Boho Travelogue

Today I will talk about one such fortress which has occupied an essential place in the history of Japan and very important as a tourist destination at present.it is the seventh-largest castle of Japan. It is Odawara Castle (小田原城, Odawarajō) Odawara Castle The castle is easily accessible from Tokyo and there are two more interesting museums like the Tokiwagi Gate SAMURAI Museum and the NINJA Museum beside the Main Castle Museum.  The Odawara castle garden also looks just as beautiful during the spring as it does in the monsoon. Odawara Castle Garden   Castle has a long history of events that need to be discussed briefly. Then the trip will become more exciting. The Omori dynasty built the fort during the Muromachi period and ruled for some time. The castle is said to have been built in the mid-15th century and is one of the most significant defensive forts near the Tokyo area. Later, most probably at the end of the fifteenth century, Hojo Soun conquered the region and his desce...

  If you like large prominent and colorful flower bulbs of lily and the charming fragrance make you happy then must visit Saitama's Tokorozawa Lily Garden. Saitama Prefecture is located right next to Tokyo. Although a handful of places are well known among foreign tourists, I personally think that there is a lot to see in all the prefectures of this country, one of which is this Saitama.  This magnificent flower garden can be reached in just 50 minutes by train from Tokyo and only 3-4 minutes away from Seibukyujo-mae station. Although this place is famous in Japan for one more reason. The Metball Dome baseball stadium just outside the station is the home of the Seibu Lions baseball team. This place is very crowded on game days. Metball Dome photo by Nesnad Photo by Hiroaki Kaneko One such day we went to visit this garden. The moment we left the crowded station area or the bustling stadium and entered the garden, the surrounding environment changed drastically. Thousands o...

  The gloomy rainy weather turns colorful in an instant if you see a hydrangea garden around you. A secret spell of happiness is mixed in every bunches of these bright blue or pink flowers. What if you get an opportunity to see the cluster of hydrangeas beside a vast paddy field surrounded by blue Mountains? One such beautiful spot near Tokyo is called Kaisei Ajisai Park or Kaisei hydrangea Village. History of Kaisei Hydrangea Village It is said that, in the year 1977, Hydrangea was introduced as the ‘town flower’ of this Kaisei machi city. Then in 1983, about 5000 saplings were planted at the sides of the paddy fields.  Since the flowers blossomed in 1988, many people have flocked to the area to enjoy the beauty of the flowers. That is why the Kaisei Cho Hydrangea Festival was first started that year and at the same time, the place was named Hydrangea Village. This is the real story of this place. Even today, in the rainy season, when the flowers here intensify the beauty of ...

  A Garden of iris flowers has recently been selected as one of the ‘100 New Tokyo Views’, that blooms brightly during this season. Kitayama Park is a spot full of natural abundance against the backdrop of Sayama hill. Higashimurayama Iris Festival  One of the best attractions of Kitayama Park is "Kitayama Maiden". A few years ago, this very rare iris flower bloomed in the iris garden of Kitayama Park. At present this precious iris flower is not seen anywhere else. Surrounded by swamps and greenery, the park is home to about 600 varieties of 8,000 stock and 100,000 iris flowers in early summer. Various birds can be seen in the forest around the pond. In mid-June, the Higashimurayama Iris Festival is held every year. Various events like dance performances, rickshaw riding, Flower picking, night illumination are organized to entertain the visitors. This is a big event hosted by Higashimurayama City. *Note: Please note that this year's event is closed due to covid rules. How...

  Hydrangea flowers are one of the highlights of Tokyo's rainy season. This season, people flock to various temples and parks to see these flowers. One such place for Hydrangea viewing is the Hakusan Shrine. Founded in 946, this Shinto shrine is not very large, but about 3,000 hydrangea flowers are bloomed here during this season. How to Go Hakusan Jinja is in the Bunko Ward of Tokyo. By Train : You need to take the Mita Line train to reach Hakusan Station. From there it will take 3 mint to reach the shrine by walk. Best Time As hydrangeas are the rainy season's flower so it is best to visit this shrine from June to early July. The Hydrangea Festival is also held here every year in mid-June because during this time the beauty of these flowers is at their peak. History of Hakusan Jinja Shrine Although Hakusan is a local temple it was given considerable importance by the ruling Shoguns during the Edo period and was also regarded as one of the most important temples in...

  For centuries, these bright and vibrant flowers not only have won the hearts of Tokyoites but also many foreigners like us love to visit Horikiri park during this time. The painting of Horikiri Iris Garden is a significant part of Hiroshige's famous 'One Hundred Famous Views of Edo'. So that picture proves how old this place is. 6,000 iris flowers of about 200 species are now grown in this popular Japanese-style garden of the Edo period. This small park has many types of flowers all year round but is the most visited during the whole month of June.  It is said that in the early nineteenth century, a farmer named Kodaka Izaemon planted an Iris garden in Horikiri. According to other source, marshlands may be another reason for the natural growth of Iris flowers here. One of the attractions of Tokyo's rainy season is the bright purple or blue irises which also symbolize hope and wisdom. This spectacular eye-catching flower's name 'Iris' is taken from the Gree...