Tokaido Walk(6) Fujisawa-Chigasaki (off Tokyo)： Feb 27, 2011

I re-started my Tokaido walk after a winter pause (of about 2 months). It was my first Tokaido walk this year.

I walked from Fujisawa to Chigasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Old Tokaido has converted into National Route 1 around Fujisawa.
Shops and houses stand along the road. Some houses are built in traditional style.



JR Tokaido railway runs south of old Tokaido route. The seaside was quite near from Tokaido in the Edo period. But it is several kilometers from the route now (as new lands have been developed after the Meiji period).

A historical road (Oyama road) to Oyama Shrine branches off from Tokaido in Hiratsuka City, about 4 kilometers west from Fujisawa). The shrine was built on Mt. Oyama.

Visiting Oyama was popular among Edo residents in the Edo era. People walked Tokaido westward from Edo, and turned north here to Oyama. It is 20- 30 kilometers from the shrine, but its gate has been built here.





I walked in Chigasaki City.

Pine trees remain along the road here. Many trees are more than several hundred year old and some of them are 2 meter round.

The scene of Tokaido and pine trees at Chigasaki was drawn in Ukiyoe by Ando Hiroshige, a leading Ukiyoe painter in the Edo Period. I felt historical feeling.

Spring Flowers@ Kitazawa-river Walking Path: Feb. 26, 2011

Spring at the corner and spring flowers began to open.

I walked green walking paths on the way to and from Hanegi Park to enjoy the Ume (Japanese plum) Festival. I found several spring flowers and plants.



They included:

Sasanqua: red flowers, evergreen tree)


Ume (Japanese plum): The impression is different when I see Ume in the parks and in the paths.


Pansy: I found the flower in many flowerbeds in the walking paths.

Cherry: There are special cherry trees which open their flowers earlier than usual cherry in front of Yamashita Station of the Setagaya Line. I enjoyed cherry blossom.



Turip trees: They do not yet have the leaves. New buds are growing.

Kitazawa-river walking path runs in the Shimokitazawa and Umegaoka area. Small creek flows along the path. A white egret was walking in the creek. Flowers were beautiful.

There are temples and shrines along the path.

I often visit a small temple called “Enjo-in” along Kitazawa-river walking path. The garden is well arranged. There is a small pond in the garden and carp swim in it. There are red and white Ume (Japanese plum) trees there. They grow lotus in the pots.

I also visited Ringenji temple and Kitazawa Shrine today. I found various signs of spring there.

Setagaya Ume Festival @Umegaoka：Feb. 26, 2011

Spring is at the corner.

It is getting brighter and the daytime is getting longer. It was very cold a few days ago, but it was rather warm today.

The Ume (Japanese plum) blossom is its peak now at Hanegi Park in Umegaoka, Setagaya ward in western Tokyo. The Setagaya local government and local communities hold Ume Festival now (early February – late February).

There are about 650 Ume trees in the park. Most of them open white and red flowers now. It was so beautiful and it smelled well.

Thousands of people gathered in the park. They included old men and women in the wheelchairs.



There were many open sky stalls of flowers and foods.

Special market was also held at Umegaoka station of the Odakyu Line. Local people (as well as the local community) were enjoying the festival.

Shibuya：Feb. 13, 2011

We had a very cold long weekend. It snowed and the temperature went down below zero in Feb. 11th (national holiday) in Tokyo. Feb 12th (Saturday) was also cold. I stayed in and around my house.

Today was a bit warmer. I visited Yoyogi Park - Shibuya area.

There were fewer people than usual in the park as the air was still cold. Still, they were enjoying street performances, playing balls, reading etc. The sky was so blue.

They held an open-air market in the park. Thousands of people were enjoying the market.

I walked several hundred meters from Yoyogi Park to Shibuya. I dropped in some places including Tobacco and Salt Museum and shops on the way.

Shibuya has been said to be “the cultural center of young people” since the 1970s. Many stores and restaurants for young people, including Parco department store in the Shibuya Park Street, opened in the 70s and the town attracted the young generation.

There still remain many fashion shops, café and restaurants for young peoples in the area. Many boys and girls as well as families walked in the street. New shops like Disney Store and ZARA attracted people.

Still, I felt tha.the town getting old as many buildings are more then 30 year old.

The scramble in front of JR Shibuya station is always crowded. Famous royal dog Hachi’s sculpture and the replica of the Easter islands Moai are around the station.

Winter Scene @ Imperial Palace Gardens: Feb. 5, 2011

Imperial Palace’s East Gardens are one of the must-see places for tourist in Tokyo and I often visit there.

Today, I walked around the gardens and enjoyed the winter scene.

The gardens have many plants. Evergreens include pine and bamboo. Cherry and other trees have no leaves at this season.

The yellow plum (ume) has just opened its flowers. It smelled so nice.

 I also found the white plum blossom.

Long-tail carps were swimming slowly in a pond in the Ninomaru Garden. The carp is a hybrid of Japanese and Indonesian carps.

I saw many foreign tourist as well as Japanese visitors in the gardens.

I always feel history and beautiful nature in the park.