| Kairaku-En @Mar/'03 ļé |
Japanese Plum Blossom in Mito Kairaku-En Garden
This is the one of the three major Japanese Garden across the nation.
The other two are Kouraku-En Garden in Okayama and Kenroku-En in
Ishikawa. History says this garden had been made for one of the series of deals
in reconstructing the faltered economic situation of Mito Han (State called in
Edo period in Japan) by 15th "Han" load Nariaki
Tokugawa in late Edo period. This particular garden is said to have been made
for the purpose to entertain the people of "Han" to give them the hope to work
hard and pleasure to live in his reign. This "Han" is also very popular among
the Japanese folk since "Mito-Koumon", an elderly noble
of the Edo government had traveled numbers of local town and made
prompt resolution of the problem that local people were suffering from the abuse of
authoritative power to the people by local governor. I had a chance to visit
this legendary town and garden in one of fine spring day.
On 21st March, this is the day of Spring Equinox Day, the day of which
day and night has same length. The weather was just made for motor bike
riding. No cloud and it was extremely fine day with moderate temperature.
Departed my house early in the morning at 5:15, and arrived Moriya service
area of Joban Motor way at 7:20, where the point we supposed to meet. Mr.W
was already there. He said he was there since 6 o'clock. He was there waiting
us more than one hour. While waiting other member, a great many BMW bikes
drove in one after another. This scene was a bit bizarre. I asked one of
the riders. "Is there any event related BMW bike today?" He replied
that there was a motor bike race of BMW. I was little surprised and pleased
that Japan is becoming matured country who has such kind of people affordable
their time and money for just leisure, a rather expensive leisure.
Get off the motor way at Mito, we headed for Mito City center.
This was the unprecedented road for me.
On driving the new road, my mind always is excited. On the sign post
"Kairaku-En", we turned left and tried to park our bikes in
the parking area. But a man in the parking lot refused to park bikes due to the
parking regulation, only car is allowed to park. This is typical rigidity of
the bureaucracy in Japan. Probably in this extremely crowded Japanese society, if one
exception is allowed, whole structure of order would easily be destroyed, and
get onto the chaotic conditions. We, luckily found a small vacant space near
the plum plantation field next to the garden, and parked our bikes in this
space.
Typical Japanese Picnic Lunch Box available in the Kairaku-En Park
There is a newly build Kairaku-En Park Center that locates the other
side of Sawato River to Kairaku-En.
This center provides rooms and restaurant to take rest after you walked the vast
area of the original Kairaku-En Garden and newly established spacious plum tree
plantation field. You can also get detail information about Kairaku-En
and history of Mito city. An elderly man explains Kairaku-En and
history of Mito in great detail. His flawless knowledge had been pumped
out from his brain one after another. We were so overwhelmed of the volume of
knowledge he displayed in front of us.
One of his explanation was there was a Tokugawa Museum annexed to this park.
Our riding members have extra keen interests for almost everything new for them.
There was no other choice than visiting the museum. The museum was built in surprisingly
modern shape. There were highly developed quality products that were used in
noble family at that time displayed. The quality of these highly developed
products had reached to the level of state of art that ordinal people could
never use or have it ever. This is way that the culture created and developed
by the strong demands of person who had unquestionable extra-ordinal strong
power over the people. It would be
true that any where in the world, the top quality art would not be created
unless strong desires of one group of people having absolute influence and
power to the people they reign over.
Now, we got into the Garden.
"Kairaku" means that "Everyone enjoy".
The head of Mito Han at that time, wanted that people living in his Han enjoy the life altogether
without thinking their hierarchical order. Therefore, once people got into the
garden, they can practically talk freely anything to anyone, and enjoy the
beautiful settings of the well manicured garden.
We bought the
special lunch box prepared in the garden. It looked really beautiful and taste
good. We enjoyed a typical Japanese picnic lunch under the plum blossom in the
nicely set supreme garden.
Wood statue of Farmer that was well respected at Mito Han in Koudou-Kan Mito
Koudou-Kan is like educational institute of Mito Han in Edo Era. Most notable
9th Mito load governor Nariaki Tokugawa established this school in believing
that the people is most important resources in order to revitalize the
faltered local economy and industry. There was a museum volunteer in the
Koudou-Kan who explains the historical facts and events regarding Koudou-Kan
and its historical background. In the main lecture room, a wood plate was
placed on the wall on which words are written gPlay on Artsh. Very simple
but, I might imagine, has vast amount wisdom are contained in it. Art in
this words mean music, archery, courtesy, calligraphy, horse riding and
mathematics. The Koudou-Kan is also known as the house where 15th, the
last Shogun of Edo period, Yoshinobu Tokugawa studied during his juvenile
period, and stay secluded from the outside when he, most dramatically and
most miraculously, returned governmental right to reign whole Japan with
tremendous amount of difficulties, back to Emperor.
The room where 15th Tokugawa Shougun Yoshinobu
upon returning the control power over Japan to Meiji Tennou, the Emperor of the time
After we enjoyed touching to the cultural heritages of Mito, we headed down to Choshi,
known as one of the large fishing town in Ibaraki, riding along the Pacific Ocean.
We arrived to the park located at the
chip of peninsula where the round earth can be observed, just before the sun set.
We got into the Café "Kaze-no-Atelier". The large red
sun was just dropping down in the orange colored horizon. A cup of coffee
sipped at Café "Kaze no Atelier" was really
refreshing my body after the day's riding.
Sunset seen from the Café "Kaze no Atelier" (Photo taken by Mr. F)
21/Mar/'03 Rinzo@ Ibaragi (Updated on 10/Feb/'06)
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