Yoyogi Park, Gardens next to Meiji Jingu

After finishing up wandering around the grounds of the Meiji Jingu Shrine, and as the sun was heading down the sky, I figured it was about time to check out Yoyogi Park, literally right next to the shrine. The entrance to Yoyogi is a large plaza, with abstract art embedded in the stones of the plaza. I’m not sure what they’re supposed to be, but they are interesting.

Yoyogi Park has a large garden area, with plenty of paths to wander through them. There is also a large pond with fountains that are lit with various colors in the evening, but these were being renovated when I was there, and they won’t be done until after I leave. I was disappointed and looking forward to seeing them! But, the flower gardens didn’t disappoint, they were amazingly varied and almost all in bloom. Apparently they won an award as well!

As I walked on the paths I ended up towards the back of the park, where I found all of the cherry trees, which were in still full bloom. There were of course a whole lot of people there, also enjoying the blossoms and having fun in groups of families, school classes and office staffs. There were quite a few foreign tourists as well, but thankfully it wasn’t crowded, and we all could enjoy the beauty.

So, it was the end of a long day, not as long as others, but I got back to my apartment nicely tired. I didn’t do anything special the next day since it was raining, but the Tuesday the 9th was forecast to be nice, so I determined to go somewhere that I had a chance to see Mount Fuji!

Nerdtour 2012 flashback: Yoyogi Park, Tokyo

Autumn beauty of Yoyogi Park
Just a little glimpse of the Autumn beauty of Yoyogi Park, in Tokyo at sunset.

Evening on the Potomac

Just a few scenes from Washington DC, near the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River, near sunset Friday night. The cherry trees are just barely beginning to open, especially the “weeping sakura”, the willow-like species from Japan. The main trees, the Yoshino, will be in full bloom in a couple of days, now that our cold weather has (finally!) moved on, allowing the warm Spring air to coax the blossoms out. I will have some photos from the peak in a couple of days.

Until then, here are a few to enjoy!

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Nerdtour 2012: Some pictures from Matsushima

The trip is winding down, now, but I’m now trying to squeeze in as much as possible. I probably won’t post anything until I get back to the US, unless it’s a short status entry. So, here are some photos from my Matsushima trip.

Enjoy!

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Nerdtour 2012: Surf, sunset, and Mount Fuji

This will be short and sweet, Wednesday I rode the Enoshima Train, or Enoshima Densha (Enoden) from Kamakura to Fujisawa, stopping along the way to see the Big Buddha (more on that later), and serendipitously caught the sun setting on a beautiful seaside town along the way. Plus, Mount Fuji! Or at least, the silhouette of it…
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