The Wood Carvings of Shibamata Taishakuten Temple

Shibamata is an neighborhood at the eastern edge of Tokyo.  It is known as the hometown of a 20th-century movie character "Tora-san" and has a nostalgic atmosphere that remains unchanged for decades.  

By walking along the main street lined with traditional "kusa dango" (tansy sweets) shops, you will arrive at the Shibamata Taishakuten Temple.  

Also called the "temple of carvings," Taishakuten boasts numerous fine wood carvings that wrap around the architectures.  The "Chokoku (carving) Gallery" presents a series of artworks carved on ten thick cypress boards, narrating Buddha's teachings.  The carving works are so detailed that they look deeper than they really are, and vivid without any coloring. 

   

The admission fee to the Chokoku Gallery also gives you access to the Suikeien Garden.  You will walk along the corridor that surrounds the garden.  

A nice short trip from the center of the metropolis for a change of pace.  

Higo-Hosokawa Garden

In Tokyo's quiet Mejirodai neighborhood lies the Higo-Hosokawa Garden.  It is a public garden managed by the local municipality.  It used to belong to different samurai families during the Edo Period and the last owner was the Hosokawa family from Higo (current Kumamoto Prefecture,) hence the name. 

The traditional-styled garden has a large pond in the center surrounded by hills and walking trails.  It uses the changes of elevation to represent real mountains, creating a downsized natural scenery.  You would also find spring water along the trails and wonder if you are hiking in a mountain of some countryside.

Admission to Higo-Hosokawa Garden is free.  It is close to Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo and St. Mary's Cathedral.  In spring, the adjoining Kanda River will be lined with cherry blossoms creating a lovely promenade for a walk, but the garden has its charm for all seasons.  

photos taken in April 2021

   

St. Mary's Cathedral by Kenzo Tange

St. Mary's Cathedral is in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo and is in walking distance from the subway Gokokuji Station.  The neighborhood is surrounded by a number of schools and universities.  It is also close to the Higo-Hosokawa Garden that used to belong to a feudal lord family.  

The cathedral was designed by the late architect Kenzo Tange and was built in 1964.  It does not look like any other church.  No cross is attached but the building itself is cross-shaped.  You will see it once inside.  

The interior of the cathedral is simple, dark and solemn, looking even like a secret fort.  When you look up, you will see a cross-shaped top light and realize that you are in a church.  Photography is not allowed inside, so please visit the cathedral yourself and see the futuristic architecture.  

The Imperial Palace and the Lotus Moat

Amid the rain season in Tokyo, a walk along the Imperial Palace moat turned out to be a imaginary exploration into a lush exotic forest. 

The water is covered by pink lotus flowers and green algae carpets.  

The narrow sidewalk is lined with willow trees swaying in wind.  The paved surface is often uneven and bumpy because of the tree roots pushing up from under the ground.    

 Summer is around the corner.