Gardens?

Are you crazy about gardens or do they send you crazy?  For the Samurai a garden was an oasis where they could refer as their spirit and show the artistic or cultural side. One street in Chiran has been preserved with houses and gardens 250 years old. There are no electrical wires visible from the street and the hedges are tall enough so that if you were on a horse , you could not see into the garden. Seven of the gardens are open to the public…. but you cannot enter the houses. Sit close to the building on the step or seat as the gardens are designed to be viewed  from the house.

Each garden is different and reflects the personality of its owner and creator..

Cherry Blossoms and the innocence of youth is reflected in the next garden at  the Kamikaze Peace Museum. This museum was built at Chiran as there were 492  local boys of the 1192 Kamikaze pilots that flew from the airbase at this town. The youngest of these was 17. For some of these young boys, their last mission was after Japan had declared the surrender. These young men were told to destroy the invading enemy at the cost of their lives. One only survived because his plane crashed into the destroyer and miraculously, he survived. They were told it was an honour to fight on and give their lives for peace.

Your final garden consists of flowers in every colour mixed with quirky statues, view points and beautiful trees. Having viewed the gardens(, sorry I was lazy and caught the bus that took you around the entire garden), I checked out the butterfly house and waterfall. The gardens are arranged in themes with quiet areas to picnic and expansive areas for games. Hurrah the coffee machine is fixed!

This edition was written while travelling at 300 kmh on the Shinkansen. It may become a little blurry with the speed wobble.