Also: Hey mom, I finally found a good image host, and since I'm taking a lot of pictures, you can see all my pictures on my photobucket account, which I'm still uploading pictures to. Go to http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b298/ioleapi/Band%20Comic/Yoyogi%20Park/ and the guest password (if they ask) is "picture".
So anyway, I went to the Meiji Jingu Garden, which was the private garden of Emperor Meiji (Late 1800's - early 1900's) and his wife Empress Shoken, but now it's a public garden (with a fee to see the flowers and inner gardens). So without further ado, the pictures:
The gate to the outer garden.
An inscription outside the gate. I couldn't translate it all, but I think it says the title of the park (Meiji Jingu), the date it was established (Nov. 1st), and then some stuff about trees and birds/fish.
Birdge over a stream and some trees in the outer garden.
A close-up of the stream from the bridge.From here I saw the sign for the entrance to the inner gardens, and since it was also over the signs that June was THE time to see the gardens, I had to go in. The following pictures are from there:
This is the pond (quite big for a pond I think), where Emperor Meiji liked to go fishing.
And there are still fish in there!
As well as really cute, tiny little turtles. I think this guy could've fit in the palm of my hand. He was just kind of hanging out by the edge of the water right in from of me. I think he must be a diva or something, cause he liked getting photographed by all the tourists. ^^
More of Emperor Meiji's "pond."
And another view, through some nicely lit trees.
The Emperor also had a teahouse where he could look at the pond from these large windows here. You can sort of tell from the incline of the trail - this is on a hill and so has a great view.
The back of the teahouse/entrance. The teahouse was closed to the public, so I couldn't go in, but the outside is still pretty.
And here is the much applauded iris garden of Empress Shoken, designed by Emperor Meiji as a present to her I think. I wasn't too impressed at first, but that was before I realized that the garden goes on FOREVER. It was like a river of flowers going around bend after bend, so you can't see all of it at once, and I guess the Empress could have walked along it and had a long conversation without the flowers ever ending.
More flowers
Irises, with a resting/viewing awning overlooking it.
Close-up of the dark purple irises. ^_^
More Irises.
A poorly taken-self portrait, since I was by myself. But now everyone can see that I was actually there, and didn't just scan a post-card collection. If you're wondering about the victorian shirt and fake piercings, it's because I had just come from Harajuku. And platform shoes do not for good garden-walking make.
This was my first instance of being able to apply something I learned in class upon coming to Japan - This here I would wager was inspired by the Buddhist idea of an eight-planked bridge among a field of irises. It's a famous motif in a lot of Asian art - I think the eight planked bridge symbolized the eight-fold path, but I can't remember what the irises symbolized. Regardless, I DID recognized this scene from a painting that I had to memorize for my Japanese Art and Architecture class last year.
And here it is! A famous gold-leafed folding screen done by Ogata Korin, whom I think started the Rinka school. Or something. Hey, I left my textbook at school, I can't look all this up right now... But I remember that it was notable for its lack of outlining, which was a major feature of Japanese art until this point. The flat planes of color next to each other were a notable feature of this work. Oh, and I think Korin had some sort of delusion of grandeur complex or something. I remember he was a bit of a strange fellow.
The irrigation system of the irises! If you can't tell from here, that's a split piece of bamboo.
A close-up of the plants so you can see the water.
And a close-up of a really pretty lavender iris.
And some trees with the sunlight shining through them.
And to satisfy my earlier curiosity about the irrigation system, the end of the trail led to Kiyomaru's Well, which is known for its remarkably clear water. And it WAS really clear - I could see every stone. The water was nice and cool too (I dipped my hand in). ^^
After that I walked out through a different exit (which I think was through the azalea gardens, which weren't in bloom), and then out the outer gardens through another huge gate.
The inscription beside the gate said that it was the largest wooden gate in the world, and was made from several Japanese Ceder/Cypress (I forgot which) trees that were grown in Taiwan. It was donated by some company or rich family or something.
And roped off here are some samples from Emperor Meiji's wine collection. Of those of you not too savy with Japanese history, Emperor Meiji ruled from 1867 (when he was only 15!) until his death in 1912. He is well known because he was largely responsible for the opening of Japan to the West. For 200 years prior, Japan followed a strict isolationist policy, and refused to admit visitors or trade from other countries. When Commodore Perry forced the opening of the ports through, Emperor Meiji turned this to the country's advantage and imported all sorts of modernizing technology, from trains and and industrial machinery, to even clothing and customs. He was the first Emperor to don western clothing, as you can see in the picture below, and was also fond of Western food and drink. The inscription beside his wine display here says that this display was a sign of Japan's friendship with France, who I think gave him the wine as a gift.
A famous portrait of Emperor Meiji in Western clothes.
And because this is Japan, the park of course had a very modern gift store/foot court/fancy restaurant/mini-museum complex adjacent to it. I got there too late in the afternoon to get into the museum long enough for a good look around, but they were displaying Imperial court dress from the Taisho and Showa periods (1912 - 1938 I think). During that period Japan was slowly making the switch from traditional Japanese dress and kimono to western clothing, so there are some interesting compromises/half-way pieces on display here I imagine. The gift shop was also very pretty, and sold beautifully wrapped sweets, so I think I'll bring some of those home in September. ^^
And here are the things I bought - a package of sweets (spongecake with some egg custard like filling) and a bottle of what I think was green tea. Either that or Oolong. The point is that I took her picture because it reminded me of a modern adaption of the tea ceremony (called "Chado"). In the tea ceremony, you spend way too long a time drinking one bowl of tea in a specially designed teahouse, sitting in an uncomfortable position, and then you get a sweet at the end. And you're supposed to quietly contemplate the beauty of the garden while drinking the tea. In my modern adaptation, the tea is in a bottle, the sweets packaged, and the 'garden' made of concrete. I like the modern adaptation - you get the sweets faster. ^_^
That's all for the Meiji Jingu garden!
Coming attractions: The electronics of Akihabara, a bit of Ginza, the fashion of Shibuya, and the old-fashioned part of Asakusa.
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