When I left the temple, I saw a lot of Japanese roof tiles (kawara 瓦), ornamental end pieces and ogre tiles called onigawara (鬼瓦) arranged on the ground under a tree. The temple just underwent major restoration work and the tiles were probably stored/exhibited there. The first thing that caught my eye was a row … Continue reading Onigawara – Japanese roof tiles at Toji-in temple in Kyoto
Japanese work days start early - very early. By 7:15 usually all the trucks have left the company and are on the way to the genba (現場 - another word that is not easily translated - it means scene, site, the place where stuff happens - in other terms: construction site for gardens). I arrived … Continue reading Day 1 – Texture
After you returned from a vacation, have you ever let your packed suitcase sit for a few days? I do that all the time. I do it so I can enjoy the lingering fragrance of a foreign country a bit longer. If I just unpacked the suitcase immediately, it would feel as if the journey never happened, … Continue reading Day Zero – The Kyoto adventure begins (with the help of time travel)
The last day of my trip. On Sunday night we finished the tsuboniwa at the Mamezen Ramen shop in Kyoto (豆禅). I woke up early this morning to take some pictures of the garden - here is one of them, there are more to come: Mamezen owner and Yuba-Ramen chef Minoru Yonekawa: The … Continue reading Day 89 – Kyoto has a new garden
Everything in Japan has a kawaii version, I guess. This is a miniature version of the popular Yotsume-gaki bamboo fence and it is used to mark a water faucet. I have to add this to our Real Japanese garden e-Book about bamboo fences.
My daily 13-minute way to work is one of the best times of the day. The air is fresh from the Arashiyama mountains and Narabi-ga-oka hills, the sun shines friendly on the new day and I am happy to be alive and to learn more to become a better gardener. I pass the Myoshin-ji (妙心寺) temple … Continue reading Day 39 – My way to work near Myoshin-ji in Kyoto
Putting in extra hours after work to make a dream come true: Will probably build a small tsuboniwa garden (190x220cm) for my favorite Kyoto restaurant Mamezen with a colleague and a friend of his. Here are some ideas from the on-site visit yesterday:
The spring season special opening (春特別拝観) with extended hours and a beautiful light-up of the garden is ended yesterday at the last day of the official Golden Week. I experienced the garden today for the first time without visitors and was amazed by the atmosphere. Even the staff was gone while I did my last … Continue reading Day 30 – When the crowds are gone – After hours in Kodai-ji
The head gardener and I built the frame for a wooden fence (itabei - 板塀) in a restaurant. The existing dobei (土塀), the traditional earthen wall has gotten weak and is crumbling, which gives us a great view into the construction of it. A frame is built with wooden posts and a grid of slices … Continue reading Day 26 – Building a itabei
90 Days in Kyoto 