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posted: March 31st, 2013 |
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This page begins and ends with March 3rd and a trip to Jindai Botanical Garden and Jindaiji (Jindai Shrine). We went specifically in search of Plum Blossoms and we found them - and more. In addition, it also happened to be the day of the Daruma Festival at Jindai Shrine! Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin March 3rd |
On Sunday, March 3rd, Kazuya and I went to Jindai Botanical Garden to check out the progress of Plum Blossoms and other spring flowers. We were surprised to find a few flowers of Anemone pseudoaltaica in the wild flowers portion and also a few Anemone raddeana flowers! Of course we found Plum Blossoms. The center Plum Blossom is inserted out of chronological order to give balance to the row.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG002_ AnemonePseudoaltaicaRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG009_ UsuiroChirimenRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG003 _AnemoneRaddeanaRC |
In first and third position are 2 more plum blossom shots. In center position is a little clump of Crocus Flowers.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG011_ UsuiroChirimenRC |
 Mar03_009_Jindai BG_CrocusRC |
 Mar03_012_JindaiBG _PlumBlossomsRC |
In this row are 3 shots of Christmas Rose - Helleborus sp. The 3rd shot specifically, is Helleborus niger. The Christmas Rose comes in many colors, as can be seen in both this row and the next row.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG 017_HelleborusRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG 015_HelleborusRC |
 Mar03_017_JindaiBG_ Helleborus_nigerRC |
In first and 3rd position are more shots of Christmas Rose (Helleborus sp.). In center position is a relatively late photo of an Adonis amurensis. These flowers were a little ways past their peak of beauty.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG 021_HelleborusRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG025 _AdonisAmurensisRC |
 Mar03_028_JindaiBG_ Helleborus_nigerRC |
The first shot in this row is a small branch of a Cornus officinalis bush. The next 2 shots are Plum Blossoms, taken in the Plum Tree part of the Botanical Garden.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG031_ CornusOfficinalisRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG 036_MoriNoSekiRC |
 Mar03_055_JindaiBG_ PlumBlossomsRC |
Here are 3 shots of different colored Plum Blossoms.
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 Mar03_058_JindaiBG_ PlumBlossomsRC |
 Mar03_062_JindaiBG_ PlumBlossomsRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG 041_SekaiNoZuRC |
Here are the final 3 shots of Plum Blossoms which were taken on this date.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG046 _KagoshimaBeniRC |
 Mar03_070_JindaiBG_ PlumBlossomsRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG 048_BenizuruRC |
On one side of the Plum Tree part of the Botanical Garden there is an area of hybrids and cultivars of Hamamelis sp. These flowers are so amazing, with their ribbony flower petals.
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 March3rd_JindaiBG054_ HamamelisxIntermediaCvDianaRC |
 Mar03_075_Jindai BG_Hamamelis_spRC |
 Mar03_077_Jindai BG_Hamamelis_spRC |
Here are 3 more shots of Hamamelis sp. flowers.
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 Mar03_079_Jindai BG_Hamamelis_spRC |
 Mar03_082_Jindai BG_Hamamelis_spRC |
 Mar03_085_Jindai BG_Hamamelis_spRC |
And here are another 3 shots of Hamamelis sp. flowers.
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 Mar03_087_JindaiBG _Hamamelis_spRC |
 Mar03_091_JindaiBG _Hamamelis_spRC |
 Mar03_095_JindaiBG _Hamamelis_spRC |
Here are 3 more shots of Hamamelis sp. flowers, but the second shot includes Kazuya and the 3rd shot includes me!
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 March3rd_JindaiBG065_ HamamelisxIntermediaCvDianaRC |
 Mar03_104_JindaiBG_ Kazuya_FlowersRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG069_ HamamelisxIntermediaCvDianaRC |
Here is one last photo of a Plum Blossom. Then we went out of the Botanical Garden to eat lunch at one of the shops down by Jindaiji (=Jindai Shrine). We have full year passes for the Botanical Garden, so we can come and go as many times a day, a week or a year as we want. We were not aware that today was also the Daruma Festival, which is also known as "Girls' Day". Look at the crowd of people in the 2nd image! The 3rd image shows one of several Daruma selling stalls.
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 Mar03_106_JindaiBG_ PlumBlossomsRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG073 _DarumaFestivalRC |
 March3rd_JindaiBG074 _DarumaFestivalRC |
The first shot in this row shows the same Daruma selling stall as the previous shot. Here is a portion of what Wikipedia has to say about Daruma Dolls. "The Daruma doll, also known as a Dharma doll, is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting a bearded man (Dharma), vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. Though considered an omocha, meaning toy, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. The doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside goal setting." In this photo you can see that the Daruma Dolls have no eyes on them. Wikipedia says this about the eyes. The eyes of Daruma are often blank when sold. Monte A. Greer, author of Daruma Eyes, described the "oversized symmetrical round blank white eyes" as a means to keep track of goals or big tasks and motivate them to work to the finish. The recipient of the doll fills in one eye upon setting the goal, then the other upon fulfilling it. In this way, every time they see the one-eyed Daruma, they recall the goal. One explanation how this custom started says that in order to motivate Daruma-san to grant your wish, you promise to give him full sight once the goal is accomplished. This practice might also have something to do with the "enlightenment", the ideal attainment of Buddhism. This custom has led to a phrase in Japanese translated as "Both Eyes Open". Referring to "opening" the second eye, it expresses the realization of a goal.
After we are lunch and wandered around, we went back into the Botanical Garden, so -- the 2nd image shows a 2 shot panorama of the Rose Garden - pretty sad looking in March, eh. The 3rd image is a 3 shot panorama of the Rose Garden which you may remember from the October 2012 photo page, when the beauty of the roses was at a peak. Quite a contrast, eh! In both shots you can see the greenhouse in the background. |
 Mar03_112_JindaiShrineArea _DarumaFestivalRC |
 Mar03_114_115_Panorama_ JindaiBG_RoseGardenRC |
 Oct13_15_16_17_ Panorama_JindaiBG_RoseGardenRC |
We were fortunate to see this Tarsiger cyanurus - Ruri-bitaki in Japanese - as we walked back towards the front entrance, where we had left our bicycles parked. Oh, one is not allowed to bring a bicycle into the Botanical Garden.
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 Mar03_133_JindaiBG _Tarsiger_cyanurusRC |
 Mar03_134_JindaiBG _Tarsiger_cyanurusRC |
| End March 3rd, End Page 1 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this month's adventures. |
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