BY Clay Larroy
Regardless
of whether you are
traveling to a nearby location for the weekend or
taking a week-long destination vacation, you are always going to benefit from
some tips and ideas on how to make the whole process, more fun and less
stressful. Take time each day to alleviate stress while traveling or
vacationing and you will thank yourself for it when you get back home. With all
the chaos, jet-lag, partying and other excitement of travel comes a whole lot
of stress on your mind and body. By the time most vacations are over, another
one is needed to recover so taking a few minutes each day to rejuvenate will
make it easier for you to resume your normal life when it's all over. When you want
to plan a vacation contact me!
Gardens
in the Land of the Rising Sun
By Cindy Lou Dale
Tea Ceremonies
Integral to many garden experiences is the Japanese tea
ceremony. The ceremony, largely influenced by Zen Buddhism, dates back several
centuries and is the ritualistic form of preparing and receiving tea (Sado).
Japanese, with an interest in their own culture, take
tea ceremony lessons that last many years, and often span a lifetime. A tea
practitioner needs to have a thorough knowledge of tea production and the
rituals performed. The kimono-clad server must also have an understanding of
calligraphy, incense, flower arranging, ceramics and numerous other artistic
traditions, in addition to tea practices.
Following a symbolic purification of the utensils, the
host uses a bamboo whisk to blend water with the tea. Each hand movement is
prescribed. The bowl is then handed to the guest who places it in his left hand,
steadying it with the right, giving a low, silent bow of thanks. Before
drinking, he turns the face of the bowl away from his lips.
Kenrokuen Gardens
The finest tea garden experience can be found at the
Kenrokuen Gardens, in Kanazawa, which took nearly two centuries to build. It is
considered by many as the best garden in all of Japan and was once the private
garden of the Maeda family who ruled from Kanazawa Castle.
The spacious Kenrokuen Gardens features secluded stone
gardens and is abundant with streams, waterfalls and ponds. Broad views are
offered from the numerous bridges, and reflective tea ceremonies are performed
at the teahouses.
To get there: Take the JR Joetsu Shinkansen train line
from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa Station and transfer to the JR Hakutaka limited
express to Kanazawa. The journey should take about four hours. A bus ride from
Kanazawa Station to Kenrokuen takes about 15 minutes.
Korakuen Gardens
Built in the 17th century by a local feudal
lord, Korakuen Gardens are ranked as one of Japan’s most beautiful landscape
gardens. The gardens contain ponds, woods, teahouses and pavilions and are
overlooked by Okayama Castle.
Due to its black exterior, Okayama Castle is also
known as ‘Crow Castle’. It was built in 1597 and then completely destroyed in
World War II, but was rebuilt in the 1960s. Today the castle houses a
modern-day museum.
To get there: Korakuen Gardens are in the
south-eastern province of Okayama Prefecture, whose capital city, Okayama, is a
major transportation hub. The Sanyo Shinkansen train line runs through Okayama
and is approximately four hours from Tokyo and 50 minutes from Osaka. Take a
streetcar bound for Higashiyma from the front of the station. At the third
stop, Shiroshita Station, get off and take a five-minute walk to Korakuen, to
the east.
Kairakuen Gardens
Mito’s Kairakuen Gardens is famed for its acres of
plum trees and is understandably at its best during the blossom season in late
February and March. The Mito Plum Festival is held every year from February 20
to March 31.
Kairakuen (meaning ‘park to be enjoyed together’) was
created by the local lord at the time, Tokugawa Nariaki. Unlike the other two
great gardens, Kairakuen was open to the public and did not purely serve to
please the ruling lord. Other than the plum tree forest, Kairakuen also boasts
cedar woods and bamboo groves.
To get there:
Kairakuen is located in Mito, the capital of Ibaraki
Prefecture, and is one-hour northeast of Tokyo. Mito is easily accessed from
Tokyo’s Ueno Station by the Joban Line. The ‘Super Hitachi’ takes 65 minutes,
while local trains take twice as long. From Mito Station, Kairakuen can be
reached in a pleasant 30-minute walk along Senba Lake (a good English city map
of Mito is available at the station’s sightseeing information desk) or in 15
minutes by bus. During the peak of the plum festival (20 February to 31 March),
the trains on the Joban Line stop at the temporarily served Kairakuen Station,
which stands just next to the garden.
From the marvelously grand landscaped gardens to tiny,
curb-side shrub arrangements, nature encompasses Japanese life at all levels.
At times you will be left speechless, other times breathless, but when you
leave, you will do so with a lifetime of memories.
REFERENCE SITES:
In
order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to
understand - or at least to learn to understand - the beauty of stone.
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