Jonelle Patrick's Blog, page 31

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Another newly-discovered azalea spot is closer to metro Tokyo:

SHOWA KINEN PARK

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The best azalea display is right near the Tachikawa entrance, at the big fountain.

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A magnificent multicolored hedge completely surrounds the fountain…

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…and somehow they manage to get all the colors blooming at the same time

This giant park is in Tachikawa, about an hour from Shinjuku Station, and although it’s a long way to go just to see the azalea hedge, it’s such a big park, there’s a lot more to see than just what’s famously in season. For example, at the same time the azaleas are blooming, you can catch the tail end of the “Flower Festival”:

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There’s a big section by the “Serpentine” river that is planted in tulips, and it’s in constant bloom from early April until early May. This picture was taken on the same day as the azalea photos.

Hours: 9:30-17:00

Admission: ¥410

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But of course, there are plenty of spectacular places to see azaleas just a short train ride away from anywhere in Tokyo. For example…

NI NO MARU, Imperial Palace East Garden

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Most inviting place to sit in all of Tokyo

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Wherever you are, you’re surrounded by color

This little garden is filled with hedges that look like abstract paintings made with flowers. Most of the year, the Imperial Palace gardens are totally missable, but during azalea season, you have to GO.

For sheer “paved with color” perfection, you can’t miss at this small but lovely spot that’s in the “downstairs” part of the Imperial Palace East Gardens

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The banks of bushes snake around green lawns…

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…and little islands of not-blooming, so the colors look even more vivid in contrast

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No matter what season I go, this garden is one of the most uncrowded I’ve seen in Tokyo. If you wait patiently, you can easily get pix with no people in them

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Even the parts that aren’t solid color are just beautiful

[image error]The first azaleas to bloom are the red ones, the last are white. At any one time, several colors are in full riot, but the mix changes every day.

Open: 9:00-17:00, closed Mondays & Fridays

Admission: Free

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NEZU SHRINE

This shrine in Northern Tokyo is one of my favorites in any season, but it’s famous for its azaleas.

How do they get them to bloom like that? Kind of amazing, isn’t it?

The added bonus of seeing the azaleas at the Nezu Shrine is that you can also walk through their tunnel of torii gates.

Open: Every day, 9:00-17:00

Admission: ¥200

Note: Sadly, in 2017 the Nezu Shrine azaleas were struck by a perfect storm of weather and malaise, and the bushes produced only a few buds this year. The staff told me that they hope that with treatment, the bushes will bounce back next year, as beautiful as ever.

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RIKUGI-EN GARDEN

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Rikugi-en is one of the most serene gardens in Tokyo, but from mid-April to mid-May, riotous spots of color pop up amid the greenery

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“Azalea Mountain” is across the pond, beyond my favorite bridge

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You can climb up through the crazy colors…

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…and from the peak, you can pretend that all your base are belong to us

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As you can see, even while the “mountain” is in full bloom, the shadier parts of the garden still have colorful surprises in store. If you miss the peak, you’ll still find pockets of delight amid the greeniness

Open: Every day, 9:00-17:00

Admission: ¥300

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If you’re anything like me, maybe you’re wondering why cherry blossoms are such a big deal when azaleas can look like this. So I asked one of my Japanese friends the question…

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Nightshade is the one that takes place around the Nezu Shrine and Rikugien Garden

A young woman is found dead in an abandoned car, with a pair of strangers old enough to be her parents. Their suicide note apologizes for a disaster that hasn’t yet happened. And someone is stalking the…Read more

…or watch the book trailer! (0:52)

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Published on May 06, 2017 18:12

I Never Thought I’d Be Excited About A Fire Escape

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But isn’t this the best fire escape EVER? I mean, it’s a SLIDE. (And a fast one too. I know. I was a childhood slide junkie.)

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Let’s just take a closer look at that bad boy. Polished metal surface, CHECK, whoosh-enabling grooves, CHECK, hella steep angle, CHECK

If I lived here, I’d want to have fire drills every day.

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo.

When Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death ten years ago wasn’t an accident, his world begins to unravel. New evidence links her to…read more

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Published on May 05, 2017 17:21

The Slippery Slope, Illustrated

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See, this is where tolerance will get you. Let them get away with putting ginger pickles and fish shavings on pizza, say nothing when your spaghetti comes topped with sea urchin eggs, and next thing you know, you’ll be waking up to every child’s worst nightmare: SPINACH PANCAKES.

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Let’s zoom in on that serving suggestion for a moment. On second thought, maybe it’s best not to think too hard about what that black topping might be…

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo.

The #1 hostboy at Club Nova makes a handsome living, whispering sweet nothings in the ears of women who pay him a fortune for the privilege. But the party’s over when…Read more

…or watch the book trailer (1:08)

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Published on May 01, 2017 15:53

Where To See The Most Beautiful Wisteria In Tokyo

It’s purple season again! Yes, the wisteria are blooming, and (did you even have to ask?) of course Japan has over-the-top displays of the good purple stuff. Peak season is mid-April to mid-May, so get thee to these spots right now to see the most eye-popping ones around…

ASHIKAGA FLOWER PARK

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Because mother of all wisteria

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Because mother of all wisteria lit up at night

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Because mother of all wisteria lit up at night, conveniently next to a reflecting pool

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Because mother of all wisteria in all shapes and colors

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Because tunnel o’wisteria

I admit that even if you totally stretch the definition of suburb, this park isn’t actually in Tokyo, but it’s so amazing, it would be wrong if I didn’t tell you to hop on a train and daytrip it if you can.

Getting to Ashikaga Flower Park without a car takes about 2.5 hours by train (use the Train Finder to search from your nearest station to Tomita Station), then it’s about a 13-minute walk to the park entrance.

Open: Every day, 9:00-21:00 from mid-April to the end of May

Admission: ¥1700 for adults

Map

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Of course, you don’t have to go that far to see wisteria extravaganzas. There are quite a few awesome displays right in Tokyo. For example…

KAMEIDO TENJIN SHRINE

Dishing up masses of purple flowers since Edo-era artists were inking their woodblocks (see below), the Kameido Shrine has acres and acres of the stuff. It all blooms at once, and…well, see for yourself.

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As you can see, the purple is strong with this one (this photo only shows about a quarter of it)

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Plus, it’s lit up at night until midnight and it’s FREE (how great is that?)

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You can’t really escape the looming Skytree thing at Kameido Tenjin, so it’s best to just give in and let it photobomb all your pictures. (At least it’s lit up in purple in honor of The Season, but still.)

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Purple haze, as far as the eye can see

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The trunks are pretty picturesque too. Weirdly, the ponds surrounding these don’t work very well as reflecting pools, but they do make it necessary to have…

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Bridges. Red ones. Which look awesome with the purpleness.

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Especially after dark.

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Whether you prefer your wisteria light or dark, there’s plenty to go around

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As you can see, they’ve been at it for quite a while. “Wisteria at Kameido” by Hiroshige, 1856

Open: Every day, no closing hours. Lit up until 24:00

Admission: Free

Map

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HIE SHRINE

Smack in the middle of boring, corporate Akasaka, there’s a venerable island of shrine greatness. The Hie Shrine sits on a hill by itself, magnificently attired in red and gold.

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There’s just one rack o’wisteria at the Hie Shrine, but it’s a choice one.

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I think the flowers look especially nice with red shrine buildings in the background

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The sheer exuberance of these vines just makes me happy

Open: 5:00-18:00

Admission: Free

Map

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NISHI-ARAI DAISHI TEMPLE

In the north end of Tokyo, Nishi-arai Daishi Temple is famous for its peony garden (which, if you’re lucky, will still be in bloom) but it also has an impressive pair of giant wisteria plants

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Looks like a great spot to have lunch, doesn’t it?

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It’s next to a nice pond with a waterfall

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And because Boys’ Day is May 5th, the temple’s gigantic carp streamers will be waving in the distance

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These next places have lovely displays of wisteria, set in gorgeous gardens.

KORAKU-EN

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Two long trellises of wisteria sit between the iris ponds and the plum trees at Korakuen Garden

Open: Every day, 9:00-17:00

Admission: ¥300

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HAMA-RIKYU GARDEN

View-worthy wisteria grows in two separate places at this huge stroll garden

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The first is tucked into a beautiful piece of landscaping with a “stream” of iris running beneath it

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And the second bunch is on the long bridge spanning the big pond

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Nice view, don’t you think?

Open: Every day, 9:00-17:00

Admission: ¥300

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Her fourth book – Painted Doll – is just out in paperback

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

When Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death ten years ago wasn’t an accident, his world begins to unravel. New evidence links her to…read more

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Published on April 29, 2017 17:41

The Hypnotic Tail-Wagging Cat Clock

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Walking down the street in Ome, I discovered something that totally flipped my three-hour trip to see absolutely no blooming azaleas into the win column: the tail-wagging cat clock!

BEHOLD ITS MESMERIZING POWER:

Can’t. Stop. Watching. (Except to scurry around online like a crazed, tail-wagging weasel to figure out who makes these and where to buy them.*)

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The thing is, I actually saw these a few years ago at the Tobu department store in Ikebukuro on their exhibition floor, and made the fatal error of not ordering one for myself. That kind of exhibition is there for a week, then it disappears, with no forwarding address. Regret, with a capital R. (I couldn’t find my picture, so this one is from RocketNews)

The store owner in Ome came out to the sidewalk after she saw me loitering around suspiciously outside, but after we bonded over our love of tail-wagging clocks, she invited me inside to take videos of her others. Here’s more cuteness, if you can stand it:

* A RocketNews reporter spotted them as recently as 2015 at the same annual Tobu exhibition, so I was able to discover the artist’s name: Keitaro Fujii. And apparently, they are sold in a store in Akasaka called Craft Ogawa. Guess where I’m going next week?

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Her fourth book – Painted Doll – is just out in paperback

When Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death ten years ago wasn’t an accident, his world begins to unravel. New evidence links her to…read more

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Published on April 21, 2017 19:11

If I Were A Thousand Years Old, I Would Not Be Putting Out Like This

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This tree is so famous, it has a name: Miharu The Waterfall Cherry

I mean, look at it. This tree is a THOUSAND years old. It has cranked out cascades of blossoms like this every spring, a thousand times. And if yesterday was any indication, the grand old lady is showing no signs of shirking anytime soon.

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Even when it freakin’ snows in the middle of cherry blossom season, Miharu keeps on keepin’ on (photo thanks: Japan-guide.com)

Just imagine a fast forward of this tree’s life, with generations of cherry blossom viewers ebbing and flowing all around it, as it grows slowly more venerable.

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The Crusaders were not big on viewing cherry blossoms, but history would have treated them a lot more kindly if they’d marched over to enjoy the pinkness of Our Lady Miharu instead of chasing that pesky grail

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If Ghengis Khan’s plan to add Japan to his empire hadn’t been thwarted by a freak storm, he and his horde could have hoisted a cold one under Miharu’s blooms

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Dame Miharu had already starred in over 400 cherry blossom seasons when Gutenberg got around to inventing the printing press

Well, you get the idea. Not only has this tree has been partying it up since my peasant-y forebears were being pillaged by the Vikings, it will undoubtedly keep on dishing out the goodness long after I’m gone.

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In a world where so much is changing so fast, that’s kind of great, isn’t it?

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Nightshade is the one set during cherry blossom season

A young woman is found dead in an abandoned car, with a pair of strangers old enough to be her parents. Their suicide note apologizes for a disaster that hasn’t yet happened. And someone is stalking the…Read more

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Published on April 19, 2017 03:18

I’m Sure They Didn’t Mean To Suggest…

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This is why…

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…Miss Fluffington of Bigglesworth the cat model was never seen again

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Her fourth book, Painted Doll, is just out in paperback

When Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death ten years ago wasn’t an accident, his world begins to unravel. New evidence links her to…read more

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on April 11, 2017 21:30

Pink Food Season Arrives In All Its WTF Splendor

It never fails – every time the big cherry things burst into bloom, I see foods that totally make me want to shout “What the pinkity pink?” I’m not talking about food that should be pink (like sakura ice cream) or is only slightly questionably pink (like strawberry lattes), I’m talking about the HELP EEK WHY IS THAT FOOD PINK specialties that appear every cherry blossom season in Japan. Such as…

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Pink sushi rice NO

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Lotteria’s famous pink-bunned burger: a deep-fried hockey puck of pink shrimp topped with a non-trivial swadge of tartar sauce, also (supposedly) studded with tiny shrimp far to small to actually see, but which make the sauce suspiciously PINK

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Winning in the “how many kinds of pink food can you include in one special,” this sakura-flavored noodle set hits the trifecta with sides of bacon-topped steamed veggies, tuna sashimi, and a pink rice cake wrapped in a pickled cherry leaf

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Spaghetti in beet sauce with shrimp? Gee, wonder why I’ve never seen this particular taste combo on any self-respecting restaurant’s menu…

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And finally, although this actually is a dessert, it gets ick points for being slices of gooey sweet rice cakes stuck in a bun to (ha ha ha UGH) resemble a hot dog

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Nightshade is the first one…

Yumi Hata knows her best friend wouldn’t have been caught dead dressed in black, and the more she learns about Rika’s death, the more she’s convinced it was murder…read more

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Published on April 08, 2017 15:57

Cherry Blossom Illuminations

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Did you even have to ask? It’s not enough that famous cherry blossom spots are lit up at night, now Tokyo has electric cherry blossom extravaganzas that rival the ever-more-crazy holiday light shows!

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TOKYO MIDTOWN in Roppongi

Tokyo Midtown’s promenade of cherry trees is not only lit up in pink…

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There’s an artful mix of pink gels on the spotlights, so these trees look exactly like the unnaturally photoshopped ones all over the interwebz

…they also dumped a huge cone of dirt on the field where the illuminations happen in wintertime, and topped it with some funny-shaped bushes. During the day it’s completely WTF-am-I-looking-at, but at night…this.

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The three-minute animated projection mapping does not disappoint. Here are a few still shots…

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…or heck, just watch the video (it’s three minutes of your life you won’t regret)

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NIHONBASHI AREA near Mitsukoshi-mae Station

While it can’t quite compete with the psychedelic Mt. Fuji, the cherry-challenged shopping district of Nihonbashi does pink itself up at night with some animated cherry petals & such. Just beyond the Coredo 2 building, you’ll come to an outdoor pass-through that greets you with swaths of billowing pink chiffon above and ever-changing patterns of cherry-themed projections below.

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Walk through to the Fukutoku Shrine (right behind the Mitsukoshi flagship store) which strews a few blossoms to lure you in…

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…to the plaza beyond, where more are swirling about.

Out front, the stately homes of various venerable institutions are also temporarily pinkified.

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The mighty flagship Mitsukoshi department store

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TOKYO TOWER near Kamiyacho Station

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If you’re Tokyo Tower, you glow pink from 20:00-22:00 every Saturday through April 22

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Her fourth book – Painted Doll – is just out in paperback

When Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death ten years ago wasn’t an accident, his world begins to unravel. New evidence links her to…read more

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Published on April 06, 2017 07:54

Please Tell Me This Isn’t Really A Thing

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GLAMPING. Camping + Glamour = Glamping?

No. In fact, all flavors of charcoal-toasted NO. On a stick.

Those two words don’t belong together EVER. Except, maybe, in Japan. Where you can purchase rugged tents like these:

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Hope there won’t be any glamorous rainstorms or puffs of wind to muss your hair where you’re going

And toast yourself some classic campfire treats with this:

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Generator not included.

And you can even bring Fifi.

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Rescue Lassie not included.

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Jonelle Patrick writes mysteries set in Tokyo. Nightshade is the first one…