The backseat role

The trees in our courtyard are getting green in recent weeks.
Their colors are deepening day by day.
It's very beautiful.

The stream in the courtyard needs to clean 3 or 4 times a month.

First, brush away the fallen leaves and mud. 

After the bottom surface become clean, put stones back carefully by hand.

This ordinary work is continued all year round by our maintenace staff.
They are going to be more busy for the new season in order to attract our guests by the lovely view.

Spring at Hotel Niwa Tokyo 2013 Ⅰ

Winter Daphne at our hotel entrance has begun blooming at last.
You may smell the sweet spring odours when you pass by.

In the language of flowers, winter daphne signifies Eternity or Glory.
It's just the word for hopeful spring!

A sign of fall

We found cicada's empty shell in the courtyard the other day.

It is said that cicadas live undergraound as nymphs, maybe 2-4years. Well, he might stayed here at the courtyard since opening of Hotel Niwa Tokyo in May 2009.

This is a crape-myrtle, now beautiful flowers are blooming at the entrance.

Still the hot days continuing, we feel a signs of fall around us.

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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.

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Small Hotel Guests

I've always wanted to take some pictures of the birds coming around our Hotel entrance and the courtyard pretty often.

Finally, the opprotunity came to me the other day!  

I'm not familiar with species of birds, but according to the information that I collected, it must be Hiyodori, the Brown-eared Bulbul.

Hiyodori is very common bird in Japan, even in the central part of Tokyo. 

Not only one but two comes together.
They must be a couple! (I really hope so...)

They always stands together like this.

Maybe they're coming from the Imperial Palace or Koishikawa-Korakuen Garden, both places are very close from our Hotel. 

We've been seeing the bird couple since the opening of the Hotel.
Now I'm wondering "Are they always the same two?"
Any way, it's very happy to have them in our courtyard.

This is a view of the courtyard from Japanese Cuisine YUKURI.
You might have a chance to see Hiyodori couple from this window at lunch time!

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Hydrangea

The rainy season, known as Tsuyu in Japan, has begun in Tokyo two weeks earlier than usual.
Now the hydrangeas are blooming in our courtyard.

The hydrangeas really match with cloudy sky and drizzling rain, they might be one of the most typical Japanese scenery throughout the year.

Flowers are Blooming in the Courtyard (April 8th, 2011)

We have a garden, a "niwa", between two restaurants, Grill & Bar LIEU and Japanese Cuisine YUKURI.  Many flowers are now blooming !



This is a view from the window of YUKURI.

It is a best time for "Yamabuki", a Japanese rose.

"Kaido", a Japanese crabapple. Pink flowers are very cute !