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posted: April 30th, 2011 |
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This page begins with April 2nd and a trip to Mt. Takao and environs. Next, on April 3rd, we go to Kogesawa and Mt. Kagenobu. That's followed by Cherry Blossom Viewing on April 8th at the Imperial Palace area and then we go to ICU on April 9th for Cherry Blossom viewing. We end this page with April 9th. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin April 2nd |
On April 2nd Kazuya and I went out to Mt. Takao, hoping to find some nice spring flowers - violets and/or other flowers. The first photo in this row shows a cherry tree which we could see from the Takao Train Station. Good start for finding flowers I guess. The 2nd shot is a Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana and the 3rd shot is an Omphalodes japonica. We're only one-half way to the summit and we're doing good.
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 April2nd_ MtTakao_001RC |
 Apr02_024_Takao_Viola_ tokubuchiana_var_takedanaRC |
 Apr02_021_Takao_ Omphalodes_japonicaRC |
Here are 2 more examples of Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana and in 3rd position is a Viola bissetii (bisseti).
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 Apr02_027_Takao_Viola_ tokubuchiana_var_takedanaRC |
 April2nd_Mt Takao_014RC |
 Apr02_039_Takao _Viola_bissetiiRC |
Here is a shot of a Lily-of-the-Valley Bush in 1st position, a beautiful example of Viola japonica in 2nd position and a fine specimen of Chrysosplenium macrostemon var. atrandrum in 3rd position.
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 Apr02_043_Takao_Lily_ of_the_Valley_BushRC |
 Apr02_065_Hikage _Viola_japonicaRC |
 Apr02_080_Hikage_Chrysosplenium _macrostemon_var_atrandumRC |
In this row are 3 shots of Anemone raddeana - this is an astonishing little clump of this flower which was growing alongside the creek as we descended one of the slopes of Mt. Takao. The 3rd shot shows Kazuya taking a shot of this clump of Anemone raddeana.
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 Apr02_084_Hikage_ Anemone_raddeanaRC |
 April2nd_ Hikage_050RC |
 Apr02_089_Hikage_ Anemone_raddeana_KazuyaRC |
In this row in 1st and 3rd position are examples of Corydalis lineariloba and in 2nd position is an example of Oxalis griffithii var. kantoensis.
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 Apr02_100_Trail_ Corydalis_linearilobaRC |
 Apr02_106_Trail_ Oxalis_griffithiiRC |
 Apr02_102_Trail_ Corydalis_linearilobaRC |
Here are 2 of the best shots we've ever gotten of Gagea lutea. This is a flower which we look for every year. Some years we find it and some years we do not. It has a VERY SHORT flowering season, so one has to find it within about a 1-week period to find it at its most beautiful. The shots of it often come out with very subdued colors, but this year we did good.
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 Apr02_117_ Gagea_luteaRC |
 Apr02_121_ Gagea_luteaRC |
In this row are 2 examples of Viola yezoensis f. discolor - Takao Violet. The "forma discolor" part of the name comes from the purplish colored leaves. We also found the normal Viola yezoensis, but it was not yet in bloom, so we did not include any photos of it. If you want to see it, then I suggest you visit  (new window). On that page, look at Rows 20 and 21. That's the end of our best photos of April 2nd.
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 Apr02_122_Trail_Viola _yezoensis_f_discolorRC |
 April2nd_Ura Takao_071RC |
| End April 2nd, Begin April 3rd |
The following day, April 3rd, we went out to a different place near Mt. Takao - we went to Kogesawa. In the past we have always called this place Ogesawa, due to the different possible pronunciations of Japanese Kanji. We discovered our error - thanks to a sign in English. In first position is a Viola bissetii (bisseti). In 2nd position is a beautiful Viola eizanensis and in 3rd position is a very nicely colored Viola grypoceras - probably our most common violet around here.
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 Apr03_123_Ogesawa _Viola_bissetiiRC |
 Apr03_126_Ogesawa _Viola_eizanensisRC |
 Apr03_132_Ogesawa _Viola_grypocerasRC |
Here is an additional Viola eizanensis and then another Viola bissetii (bisseti). In 3rd spot is an Omphalodes japonica.
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 Apr03_146_Ogesawa _Viola_eizanensisRC |
 April3rd_ Kogesawa014RC |
 Apr03_156_Ogesawa_ Omphalodes_japonicaRC |
Here are 2 more shots of Viola yezoensis f. discolor and then a shot of a Viola eizanensis.
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 April3rd_ Kogesawa019RC |
 April3rd_ Kogesawa033RC |
 Apr03_167_Ogesawa_ Viola_eizanensisRC |
In this row are 2 very fine shots of Omphalodes japonica. On this day we hiked to the summit of Mt. Kagenobu (727 meters = 2,385 feet). At the summit is a small food stall. We each had a bowl of slippery mushroom soup and some mountain vegetable tempura in addition to the lunch which we brought with us. It was a chilly day, so this hot soup felt nice in the belly. And, that ends April 3rd.
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 April3rd_ Kogesawa038RC |
 April3rd_ Kogesawa046RC |
 Apr03_184_Lunch _Mt_KagenobuRC |
| End April 3rd, Begin April 8th |
Now we're going to go to a place where - surprisingly - we have never been before, in downtown Tokyo. We're going to go to the Imperial Palace, where the Japanese Emperor lives, and walk around the outer moat - Chidorigafuchi Moat. The first photo is looking up towards the main gate, from the street. The 2nd photo is just an old looking building with a nice cherry tree in front of it. The 3rd photo shows Kazuya lost in the crowd of people. Cherry Blossom Viewing Parties were mostly quiet and subdued affairs this year (compared to normal) due to it being less than a month after 25,000+ people lost their lives in the "Great Eastern Japan Earthquake" and associated tsunami. Of course the nuclear problem still hangs over us even as I write this. It's not exactly a happy time or a time for big celebrations.
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 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 009_CherryBlossomsRC |
 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi _CherryTrees_018RC |
 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi_ CherryTrees_019_KazuyaRC |
Here are 3 beautiful shots. You can see the moat in all 3 of these shots.
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 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 025_CherryBlossomsRC |
 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi _CherryTrees_029RC |
 April8th_Chidorigafuchi029 _CherryBlossomsRC |
Here is the entrance to the Palace - the public part of it anyway. The public cannot enter the portion where the Emperor lives. The 2nd and 3rd shots show more cherry trees. This is really a fine spot for viewing - it's not everywhere that a person can look down on the cherry trees.
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 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi _CherryTrees_037RC |
 April8th_Chidorigafuchi040 _CherryBlossomsRC |
 April8th_Chidorigafuchi043 _CherryBlossomsRC |
Here are 3 more fine shots of the Cherry Blossoms.
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 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 058_CherryBlossomsRC |
 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi _CherryTrees_064RC |
 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 075_CherryBlossomsRC |
In these 3 shots you can again see the moat. The 3rd shot was taken from the roof of the building where you can rent boats to go boating in the moat. On this day it was very windy and they were not renting boats.
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 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 085_CherryBlossomsRC |
 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 090_CherryBlossomsRC |
 April8th_Chidorigafuchi 104_CherryBlossomsRC |
The first shot in this row shows mustard weed! You can also see a small corner of the moat. This yellow is a nice contrast to all of the white which you've been seeing. The 2nd shot shows a contrast between a pink-flowered cherry tree and a white-flowered one. The 3rd shot was taken as we walked back to the train station to head for home. This is one of the several entrances to Yasukuni Shrine. That ends April 8th.
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 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi _CherryTrees_091RC |
 Apr08_Chidorigafuchi _CherryTrees_097RC |
 Apr08_YasukuniShrine _CherryTrees_106RC |
| End April 8th, Begin April 9th |
On the 9th we went to ICU - the International Christian University - you may recall that is only a 5 minute bicycle ride from our apartment. We usually go there for our main cherry blossom viewing, but after having been to Chidorigafuchi Moat yesterday, we only took a few photos at ICU. The first one is the cherry trees along the entrance road to the university and the 2nd one is Forsythia sp. beside the entrance road. We managed to find a nice bunch of Morel Mushrooms there again this year. We had them, fried in butter, with nice steaks for our supper!
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 Apr09_04_ICU_ CherryBlossomsRC |
 Apr09_05_ICU _ForsythiaRC |
| End April 9th, 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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