The Japanese Garden

On Sunday I visited the Shukkeien Garden which is located across the Kyobashi River opposite my apartment. I had the most delightful meander in the late afternoon rain. The gardens were originally designed in the 1300s based on the Chinese-style of creating miniature scenes and having one long circular path encompass them all: an arched bridge over a stream, a silver waterfall cascading over mossy rocks, a wizened pine tree crooked on a little island in the middle of a lake.

With notebook in tow (recycled from 1000 paper cranes), I sheltered underneath a wooden pagoda, penning the occassional haiku and looking out over the lake as enormous koi carp leapt out of the water and bared their silver bellies to the grey sky above. Fish appeared to be joyous of the rain, and continually somersaulted from the water in displays of frivolity. `Twas amazing to watch! They would break the surface, then launch, skip and splosh! Several turtles came to visit me as I tiptoed across stepping-stones over the streams - their little heads bobbing along, blinking through bubbles. Many of the maple trees are beginning to turn with the onset of autumn, and their leaves were like a cathedral of tiny blood-tinged stars. Shambling, thatch-roofed teahouses were nestled among the maple trees, however due to the rain, their sliding doors were firmly closed up and there was not a soul in sight.

It sounds a bit twee, but this garden is seriously like a Japanese version of Rivendell ala LOTR. Most ethereal and peaceful.

I`ll endeavor to visit this garden every week to seek solitude and a little haiku-writing.

ps photos above were snapped on my supersonic new mobile phone - it has email, the net and a camera - so are quite teeny-weeny.