Maruyama Park

Until 300 years ago, the area where Kyoto’s Maruyama Park stands today was merely shrubs and weeds. Early last century a landscape gardener, Jihei Ogawa, improved the gardens. The area was originally called Makuzugahara, but during the Kamakura period, it became known as a place of traditional Waka poems.

Spring Blossoms

Every year, one of my daughters who once lived in Vancouver, asks me about the cherry blossoms. On one visit, I drove her downtown just for a glimpse of these glorious trees.