Popular Post muikabochi 208 Posted May 2, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted May 2, 2012 Last weekend I spent a few days in the Niigata city area with a few friends. On Saturday we went to the lovely Kokujo-ji temple in Mitsuke. It is a really beautiful setting, and for me the most pictureseque in Niigata-ken (along with my local Untoan). Lots of enormous beautiful and varied trees, sakura, temples buildings and all the pretty statues and decorative things that you find at temples. Tons of eye-candy, I could easily spend the day there just looking, though perhaps I should mention that it is not on the same kind of scale as a place like Nikko. The weather was beautiful, the sakura were in full bloom and it was just looking so beautiful. Of course, we had a picnic under the sakura with the petals raining down on us. Surprisingly it wasn't busy at all either. Bonus! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 This is a lovely private garden that you can visit in the Niitsu area of Niigata city, called Nakano-tei. Some of the colours there were almost autumn like. It will be spectacular in autumn I would think. About 25 minutes from central Niigata city. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Stunning. It is lovely at Kokujoji, I like it there too. You're right some of those colours in the garden look autumn! Keen to know the name so next time I'm up there... Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Yowsy, yikesy! They look incredible on my iPad here. Let's hi-res retina screen Mad mad sharp detail! Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I was about to say the same, they pop like crazy on the iPad 3 screen. Still look good on my computer display, of course, but now I have noticed how poor that is!! Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 More lovely photos. Nice garden too. I'll have to look up what that orange maple is. It looks gorgeous with the sun behind it. We've put some maples in, but I'm sure we could find room for another. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thanks, yes extremely pretty. The garden was called Nakanotei http://www.nakanotei-muse.com/top_english.html I'll edit it in. Worth a visit if you like that kind of thing. Link to post Share on other sites
miller 1 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Stunners, you must be pleased. Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Very nice. Not that far from me either really both places, I'm probs in the middle of them both. Worth saying as well that Kokujoji is a 10-15 minute drive from the famous and also very pretty Yahiko temple area. Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Very nice. Makes the coming of summer even seem acceptable. I love shidare zakura. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thank you.... What is shidare zakura, MO? Yes, sanjo, Yahiko is very nice too. I prefer the more closed and varied setting of Kokujoji myself but they are both definitely worth a visit. Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 They look like photos from a glossy guide book! Top pics. Makes me want to go. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted May 2, 2012 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted May 2, 2012 Fantastic photos, muikabochi. Know it well around Niitsu as my wife comes from that area - you should go in autumn as well, it is beautiful at that time of year. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thank you.... What is shidare zakura, MO? I'll butt in and say "shidare zakura" is the tree in the seventh photo. Its the one with lots of drooping branches like a weeping willow or a bit like a fountain. You can get shidare ume trees too. We've got a tree called a yama-zakura. The main difference between a sakura tree and a yama-zakura is that the latter will leaf out at the same time as the blooms. Since they are not as showy, they tend to get used in more naturalistic gardens. Ours had most of its leaves eaten last year, so I'm going to have hit it with something. I heard that a lot of the sakura trees in parks are sprayed. Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Great. Muikabochi, what are the little fellas all lined up about in the 14th and 16th pics? Link to post Share on other sites
Metabo Oyaji 71 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thank you.... What is shidare zakura, MO? I'll butt in and say "shidare zakura" is the tree in the seventh photo. Its the one with lots of drooping branches like a weeping willow or a bit like a fountain. You can get shidare ume trees too. We've got a tree called a yama-zakura. The main difference between a sakura tree and a yama-zakura is that the latter will leaf out at the same time as the blooms. Since they are not as showy, they tend to get used in more naturalistic gardens. Ours had most of its leaves eaten last year, so I'm going to have hit it with something. I heard that a lot of the sakura trees in parks are sprayed. Yes, we have a shidare ume tree in our garden. Has never done very well, though. Haven't seemed to work out how to prune it correctly. Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Rich 78 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Great photos Muika! Were they taken with your new toy camera? I noticed quite a few of the shidare zakura (weeping cherry trees) down my way and think they're more beautiful than the "normal" sakura. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Ah, I see. I have never heard that phrase before, thanks. Were they taken with your new toy camera? (Yes) I kept the 'camera talk' to the camera thread as that's not what this one is about. You mean this one xxx? I didn't actually know at the time, but have just asked now. Sadly it sounds like it is a bit of a grim story - something to do with unborn children (whether by miscarriage or abortion) apparently. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 So do the temple supply them or something and people buy them? Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Metabo Pruning shidare trees is a bit of an art by the sounds. Good luck with it! Link to post Share on other sites
ProbablyaCrazyPerson 2 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Spectacular images. Love your work, sir! Keep on going out will you? I feel I know so much more of Niigata thanks to all your stuff. My photos always just look so washed out and crappy. Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I love visiting places like that, so pretty. Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Yes, sanjo, Yahiko is very nice too. I prefer the more closed and varied setting of Kokujoji myself but they are both definitely worth a visit. They are quite different aren't they. Like you said both worth a visit, makes for a really good day out. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I didn't actually know at the time, but have just asked now. Sadly it sounds like it is a bit of a grim story - something to do with unborn children (whether by miscarriage or abortion) apparently. Interesting. Do tell more if you can. They are remembering the unborn or something? Link to post Share on other sites
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