Autumn Mission: Shinjuku Gyoen (wrap up)

So I realise it’s no longer autumn, and I realise I’ve already posted many autumn foliage photos… I promise this is the last one! I visited Shinjuku Gyoen as part of my Autumn Mission just before I left on my Australia holiday in December, and I’ve been meaning to do this wrap-up post since. Better late than never!

I’d been told it was beautiful at Shinjuku park in the autumn, but since I’d gone so late in the season (it was already winter), I wasn’t expecting a lot. I was more than pleasantly surprised. In fact, I was quite blown away! The fiery reds, oranges and yellows contrasted with the evergreens, and sparkled in the morning sunshine. The fallen leaves swept across the path, rustling and dancing in the wind. Overhead, the tallest trees branched their arms together as if protecting the ground below. The forest was alive! And to top it off, there were only a few others basking in this beautiful, natural show… no crowds, yay!

The tree is on fire!

Sun-kissed forest

Shinjuku Gyoen front entrance

Corridor of colours

Reflections

Intense red!

Canopy of colours

Peaceful morning walk

A lone pine cone bidding autumn goodbye

** Autumn Mission Wrap Up **

My self-assigned mission was to see as many autumn-foliage spots as possible in and around Tokyo. I definitely tried as hard as I could, and made the most of weekends and holidays. But, there just wasn’t enough time to see everything! Nevertheless, after spending my first autumn in Tokyo, I can say that it is such a beautiful time to be in the city. I’m not sure it’s as breathtaking as the cherry blossoms in spring, nor autumn in Kyoto, but compared to my hometown in Australia – which is green, green, green all year round – I was like a kid in a candy store!

My autumn adventures of 2013 were:

1) Nikko (Post 1) / (Post 2)

2) Mt Takao

3) Showa Memorial Park

4) Setagaya temples

5) Shinjuku Gyoen (see above)

Until next year!

Autumn Mission: Temples in Setagaya

It was a very chilly morning, already well into December. I thought I had completely missed the chance to see kōyō in Setagaya. Work, life, bad weather (and sometimes just pure laziness) had meant I’d kept putting it off. I’d been looking forward to visiting Gotokuji Temple in particular, ever since I saw its momiji maple trees back in summer. Gotoku-ji is a temple that I had stumbled across during a walk around my neighbourhood, not knowing it was the birthplace of the famous ‘beckoning cat’ or maneki-neko! I didn’t take anymore photos of the cats this time – you can look here at my post about Gotoku-ji, if you’re interested. Either way, I hope you have a look back to compare how different the place looks in autumn compared to summer! At that time, the leaves were as green as grass, but I knew come autumn it would be one hell of a sight!  

There’s one thing that the Japanese always know how to get right: gardens. Their meticulous culture means that nothing goes unnoticed and every little detail is considered. Some people might think it’s a bit over the top, but it’s one of the reasons I love Japan! The beautifully trimmed shrubs, the contrasting colours, the symmetry – it’s all the ingredients for a perfect Japanese garden, just like that at Gotoku-ji.

The second temple I visited was Jotoku-in, just around the corner from Gotoku-ji. I stumbled across this one, too! Actually, I had been zooming down the street on my bicycle when to my right I glimpsed a giant yellow tree. Drawn to this lone ginkgo tree, I slammed on the brakes and swerved into the entrance of the temple. The very dramatic discovery was followed by a tranquil exploration of this small temple. I was the only person there so I could take my time taking photos and soaking up the beautiful nature.

Rub the head of Ikkyu-san, a famous anime monk boy, for good luck. :-)

It wouldn’t be Japan if there wasn’t a vending machine in sight. I’m not even joking.

Autumn Mission: Showa Memorial Park

It’s already winter, and I’m still catching up on my autumn posts! Where does the time go?!

A few weeks back, I visited Showa Memorial Park in Tachikawa, western Tokyo. It’s an enormous park that was built to commemorate the Showa Emperor. Each November, the ginkgo trees in the park come alive. The yellow leaves are so radiant that they would brighten even the gloomiest of days. There are two stunning corridors of ginkgos lining both sides of a long rectangular water feature with a beautiful fountain at one end. Yellow leaves carpet the ground, fill the gutters and even blanket the smaller surrounding shrubs. It is pretty spectacular, and I completely understand why the city has created an annual Koyo Matsuri (autumn leaves festival)!

The day I visited the park was the last day of the 2013 festival. Some trees were starting to look a bit bare and the fallen leaves covering the paths definitely looked like they had been trodden on by a million people. Despite that, like everywhere in Tokyo, the park was crowded, very crowded. Standing in one spot for 10 minutes, waiting for a break in the crowd so you can take that perfect shot, is just part of the fun! Patience is a virtue. It also means that you don’t get very far! I barely covered a quarter of the 160 odd hectares. All the more reason to go back again sometime!

Here are some of my snaps of the ginkgo trees, momiji (maples), and a VERY special surprise at the end of the day.

And, drumroll please…. the ever graceful, bold and majestic Mt Fuji made an appearance at sunset. What a treat! There will be more sights like this as winter progresses and the sky becomes less hazy. Can’t wait!!

Autumn Mission: Nikko

The leaves have started changing in Tokyo! Finally, I can get on track with my Autumn Mission.

One place that was on my list, and I’m happy to say I’ve now checked off, is the one and only Nikko. This was my second time to the World Heritage town, and it was just as spectacular as I remembered! A couple of friends and I spent the day around the back streets, discovering beautiful colours around every corner. It was so peaceful being away from the crowds. It’s actually kind of unfortunate that most people only go to the well-known sightseeing spots. They’re missing out on so much! At night, we checked out the “light up” at the shrines and temples. I wasn’t sure how good it was going to be, but maybe that’s what made it all the more impressive! The red shinto shrines and momiji leaves against the black night sky were intense and powerful. I literally couldn’t put my camera down! Walking around the small pond in Shoyoen Garden was probably the most memorable part of the night. The reflection of the trees in the water was so picturesque… if only there hadn’t been hundreds of other people there! As usual though, there was no pushing and shoving despite the crowd sometimes having to walk in single file. And even when the line came to a halt because someone wanted to take a photo, people waited patiently. It really is a special country.