Mejiro Garden

On our last full day in Japan, our major trip was to Ginza St for a shopping/sightseeing trip (see previous entry). We took the subway back to our hotel.  Since it was too early for dinner and was a lovely day, a few of us decided to take a walk and see if we could find the garden we'd been told about.  

Japanese signage can be really attractive as this one for the garden shows.

The way to the garden led through residential streets with a few small businesses thrown in.  These ladies could have been going home or going to a boutique.

 There were several very attractive gates.  I especially like the ones that are promisingly ajar.  It signals, "Hello, do come in!"

This subtle sign indicated what this shop sold.  Can you guess what it is?  It took me a minute or two to figure it out.  Fabric!!!  What I didn't realize until we went in was that the fabric was antique kimono fabric.  At long last - a shop that sold fat eighths (and some sixteenths) of glorious silks.  I discover this on our last day??? or I finally found this even though it was on our last day in Japan.. Hooray!  My only disappointment was that D successfully restrained me from purchasing their entire inventory.

As I said, this was also a residential area and many of the owners have lovely gardens in their very small lot.  This wonderful yellow rose bush grew up a fence and over an arch.

 We made it to our destination.  This is a lovely, small garden with a gazebo (not pictured) a path around a medium-sized koi pond, rocks, and waterfall.  This is what we saw as we walked in. 

Here you can see the rock wall around part of the pond and some of the koi.

We seem to have been especially lucky on our trip.  Here is another bridal couple who were having their photo taken in a small clearing in the park.  Her kimono was the most beautiful one I saw while in Japan.  They were willing to let us take their picture.

As we left that clearing we passed a building with glass walls (we never found out if it was part of this garden or a nearby independent business).  I took this photo so I could get a good look at the design of the obi fabrics.

One of the many rhododendrons in flower in the garden.

A paintable scene:

A distant view of the small waterfall and another paintable view.

Wildlife - a female duck (I don't remember what kind; I'll have to look her up)

Here is a close-up of the waterfall.  Charming, isn't it?

From the waterfall looking out:

Simply pretty pictures:

Leaving Mejiro Garden, we saw lovely flora -

and fauna:

As you can tell, we had a very good walk.