hanami evening in the crowed Tokyo metropolitan...

More photos:

070330_東京目黑川沿岸賞夜櫻/Night Sakura@Meguro River Bank, Tokyo

070327_Sakura hunting@Yasukuni Jinja, Chidori-ga-fuchi, Outer Moat Park, Tokyo

The scandalous Yasukuni Jinja (Jinja: a shintoist temple) is one of the most popular sakura (cherry blossom) appreciation spots in Tokyo, as well as its nearby Chidori-ga-fuchi (the edge of Imperial Palace moat) and the Outer Moat Park. Again, not much sakura was spotted in Yasukuni today, whereas flower and food vendors contributed color in the monotonous temple premises.

PHOTO ALBUM:

070327_東京靖國神社, 千鳥之淵, 外濠公園尋櫻/Sakura hunting@Yasukuni Jinja, Chidori-g

070326_Sakura Hunting @Koganei Park, Tokyo

Although Japanese weather forecast authorities predicted an early coming of sakura (cherry blossom) season in Tokyo - the 18th March, the tiny fragile flowers are still rare to be found in town...


First Spot in 2007 - Koganei Park:

This park is considered one of the best spots around Tokyo area for the appreciation of pretty cherry blossoms since Edo period. It's a huge park with various theme areas, eg. baseball field, kid's corner, bicycle laps and floral ground etc. It boasts of an area of 77 hectre with around 52 different kinds and more than 1,800 different cherry trees, incl. wild cherry, Yoshino cherry, and Korean Hill cherry etc.

As the changeable global climate keep playing us around since last year, the expected-to-blossom cherry in Koganei keep most of their buds still closed and make cherry hunters run around to look for their trace...


A surprise found in this park were the big white evergreen magnolias. Not only are their beautiful white flowers shinning gorgeously in the sun, but also is their parfume floating in the air so as to charm everybody into their realm...


PHOTO ALBUMN:

070326_東京小金井公園賞櫻/Koganei Park Hanami @ Tokyo