When my sister and her family moved to Japan for a two-year
assignment, Kevin and I began making plans to visit them and also see a bit of
the country. We had a half-day layover in Tokyo a few years before, but we
always knew we wanted to spend more time in Japan someday. I flew out a week before Kevin, so that I
could spend plenty of time with my sister and nephews. We explored the cute
town of Yokosuka, had a very fun night karaoke-ing with her friends, and even
made it up to Yokohama to visit the very beautiful Sankeien Gardens.
Sankeien Garden is a Japanese-style garden that has been
open to the public for more than 100 years. The creator of the garden brought
historic buildings from all over Japan – a three-story pagoda, daimyo
residence, and several tea houses. It is
a peaceful and enchanting place to visit any time of year, but cherry blossom
season had just begun and I was particularly enthralled by the delicate pink
and white trees. Be forewarned, there will be lots and lots of photos of cherry
blossoms in upcoming posts!
Once Kevin arrived, we headed up to Yokohama for a night to
visit my friend Carrie and her family, who had been living there for several years.
Carrie had suggested that we stay right near Chinatown, and we were so glad we
did! Yokohama’s Chinatown is one of the largest in the world, and our hotel was
one street away from a pedestrian area that was lively, colorful, and crowded
with people sampling hot chestnuts, steamed buns, and all kinds of other
Chinese street food.
Carrie took us on a great walking tour of the area – we visited
Motomachi street which is a very charming shopping area with cute boutiques and
high-end clothing shops. We also stopped in at the Ma Zhu Miao temple, which
almost overwhelmed the senses with its colorfully painted gate and
rich-smelling incense.
One of our favorite spots in Yokohama was Yamashita Park,
with its spectacular flower gardens and views of the Port of Yokohama.
There were many people out and about enjoying the gorgeous
weather and the beginning of Sakura (cherry blossom) season. These stairs were
a popular photo spot for tourists and locals alike.
No comments:
Post a Comment