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November 22, 2024
 

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Gerard Taaffe
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Feb 14, 2002
Take time to savor Ryoanji's splendors
The stone garden at Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto is perhaps the most famous of all Japanese gardens, and in 1994 it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Jan 24, 2002
Twin peaks offer a double take on plants
The summit of Mount Tsukuba in southern Ibaraki Prefecture has two peaks, one regarded as female and the other as male. Rising to 876 meters, with a shrine on the top dedicated to Izanami no Mikoto, the female creator deity, Nyotaisan is just 6 meters higher than Nantaisan, topped by a shrine to the...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Jan 10, 2002
Plants for all seasons bring us midwinter cheer
Little by little the days are starting to get longer, though with spring still a long way off this is a good time to do some armchair gardening. Whether you browse through gardening books or magazines, or search the Internet for your reading material, without stirring from your armchair there's plenty...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Dec 27, 2001
Berries to bring cheer at the turn of the year
The festive season is in full swing, and though it's cold outside in the parks and gardens there are still plants that bring joy to our hearts -- few more so than the nanten (Nandinia domestica) with their profusion of attractive bright-red berries at this time of year.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Dec 13, 2001
If you go down to the woods today . . .
By this time of year, with temperatures dropping fast and the wind whipping up, the leaves of deciduous trees have almost all fallen. I love to see them coming down, revealing intricate networks of boughs and branches.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Nov 29, 2001
Where's the best bloomin' desert in the world?
Huntington Botanic Gardens is magnificent. Comprising no fewer than 15 specialized gardens set on 54 hectares of the 86-hectare San Marino estate a mere 20 km northeast of downtown Los Angeles, it is home to an astonishing 14,000-plus species of plants.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Nov 15, 2001
Travel the world in a tree-lover's heaven
When I arrived at Los Angeles airport in June, my friend Joan Juenemann was there to meet me. My stay in California was to be only three days, but Joan had kindly prepared an itinerary taking in one garden with its own unique character each day.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENS FOR ALL
Nov 1, 2001
A wonderland wrought from one man's vision
In June this year I had the pleasure of visiting three wonderful gardens in California -- all of which I would strongly recommend for a leisurely and enjoyable visit. I will cover one apiece in this and two following articles.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Oct 11, 2001
Firmly rooted in tradition and daily life
In the foothills of Mount Fuji, there is a fascinating botanical garden devoted to the cultivation and display of bamboo plants and products. Unique in this country, the Fuji Bamboo Garden, which opened on its 4-hectare site in 1951, cultivates more than 500 species and cultivars of bamboo from around...
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Sep 27, 2001
Medicinal ornaments
Last year, while searching the southern part of the Kii Peninsula for the elusive yellow-flowered toad lily (Kii joro-hototogisu, Tricyrtis macranthopsis), I came across an unusual tree, a "new discovery" that made my day.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Sep 13, 2001
A long hike but worth it to see yew again
Now that the oppressive summer heat has finally abated, hiking is much more comfortable. Earlier this month I went to Daisen in Tottori Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Aug 23, 2001
Get that tropical feeling with hibiscus on your balcony
Summers just wouldn't be the same without hibiscus flowers. Hibiscus create the feeling of some tropical paradise -- even in city centers. Those of you who have balcony gardens can easily cultivate a number of hibiscus species.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Aug 9, 2001
Hidden treasures in south Kyushu
Aside from the feral horses and the splendid views from Cape Toimisaki, southeastern Kyushu is known for its "living fossils": the cycads.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Jul 26, 2001
So much to see despite the cedars
Earlier this year, I hired a car at Miyazaki Airport and drove along the coast to Kagoshima.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Jul 12, 2001
Foreign plants are right at home in Japan
I have always been interested in the natural origins of plants. Where does a particular plant come from? How and when did it come to this country? Geographic botany investigates the distribution of plants around the world.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Jun 14, 2001
A green oasis in the Osaka urban desert
Historically a city of merchants, Osaka is generally thought to have little greenery. But at its very heart, on the eastern portion of Nakanoshima, a small island sandwiched between the Dojima and Tosabori rivers, there is a lovely patch of green known as Nakanoshima Rose Garden.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
May 24, 2001
Just plant grass, and mow it for 400 years
The Hosokawa family is deeply rooted to the history and development of Kumamoto. Hosokawa Tadatoshi (1586-1641) was granted the domain of Kumamoto (540,000 koku) by Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1632 and started work on the gardens which became Suizenji Jojuen in the same year.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Apr 26, 2001
Monument to 800 years of daimyo power
Sengan'en, a garden and former residence of the Shimazu lords of Kagoshima, is located on the shores of Kinko Bay, the innermost part of Kagoshima Bay. Officially called Sengan'en, it is also known as Iso Gardens. It was designated a national scenic landmark in 1958.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Apr 12, 2001
Tropical fusion in southern Satsuma
It is well known that first impressions count, and my first impressions of Kagoshima Flower Garden were excellent.
ENVIRONMENT / GARDENING FOR ALL
Mar 28, 2001
Cherry grove has encyclopedic reach
If asked what the national tree of Japan is, I would answer sakura, the Japanese flowering cherry, which belongs to the very large genus Prunus. There are many places throughout the country where one can view these beautiful trees, but for those wishing to compare many different varieties at one time,...
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

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