Spring is in full swing in Japan.
(I wrote this blog 17,April 2011)
Many flowers bloom in spring.
One of those is flower of cole.
Blue sky,beautiful flowers…
where are we?
Is it the country here? Like Hokkaido?
I point a camera behind……
What?
This is not a composite photos.
It is strange scenery.
This is 'Hamarikyu Gardens'.
hama=浜=はま=beach
rikyu=離宮=りきゅう=imperial villa
Hamarikyu Gardens was made in 1654.(Edo era)
Originally it was the garden of Daimyo.
Daimyo(大名=だいみょう) is something like modern governor.
The garden became the imperial villa of the Imperial Family afterwards.
Finally,it was granted to Tokyo in 1945.
From Shiodome Station (subway Ooedo Line), it is a 5-minute walk. We arrive at Hamarikyu Gardens when We cross the bridge.
As it can be noticed for its name,tha garden faces the sea.
This is the front gate.
東京都=とうきょうと=toukyouto=Tokyo
浜=はま=hama=the beach
離宮=りきゅう=rikyu=imperial villa
恩賜=おんし=onshi=Royal gift
庭園=ていえん=teien=Garden
The couple who held a wedding ceremony took a ceremonial photograph.
Left two people are newly-married couples.
Right two people are a photographer and assistants.
Probably the woman wearing a mask will be hay fever.
When you enter the garden,you can see the japanese garden scenery in the city.
The building of the middle is advertising agency 'Dentsu' .(電通)
The left building is 'Conrad Tokyo' (hotel).
In addition, building group of the big company like Sumitomo forms a line.
In such skyscrapers, there is this garden. It is right the oasis in the city.
The cherry trees are in full blossom, too.
And many flowers blooming in profusion.
The combination of historic Japanese garden and high-rise building seems strange.
You can see The Tokyo-Tower midmost.
There are several places of free rest stations in the garden.
The rest station of this photo is "Ochyaya of Nakajima".
Ochyaya=御茶屋=おちゃや=rest station
Nakajima=中島=なかじま=island of middle of the garden
Three women sit and take a short break.
Rest station of the Edo era and Modern skyscrapers.
It is right fusion of the 17th century and the 21st century.
Hamarikyu Gardens faces the Tokyo Bay.
The Garden takes in seawater from this water gate.
and you can see The Tokyo Bay when you go ahead through the garden.
This is beautiful and historical garden,but When you step outside of the garden.....
it is urban right in the middle.
I took panoramic photo of this garden by iPhone(3G) with App(Pano).
By the way, many beautiful flowers bloom as you saw it,
However, there are the flower which begins to die ..
and the flower which have fallen into the ground.
I remember 'Onono komachi' when I see such scene.
小野小町 Onono=小野 komachi=小町
小野小町 Onono=小野 komachi=小町
There is a form of the short poetry called the 'tanka(短歌 たんか)' in Japan.
The tanka expresses various things in 31 characters.
She was an author of a famous tanka in 9th century.
Because she was a beautiful woman, she seemed to tease many men in her youth…….
but she made such a famous song in her later years.
花の色は うつりにけりな いたづらに
わが身世にふる ながめせしまに
hana no iro wa utsurini kerina itazurani
wagami yonifuru nagame seshimani
(in English)
And now that the flowers have all faded, in the lingering rain,
In vain I make my way through this world of ours.
(from 風塵社『プラス英訳百人一首』)
Regardless of male or female, we should be nice to a person...^^)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
【one more thing】
Thank you for having a contribution campaign of Zazzle cooperate.
This campaign was finished on April 12.
Some my works were sold,too.(^^)
The profit is contributed all to the Red Cross.
Thank you very much!!
I thought that I wanted to make something using a kanji and a design about Japan at the beginning of this year.
And I found service of Zazzle.
Zazzle is the service that we can make T-shirt or life miscellaneous goods with our own design and can sell it.
They are U.S company and are
open in the country below.
US/UK/Canada/Australia/
Germany/Japan/Spain/Brazil/Sweden/France
From now on, I intend I make a new work, and to sell it .
Last week,I made a T-shirt with the strawberry which was spring seasonal fruit as material.
苺=いちご=ichigo=strawberry
kanji & photo ver.
only photo ver.
http://www.zazzle.com/strawberry_spaghetti_top_tshirt-235428572775368423
You can move this design to other products in Zazlle.
T-shirt,Bags,Hats,etc etc.... Like this(^^)
Thank you for reading till the last.
I sleep tonight while having dream that I became very rich.(^_^;)/
