Spring courtyard

Hotel Niwa Tokyo's courtyard is now in full bloom of Rhododendron, or Japanese Azalea.

Walking toward the approach to Japanese Cuisine YUKURI, you can see them right beside the window of Grill & Bar LIEU.

The big flower is very beautiful !

In the new green season not only the Rhododendron, you can also see other flowers such as Japanese Rose and Hall Crabapple in full bloom in the courtyard.

This is a Japanese Roses in full bloom.

Japanese Roses at the entrance are now it's best time too.

Today, a very small guests came to the Hotel, enjoy bathing at the entrance basin.

.

"Mikoshi" - a portable shrine

This is Misaki Inari Shrine which is the guardian god of the Hotel Niwa Tokyo.

It is said that the Shrine was built at the end of 12th century and was relocated several times in the Edo period. Then in 1905, it was settled down in present place which is three-minute walk from the Hotel.

"Mikoshi" is a portable shrine which is usually kept in a treasure house in Shinto Shrine. When the Shrine Festival is held, the shrine parishioners carry it on their sholders and parade around the ward dressed in matching outfits called "Hanten".



The Mikoshi parade held infront of the Hotel Niwa Tokyo on May 3rd, 2010.

This year, before the parade, thankfully the people of the town came to the Hotel to display "Mikoshi" in the lobby.

This "Mikoshi" was made about 80years ago in plane wood, you can see the excellent workmanship of the carving by the creater.

These are the carvings of four scared animals or four mythological creatures which are Vermilion Bird (upper left), Black Tortoise (upper right), Azure Dragon (lower left) and White Tiger (lower right).

Finally, the displaying is finished. The golden phoenix is on the top of the "Mikoshi".

The "Mikoshi" will be displayed in the lobby until May 3rd, right before the festival starts.

.

A walk to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

This is the Hirakawa-mon Gate which is the closest gate of the Imperial Palace from Hotel Niwa Tokyo.
The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace is a public park approx. 20min. on foot from the Hotel and you can also see The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kitanomaru-Park right beside them.

Inside the Hirakawa-mon Gate there are the Trees of 47 Prefectures and the Plum Tree Slope.

Tall buildings, stonewalls and plum trees are making a particular view of Tokyo.

This is the remains of the main castle tower. The fire in 1657 burned the tower and was never reconstructed.

We were able to see an early blooming cherry blossoms in the park.

If you take a closer look at the picture you can see a lot of bulbuls on the cherry tree.

We walked around the park and got out from the Kitahanebashi-mon Gate.
This is a view of the Hirakawa-moat and a stonewall of the casle keep. A big moat and a curve of the stonewall reminds us a scenes of Edo period.

The East Gardens of the Imperial Palace
Around 20min. on foot from Hotel Niwa Tokyo or
1min. walk from Subway Mita-Line Otemachi Sta. C10 exit (2 stations from Suidobashi Sta.).

.

Great Veiw of Tokyo from Bunkyo Civic Center

This is the Bunkyo Civic Center where you can experience a wonderful veiw of Tokyo from an observatory on 25th floor.
(The Tokyo Dome City amusement park can be seen in the foreground.)

The west side is a view of Shinjuku, you can see the metropolitan office building and the skyscrapers.On fine day, you can also see Mt. Fuji clearly.
(This photo is taken by telescopic lens.)

This is the east side of Tokyo, you can see the Tokyo Sky Tree.
It seems that the buildings never end until the horizon.

The Tokyo Sky Tree.
It became the world's tallest and the most beautiful free-standing broadcasting tower.
The tower and the giant commercial facilities will open on May 22nd 2012.
(This photo is taken by telescopic lens.)

The Bunkyo Civic Center's observatory is admission free and the opening hour is from 9:00-20:30.

Bunkyo Civic Center (Official website)
Around 10min. walk from Hotel Niwa Tokyo.

.

Cherry blossom season is coming !

Every year in this season many medias report the forecasts of cherry blossom blooming.
According to the forecasts, here in Tokyo, the blooming day will be March 30 and will be in full bloom on April 5 or 6 this year.
There are many cherry tree veiwing spots close from Hotel Niwa Tokyo in a walking distance.

You can see a lot of people enjoying the blooming "Sakura" from last year's picture!

This is Chidorigafuchi pedestrain path.

Beside the pedestrain path is a moat and a cherry blossom hill.

Cherry trees in full bloom are so beautiful.

A shrine's guardian dog and a cherry blossoms.

A traditional Japanese building and sakura looks great together !

We can hardly wait for sakura to flower !
Annualy the Sakura Festival is held from the end of the March until the beggining of the April at Chiyoda city.
Chidorigafuchi-moat and Kitanomaru-park where the festival is held is around 20min walk from Hotel Niwa Tokyo.

.

Plum Blossoms at Yushima-Tenjin Shrine

Yushima-Tenjin Shrine is well known for a viewing place of plum blossom in Tokyo.

This is the guardian dog of the Shrine, the relief of the base it stands is carved with plum tree motif.

Also, Yushima-Tenjin Shrine is very famos for "shrine of learning" since Sugawara Michizane, a god of scholarship, is enshrined.

These days, a lot of students and their family visit the Shrine to pray for passing the entrance examimation.
They write their wishes on an ema, a small wooden tablet, and hang it so that their prayer is heard.

Usually the beggining of March is the best season for plum blossoms but this year about half of them are in bloom now, because of the low temperature weather continued in Tokyo these days.
That means we can enjoy the plum season longer than usual !

There are many colors fo plum in the garden, such as white, pink and ruby.

It is said that Sugawara Michizane, he is a actual nobility of Heian period, loved plum blossoms.

Yushima-Tenjin Shrine is around 20min walk from Hotel Niwa Tokyo.

We definitely recommend to go for a walk on a warm season !  

Girl's Festival Dolls - "Hina Ningyo"

March 3rd is "Hina-matsuri", the Japanese Girl's Festival  or Girl's Day in Japan.
The festival is for wishing girl's growth and happiness, most families that have female children display these dolls at home.
They are usually decorated with peach blossoms , grilled bits of rice cake, sweet white liquor called "Shirozake" and so forth.

From the top tier, the two dolls infront of a gold folding screen are imperial dolls, the Emperor and Empress.
"Sannin-kanjo" is three court ladies which holds a "sake" equipment at the second tier.
Third tier holds a five male musicians "Gonin-bayashi". Each of them have a musical insternment in their hands except the singer, who holds a fan.
On the fourth tier is the Minister of the Left and the Minister of the Right. Between of them there is a "Hishimochi", a diamond shaped rice cake.
Fifth tier holds the three helpers as a protector of the Emperor and the Empress.
Sixth and seventh tier, there are a variety of miniature furnitures, tools and carriages are displayed. 

It is said that the custom of displaying dolls began during the "Heian" period (794-1185).
These dolls are made almost 60 years ago. You can see a delicate work on each of them.

The dolls are displayed until March 3rd. Please come and see the beautiful "Hina-ningyo" at Hotel Niwa Tokyo! 

.