A Garden of Buildings

    Snowfall in Tokyo makes headlines, much less in April at the tail end of sakura season. How strange to see yuki (snow) following  ohanami (viewing parties) to celebrate the prized single sakura of the somei- yoshino;  double blossoms of the shogetsu now in evidence are considered gaudy. Closet admirers of the zaftig cherry blossom traveled half an hour from Shinjuku to pay their respects at Koganei Koen (Small Gold Well Park) on a sunny Sunday. Families sprawled on standard issue blue tarps with bowls and chopsticks, played music beneath the flowers as per the 1,000 plus year old custom.

      Once the appetite for blossoms is satiated the park offers a Garden of Buildings  (Tatemono En), a collection of curious places from other parts of the country. Salvaged and relocated after the war, these houses capture a range of styles from the thatched roof cottage of Edo to the post-war home of the affluent Mitsui family. At each foyer visitors remove shoes, then shuffle along wooden floors in stockinged feet, which requires a sturdy pair of socks. Unlike the six over six panes of Western homes, windows appear to be sheets of glass tempting visitors to stare outside;  strolling gardens below invite serene escapes. One inner courtyard framed an impromptu collage of sakura petals against a mound of new snow.  

     Perhaps the most famous building in the garden is the public bath house that served to inspire modern animator Miyazaki. Musume (daughter) is a longtime fan of his masterpiece, Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro Kamikakushi). Back along immaculate streets to the next train station, an open platform overlooking the industrial suburb. A queue of backpackers lined up by the indicated spots for the next Rapid Express into town. How lucky to find two seats together but surprising to nod off while reading Writings from Japan by Lafcadio  Hearn. Only four weeks to go before we meet the author of The Joy of Sumo. Is it a joyful sport?