From 'high tech' / modern Japan's karaoke last night, to strolling through the castle garden carrying a paper lantern and listening to the cicadas, crickets and koto music tonight. The 2 or 3 week evening event is called something like 'The sound/cry of insects in the summer night.' They open up the garden from 6:30 - 9pm, hand out Hikonyan (the castle mascot) lanterns, serve tea and sweets (extra charge) and have some ladies play the koto while guests are free to (carefully -it's quite dark and the paths are dirt or rock) stroll through the garden.
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| Enjoying some tea and sweets and a view of the castle. |
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| Koto players, they sang as well. |
I'd been looking forward to that event since I'd read about it a couple of months ago. But I almost didn't make it. I was away last weekend, so I was planning to go with Cindy last night but she got out of work too late. Then I thought I'd go today, but I spent a few hours riding my bike around this afternoon and really tired myself out. I really didn't want to get back on my bike but I talked myself into it knowing I'd be happy once I got there. There really isn't anything like it in the US so I'm glad I went.
I have some pictures from my afternoon as well. It's still quite hot during a good part of every afternoon but it's beginning to look like fall. Cosmos, anemones and my favorite kinmokusei (fragrant olive) are all blooming. The leaves on the cherry trees are starting to turn color and fall. And Asian pears, persimmons, and tangerines are showing up in the supermarkets.
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Kinmokusei - fragrant olive. Has anyone seen this in the US?
The flowers are tiny but the scent is intense and heavenly. |
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| A fig and almond (didn't really taste the almond) tart I came across (and ate) today. |
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