My husband and I visited the Kikuchi Family and Chiba once again in the winter. Kumi and Hiroto took us to see a magnificent illumination in the middle of the countryside; Tokyo German Village, which is actually in Sodegaura City, Chiba Prefecture.
This winter illumination is one of the three best illumination of the Kanto area, they have three million LED lights on the landscape, all over the fields and buildings. The theme park is open throughout the year; visitors can enjoy the illumination during winter, and the seasonal flower fields, golf course and picnics in summer. There is also German food and beverages.
Jinpuu‘s heart and soul were the Kikuchi couple; warm-hearted Kumi and always active Hiroto. Jinpuu was his father’s company, and Hiroto took the lead when he retired, and also Kumi worked at the office. Hiroto was a leader who didn’t mind getting his hands dirty; he shoveled soil, climbed high on the trees and sweated with us at the Tokyo site.
Hiroto was a hardworking, funny and generous man. Every morning he took his moped, drove to a convenient store to fetch us coffees; he treated me uncountably number of lunches, dinners, snacks and beverages. Kumi helped me so many ways during my apprenticeship at Jinpuu: she took me to a hairdresser, sent several boxes full of my stuff to Finland and introduced me to WonderREX second hand shop. (Come to think of it, WonderREX may be the reason I had to send some of those boxes!)
Hiroto loved his family; he always had time for his two boys. We had a lot of farewell parties and company events, and the kids always joined the crew. Jinpuu was a tight community, and they all made sure that I fit in.
I found this beautiful gem by accident when searching some flea market at Makuhari Messe. It was Saturday, and the garden was like a peaceful oasis in the middle of a busy city and its skyscrapers. In fact, there was only me and one of the park’s gardeners.
Mihama-en is a part of Chiba Prefectural Makuhari Seaside Park, and it’s a classic Japanese strolling garden with ponds, islands, waterfalls, streams and artificial hills. All these alluring elements combined to the refreshing quietness of the place made this garden very enjoyable. There is also a teahouse made from Japanese cedar by the pond.
Despite the artificial aspects of the garden and the skyscrapers on the horizon, there is still a strong sense of nature. The pond was full of life; tadpoles, carps and a lot of waterfowl were swimming about.
61-year-old Jinpuu senior Endo and I spent a delightful day amid huge flowers at their fullest bloom. After an unfortunate flat tire we arrived at the magnificent peony garden, and for once the weather was perfect. For me this was truly a rare experience; this garden is something you cannot see in everyday life, at least if you live in Finland.
I love old buildings, so that was another reason why I enjoyed this garden so much; their super-charming thatched-roofed farmhouses from the Edo era! It makes all the difference, the balance of the garden and its untouched harmony. The gorgeous peony flowers were under waxed paper parasols because of the strong sunshine, and that made the garden look even more beautiful.
The garden is open only a short period between the end of April and the beginning of May when the Peony’s are blooming. They also have a lot of other interesting plants, trees and flowers, for example Davidia involucrata, Dove tree (or Handkerchief tree).
Our next destination was Mitsuishiyama Kannon-ji, which was one hour drive away from Kasamori Kannon. When we arrived at the temple, it started to rain again, so Ishikawa held the umbrella like a true gentleman, and I took pictures from underneath it.
This temple is a famous power spot to pray for marriage, and it got its name from the three stones on the back of the building. The place was astonishing; the small temple looked like it was about to crush under the huge stones. The location is quite high, and in clear weather it’s possible to see Mt. Fuji.
Stone steps took us to the narrow pathway between the rocks, and to the highest peak, where is Okuno-in, the place people pray. It is customary to tie your handkerchief to the fence.
Our boss’s wife Kumi took me, Kochan and Kanchan, AKA The Noisy Boys, to a road trip, and we dashed through beautiful mountainous landscapes. Our first stop was at the Marine Restaurant Seagull, which was a mixture of Italian food and Japanese atmosphere; we had lunch inside a tatami matted private room.
Kumi kept driving until we arrived at the seashore where we parked the car and continued by foot. On the dock was a small rowing boat and two old men, who took us to our destination: Niemonjima. The island was breathtaking, full of bird singing and exotic flowers but none visitors; we were the only ones.
We criss-crossed the landscape, walked on the rocky shore and dived inside lush jungle-like vegetation. Here and there were small eye-catchers: a big rock with carved poem on it, a stone statue or weathered shrine. On the island was also a gift shop where we could buy some souvenirs, like postcards and a fishing net.
Our next stop was Boso no Mura, which is an open-air museum with its historic buildings and craft workshops. Dated back to Edo Period, Boso Village is the perfect example of the era and its lifestyle; unpaved streets with beautifully aged wooden merchant houses and tea shops along the sides.
The village is a great place for a person who is interested to learn about Japanese culture and history and its disappearing heritage as well. Boso no Mura has a lot of different activities visitors can take part: paper and tatami mat coaster making, tea ceremony and blacksmithing.
Ishikawa, the bamboo fence master of Jinpuu, had studied the craft in Boso no Mura, and he shared his experiences in the bus. The village was our last attraction, but when the bus reached Chiba City, we ended our night at karaoke parlour.
One Sunday Jinpuu organized a bus tour for their employees. The trip started from Chiba City at dawn, and everything was pre-arranged by Kikuchi. Our first destination was Sawara, the Little Edo, which is designated as ‘Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings’.
Hinamatsuri, celebrated on the third day of the third month, was long gone, but the Girls’ Day’s dolls were still out in the open. Once again we had rain, and the clouds hung low when we headed for the boat parade at Onokawa River.
Next we visited the amazing Inō Tadataka Museum; this national hero spent 17 years of his life to make an accurate map of Japan. The result of walking 35,000 kilometres is the first modern map of Japan, Dai Nihon Enkai Yochi Zenzu, which was published 1821 after his death. At the museum we could compare the Dai Nihon Enkai Yochi Zenzu and map made with the latest technology; they were almost exact.
We had lunch at Auberge De Manoir KITTEI restaurant. We enjoyed a delicious meal and beverages while watching the greenery from large windows. The charming building was amid a beautiful garden, in which we took a walk afterwards.
This charming place was my ultimate dream-come-true work site! And not only for its serene beauty but also for our tea and lunch breaks; the treats provided by the head priest and restaurant Chao were an everyday joy for us.
The Fukujuin Temple had recently undergone massive changes: the old temple was now unoccupied and all the action was at the brand new buildings. Thus now was time to update the garden; we made several bamboo fences, planted hedgerows, and groomed the old pine trees of the yard.
Every day the head priest served us tea, and Ogiu, Ishikawa and I enjoyed it on the temple’s wooden steps. The place had a magical atmosphere; the old temple with its detailed wood carvings stood on a small hill under a giant cherry tree, stone statues guarded the garden buried with soft moss. Some days we could hear the owl’s cries from the bamboo grove.
We had to postpone hanami because of the rain and go for indoor activity instead; Mai, Yamamoto, Endo, Ishikawa and I headed to the Kawamura Memorial DIC Art Museum. For garden maniacs, this can be especially interesting because of its location. All around the building is greenery: not just forest but 10 hectare park area with its green lawns, pond and flower gardens.
The park’s 250 cherry trees were almost in full bloom, and when the rain eased, we could enjoy the scenery. This park – like many others in Japan – is a perfect place to visit during all seasons; there are always different flowers blossoming, and not to mention the autumn foliage.
We ended our tour at Italian restaurant Belvedere, where Endo bought us lunch; he was joyful because of the recent bonuses from Jinpuu, and Kikuchi also paid our museum fees.
