Ginkgo trees (ichou 銀杏) turn a resplendant bright yellow in autumn. The ginkgo trees in Hibiya Park are looking rather impressive this week. These photos are from lunchtime today.
autumn
Vivid autumn in Nara
The Japanese love their four seasons. So unique, some people apparently think, that I’ve sometimes been asked whether or not my country has four seasons too. But the koyo (紅葉) – coloured leaves – is a time when the trees put on a spectacular display and make everyone feel happy.
I went to Nara last weekend to stay with my old high school host family. It was about 8 months since I was last there, and I timed it just right to see Nara Park and the surrounding hills ablaze with orange, red, yellow and crimson colours as the trees put on their annual display.
Through the snow to the Falcon’s Nest
Ever wanted a falcon’s view of Mt Fuji and the surrounding ranges? Takanosu-yama (鷹ノ巣山) – translated as Falcon’s Nest Mountain – offers just a commanding view, good enough for a falcon. On an unseasonably cold, but clear and crisp autumn day, the contrast between snow, bright coloured foliage, clear blue skies and the vista beyond was a perfect way to spend a public holiday.
Cycling trip to Tsukuba 22 Nov 2008
It was late November, and there were still autumn colours to be found. I cycled across Tokyo to Akihabara, and met Steve and his bike on the Tsukuba Express to Tsukuba. After a second breakfast of fast food, it was on the bikes up the road to Tsukuba-san (Mt Tsukuba). The sun was shining, the roads were quiet, the autumn colours were magnificent.
We rode up the steep hill to the shrine on the lower slopes of Tsukuba-san. There was a traffic jam heading uphill, as people were going to see the bright red Japanese maples at the shrine – as part of the annual Tsukuba-san Momiji Matsuri (Maple Festival). Although riding up that hill took some huffing and puffing, we were relatively cruising past all the drivers. It was a bit dicey riding up the wrong side of the road, and then pulling in behind a stopped car every time a car came around the bend down the hill, but there was no room to ride up the left hand side of the traffic jam on the narrow road.
After a wander around the shrine, we headed down to the old railway line, now a rare Japanese rail trail, and headed in to Tsuchiura to catch a different train back to Tokyo. All up, an easy ride and a cruisy day out in the sun (albeit with ear warmers on).
