Ajimano-en Park Waiting for Spring

Beautifully landscaped Japanese Garden in Echizen

Takako Sakamoto Apr 03, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>Wooden sign of Manyo-an, the rest station inside Ajimano-en Park</p>

<p>Sad scenery of Ajimano-en Park in mid March waiting for spring</p>

<p>A pathway lined with bare cherry trees inside the park. They will look very beautiful in April when cherry blossoms are in full bloom</p>

<p>Triangular pyramid-shaped snow protections on trees. Snow was already gone, but spring was not there yet.</p>

<p>Variegated leaves with a garden pond in the background</p>

<p>Back garden of the rest house Manyo-an</p>

<p>Shadow of trees reflected on the pond in black and white</p>

<p>A poem about plum blossoms from Manyo-shu (the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry) written on a board to introduce plum trees inside the park</p>

<p>Dark weeping willow trees under the sad blue sky</p>

<p>Fruits dangling from a wisteria arbor in black and white</p>

<p>Cherry blossom buds waiting to bloom soon</p>

In mid March I visited Ajimano-en Park in Echizen City to see if plum trees there were blooming yet. It was mid March, so they should be blooming, shouldn't they? To my great disappointment, they weren't. It looks like I underestimated snowy Fukui. However, although spring flowers were not yet blooming, I could enjoy melancholy scenery in a beautifully landscaped Japanese garden waiting for spring. To me not having snow was itself bliss. There is a small path lined with cherry trees inside the park which will be beautiful when spring finally visits here in April. I will definitely come back again to see it! For autumn photos of the park please see this photo story on Japan Travel.

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...