※This article was published at November 2014.※
Japan’s four seasons are finely demarcated. In the past, people divided the year into 24 seasons and looked forward to these changes.
For example, people have enjoyed the blooming of wildflowers along with seasonal transitions.
Tokyo still has many parks and green areas.
Former samurai residences from the Edo period that was the era of the samurai were taken over in the Meiji period as the mansions of business leaders and high-ranking officials or as university property.
Following this, many mansions became parks that still remain today.
For this reason, there is still much green in the Tokyo Metropolis.
The Kyu Iwasaki-tei Gardens that is registered as an Important Cultural Property by Japan for its Meiji architecture is one of these parks.
The rustling of the leaves of palm trees in front of the Western-style building facade makes it almost feel like the consulate of some tropical country.
The Japanese-style building and the substantial billiards house designed by the architect Josiah Conder are also very appealing.
However, what is introduced here is the gravel sloped road from the main entrance gate to the reception.
Seasonal flowers bloom on the slopes of the trees to the side of this road.
It is chic that these are not garden species, but rather simple wildflowers that bloom on their own in the wild.
From early spring there are hiiragiso in the mint family, a type of yellow Japanese rose, Indian strawberry, sweet rocket, fringed iris that feature white petals in yellow and purple stitching, and the young sprouts of bamboo.
I looked up the name of the flowers in a few books that I have after returning home.
However, I still don’t know the name of the pinkish flower in the orchid family.
I’m sure I will find out someday. Every flower has a name.
There is a yellow flower called the crested leopard that blooms from late fall to winter.
I found the leaves of this flower.
It is a wildflower with somewhat deep lemon yellow color.
The color matches well with the dark green leaves under the blue winter sky.
Information
Kyu Iwasaki-tei Gardens
1-3-45 Ike-no-hata, Taito-ku, Tokyo 03-3823-8340
Fees
Adults: 400 yen, adults 65 years of age or older: 200 yen, elementary school students and below: free
http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index035.html
Business hours: 9:00 to 17:00, open all year (excluding the New Year’s holidays)
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