Bits and Pieces of #Japan: Japanese sights in Hakone, Odawara

Ancient cedar walk Hakone

Been out and about in Tokyo and Hakone the past few days. Having been here before (blogged about it here), I can look at Japan with eyes that aren’t dazzled by newness.

The natural beauty is as usual stupendous, as is the deliberateness with which it is curated by the Japanese whenever and wherever they get the chance. This being summer, hydrangeas throng the countryside, and some of them have found their way into my blog header above.

I particularly loved them along the Ancient Cedar walk between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi– 420 cedar trees planted by Tokugawa Ieyasu around 1618. So the trees are almost 400 years old.

This was the view of Tokaido (click on the pics for larger views) as it used to be when famous Samurai traveled down this road between Edo and Osaka, resting under the shade of these very trees.

Donjon Castle, Odawara, Hakone

It was so lonely and quiet, and walking down, I felt I had stepped across time, especially when I had images in my head from the museum of arms and armor at the Donjon castle in Odawara.

Hydrangeas in Hakone, Japan

I’ll try and add odds and ends of what I see in Japan this trip– but I’ve learned to let go and just experience and enjoy a country without trying to photograph and write about it, so I might even do just that.

What about you?  Have you ever been to Japan? If yes, what was Japan like, for you? Have you been affected by the beauty of Japanese sights and landscapes? What does travel mean to you?

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