BLOSSOMING CHERRIES AND BEYOND!

                                                 [APRIL 2026, DAY FOUR AND FIVE]

BLOOMING SAKURA

Every one of our days in the planned Japan tour was a wonderful day, bringing a lot of surprises. The 4th day started as a sunny day which turned very rainy later on. The famous Nabana No Sato park was seen in heavy rain, which added to the fun! The 5th day was sunny again! 

Japan's unpredictable weather proved itself!

The Japanese Toyota Memorial Museum is an automobile technology museum located in Nishi - ku, Nagoya City, central Japan. It has been an international automobile manufacturer for decades. It is one of the best car museums in the world, indicating how the automotive industry has developed in Japan under the leadership flag of Toyota. All types of vehicles are on display, from big cars to sports cars. It gives a quick review of all vintage and modern cars. Outlets selling mementoes, restaurants were catering to the tourists’ needs. They have even provided the tourists with one super vintage car, to sit in  and take photos.

Tiny cars, moderate sized cars, life sized cars, car accessories, toy cars, just name it and it was there! For car lovers, it is a feast for eyes! 

Our next stop, Nagoya Castle is one of the most famous and important historical castles in Japan, also known as “Golden Castle”. The main symbol of the castle is the golden fish (shachihoko) on its roof. They are believed to protect against fire. This is a good example of the Zen style of construction. At both ends of the uppermost roof of the castle there are two golden meadows. Shachi, a creature from Japanese mythology, is a tiger-headed dolphin believed to control the rain. The castle extends over a very large area and is built differently. There are gardens and a variety of plants. Every season had its own spread of flora and fauna! In summer, various birds and animals live in harmony as if in a sanctuary, despite being in the centre of the city. Chrysanthemum exhibition and competitions are held in this fort. The castle has huge surrounding walls and a trench surrounds the castle as a first line of defence against the enemies. 

An excellent, must visit destination in Japan is the Nabana No Sato park, a park with distinction. The myriad flowers, tulips and roses at Nabana No Sato, the sparkling lights, the luminous arches, the laser shows were mesmerizing, a dream sequence of flowers and lights! Roses, Tulips, landscapes, green houses, musical orchestras, adorned the place! Andes Begonia Garden is a colourful greenhouse with more than 5,000 varieties of begonia flowers. The atmosphere here is warm and vibrant.

It was a vibrant, colourful place, managing great crowds, facilitated with all tourist amenities. A blend of natural beauty, cultural experiences, and relaxation, Nabana No Sato park attracts tourists from all over the world.

It rained, while we were inside the park but the enjoyment was ultimate. Lighted canopies added to the fun!

DAY FIVE 

Our first stop on the fifth day was Osaka Imperial Plaza palace water front park said to be Japan's one of the beautiful Sakuranomiya, cherry blossom destinations. It is situated on the banks of the Okawa River, fully blooming with pink cherry blossoms every season! It is said to have around 5,000 Sakura cherry trees, a popular spot for flower viewing and boat rides. We could see all types of boats in the river, catering to the tourists.

Our next visit was to a 90 minutes’ Sumo Wrestler Show which was characterized by an interactive and people friendly experience with professional sumo wrestlers, who gave us an opportunity to visualize live matches, their ancient rituals demonstrations and even photo sessions! It was a fun filled and enjoyable show! They were introduced first and each one showcased his talent. A mock wrestling match between them was organised and the winner was made to paly a match with selected three spectators.

All in all, the 4th and fifth days were not too hectic but gave us a peek into Japanese development, life and culture.

We returned to the hotel with memories and hopes for the new day!

GREEN BLOGGER

PROF. (DR.) MRS. JAYA KURHEKAR

WAIT FOR MY NEXT AND LAST POST! 

KEYWORDS: 

FASCINATING ENVIRONMENT, Toyota museum, Sumo wrestling show, Nabana No Sato park, Nagoya Castle, Shachi, Shachihoko, Begonia garden, Sakuranomiya

 BLOSSOMING CHERRIES AND BEYOND!

                                                 [APRIL 2026, DAY TWO AND THREE]

DAY 2

We were enthusistic and curious to know which would be our next stops in JAPAN, THE LAND OF RISING SUN! Our second day started with a visit to Asakosa Shinsoji Temple, a Shinto ancient Buddhist temple and a shrine, next to it. This is one of the important temples in Tokyo, dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Compassion. It has a main hall, a five-story pagoda and massive gates. It is the most visited religious site in the world. Interestingly, there was a separate counter, where we had to juggle a cylindrical box and remove one plate, which had a number on it. Corresponding to that number, one had to take a plate from drawers in the wall and it gives an account of how your day would pass! One shrine close to the temple was visited. Temples are normally Budhha temples while shrines worship instruments, armaments, weapons, Samurai, agricultural instruments, trees and so on. Lion statues with a different style of faces were seen in almost all temples and shrines. People offer a variety of things to their deities. We experienced a moderate crowd at the Shinsoji Temple.

Here we shopped for magnets and mementoes on the Nakamise Dori Street.

Next stop was at the Ueno Park, a spacious public park in the centre of Tokyo city, which is famous for its cherry blossoms in spring and the Hanami festival. This is a place of historical interest, scenic beauty, recreation and rest in the prefectures of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. There are approximately 8800 trees and shrubs, including Somi-Yoshino cherry, Japanese cherry, Formosan cherry, Ginkgo biloba, Cinnamomum camphora, Zelkova serrata. Lot of birds, insects and animals of various types are found here. It took more than half a day to cover the whole place. A lot of cherry trees were blossoming with white, light pink and dark pink blooms. We had a gala time, shooting pictures. 

DAY 3

Third day took us near Mount Fuji. Yasahama Hakone is a major Japanese mountain resort town near Mount Fuji, famous for its onsen (hot sulphur springs) and stunning views of Lake Ashinoko. Traveling to this place is very much enjoyable as it can be reached through a scenic loop of train, cable car, ropeway and boat, while enjoying the surrounding natural beauty. 

The road which takes one to the top of Mount Fuji can be closed due to clouds, snow, landslides. At 3776 meters, it is the highest peak in Japan, an active volcano on the island of Honshu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its iconic, symmetrical cone shape. It is a major tourist destination located between Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. It is popular and spectacular for hiking and cherry blossoms in the summer.

Ashinoko, in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a scenic crater lake famous for its views of Mount Fuji, hot springs and historical sites. In ancient times, Ashinoko was a sacred lake where trainee Buddhist monks purified their souls and bodies before religious ceremonies. The water comes from rains. Ovakudani, or "Big Boiling Gorge," is an active volcano in Hakone, Japan, famous for its steamy sulfur pores, bubbling hot springs and distinctive hydrogen sulfide "rotten egg" smell. The area, formed by the eruption of Mount Hakone 3000 years ago, is a major geological attraction, known as the 'breath of the earth'. Due to the intense volcanic activity, a high concentrations of sulfur gases are found here. The famous Black eggs are chicken eggs boiled in a natural sulfur-rich hot spring which appear black after boiling but according to folklore, after eating one, the life expectancy increases to seven years. For tourists there is a long scenic ropeway, from which there is a view of volcanic activity and sulphurous fumes directly below. We were instructed to wear masks. It was quite cold here, which grew warmer near the crater lake. 

GREEN BLOGGER

PROF. (DR.) MRS. JAYA KURHEKAR

 

WAIT FOR MY NEXT POST! 

KEYWORDS: 

FASCINATING ENVIRONMENT, Shinsoji Temple, Shrine, Mount Fuji. Yasahama Hakone, Ashinoko, Ovakudani, 'breath of the earth', sulfur valley, Black eggs, ropeway, Oshino Hakkai

GREEN BLOGGER

PROF. (DR.) MRS. JAYA KURHEKAR

 

KEYWORDS: JAPAN, TOUR, JOURNEY, AIRPORT