Japanese is following after English. 日本語は英語の下にあります。
Wintertime Peony Blossom Festival
Visitors can see the two kinds of peonies from New Year’s Day to mid-February.
They are the “wintertime peony” and the “winter-flowering peony”.
Some of peonies have a feature of blooming not only in spring, but also in early winter.
The winter-flowering peony opens naturally at low temperature in winter, but it is very difficult of lowering is only 20 percent or less.
On the other hand, the wintertime peony is cultivated using a special technique to bloom in the winter season.
It is inhibits blooming in cold area in spring and summer and carefully regulated temperature in autumn.
With few flowers in winter, the wintertime peony is prepared over two full years to add beauty to the New Year’s celebration as a symbol of good fortune.
Its elegant appearance under a straw enclosure captivates and delights visitors enormously.
January 1st to mid-February
9:30am-5:00pm (last admission at 4:30pm)
I had been to Ueno to spend wonderful holiday such as the Secret Station, Secret Flower Garden, and National Museum of Western Arts.
Opening for Winter Peony Garden had already finished at Feb/24 (Mon), but it seems to open in spring, too.
Don’t miss a chance to be such a beautiful Season Limited Japanese Historic Site.
English https://www.uenotoshogu.com/en/
Japanese https://www.uenotoshogu.com/botan/
Peony flowers were so beautiful and large, they looked like cabbage or the descent on the earth of the descendants of Queen :D
In addition to peony flowers, plum flowers, willow plum flowers were also in full blooms, I felt like I was in never-never land.
The harmony of the five-storied pagoda and flowers is the big bonus for people visiting Ueno in this season.
There were Chinese flowers delivered from China, named “Mitsu Mata (Literary meaning 3 brunch off)”
According to the sign in the garden, there were only 20% peonies which can be bloomed in winter because of the difficulty of raising in winter.
Volunteer guide in Ueno used to teach me that the five storied pagoda in Ueno is located in Ueno Zoo, and it is prohibited that the religious building exist in government facilities so that the ceremony which erase the spirit of diety and it continues to be there.
I had been the peony garden last year and this year in a low, and both times my friends enjoyed it very much.
European who visited this year had knew the garden beforehand, I was happy to know this garden’s marvelous value is known among foreigners.
But the decoration and layout are the same both last year and this time, it seems not to change every year.
Of cause I was so happy to visit this beautiful garden every year.
By the way, I would like to mention about the admission.
700 JPY for the peony garden only, and 1100 JPY for combination of the Toshogu Shrine and the peony garden.
I want to recommend you to purchase the combination ticket <3
There are the sculptures which were created by Hidari Jigoro named "Raising Dragon" and "Downward Dragon".
Nobody knows the reason of "Raising Dragon" faces to down, and "Downward Dragon" faces to up.
For your reference, the permanent exhibition of National Museum of Western Arts opens free of charge only for 2nd Saturday and 4th Saturday.
Usually it costs 650 JPY.
I am a regular visitor of this museum.
先週末、上野東照宮の牡丹苑で冬牡丹を鑑賞しました。
こちらは2月24日(月) までで終了していますが、春にも開苑があるようなので、機会があれば是非足をお運びください。
キャベツのように大きなボタンは見応えがあり、冬に降臨した女王様のようでした。
苑内の枝垂れ梅や梅の花も見頃を迎えており、上野動物園の五重の塔と梅のコントラストはこの季節に上野を訪れた人への特別ボーナスです。
三又という中国渡来の黄色い花はとても良い香りがして、幸せでした。
苑内の掲示によると、栽培方法が難しく、冬にボタンを開花させられるのは２割ほどなのだそうです。
以前、上野のフリーガイドさんが教えてくださったのですが、五重の塔は上野動物園の敷地内にあり、公共施設の中に特定の宗教関連の建物があるのはNGなので、五重の塔の魂を抜く儀式をした上で動物園の中に存在しているのだそうです。
私は、去年と今年の２回、外国人のお友達と牡丹園に行き、どちらも喜んでもらえました。
今年一緒に行ったヨーロッパ人は牡丹園を知っていたので、「認知度が上がっているのかな？」とワクワクしました。
ただ、飾り付けや展示はほぼ同じだったので、毎年模様替えはしていないようでした。
もちろん、私は2年連続でこんなに素敵な場所に行けて感激しました。
さて、気になる入園料は、牡丹園のみ 700円、東照宮拝観券とセットで 1100円です。
私は、セット券 1100円をおすすめしたいです。
国立西洋美術館は、第二・第四土曜日が常設展無料観覧日で、とても楽しい場所です。
いつもありがとうございます。