Jonelle Patrick's Blog, page 22

Where To See The Most Divine Lotus Blossoms In Tokyo

Most flower seasons in Japan are like hitting the jackpot, but lotus season is more of a treasure hunt. Instead of fields of I-can’t-believe-my-eyes color, you have to hunt for the sublime pinkness amid a sea of green.

But when you find it…

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Lotus flowers open at first light, are at their best from about 7:00 to 9:00, then they close up again, so it pays to strap on your alarm clock and be up with the birds if you want to see them at their finest. But they bloom rain or shine, and they’re the one flower that’s always more beautiful in the rain. They start blooming in mid-July, and keep on ’til mid-August, so there’s plenty of time to get out and catch a little heavenly bliss.

Here are the very best places to see them, in and around Tokyo…

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TOKYO UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF AGRO-ECOSUSTAINABLE SERVICES near Tanashi Station

I know this doesn’t sound like the most promising of garden experiences, but…these.

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This beauty was grown from 2000-year-old seeds discovered in Chiba prefecture

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Everywhere you look, achingly beautiful flowers, as big as dinner plates

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Perfect, eggshell-thin petals of single varieties

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…to fluffy blushing ballerinas

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Each hybrid is more extravagant than the last

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This one has the charming name of “Moon Smile”

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And I could barely tear myself away from this white specimen with the thinnest of pink edging

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This stunner was bred at the Institute itself, and is a cross between a pink Japanese variety and a yellow American one

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You can walk among the lotus, which are growing in raised beds. This is a truly rare opportunity to get close enough to the flowers to take great pictures of them (without getting your feet hecka muddy), even if you don’t have a fancy camera with a big lens

But you’ll have to go quick, to see this year’s display! This is the last week the collection will be open to the public until next year. Their website (in Japanese) is here.

Lotus exhibition opening days: June 11 – July 19 (2019), Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:45 – 10:45, plus a special final opening day on Saturday, July 20 from 7:00 – 11:00

Admission: Free

MAP

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SHINOBAZU POND in Ueno Park, near Ueno Station

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Filled with classic pink lotus, there’s a nice boardwalk at the west end of the pond that loops out among the flowers

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And across the sea of lotus, a classic view of the Shinobazu-no-ike Benten-do Temple

And if you’re like me, there are few things more satisfying in the world than watching raindrops collect on lotus leaves until they spill:

Open: Every day

Hours: no limit to access

Admission: Free

MAP

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SANKEI-EN GARDEN in Yokohama, near Negishi Station

This garden offers special early opening hours from July 13 – August 4 (2019), so you can enjoy the blooms at their absolute peak.

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The lotus flowers in this garden are breathtakingly beautiful

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And there are several different varieties, hiding amongst the shady leaves

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Set in one of the most lovely of stroll gardens…

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…there are plenty of flowers to go around

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But the best part of the early opening hours are the crazy lotus leaf exhibits!

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There’s a table at the end nearest the entrance where they’ll cut you your very own lotus stem bubble pipe!

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And afterwards you can roam the rest of Sankei-en to visit the pagoda and teahouses and such

Sankei-en’s early opening lotus program: 6:00 – 8:30 am, only on Saturdays, Sundays & national holidays

When: July 13 – August 4 (2019)

Garden admission: ¥700 (Early lotus hours and demonstrations are free once you’re in the gate)

MAP with step-by-step directions for getting to the garden from Negishi station

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KORAKU-EN GARDEN near Korakuen Station

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Koraku-en garden has a small patch of traditional pink lotus

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They’re right by the little bridge near the entrance.

The lotus display at Koraku-en Garden isn’t grand, but it’s set in a lovely place, and after viewing the flowers, you can stroll through the rest of the garden, which is one of my very favorite walks, in any season.

Open: Every day except 12/29-1/3

Hours: 9:00 – 17:00

Admission: ¥300

MAP

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You can also find lotus flowers blooming at many temples, because lotus have special meaning in Buddhist theology. The ethereally pristine flowers soar high above their muddy roots, symbolizing the way enlightened pure thought transforms and transcends its origins in mundane everyday existence.

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I saw this one growing in a pot near where I used to live, in Toritsu-daigaku

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Until she reaches lotus-like enlightenment, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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For nine years, Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel. Because if it wasn’t an accident…what was it? Read more

Is This Mameshiba Cake Too Cute To Eat?

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I was in the Matsuya Ginza food hall stocking up on peanut snacks, when I saw this. I tried to walk past it. I tried. To be honest, I was sort of worried that a baumkuchen cake in the shape of a tiny shiba inu might be too cute to eat.

But my curiousity got the better of me. How could a baumkuchen – which is made by drizzling cake batter on a rotating spit, so it ends up being layers upon layers of alternating crust and cake – be made to resemble a shiba in any way?

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Ah. A cutout.

Hmm. At first, I was kind of disappointed that it was just a shiba picture printed on top of the frosting (cute, but kind of pale, compared to the box). And what if I bungle it while dismantling the cutout?

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Fortunately, it was utterly plug ‘n play., and it was actually pretty adorable. But once I’d cleared away the extra cake, it was sort of laughably tiny. Which was good, I guess, because I didn’t have to decide whether to bite off the head first or start with the  legs.

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When not eating an entire shiba cake in one bite, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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For nine years, Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel. Because if it wasn’t an accident…what was it? Read more

Things I Did Not Know You Could Do With A Lotus Leaf

This morning I was at the Sankei-en garden in Yokohama at the ungodly hour of 7:00 a.m. to see their field of lotus in bloom, but it was the bonus attractions that really made my day!

Sankei-en has special early weekend opening hours during The Season, because (who knew?) lotus flowers bloom for only a day, and they don’t like to sleep in. They open at first light, and are already starting to close up again and wilt by 9:00, so ya gotta really strap on your alarm clock to catch them at their peak.

But the good folks at Sankei-en make it worth your while!

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It goes without saying that they’ve got lots and lots of gorgeous blooms freshly opened each morning

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Most of them are that heavenly shade of lotus pink…

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…but if you look hard, you can find a few delicate pink and white ones…

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…and white ones with the thinnest picotee edge, hiding among the leaves

But the best part about the special early opening festivities were the hilariously educational exhibits.

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If I’m ever stuck on a desert island with only a lotus plant for company, my shower needs are totally covered

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And I’ll never be bored, as long as I can dip a lotus leaf into a bowl of dish soap

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Here’s a close-up of that trimmed-down bad boy. Huh, in this photo it looks like plastic, but I know it’s a real leaf because I watched the guy cut it!

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As you can see, there was no shortage of blooming lotus treasure hunting

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And afterwards I took a wee stroll around the rest of the garden…

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…which wasn’t too shabby either

Sankei-en’s early opening lotus program: 6:00 – 8:30 am, only on Saturdays, Sundays & national holidays

When: July 13 – August 4 (2019)

Garden admission: ¥700 (Early lotus hours and demonstrations are free once you’re in the gate)

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How to get to Sankei-en garden from the Negishi train station

You could walk (it takes about 30 minutes) but it’s faster and easier to take the bus. Here’s how:

• Outside the Negishi train station exit (there’s only one), you’ll see an array of bus stops. The first one to your left is where to catch the buses that stop nearest Sankei-en. The shelter is clearly marked, like this:

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See that green sign on the little fence? That’s the place where you line up to take the bus to Sankei-en

You can take the 58, 99 or 101 bus to Sankeien, and they all pick up passengers at this shelter. Tap your transit card on the Suica pad near the driver as you get on (or pay ¥220 for adults or ¥110 for children) then find a seat. The stop you’ll get off at is called Honmoku (本牧) and it’s the eighth stop on non-express buses. The driver will announce it, but it will also be displayed on the electronic signboard above the driver’s head when you get close.

When you get off at Honmoku, you’ll be at a big intersection. From the corner you can see the street you’ll walk down to reach Sankei-en, and also the bus shelter for your return to the station.

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Cross the wide street and turn into the smaller one. It’s less than a ten minute walk from there to the garden gate.

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After a long day of lotus hunting and bubble blowing, you’ll need a novel set in Tokyo

“A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader throughout, drawing us in emotionally . . . Highly recommended.” –Raven Crime Reads

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For nine years, Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel. Because if it wasn’t an accident…what was it? Read more

 

 

Nemesis, Thy Name Is Squid Guts

I was in Kamakura today, happily waiting for the arrival of my sesame soba and a mountain of crispy burdock root…

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ENVY ME

…when they delivered my beer along with the usual unwanted  (yet always-delivered) “beer snack.” Just my luck, it was my most un-favorite appetizer. Squid guts.

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I shouldn’t have been surprised – in the pantheon of Japanese beer snacks, fish innards are distressingly popular WHY

All right. Ugh. Don’t be That Foreigner. Get it over with.

Lesson One: Never chew.

Lesson Two: Always travel with your own private state-of-the-art toothpick.

Because much to my horror, in the process of dispatching the wiggly things as quickly as possible, an unholy fishy filament got stuck between my back teeth. I grabbed one of the wooden toothpicks from the table dispenser to fight back, but that turned out to be about as effective as trying to pluck my eyebrows with a set of pliers. I finally managed to get rid of the nagging little bastard hours later, when I got back to Tokyo and rustled up the proper tool:

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My kingdom for a multi-toothed flosser!

Which is how I’m able to bring you a little-known fact that I hope you never have to learn for yourself: even the tiniest shred of squid guts stuck in your teeth gives you cephalopod breath ALL DAY LONG.

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When not taking one for the team, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

Nine Years. Nine death anniversaries. Tomorrow will be the tenth. He always visits her grave early, to avoid crossing paths with her family. He always comes on the day he actually killed her…read more

 

The Enchanted Hydrangea Forest

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The spring rainy season isn’t the most delightful time to be in Japan…unless you’re hiking through a shady forest, surrounded by heaps and heaps of blue hydrangeas! Minamisawa Ajisai Mountain’s groomed trails wind up the side of a mountain, through a silent and stately cedar forest that’s robed in countless poufs of cooling blue and violet flowers from mid-June to late July. Walking through this forest reminded me of its autumnal counterpart in Koma, where higanbana (red amaryllis) bloom in glorious profusion amid tall trees (except the hydrangea goodness goes on for a month, not just a week!)

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As you can see, this flowery forest is vast!

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Most of the trailside glory is provided by the classic blue Japanese fluffballs…

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…but there are exotic hybrids too

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The trail is anchored with wooden steps, although at times it’s far steeper than this and can become a running stream o(or, not to put too fine a point on it, mud) if it’s been raining, so dainty high heels are not recommended (not that we know anyone who tried this SHUT UP)

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You can catch a few pink ones blushing amid the coolness

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When you come back down the ravine on the other side, it looks like a jungle paradise

Hydrangeas grow wild in Japan, but not in this kind of dizzying profusion. So…where did these all come from?

We found out that the patriarch of the family that has lived on this land for generations wanted to make it a pleasant experience for his family to visit his grave after he’s gone, so he began to plant flowers that bloom around the traditional summer grave-visiting time. As you can see, it succeeded beyond his wildest dreams! The current generation continues to plant more varieties, the original visionary is visited and thanked by all, and the hydrangea forest becomes ever more splendid with each passing year.

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The original gardener’s grave is near the trail head

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Bonus view: on the way from the (free) parking area, right past the table where you pay your admission, there’s a lovely garden and koi pond with a can of food you can toss to the every-hungry carp

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Here’s a (slightly creased) map of the hiking area

Open:

Every day (but if you want to hike amid the blooming hydrangeas, you should go sometime between mid-June and late July. These photos were taken at the beginning of July.)

Hours: 8:00 – 20:00

Admission: ¥250

This place is surprisingly close to Tokyo (it takes about an hour and 15 minutes from Shinjuku Station). The closest station is Musashi-itsukaichi, and you’ll have to take a cab from there into the mountains (it’s about 3 km, on a narrow and somewhat winding road). Here’s a map, to give you an idea:

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When not attempting to climb muddy mountains in unsuitable shoes, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

Nine Years. Nine death anniversaries. Tomorrow will be the tenth. He always comes early to avoid crossing paths with her family. He always comes on the day he actually killed her…read more

Under The Umbrella Sky

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If there’s a better way to celebrate Japan’s summer rainy season, show me! This is the latest environmental art exhibit at Metsa Village, the same place where Digitized Lakeside and Forest happened last winter.

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The exhibit is constructed from hundreds of tinted umbrellas, linked invisibly overhead, between the trees

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You enter beneath the warm end of the rainbow…

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…stroll under curiously sunny-feeling skies (even in the rain)…

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…and exit under deepest blue

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It looks especially surreal from the other end!

And best of all…it’s free! This path is the entrance to the paying areas of Moomin Village and other attractions, but you don’t have to have a ticket to enjoy the umbrellas.

Metsa Village is outside of Hanno, a 50-minute express train ride from Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line. From Hanno Station, there are regular buses ferrying people back and forth to Metsa Village.

Open: Every day until July 15, 2019

Hours: 18:00 – 21:00

Admission: Free

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After she dries off, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

“A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader throughout, drawing us in emotionally . . . Highly recommended.” –Raven Crime Reads

Someone has been visiting the grave of Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s mother on the day before her death anniversary. For nine years, he thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel… Read more

The Cat Shaming Vending Machine

How did you guess that the moment I caught a glimpse of this vending machine filled with cat shaming gachagacha, all my laundry coins would be history?

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“I played with the tissue”

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“I ate your snack”

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“I broke the dishes”

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“I clawed the wall”

There was only one problem…

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I got the first four before running out of coins, but how could I not come back to try for the mystery cat?

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“I’m not sorry”

NO REGRETS.

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Thanks to Sora News 24 for the cat-destroyed shoji background and to redditor stellaxtine for the excellent cat-devoured plant photo background

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In order to afford her vending machine obsession, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

Nine Years. Nine death anniversaries. Tomorrow will be the tenth. He always comes early to avoid crossing paths with her family. He always comes on the day he actually killed her…read more

The Secret Facelift Belt

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Not content to merely give people taller noses, smaller faces, and glued eyelids, now there’s a Japanese beauty appliance that irons out saggy face parts!

Depending on which wrinkly bit most offends you, the elastic “facelift” belt comes in both “face” and “eye” packages…

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…although it looks like it’s the same product inside, just with different ways to wear it.

The big question is…how the heckin’ heck is it supposed to work?

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I bet whoever designed this had a super strong mom who pulled her ponytail so tight it practically gave her a wedgie

This thing is an adjustable elastic strap with two industrial strength hair combs on either end. You’re supposed to position the combs, tighten the strap until it pulls your face tight, then do some sort of elaborate comb-over to hide the evidence.

All I can say is…OW.

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You don’t need to get rid of a single wrinkle in order to enjoy a novel set in Tokyo

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For nine years, Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel. Because if it wasn’t an accident…what was it? Read more

 

Dinosaurs Delightfully Invade The Real World

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I hope you’re in Japan right now, because dinosaurs are invading the Marui Annex in Shinjuku! These delightfully believable photos of the archaic denizens mingling with the good people of Earth (and their pets) will be on display for your infinite enjoyment from June 12 – 23 (2019).

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Meticulously scaled to familiar everyday scenes, it’s a whole new scary perspective on the alt timeline where that asteroid missed the Earth instead of blasting the dinos off to extinction. (And OK, sorry, but inquiring minds want to know: if the dragonflies were this big, what about the mosquitos?)

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Some are surprisingly petite…

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…while others that I always just thought “oh, a little fish with teeth” are ULP surprisingly NOT PETITE

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Some are barely weirder than stuff you find at the Tokyo fish market or in a Japanese grocery store…

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…while others are aieee! aieee! NO. Just NO.

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Some are unexpectedly charming and would definitely have their own Instagram accounts…

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…while others would definitely be viral internet gold

These photos are from artist/scientist Ken Tsuchiya of the Gunma Museum of Natural History‘s first book (available on amazon.jp), but YAY he’s got a new book coming out 7/22/19!

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They not only show off Ken Tsuchiya’s delightful photoshop chops, these excellent books are deliver all the facts to kids (and adults):

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The amazing/amusing photos are accompanied by illustrations of the ancient beings in their long-ago habitat, along with facts and figures about what scientists actually know about the extinct creatures.

 

Here are some previews from the new book:

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They might have to redefine “longhorns”…

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…and adjust the emotional support animal rules

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Some might end up being unexpectedly helpful in the kitchen…

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…or help out around the house

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And you never know how cultured they might turn out to be

If you’re in Tokyo and would like to see a bunch of these photos on display, the exhibit is in the first floor event space at Marui Annex in Shinjuku. It’s open from 11:00 – 21:00 and runs from June 12 – 23 (2019). If you spend more than ¥3000 buying the books at the exhibit, you’ll be entered into a drawing for other great original goods. More information about the exhibit (Japanese only) is here and a map is on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

Thanks to Spoon & Tamago for alerting me to this excellent exhibit. I highly recommend signing up for their newsletter, which dishes up gems like this on a regular basis!

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Since she can’t have a dinosaur as a pet, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

“A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader throughout, drawing us in emotionally . . . Highly recommended.” –Raven Crime Reads

Someone has been visiting the grave of Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s mother on the day before her death anniversary. For nine years, he thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a

Japanese Gift Boxes of Overwhelming Cuteness

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Gifting in Japan requires that the wrapping be nearly as precious as what’s inside, but I can never remember how to tie a traditional silk furoshiki without the book that reminds me how to fold and tuck the corners so it doesn’t turn out looking like I’m offering someone a wad of laundry.

But even fumblefingered moi can pop these uber-cute animal boxlets open and reap full points for birthday present-ing!

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And if the gift is many little somethings, these squee-worthy fabric bags will make sure that they’re appreciated as much as something WAY more special

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And even the cheapest little souvenirs rise to cult status when gifted in these animal bags (although I’m not sure I’d be able to part with any of the shiba ones)

And best of all, these aren’t from some expensive boutique card shop, they’re from Shimojima, where thrifty office managers and boutique owners shop the eight floors of supplies for bulk necessities. Now that Ito-ya has become a sad museum-like emporium of expensive and twee, get thee to this stationery bonanza out in Asakusa-bashi to satisfy your Japanese pen, pencil & All Things Only In Japan cravings!

If you’d like to ogle all the merch, a map to Shimojima is on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

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When not wrapping gifts, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

“A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader throughout, drawing us in emotionally . . . Highly recommended.” –Raven Crime Reads

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For nine years, Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura thought his mother’s death was an accident. Then he gets a call, and his life begins to unravel. Because if it wasn’t an accident…what was it? Read more