Journeys in Japan
Season 6 Episode 9 - Mito: Gardens, Tradition and Spring Blossoms
Throughout Japan, the blossoms of the ume plum trees signal the end of winter and herald the beginning of spring. The Kairakuen Garden in Mito, long considered one of the Japan's three greatest gardens, is famous for its many ume trees — about 3,000 in all, of 100 different varieties. The garden was laid out in 1842 by Tokugawa Nariaki, the head of the Mito Clan. A dark forest road leads to spacious groves of ume trees: this contrast reflects the traditional concepts of yin and yang. The Mito Lord was particularly fond of ume blossoms, as they withstand the cold of mid-winter and act as a harbinger of spring. The Hitachi Seaside Park, not far from Mito, is another place that is famous for its flowers. Here you can find many different kinds of plants in bloom, year-round.
Episodes in Season 6
Winter Wonderland: Hakodate
28 min
Naruko Onsen: The Home of Kokeshi Dolls
28 min
Iwate: Savoring Winter
28 min
Blues City Osaka
28 min
Sanriku: Returning the Emotion
28 min
Majestic Yakushima in Winter
28 min
Kumamoto: Children, Dolls and Celebrating Spring
28 min
Otaru: Canal Town with Northern Lights
28 min
Mito: Gardens, Tradition and Spring Blossoms
28 min
Lake Biwa: In Praise of Water
28 min
Pure Himeji: Beautiful Castle City, Craftsman Culture
28 min
Awaji Island: Keeping Traditions Alive
28 min
Shonan: Living the Slow Life on the Coast
28 min
Sado Island: Behind the Mask Dance
28 min
Mt. Hotaka: Climbing to the Roof of Japan
28 min
Hokkaido: The Sacred Sounds of the Ainu
28 min
Morioka: Celebrating a Culture of People and Horses
28 min
Izu & Odawara : The Senses of Summer
28 min
Shakotan Blue: The Ocean's Beauty and Bounty
28 min
Biei, Hokkaido: Layers of Beauty in the Patchwork Hills
28 min
The Sacred Kumano Kodo: Kii Peninsula
28 min
Kikaijima: Life on a Coral Island
28 min
Bullfighting in Uwajima: Passion and Tradition
28 min
The Thrilling Nebuta Festival
28 min
Savoring Rural Pleasures: Daigo, Ibaraki
28 min
Kameyama, Mie: Living in the Present, Preserving the Past
28 min
Iiyama: The Landscape of the Heart
28 min
Kingdom of Apples: Tsugaru, Aomori
28 min
Mt. Tsurugi: Attacking the Palace of Crags
28 min
Adventures In WonderLand: Iya, Tokushima
28 min
Takayama & Furukawa: Treasuring Traditions
28 min
Artisans and Beauty: Koshu, Yamanashi
28 min
Nara & Yagyu: On the Road to the Sword of Peace
28 min
Ishigaki: Diving in the Sea of Coral
28 min
Akita Autumn Feast
28 min
